Carnaval is Aalst is very important event for citizens and it seems like whole Belgium is coming to watch it! It is on local news, festival is part of UNESCO heritage. During whole week 24 hours a day you can experience true madness (sorry for the this word - it meant in a good way) and fun. Music doesn't stop until 6 am in the morning so prepare be awake or take with you your ear plugs, if you want to have some quietness during carnival week - stay far from the centre and especially far from the train station. During carnival men are not afraid to be dressed in women clothes as history of carnival goes far centuries away when people couldn't afford to buy special carnival clothes and they used cloth of their grandmothers and wife to participate in it. You probably also see some criticism of politics and current economy situation from the locals as you see in pics I posted. Also be prepared that most shops - even food stores will be closed during carnival week.
If you are not afraid to be in the centre of carnival I recommend staying in Station hotel. It is situated exactly 1.5 minutes by foot from the station which is very convenient. If you book this hotel through phone or email, it will be a little cheaper than by using booking.com. I didn't know that and used booking. That is the review I left about the place: ''The staff of the hotel is absolutely amazing! It felt really good to receive such a warm welcome in the rainy Belgium weather. Inside the room there was a kettle and complimentary tea, coffee and Belgium beer:). Breakfast was offered with pretty good selection: omlette, bacon, fresh juice, cereals, fruits and tosts. Overall, i enjoyed my stay and would recommend this place to anyone who comes to Aalst. I didn't like minor things, like some parts inside the room require renovation''.
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