Dutch Learning Community and Resources

The Best Christmas Markets in Belgium to Visit in 2022

Source: pexels.com

In this part two of this blog about the best Christmas markets in the Netherlands and Belgium we'll go over the top 5 markets in Belgium. If you're interested in the best markets of The Netherlands, check out part 1 of the blog.

Belgium

1.Bruges Christmas Market (Bruges Winter Glow), November 25^th – January 8^th

In Bruges there are actually two Christmas markets in the city center. There is a large one on the ‘Markt’ where you can find everything you would find at a traditional Christmas market, while the smaller market on the Simon Stevinplein is especially charming with a focus on crafts and local products. Next to the two markets, the city is filled with more festivities which you can find the details to in this brochure of the Winter Glow Festival.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

2. Antwerp Christmas Market, December 9^th – January 8^th

Writing about all the Christmas festivities in the city of Antwerp would take me all day, so I’ll just tell you about the highlights here. There are multiple large Christmas markets on light-filled squares throughout the city and ice rink is one of the most enchanting you will find. There are is also a very cosy pop-up après ski bar next to the ice rink that is worth a visit. 

Source: pexels.com

Link: https://visit.antwerpen.be/en/winter-in-antwerp

3. Brussels Christmas Market (Winter Wonders), November 25^th – January 1^st

According to the Big Seven Travel website the Brussels Winter Wonders is the best Christmas market in the world and has around a whopping 2.4 million visitors per year. What is special about Winter Wonders is that there are fantastic colorful and artistic light projections that decorate the old buildings in the city. There is also a 3-kilometer-long row of Christmas market chalets on a route throughout the city and the enormous Christmas tree on the Grand-Place is one not to miss. For more details, here is the map of the city with all its festivities.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Link: https://www.plaisirsdhiver.be/en/

4. Liege Christmas Market (Village de Noël), November 25^th – December 30^th

 The Christmas Village in Liège is the oldest Christmas market in Belgium and is hosted by the age-old Village Council. The market sells traditional Christmas decorations, but it is mostly a real foodie-heaven with over 150 chalets, many of which are food and drink stalls selling traditional delicacies like mulled wine, gingerbread and marzipan. There is a lot to love about de Village de Noël as that they have Zero Waste goal and are admirably working to minimize their environmental impact.

Link: https://www.villagedenoel.be/en/home

5. Ghent Christmas Market, December 8^th – 30^th

This Christmas is unique, mostly because the city itself is so beautiful with its historical architecture, canals and landmarks. There are some wonderful delicacies to taste like the world-famous Ghent pralines and the traditional ‘kroakemandels’ which are fried and salted peas. If you follow the market from the beginning to the end you will see some of the cities’ architectural highlights like the Saint Bravo’s Cathedral, the Saint Nicolas Church and the Sint-Michielsbrug.

 

Link: https://visit.gent.be/en/calendar/christmas-market

Link: https://visit.gent.be/en/calendar/christmas-market

-
I hope you loved this list AND that it has inspired you to visit one of the Christmas markets. I’m going to the Christmas Village and Iceskating Rink in Amsterdam this week. Let us know your Christmas market plans and pictures in the forums here: https://academy.europa.eu/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=8107