From late November, the Winter Wonders event captures the seasonal spirit of the European Christmas markets, with over 200 chalets to peruse at your leisure to find those special gifts and memories to take home, while an enclosed ice rink, thrilling fairground rides and a mesmerising light show on the Grand Place guarantee you hours of enjoyment. Winter is a magical time in Brussels and one that you’re unlikely to forget. With a diverse range of festivals heading to Brussels, there really is something for everyone. Summer welcomes a variety of festivals to Brussels that will capture your imagination, Brosella Folk and Jazz Festival, BXLBeerFest, Ommegang and the Brussels Summer Festival to name just a few. Covering nearly 2,000 square metres, the display must be seen in person to be appreciated and, held only every other year, 2020 presents the perfect opportunity. The premier event in Brussels in August is the Grand Place Flower Carpet, an astonishing and breath-taking tapestry of approximately one million begonias in the historic heart of the city. You’ll come to know Brussels more intimately and you’ll enjoy the relaxation of stepping back from the busy tourist trails. This year the Brussels Winter Wonders market will go from 25th November 2011 through to 1st January 2012.Summer is the best opportunity to enjoy Brussels like a local, so enjoy a slow travel experience by soaking up the sunshine while sipping a cool drink on one of the city’s terraces, stepping back from the bustle in Parc Tenbosch or another of the many secluded gardens, or savouring a pint of Belgian beer in a trendy bar with the locals. Chez Léon is right next to the Grand’ Place in the historic centre of Brussels and the mussels were just as good, if not better than Belgo! Is it bad that I also spent the entire time I was in Brussels looking for Belgo Bill? I’ll definitely have to return to Belgium to look for him and visit the Christmas Markets again! Don’t get me wrong, I absoultely love them the French way, but I guess it was just SO cold and the broth was a nice surprise, not to mention deliciously soothing.īefore heading back to London I had to make one final stop at Chez Léon for a steaming pot of delicious Moules et Frites. I’d only ever had French escargots de bourgogne prepared with garlic and parsley butter. I had two bowls the first night and went back for a third the next day. The waffles and chocolate were all very nice, but the highlight of my culinary explorations were the simple but warming bowls of escargot in broth.
In a word, yum! They’re lovely hot off the press and eaten plain. So do yourself a favour and go see it in the flesh!Īnother item on my list of indulgences was ‘the Brussels waffle’, known in Belgium as gaufre de Bruxelles. Unfortunately, my camera at the time was a bit crap so the video clip doesn’t really do it justice.
Completely magical and fantastically mysterious. The design of the carousel reminded me of a mix of characters from Hayao Miyazaki‘s works, like Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) or Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986). Hand rolled Belgian truffles are a must try–in a word, they’re moreish! They simply melt in your mouth and aren’t sickly sweet like I find some chocolates can be.īefore I lose myself to the fond memories of all the gorgeous food, I must mention the amazing carousel at the market, which had me mesmerised. I felt like a child again, taking in all the colourful displays and wandering from stall to stall, sampling more chocolate than I should have.
But in the evening, the Christmas Market came alive with all the beautiful lights and the delicious aromas quickly made me forget the cold. I even started to miss London, even though the whole point was to get away for the weekend. I was intrigued by the architecture but everything looked so drab and gray. I must admit that I’ve never done well in winter and wandering around Brussels during the day, I wondered what all the fuss was about. A few years ago, I decided to go to Brussels to explore the famous annual Brussels Winter Wonderland and to taste as many Belgian delights as possible.
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