Sunday Vacations Brussels® | Social Adventures & Travel

📍 Mechelse Heide — Hoge Kempen National Park, Maasmechelen - 11:41 train @ Gare Centrale Brussels

### Purple heath. Golden light. Fresh air. New connections. 🌿

Late August is one of the most beautiful times to discover Mechelse Heide.
For this Sunday Vacations escape, we're heading into the heathlands for a relaxed afternoon hike, surrounded by nature and the colours of late summer — with plenty of time to talk, take photos and meet new people along the way.
And we're deliberately starting later than a typical hike.
Why? Because we want to experience the landscape as the afternoon light softens into golden hour, before finishing our adventure around sunset. 🌅
Come alone or bring a friend. Solo joiners are very welcome.

## 🌿 Experience Overview

We'll meet in the afternoon at the Mechelse Heide gateway in Maasmechelen and explore the heathland together at a comfortable social pace.
This isn't a race to complete kilometres.
We'll make time for conversations, photo stops, a picnic break and simply enjoying one of Belgium's distinctive natural landscapes.
As evening approaches, we'll continue through the heath during the warmer golden-hour light and enjoy the sunset before making our way back.
## 🗓️ Plan for the Day

Around 13:30–14:00 — Meet at Mechelse Heid
Meet the Sunday Vacations community, introductions and a short briefing before we start
Those who participated in the morning photography workshop can join us here

### ~14:30 — Let's hike!

We'll head into the Mechelse Heide together
Expect a relaxed social pace with stops along the way for photographs, conversations and simply enjoying the landscape

### 🧺 Late Afternoon — Picnic & Social Break

We'll take a longer break together
Bring something to eat, enough water and your favourite snacks

### 💜 Evening — Golden Hour

As the sun gets lower, we'll continue through the heathlands during the beautiful late-afternoon light
This is when we'll slow things down even more and leave plenty of room for photography
You don't need a professional camera — your phone is absolutely fine.

### 🌅 Sunset

We'll find a suitable spot to enjoy the final light together before making our way back

###~ 21:00–21:30 — Finish

We'll return to the meeting area and begin our journeys home
Please note: timings are approximate. The route and schedule may change depending on weather, trail conditions, daylight and the pace of the group.

# 📍 Meeting Point

Nationaal Park Toegangspoort Mechelse Heid
Joseph Smeetslaan 28
3630 Maasmechelen, Belgium
Detailed meeting and transportation coordination information will be shared with registered participants in the WhatsApp group

# 💶 Event Contribution

### 🌍 Explorer Members — €5

### 🌿 Voyager Members — FREE

### 🏔️ Ambassador Members — FREE

The contribution supports the organisation and coordination of the Sunday Vacations community experience.

### 🚆 Transportation

Transportation is not included in the event contribution or membership.
Participants arrange and pay for their own transportation unless we explicitly communicate another arrangement
We may help participants coordinate travelling together from Brussels where possible.

### 📸 Optional Photography Workshop

The morning photography workshop costs €49 and is a separate third-party activity**
Anyone choosing to participate books and pays the workshop provider directly**
Food, drinks and other personal expenses are also paid individually
VAT not applicable – small business exemption scheme, Article 56bis Belgian VAT Code

# 🌍 Sunday Vacations Membership

Sunday Vacations is a community for international professionals, expats and locals who want to escape routine, discover new places and build meaningful connections through shared experiences

### 🌍 Explorer — €5/year

Discover the community and join experiences at the applicable Explorer contribution
This event: €

### 🌿 Voyager — €50/year

For members who want to explore with us more regularly
✨ This event: FRE

### 🏔️ Ambassador — €150/year

For members who want to be more involved in the Sunday Vacations community
✨ This event: FREE
Transportation, food and third-party activities are not included in membership unless explicitly stated otherwise.

# 👋 Who Is This For ?

This experience is for you if you:
🌿 Love spending time in nature
🥾 Enjoy hiking at a social pace
📸 Like photography or beautiful landscapes
🌍 Want to discover more of Belgium
👋 Want to meet new people in a relaxed environment
💬 Are looking for an international and welcoming community
🙋 Are thinking “I'd love to come, but I don't know anyone.
Come anyway
Many people join Sunday Vacations on their own. The whole idea is to make it easy to arrive solo and naturally meet people while sharing an experience together.

