This year, the Grand-Place will showcase a Christmas tree from Wallonia

Every year, the centre of the Grand-Place in Brussels is the setting for an often imposing Christmas tree. Usually, and depending on the period, these trees either come from the forests of Wallonia or are a gift from the city of Helsinki. In other years, the trees come from different countries and are diplomatic gifts.

This year's tree will be from the certified sustainably managed forests of Eupen. The Christmas tree will be chopped down at the end of November and will make its appearance at the Grand-Place in Brussels in early December. And this is no run-of-the-mill Christmas tree, as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, responsible for guaranteeing sustainable forest management (PEFC Belgium), has confirmed that the Christmas tree will come from a sustainably managed forest. This is not the first time that Wallonia and the City of Brussels have worked together in this area, as the 2011, 2013 and 2015 trees came from different parts of Wallonia.

The 2017 Christmas tree will be at least 20 metres tall and is considered a beautiful symbol of the link between Wallonia and Brussels-Capital. Placing it in the world's most beautiful square is also an opportunity to showcase the forests of Wallonia and to congratulate the region for its sustainable environmental management actions.

For further information on the initiative and the Christmas lights on the Grand-Place, click here.