From 28 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, Brussels’ city centre lights up for Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d’Hiver / Winterpret), a 2 km winter trail connecting Grand-Place, Sainte-Catherine, the Vismet, De Brouckère, Bourse and Place de la Monnaie. With around 238 chalets, food stalls, bars, rides and free animations, the event welcomes millions of visitors and creates a vibrant atmosphere throughout the festive season.
This edition focuses strongly on solidarity. The Grand-Place “solidarity tree” will see its decorations auctioned after the holidays to support food banks, while a new Christmas village on Place Poelaert invites visitors to enjoy gourmet treats with a panoramic view of Brussels and to donate toys for sick or disadvantaged children. An official interactive map helps you navigate easily between chalets, attractions and artistic installations.
For hotel guests, the heart of Winter Wonders is compact and easy to explore. Around Sainte-Catherine and the Vismet, you will find craft stalls, street food and the Ferris wheel. At Place De Brouckère, the popular ice rink and curling lanes return, with some attractions operating until 4 January 2026 so you can still enjoy the festive mood after New Year’s Eve.
Staying at The Urban Yard, you benefit from an excellent location near Gare du Midi, just a short walk from Lemonnier metro and an easy stroll or tram ride into the historic centre. After arriving in Brussels by train, you can drop your bags in your room, cross the urban garden in our inner courtyard, and head straight for the Christmas market without worrying about traffic or parking.
Brussels authorities strongly encourage visitors to come by public transport or bicycle during Winter Wonders, both for convenience and to minimise the city’s environmental impact. From The Urban Yard, metro and tram lines take you quickly to Bourse, De Brouckère or Sainte-Catherine, while the historic Grand-Place is less than 20 minutes away on foot.
After a night under the Christmas lights, our bar and lounge offer a relaxed, green oasis to end the evening. The Urban Yard combines the energy of Brussels’ winter streets with the calm of a hidden garden, making it a perfect base for Winter Wonders 2025.