# 🎒 What to Bring

🥾 Comfortable hiking shoes
💧 Enough water for the afternoon and evening
🥪 Picnic / food and snacks
🧴 Sunscreen and sun protection
🧢 Hat or cap if it's hot
🧥 An extra layer for the evening
📸 Camera or smartphone if you'd like to take photos
🔋 Power bank recommended
🔦 Small torch or headlamp strongly recommended for the return after sunset
🌦️ Clothing suitable for the day's weather

# ⚠️ Important Notes

This is an outdoor activity in a natural environment
Weather, temperatures, trail conditions and the natural flowering cycle can change
💜 *The heather is seasonal and its exact colour, intensity and flowering conditions cannot be guaranteed.
Likewise, golden-hour and sunset conditions depend on the weather.
The route, distance, timings and itinerary may be adapted when necessary for safety, weather, trail conditions, accessibility or the pace of the group
Please make sure you are comfortable spending several hours walking outdoors and returning after sunset.

# ⚖️ Legal Disclaimer

Sunday Vacations is a community initiative operated by UJAMAA ASBL. We organise community and social experiences and do not act as a travel agency.
Where transportation, workshops, food or other services are provided by third parties, those services remain subject to the terms and responsibility of the respective provider
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, participants arrange and pay third-party providers directly.
The optional morning photography workshop is an independent third-party activity and is not organised, operated or sold by Sunday Vacations / UJAMAA ASBL
Participation in outdoor activities involves inherent risks. Participants remain responsible for assessing their own ability to participate, bringing suitable clothing and equipment, and following safety instructions during the activity.
Activities are organised by volunteers and covered under the COCOF volunteer insurance framework.

# 💜 Ready to Escape the City

One afternoon
Purple heathlands
A good walk
Golden light
A sunset
And a group of people you probably haven't met yet.
📅 Saturday, 22 August 202
📍 Mechelse Heide, Maasmechele
🥾 Come for the hike
📸 Stay for the golden hour
🌍 Leave with new connections
👉 RSVP and join Sunday Vacations at Mechelse Heide

## Night Fountains • Illuminated Gardens • Fireworks • Overnight Community Experience

📅 Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 September 2026
📍 Brussels → Versailles → Brussels
🏔️ Sunday Vacations Signature Experience

### One night. Two countries. Versailles after dark. ✨

Leave Brussels behind for a special overnight community escape to Versailles.

We'll travel from Brussels, spend Saturday evening discovering the spectacular Grandes Eaux Nocturnes (Night Fountains Show) at the Palace of Versailles, watch the fireworks together, stay overnight in the Versailles/Paris area, and return to Brussels on Sunday.

But this isn't only about Versailles.

It's about getting away from routine, discovering somewhere beautiful and sharing the experience with an international group of people you might never otherwise have met. 🌍💛

Coming alone? You're very welcome.

Many Sunday Vacations participants join solo — that's part of what makes the community special.

# 🌍 EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW

If you enjoy discovering new places, culture, photography, walking and meeting new people, join us for a weekend escape from Brussels to one of France's most iconic destinations.

On Saturday evening, we'll experience Versailles as daylight fades and the gardens transform for Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes.

Expect:

💦 Fountains animated by water, light and music
✨ Illuminated gardens and groves
🌳 Beautiful French formal gardens after dark
📸 Golden-hour and night photography opportunities
🎶 Music throughout the experience
🎆 A fireworks finale
👋 New people to meet along the way
🏨 An overnight stay in the Versailles/Paris area
🇧🇪 A shared departure and return from Brussels

This is not about rushing through a checklist of attractions.

We're going away together, experiencing Versailles together and creating space for genuine social connection along the way.

# 🏔️ EVENT TYPE

## 🏔️ SIGNATURE EXPERIENCE

Culture • Overnight Escape • Photography • Social Connection • Discovery

This is a Sunday Vacations community experience organised from Brussels, not a guided tour or photography course.

The experience is facilitated by Sunday Vacations volunteer hosts, with an emphasis on creating a welcoming environment where participants can meet and connect.

# ✨ HIGHLIGHTS

🇧🇪 Start the experience together from Brussels

🇫🇷 Escape to Versailles for the weekend

🏰 Experience the atmosphere of Versailles around sunset

🌅 Capture golden-hour views

💦 Discover the famous Night Fountains

🌳 Walk through illuminated gardens and groves

✨ Experience fountains and landscapes transformed by light

📸 Bring your camera or smartphone for evening photography

🎶 Enjoy music throughout the gardens

🎆 Watch the fireworks finale together

🏨 Stay overnight in the Versailles/Paris area

☕ Enjoy a relaxed Sunday before returning to Brussels

🌍 Meet international professionals, expats and internationally minded locals

💛 Join alone without worrying about already knowing someone

# 🗓️ PLAN / ITINERARY

## 🇧🇪 SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER — BRUSSELS → VERSAILLES

### 👋 MEET & CONNECT — BRUSSELS

Our experience begins in Brussels.

We'll meet the Sunday Vacations hosts and the rest of the group, check attendance and make introductions before departure.

Exact Brussels meeting point and departure time will be confirmed with registered participants.

Please arrive on time once the final departure schedule has been communicated.

