• LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US

8WomenDream

Dream Big Stories

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CONNECT
You Are Here Home » TRAVEL THE WORLD » European winter travel dreams in Belgium

in TRAVEL THE WORLD

European winter travel dreams in Belgium

Last updated on January 19th, 2014 at 09:38 pm

Brussels winter festival
Welcome to travel Saturday. I am just back from Christmas holidays in Belgium, one of the best places to experience the enchantment of a European winter travel dream.

The winter festival lights up Brussels throughout the Christmas season – it is called Plaisirs d’hiver or Winter Pret in multi-lingual Belgium. I have been three or four times now.

This year the “Best Christmas Destination” Association named the Brussels Christmas Market Europe’s third best Christmas market. An estimated 1.5 million people enjoyed the fun this year.

Why is it so successful? I think it is because they manage a blend of tradition and modernity, while offering attractions for all age groups.

Brussels winter festival in Belgium

The streets are thronged with locals and tourists enjoying the atmosphere, which spreads from Brussels’ incomparable medieval set-piece the Grand Place, all around the Bourse, the Place de la Monnaie, along to the Place Sainte-Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons.

The Christmas market has around 250 charming wooden chalets selling seasonal food and drinks, as well as lovely Christmas handicrafts. There is a fairground with a Ferris wheel, merry-go-rounds and a 1,050m2 ice skating rink.

The best place to start is in the Grand Place, where the huge Christmas tree sparkles above a traditional nativity scene (this is life size and even has live sheep). People really get excited when the sound and light show kicks off (every 15 minutes during the week and every 30 minutes in the weekend). The spectacular Unesco World Heritage Site buildings are flooded with lively colours in a show choreographed to music – again a mix of traditional and modern tunes.

Brussels Grand Place sound and light show Winter Pret

Make sure you have grabbed a cup of vin chaud ahead of the show, and some delicious Belgian Christmas goodies – perhaps a waffle from one of the little street vans or a piece of speculoos.

Then make your way along the two-kilometre route, ending up in the St Catherine quarter where there are many restaurants and bars. This time we chose a place called Fin de Siecle on Rue des Chartreux. I had a life-changing dish of Lapin a la Kriek – melting rabbit meat cooked in a sauce featuring the famous cherry beer of Belgium.

So next Christmas make your way to Brussels for a winter festival with it all – Plaisirs d’hiver will run from Friday 28 November 2014 until Sunday 4 January 2015.

Happy travels!

Natasha

While attending the Brussels Winter Festival I was a guest of the Thon Hotel Bristol Stephanie, a member of Great Hotels of the World Premium Collection. Double rooms at the Thon Hotel Bristol Stephanie start from $95 per night and the Avenue Louise location is very convenient.

Natasha VonGeldern
Natasha VonGeldern

Natasha von Geldern is a travel writer, editor, and blogger who is passionate about making the pages of the atlas real by traveling the world. She is a contributor to Travel Wire Asia, Wild Junket Magazine, Yahoo! Total Travel, and Travelbite. You can find her on her travel website and blog, WorldWanderingKiwi.

Note: Articles by Natasha may contain affiliate links and may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on an affiliate link.

Related Stories:

  • European travel dreams by rail
    European travel dreams by rail
  • 8 Must-Sees on a European Dream Vacation
    8 Must-Sees on a European Dream Vacation
  • Enjoy Winter Solstice with Evergreen Travel Dreams
    Enjoy Winter Solstice with Evergreen Travel Dreams
  • Fun Ways to Survive Winter and Even Thrive
    Fun Ways to Survive Winter and Even Thrive
Tell your friends!

Filed Under: TRAVEL THE WORLD

Some of the posts on 8WD contain affiliate links or links to purchase products or programs from 8WD contributors. This means 8WD or the contributor may make a small commission if you make a purchase. The 8WD affiliate links help offset the cost of hosting this website and the contributor links help support the dreams of the contributor. Please check out the 8WD Legal Page for more details.

Thank you for your continued support!

« The Top Motivational Speaker Interviews: Karen McCullough #8
Want to Lose Weight and Get Fit? Kill Your Scale »

Check it out

  • LAUNCH YOUR DREAM
  • BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER
  • STARTING OVER MIDLIFE
  • HAPPINESS THROUGH ACTIVISM
  • TRAVEL THE WORLD
  • GET HEALTHY & FIT
  • BUILD SELF-CONFIDENCE
  • BRAVE LIVING
  • WRITE WITH US


The 8WomenDream Dream Tote Bag

About the 8WomenDream Tote Bag
US – 10oz Cotton
Dimensions (External Dimensions)
• Height – 18″ (45.72cm or 457.2mm)
• Width – 15″ (38.1cm or 381mm)
Handle Dimensions (Internal Dimensions)
• Length – 29″ (73.7cm or 736.6mm)

Recent Dream Stories

  • Winter Solstice Celebrations: What to Do With 1 Minute More?
  • Starting Over as a Single Mom Wasn’t My Big Dream
  • Warning: Big Dream to Be a Motivational Speaker Won’t Always Obey Your Plans
  • Dance to Relieve Stress to Focus on Your Big Dream
  • 6 Tips to Avoid Get Rich Quick Scams as a Public Speaker
  • A Dream to Spread MLK’s Message of Love
  • Best Goal Setting Advice that Actually Works
  • 8 Solstice Traditions for Focusing on Your Big Dream this Year
Catherine Hughes on Dealspotr
Catherine Hughes
@8WomenDream
Let’s collaborate
Powered by Dealspotr

Inspiration

8 WOMEN DREAM | COPYRIGHT All RIGHTS RESERVED © 2023 ·

Welcome to 8WomenDream Where Big Dreams Are Shared
The 8WomenDream website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're OK with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT REJECT READ MORE
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT