Bloomilicious

Dreaming of spending the holidays in the mountains ? City Ski makes your dream come true and brings you in the centre of Brussels, all the joy and fun of a snowtrip! The Mont des Arts will be turned into a real ski resort: a real ski trail of 150 meters long, covered with 50cm of snow, produced thanks to the city water without additives.

Besides the powdery snow and the real ski lifts, you can easily use pro equipment and enjoy introductions by professionals. Moreover, there will be warm wine tastings surrounded by Christmas trees and chalet-style houses where you can glide from the mountain pleasures to the gastronomic specialities. You will find all the mountain delights like waffles, pancakes, salt meats, cheese on block and on-the-go raclette, in the village among a lot of chalets.

When? From 10 to 25 December 2011

Where? Mont des Arts: Rue Mont des Arts – 1000 Bruxelles

How much? 20 minutes = € 5 – Equipment rental: € 8 (ski-boots, skis, sticks & helmet).

How to get there from hotel BLOOM?

By foot: 10 minutes walk. By metro: Botanique, in front of hotel BLOOM!, take line 1 or 5 and stop at Central Station/Gare Centrale.

« Winter Wonders » (Plaisirs d’hiver or Winterpret) will be one of the major attractions in the centre of Brussels in December, during Christmas and new year.

Discover a magical, illuminated and sound-filled setting and a wide range of fun activities like street theatre, music bands, puppets etc. Don’t forget the biggest Christmas market in Belgium with its 250 stalls set up around the Bourse, and the Marché aux Poissons, going through the Place Sainte Catherine. The Brussels Christmas market is ranked as the “most original” in Europe by many tour operators!

Have some ice-skating fun too, and discover the pleasures of skating on the ice rink! Admire the magnificent christmas tree on the Grand-Place. There are lots of fun things to do in Brussels at winter time….don’t miss them!

When? From 25^th November 2011 to 1^st January 2012

Where? City centre: Grand-Place, Bourse, Marché aux Poissons, Place St Catherine. The access to Winter Wonders and the Christmas market is free.

From hotel BLOOM! 15 minutes of walking distance. Metro 6 direction Simonis: stop at Rogier (1 min.) – Metro 5 direction Erasme: stop at Saint-Catherine (10 min.) or De Brouckère (9 min.)

This year, the St. Jazz-ten-Noode festival celebrates its 26th birthday. The festival was founded in 1985 to provide a free, popular and friendly music event in the heart of Brussels where jazz would be honored.

After 25 years, the festival has been marked by great jazz moments !

The festival is known for its high quality program. The town of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is, just like Jazz itself, a mixture of backgrounds, styles and energies, with a true mosaic of cultures and thus a perfect location for the festival.

The performances take place at the Botanique (next to Hotel BLOOM !) and Place Saint-Josse-Ten-Noode (next to metro station Madou).

Don’t miss it !

When? 16 & 17 September 2011

More info? www.saintjazz.be

This Saturday the 27th of August City Parade celebrates its 11th edition. After traveling from one city to another, Brussels welcomes the City Parade again. Be part of an unforgettable day with amazing trucks, pumping sound systems, lights, decoration, dancers, dj’s and more!

Opening Party (Free entrance)

From 12.00 am, the square in front of the Gare du Nord will be transformed into a party-zone. On a large podium, international guest dj’s will start the party. Twenty trucks will arrive on the Boulevard King Albert-II to park before the departure of the parade. The trucks will play their own music, more than hundred of dj’s will be present!

Street Parade (Free entrance)

The trucks will depart at 4:00 pm on the Boulevard Roi Albert-II and will go to Tour & Taxis where the closing festival will take place.

Closing Festival (Entrance : 45€/person. Presale: 33€ buy online: www.//cityparade.be)

On the parking lots of Tour & Taxis, a gigantic podium with numerous guest dj’s will be set up. At 6.00 pm the trucks arrive and play their music until 11.00 pm. After the trucks left the parking lot, the party goes on until 02.00 am.

 How to get there from hotel BLOOM?

-          Opening party: by foot: the Gare du Nord is only a 7-minute walk from the hotel

-          Street Parade & Closing Festival: by subway: from Botanique (in front of the hotel)

to Yser/Ijzer

The Brussels Summer Festival was lauched in 2002 by the City of Brussels and is today one of the most important cultural events in Brussels.

 It is a big cultural and popular feast which counts on diverse artistic disciplines: theatre, music and street animations.

 The festival takes place the last 10 days of August, at the most beautiful places of the City: Place Royale, Place des Palais, Parc de Bruxelles, Place des Musées and Mont des Arts.

• When? From Friday 13th until Sunday the 22nd of August 2011
• Where? Place Royale, Place des Palais, Place du Musée and in the Parc de Bruxelles
• How much? PASS 10 DAYS: 20euro (presales), 30euro (at the door) – PASS CLASSISSIMO (10 concerts): 45euro
• More info? www.bsf-brusselssummerfestival.be

From Hotel BLOOM! you can easily access the Brussels Summer Festival by public transportation (Metro station, trams and busses at “Botanique”).