ELEVATE - decembar

| 81 M any people associate Brussels withitsroleasthepoliticalcen- tre of the EU, but as of recent- ly the Belgian capital has also shown its hidden assets and gained a repu- tation as one of Europe’s most visited cities, primarily thanks to its discreet charm of he- donism,whichemanatesfromitsmanybars, restaurants, museums etc. Andthisfairy-taleimageofthecityiscom- plemented during the time of Christmas and NewYear’sholidaysbyits WinterWonderland , with events in the centre of the Belgian capi- talandfoursurroundingneighbourhoodslast- ing until 4 th January. A Christmas bazaar, skating rink, gala pa- rade,merry-go-round,carrousel,concerts,open airshows,Christmasballsetc.,andeverythingin festivedecorations,callsforpleasureandenjoy- ment.Thecityauthoritieshaveplacedinfrontof theGrandPlacea22-metretallChristmastree, a gift fromWallonia – one of Belgium’s three regions. They didn’t skimp on the decorations either,consideringtheywouldcoveradistance of 1.3 kilometres if placed one after another. Gastronomic tourists will find their own specialcornerduringtheholidays,amongthe famous stands placed behind the Black Tow- er, as Brusselites call the Church of St. Cathe- rine, where they will be able to sample all the delicacies of Belgium. This year will see more than 50 DJs in around a dozen of the most popular clubs countdowntheminutebeforemidnight.There will be music for all tastes – from house and electronica, via rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and hip-hop, to the techno parties for which Brussels is al- ready famous. Allticketscanbeboughtinadvance,online, buteveryonerecommendsthe HappyBrussels Party Pass , priced at €60, which can be used to gain entry to all parties in the city’s biggest clubs, like Fuse, Catclub, Wood, Bloody Louis, Mr Wong etc. After midnight, the same tick- et is valid for the famous Atomium and some other popular venues in Brussels. Thecity’spublictransportationsystemwill operatecontinuouslyuntil5:30amon1 st Janu- ary,ensuringeveryonecanreturnhomesafely from the celebrations. And the day after this joyous evening is sometimes the best time to travelsomewhereandvisitanotherniceplace. Eurostar or Thalys trains will transport you at a speed of 300km/h to some unexplored Eu- ropean destination which you’ll reach in the blink of an eye. Stari grad u vreme Božića Old town during Christmas Jelka i novogodišnja rasveta ispred Grand plasa Grand Place christmas tree and lights