Hasselt i Belgien - shopping och fest

Writer: Helena Bergström

Here's a greeting from Hasselt in Belgium, where we travelled to experience Sensation White. The journey here was quite long. We flew to Eindhoven, continued by train to Maastricht and then travelled the last leg by bus to Hasselt. Fortunately, everyone we met along the way was incredibly friendly and helpful. And then we got to rest at the De Groene Hendrickx hotel.

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Hotel De Groene Hendrickx

The De Groene Hendrickx hotel felt really fresh and modern. The colours are grey, black and white, and here and there are various types of illuminated light panels. The best thing, however, is that the hotel is really centrally located. Just step outside the door and you're right in the city centre.

hotell Hasselt — Our room at the hotel in Hasselt

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A walk in town in Hasselt

We also had time to take a tour around town, which didn't take very long. Hasselt is a small town, but very cosy! Here you will find charming old neighbourhoods and modern shops. We also did a little shopping. I didn't buy a hat in that hat shop in the picture, but I did buy a pair of trousers for myself (Helena).

Sensation White in Hasselt

The main purpose of our trip was the party. Sensation White in Hasselt, Belgium, and it was a real experience. The huge trance party brought together nearly 20,000 people dressed in white, who danced for hours to music played by big-name DJs. It was an evening we will never forget.

A sea of people dressed in white, DJs and performances for six hours! Really fun, of course, even if your feet got sore... We heard people speaking Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and English. But we didn't see or hear any Northerners...?

It was a huge party at Sensation White here in Hasselt, Belgium, but we didn't bring our camera with us, so you'll have to make do with a picture of me just before we went out...

Carnival in Hasselt - an unexpected celebration

The day after Sensation White, we unexpectedly got to experience a carnival in Hasselt here in Belgium. We woke up (late in the afternoon) and decided to take a quiet stroll, partly to buy some water. Instead, we were met by... a huge party!

There was a big carnival parade through Hasselt, people were standing along the streets and the town was full of carousels... We felt a little shocked at first. We were at a big party yesterday, which was organised here because there is a large arena just outside Hasselt. Hasselt itself, on the other hand, is a fairly small town, which yesterday seemed very quiet, not to say sleepy.

Karneval i Hasselt — Carnival in Hasselt

Today, however, there was nothing sleepy about this city! One carriage after another rolled by, the music flowed and people shouted and waved. If it was a bit grey and dreary outside, the city definitely lit up with all the colours and imaginative creations.

Most people were dressed up, both children and adults. Everywhere you looked, you saw superheroes, monks, Vikings, police officers, nurses, animals, or various fruits... One man had dressed up as a painter and was carrying both a ladder and a roller. Here and there he would stop, climb up his ladder and roll in the air, in time to the music. There was no lack of imagination when it came to costumes, if you know what I mean!

Someone who needs some care or a plaster perhaps?

Right in the centre, they had set up a party tent where they played really cool music. We had a few beers and Jägermeister shots there, and made some new friends for the evening... We asked a girl what they were celebrating, and she replied, with confidence in her voice: ”Same as in Brazil. Carnival!” Don't we have a little too little of this kind of thing in Sweden...?