- Location: Rue du Marché aux Herbes 77, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Dates: August 12 - 15
- Area: 1800 square meters. m
- The cost of visiting: 5 euros, children under 10 years - free of charge
The indisputable advantages of Brussels , in addition to its importance on the political map of the world, is a grandiose architecture that conveys the spirit of the past centuries. Slowly walk through the streets in the historic center of the city, which probably still remember the city is not part of Belgium , to lie on the grass in a park with centuries-old trees, and just get fed up with this special atmosphere - and such a moderate but thoughtful pace of rest will bear fruit . However, not only the attractions attract tourists. The surprising tradition of Brussels , passed through the decades, is the so-called Flower carpet. Once every two years, the central historical area of the Grand Place literally transforms, pleasing the eye with a variety of colors and the aroma of flowers.
What will it be interesting to know the tourist?
The historical roots of the tradition originate in 1971 and its ancestor can be identified by the landscape designer and architect E. Stautemans. However, this event became regular only in 1986. If you do not blame yourself, you should admit the fact that it was done solely for the sake of attracting tourists. Nevertheless, to go here and see this spectacle definitely worth it.
So, what is the Flower carpet in Brussels? This is a huge installation, which involves about 750 thousand flowers begonias of different shades. At the preparatory stage, strips of turf are applied to the "canvas" on which the carpet will be created. Then about a hundred volunteers and some of the best gardeners in the city are accepted for the painstaking work of drawing drawings and ornaments. What is characteristic, flowers are planted so tightly to each other that the wind ceases to be a threat as such. In addition, its microclimate is formed, which allows the flowers to remain in excellent condition for 4-5 days with sufficient humidity. By the way, begonia is not chosen by chance - it's a rather unpretentious plant, which is an important factor for such a voluminous composition.
If, while reading this article, you have an idea that the Flower carpet is a matter of several hours, then this is far from being the case. Preparation for the event takes almost a year. First, a concept is being developed, the question of what will be the topic at this time is being decided. Next, sketches are drawn and the approximate number of flowers of a particular color is calculated. And only after that the preparatory work goes directly to the Grand Place. Therefore, believe me: the laying out of flowers on the already prepared layout is only a small part of the grandiose work.
Quite an original feature of the Flower Carpet is also that each time the pattern changes. Moreover, its subject matter, as a rule, is necessarily attached to any events, countries or time frames. For example, 2012 was held under the aegis of Africa. Among the ornaments of the carpet, traditional elements of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Congo, Cameroon and Botswana were guessed. In 2014, the flower carpet was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Turkish immigration to Belgium, so the floral patterns repeated the ornaments of Turkish carpets.
In fact, the Flower Carpet is not just a canvas in the center of the square with amazing colors. It's a whole action, with musical accompaniment and original lighting. The view on the flower canvas is best admired from the balcony of the Town Hall. Entrance to the Grand Place in the period of this event is 5 euros, children under 10 years - free. The festival is held from 12 to 15 August.
How to get there?
To the central square on which the Flower carpet is located, it is not difficult to get there. You can take tram no.3, 4 to Beurs station, or Gare Centrale metro station is in close proximity. In both cases, one-quarter walk from public transport stops.
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