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The 'Sambre' is a river in northern France and southern Belgium, left tributary of the Meuse River.

Contents

Course

Battles

Course

The source of the Sambre is near Le Nouvion-en-Thiérache, in the Aisne department. It passes through the Franco-Belgian coal basin, formerly an important industrial district.
It is canalized along much of its length and flows into the Meuse River at Namur, Belgium. The Sambre is connected with the Oise River by the Sambre-Oise Canal.
The Sambre flows through the following departments of France, provinces of Belgium and towns:

★ Aisne (F): Barzy-en-Thiérache

★ Nord (F): Landrecies, Aulnoye-Aymeries, Hautmont, Maubeuge

★ Hainaut (B): Thuin, Charleroi

★ Namur: Floreffe, Namur

Battles

In 57 BC, Julius Caesar defeated a belgic confederation led by the bellovaci tribe at the river.

Heavy fighting occurred along the river during World War I, especially at the siege of Namur in 1914 (Battle of Charleroi) and in the last month of the war (Battle of the Sambre (1918)).