308 TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS
CASINOSThere are several casinos in
Belgium, where visitors can
play roulette, blackjack, stud
poker, slot machines and so
on. The most famous are the
Casino Knokke and the Casino
Oostende, but there are others
at Namur, Blankenberge and
Middelkerke. Associated origi-
nally with spa towns, Flemish
casinos still carry the name
Kursaal (Cure Hall). Spa itself
has Casino de Spa, while the
capital city has Grand Casino
Brussels. Most esta blish ments
have a relaxed atmosphere
with a smart-casual dress code.
Many also welcome guests
who arrive simply to relax at
the bar in the early hours.country flock to the Café
d’Anvers, a former church
located in Antwerp’s red light
district, that was turned into
a house club in 1991. Petrol
Club blends hip-hop, electro
and rock on its big nights on
Fridays and Saturdays. Red
and Blue is a famous gay club
in the city. The Latin-American
oriented Café Local is also
worth a visit. Ghent’s most
famous nightspot is Culture
Club. Lier has a reputation for
nightlife that far exceeds the
town’s size, attracting club-
bers from countries across the
borders and the Netherlands
in particular. Its most famous
clubs are Illusion and La
Rocca. Bruges has a lively but
mercurial clubbing scene – it
is best to ask at the tourist
office or at a youth hostel for
the current popular spots.
There are many other clubs
and discos, with listings on
the Noctis site (see p89).Antwerp’s energetic nightlife at the upbeat Petrol ClubMIXED ARTS AND
MUSIC FESTIVALS
The Europalia festival is a
biennial, countrywide event,
focussing on a specific theme,
usually the culture of a chosen
foreign partner-country. Lasting
four months, it presents an
ambitious programme of fine
music, cinema, dance, theatre
and literary events. Belgium’s
most warm-spirited annual
festival is De Gentse Feesten
(see p32), a centuries-old cel-
ebration where perform ers,
buskers, rock groups and jazz
bands com pete for the atten-
tion of a lively crowd. The
Fêtes de Wallonie (see p34)
is an equally eclectic mix.
PARADES AND
LOCAL FESTIVALS
Pageants and parades fill the
streets of towns and cities
across Belgium throughout
the year. There are several
famous carnival parades
marking Lent, most notably
at Binche and Stavelot, as
well as cos tumed religious
proces sions (see pp32–5) at
Bruges, Mechelen, Tournai,
Dendermonde, Mons, Veurne
and a number of other cities
across the country, each with
its own distinctive flavour.
Belgian towns also have
local fairs – some times called
kermesse or kermis. These are
generally celebrated with a
parade, a fun fair and several
assorted musical events.
Colourful costumes at a traditional festival parade in Brussels’s Grand Place
CLUBS AND DISCOSAntwerp has an international
reputation for its spirited club-
life. Clubbers from across the