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When Wallonia lights up and highlights its heritage for the festive season
Every winter, Wallonia adorns itself in a mantle of light and revives its most beautiful jewels through a mosaic of markets, Christmas villages and enchanting shows. The magic also happens where you least expect it: behind the walls of a castle, in an abbey, in a garden or in an unexpected museum. Wallonia's heritage is ablaze with lights and daringly modern, thanks to ever more surprising technologies.
Christmas markets at the heart of heritage
Walloon's Christmas markets invite you to rediscover often little-known treasures. While our biggest towns welcome you to their historic centres, other more intimate venues will surprise many.
At Château de Reinhardstein, crafts mingle with medieval stonework. At Lavaux-Sainte-Anne, the castle hosts a craft market in an enchanting setting. The abbayes, too, emerge from their silence. In Stavelot, Floreffe or Maredsous, people come for the soothing atmosphere, the beauty of the place and the smell of mulled wine. For gourmets, the Village de Noël d'Eole invites you to put together your own festive menu of local wines, cheeses and sweets. The market at the Ligny 1815 Museum brings Napoleon's past to life under the garlands. While at the Parc d'Enghien, listed as Wallonia's Major Heritage Site, magic invites itself into the heart of a royal setting.
And of course, the must-sees remain the order of the day. The Liège Christmas Village, with its lively chalets, remains the biggest and most festive in Belgium. In Durbuy, the cobbled streets sparkle with a thousand lights, while Louvain-la-Neuve will be celebrating the 30ᵉ edition of Louvain-la-Neige, a must for families and lovers of a convivial atmosphere.
When light sublimates heritage
Spectacles and illuminations will again this year add an artistic dimension to winter nights.
The Garden of Lights illuminates the gardens of the Château de Rixensart with an immersive trail. Les Nocturnales return with their fairytale creations, including L'Odyssée de Noël and La Symphonie des Étoiles. La Fabrique à Jouets transports audiences into a dreamy, childlike world. In Dinant, monuments become stages of light: Dinant Lumière will link the city's iconic landmarks in a sparkling journey. In Spa, Tour des Sites presents Christmas Greetings, a monumental show illuminating the majestic interior of the Church of Notre-Dame and Saint-Remacle. And to extend the magic beyond the festive season, Mons en Lumière will reveal the soul of the City of Doudou at the end of January, in an atmosphere as luminous and warm as ever.
From castles to abbeys, illuminated villages to gourmet towns, this year Wallonia is once again promising a Christmas where heritage, authenticity and enchantment come together in the festive light.
To discover the calendar of winter markets, shows and illuminations, visit VISITWallonia.be/hiver.
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