Ath

Ath is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. Its name is rendered Aat in Dutch, Ât in Picard and Ate in Walloon. The municipality is made up of Ath itself and a number of former villages, including Arbre, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, Irchonwelz, Isières, Lanquesaint, Ligne, Maffle, Mainvault, Meslin-l'Évêque, Moulbaix, Ormeignies, Ostiches, Rebaix, Villers-Notre-Dame and Villers-Saint-Amand. Ath is nicknamed the City of Giants after the Ducasse d'Ath, a festival held each year on the fourth weekend of August in which huge figures representing Goliath, Samson and other allegorical characters are paraded through the streets and Goliath's wedding and his fight with David are re-enacted. The river Dender begins at Ath, where its eastern and western branches merge.