Today I've heard that the christmas tree of Brussels is coming and.... it will be a real one, whoohoo! And tonight the first snow flakes will whirl down in the Ardennes (south of Belgium). Wintertime is very very close! But honestly, I'm a lover and a hater. I don't like the cold and I don't like the snow. But ok, you can put on the heat and layer yourself with thousands of clothes and blankets! Drink hot chocolate or gluhwein, eat cake near the hearth-fire (if you are so lucky to have one. I don't). So that makes everything cozy. And don't forget the little lights and candles!
But at the otherhand you have all those Santa Clauses that are singing everywhere (shops, gardens, markets, ...), all that decadence on the social evenings, the pressure to be happy even if it's cold and dark all the time.
But ok, that's not why I wanted to write this. It's because I love christmas markets. I really adore them. So I thought 'hmm let's put my favourites and wanna-see-this-year in a list'. So here I go :)
1. My number one favourite is the one in Leuven! It's small and so cute. You have some traditional little wooden cabins but most are in white tents, filled with warm light. And you can visit the house of Santa Claus!!! I also like the fact you find a lot of craftwork. More artistic than at the other markets I visited yet.
You also have a lot of students and professors walking around, like always in that city, so the atmosphere is fun, joyful, ... very student-like. If you are there I can also recommend those 2 foodstops: Restaurant Sakura if you want to have sushi or other japanese food and De werf for dessert (favourite? chocolatemousse!!!) or to play some board games :)
Start: 12/12/2013
End: 22/12/2013
More: http://www.leuvensekerstmarkt.com/index.html
2. My second favourite is the one in Brussels! Much bigger than the one in Leuven with of course another atmosphere (it's still a metropolian city) but really a must-visit. Even if I'm afraid of heights, I always go into the big wheel to see how beautifully the city is lighted and I love the creepy carousel on 'Place sint-katherine'. It also has some creepy music which makes it more scarier!
Start: 29/11/2013
End: 05/01/2014
More: http://www.brussel.be/artdet.cfm?id=4843&agendaid=59
3. Last year I drove by the christmas market of Antwerp and thought I should come and see this one day. So hopefully this year :) But I'm sure the city on himself will be beautiful as well! All those small streets, little squares. I think it will be beautifully lighted!
Start: 07/12/2013
End: 31/12/2013
More: http://www.kerstmarktantwerpen.be/
4. Another one that I want to see is at Liège. It's the biggest and oldest of Belgium. They also have an exhibition and they have, like Brussels, a guest-country. This year it's Russia. So I hope to find some very warm gloves and matching hat on that Russian market ^^
Start: 29/11/2013
End: 30/12/2013
More: http://www.villagedenoel.be/en
Enjoy!
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