Page 39 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG THROUGH THE Y EAR  37

Average Daily Hours of Sunshine
Climate
Hours Belgium and Luxembourg
10 have a fairly temperate
northern European climate.
8
Although not often freezing,
6 winters are chilly and a
heavy coat is required.
4 Summers can be pleasantly
warm though a jersey
2
might still be needed in
0 the evenings. Rainwear
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec is always a necessity.
Cortèges (2nd weekend), Tournai. Dour Festival (Thu–Sun, mid-Jul), August
Folkloric giants take to the streets near Mons. A 20-year-old rock Meyboom (9 Aug), Brussels.
in four traditional parades. festival with an eclectic set Giant figures are joyously
Battle of Waterloo of programmes. paraded to witness the plant ing
re-enactments (variable), Gentsefeesten (3rd week), of a meyboom (may tree).
Waterloo. A major re-enactment Ghent. A ten-day party, mixing Tapis de Fleurs (mid-Aug),
marks the anniversary of the street theatre and acrobatics Brussels. In even-numbered
battle every five years, but with music concerts. years, the Grand Place is
smaller events take place Moods! (late Jul–early Aug), car peted in colourful flowers
around 18 June every year. Bruges. Rock and pop con certs for four days.
Couleur Café Festival (Jun) take place in bars, cafés and the Praalstoet van de Gouden
in Brussels offers the best two main squares. Boom (late Aug, 2017, 2022),
in world music. Foire du Midi (mid-Jul– Bruges. The Pageant of the
mid-Aug), Brussels. Golden Tree is held every five
July Fairground rides years in 15th-century costume,
Ommegang (1st Tue– and shooting evoking the city’s golden age.
Thu), Brussels. Said to galleries fill the Reiefeest (21–31 Aug), Bruges.
date from 1549, this Boulevard du Theatrical scenes are performed
grand ommegang Midi, along with food every three years by the River
(walk-around) involves Dynamic performance stands wel coming Reie to cele brate the city’s history.
1,400 participants at the Gentsefeesten the shellfish season. Ducasse (4th Fri–Mon), Ath.
dressed as stilt-walkers, Boetprocessie (last This procession has folkloric
Renaissance nobles, guildsmen, Sun), Veurne. The Procession of figures such as Monsieur and
soldiers, flag-throwers, musi- the Penitents is a solemn affair, Madame Gouyasse (Goliath)
cians and acrobats. All parade and follows a 450-year-old and includes Belgium’s most
through the Grand Place before folkloric tradition (see p127). celebrated parade of giants.
the nobility seated on a rostrum.
Rock Werchter (1st weekend),
near Leuven. This four-day out-
door rock festival has gained
international fame and attracts
a line-up of top acts.
Zevenjaarlijkse Kronings-
feesten (early July, 2023),
Tongeren. The Seven-yearly
Crowning Festival has a pro-
cession of 4,000 costumed
people, crowning a 15th-
century statue of the Virgin.
Guldensporendag
(11 July), Flanders. The
anniversary of the Battle
of the Golden Spurs in 1302
is a Flemish holiday, marked
by a variety of events.
Cactusfestival (2nd weekend),
Bruges. Minnewater Park’s
respected rock festival attracts
some big names. Millions of flowers in intricate designs at the spectacular Tapis de Fleurs

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