Christmas Markets 2009 - Brussels or Bruges?

I am planning a weekend away for for a group of girlfriends in early December, and we would like to visit a Christmas market. We have narrowed our choice down to Brussels (Hotel Welcome?) or Bruges (Hotel Heritage?) and we will be travelling by Eurostar from London. I know people who have been to Brugges and enjoyed a simlar trip at this time of year, but I don%26#39;t have any experiences of Brussels at this time of year. I know the travel to Brussels is easier and quicker, but I have a feeling Bruges might have more charm.....

Any thoughts/recent experiences that might help us make up our minds?

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hi there,

go for Brussel Christmas market.Much bigger(about 180 stalls)on a track of 2 km.

Maybe do Brugge as a daytrip by train,easy connections, takes about 1h 45 runs about every houre i think.

have fun

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It doesn%26#39;t take 1h45 from Brussels to Brugge, at least not if you take the IC trains which run at least twice an hour (final destinations Oostende or Knokke/Blankenberge): it takes one hour.

I actually don%26#39;t rate the Brussels %26quot;Christmas%26quot; market (which doesn%26#39;t even call itself that, it%26#39;s a %26quot;Winter market%26quot;) at all: if you are looking for anything Christmassy, this is only really the case when the guest country/region is somewhere like Lapland. Last year it was Wallonia and the year before that - the Caribbean! Apart from some of the food and drink, e.g. mulled wine, you get the same stalls at this market as you do at every other festival market, e.g. handcrafted hats, bags, candles, decorations, etc. Therefore, if you are looking for Christmas spirit don%26#39;t come to Belgium at all, Christmas is not a big thing here: local traditions are centred around St. Nicolas on 6 December.

Between Brussels and Brugge, I am not able to advise it is all a question of taste. Of course Brugge has more charm than Brussels, it%26#39;s a tiny medieval city compared to a large, essentially modern one that obliterated a lot of its past in the 60s.

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Many thanks for the information. Does anyone know what country the Brussels market will be themed with this year?

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No, you can keep a look-out on http://www.plaisirsdhiver.be/ but last year they didn%26#39;t announce it till November.

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It is Mongolia this year :)

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It%26#39;s Mongolia this year :)

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Glad I decided to go to Bruges then :)