Words by Barry Goodwin

January, with its cold winter days and dark nights, proved the perfect time for a festival of lights, held in Mons, Belgium.

I was lucky enough to have been invited over to the cultural capital of Wallonia to help celebrate its very first festival of lights with Irish Ferries, and what an amazing experience it turned out to be.

I travelled from Dover to Calais and enjoyed a very comfortable crossing with easy loading, spacious decks and good facilities on board. Coupled with a crossing time of under two hours, it made for a perfect start to the day.

Running over eight evenings until Sunday, February 4, the historic and medieval centre of Mons is transformed into an amazing display of lights, effects and immersive art.

The first edition of this event covered a 3km route around the city, where a total of 25 installations are presented to the public, and the closure of all roads to traffic makes it a human snake that winds its way through the city.

2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the manifesto of the Surrealist movement, and the route focuses on Surrealism and poetry, the movement’s roots planted firmly in the Hainaut region.

Hainaut is the Belgian province of which Mons is the capital and it holds the national record for UNESCO-recognised heritage with 20 listed sites, buildings or events.

The main work is by Scottish-born artist Robert Montgomery, who now lives and runs his workshop in Maidstone.

Artist, sculptor and poet, his light and text installations are famous across the world, using light and text, along with billboards and fire poems, one of which opened the event, lit by both Montgomery and Mons mayor Nicolas Martin, who hopes to make this an annual winter spectacular.

The mixture of winding streets through both the medieval parts and the new of the city provided the perfect backdrop for the displays and it is a mark of the young mayor that the city strives to host events each and every month of the year.

From the opening light display, up through the cobbled streets to the cathedral for an immersive indoor light and laser display called Hymn, round through various streets and a park, the senses never had a moment to be tired – and with several thousand visitors following the route, it seemed as though the whole city was out celebrating.

Outside of the event Mons offers so much for the visiting travellers.

You can immerse yourself in the history in almost every corner, from the baroque Belfry overlooking the city, to the Van Gogh house.

Or, if shopping is more your thing, there are plenty of streets offering the consumer experience.

Personally, I was more than happy to find a table at the cafe in the square the following morning and just watch the world go by with a strong coffee and a selection of pastries, although I was tempted to stay just a little longer for a light lunch too before heading back to the UK.

My verdict on Mons? Visit any time of the year and there shall be something to do and, if you visit between events, just enjoy the city for its charm.