### 🚌 BRUSSELS → VERSAILLES / PARIS AREA

We'll travel from Brussels towards the Versailles/Paris area.

The final transportation arrangement will be determined according to the confirmed group size.

Transport details, provider, schedule and associated cost will therefore be communicated to registered participants once attendance numbers are sufficiently clear.

### 🏨 ARRIVAL / ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation will be arranged/selected according to the final number of confirmed participants and practical availability.

The exact accommodation, room arrangements, price and payment procedure will be communicated before participants are asked to confirm any accommodation booking/payment.

Depending on our final travel schedule, we'll either check in or arrange ourselves before heading towards Versailles.

### 🥐 FREE TIME / FOOD

We'll allow time to get settled and eat before the evening programme according to the final schedule.

Unless specifically announced otherwise, food and drinks are at each participant's own expense.

## 🏰 SATURDAY EVENING — VERSAILLES BY NIGHT

We'll regroup before entering the Night Fountains experience.

### 🌅 GOLDEN HOUR

Before darkness falls, we'll enjoy the atmosphere around Versailles, take photos and spend some time connecting as a group.

If everyone is happy to participate, we'll also take a Sunday Vacations group photo. 📸

### ✨ NIGHT FOUNTAINS EXPERIENCE

As evening arrives, Versailles transforms.

We'll explore the Night Fountains experience, including illuminated gardens, fountains, music and atmospheric installations.

### 🌳 DISCOVER THE GARDENS

We'll make our way through the different areas at a relaxed pace.

Stay with the group, talk, take photos and enjoy the atmosphere.

This is a community experience rather than a guided visit, so there is no photography instruction or historical guided-tour commentary included.

### 🎆 FIREWORKS FINALE

We'll finish our Versailles evening with the fireworks show. 🎆✨

Afterwards, we'll regroup and make our way back towards our accommodation.

### 🏨 OVERNIGHT STAY

Time to relax after a full evening at Versailles.

Our exact accommodation and room arrangements will be confirmed once the group size is known.

# ☀️ SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER — RELAX, CONNECT & RETURN TO BRUSSELS

Sunday morning will be intentionally more relaxed.

Depending on our final accommodation, transport arrangements and timing, we'll have time for breakfast and/or some free social time before departure.

The final Sunday programme may include time to walk, have coffee, explore locally or simply enjoy a slower morning together.

The precise programme will be communicated once the practical arrangements have been finalised.

### 🇫🇷 → 🇧🇪 RETURN TO BRUSSELS

We'll leave the Versailles/Paris area and travel back towards Brussels.

Our estimated departure and arrival times will be communicated once the transport arrangements are confirmed.

And that's where our weekend ends...

Hopefully with new memories, new contacts and a few people you'll want to see again at the next Sunday Vacations experience. 💛

# 📍 MEETING POINT

## 🇧🇪 BRUSSELS

The exact Brussels departure point and meeting time will be communicated to confirmed participants.

Please note:

This is a Brussels-based Sunday Vacations experience.

Participants are responsible for reaching the communicated Brussels meeting point on time.

# 💶 PRICE / CONTRIBUTION

There are separate cost components for this experience.

## 1️⃣ SUNDAY VACATIONS ORGANISING FEE

Your organising fee depends on your Sunday Vacations membership:

🌱 Explorer Member — €40

🧭 Voyager Member — €30

🌟 Ambassador Member — FREE

The Sunday Vacations organising fee supports the organisation and facilitation of the community experience, including preparation, participant coordination, communication, group organisation and community hosting.

### Important:

The organising fee does NOT include transportation, accommodation, the Versailles admission ticket, food or other third-party services unless explicitly communicated otherwise.

# 🎟️ 2️⃣ VERSAILLES NIGHT FOUNTAINS TICKET

A valid admission ticket for the official Versailles Night Fountains experience will be required.

Indicative prices based on the event information currently available:

🇪🇺 Approximately €36 — French citizens & EEA residents

🌍 Approximately €39 — non-EEA residents

A group discount may potentially be available depending on the official provider's conditions and our final group size.

Final ticket prices, eligibility, availability and conditions must be confirmed with the official provider.

The Versailles admission is a third-party service and is separate from the Sunday Vacations organising fee.

# 🚌 3️⃣ TRANSPORTATION — PRICE TO BE CONFIRMED

Because we're departing from Brussels, transportation will depend significantly on the final number of participants.

Rather than committing everyone to an arrangement before knowing the group size, we'll determine the most appropriate option once registrations are sufficiently clear.

Transport method, provider, price, payment procedure, departure point and schedule will therefore be confirmed later.

No transport cost is included in the Sunday Vacations organising fee unless explicitly stated otherwise.

# 🏨 4️⃣ ACCOMMODATION — PRICE TO BE CONFIRMED

We'll stay one night in the Versailles/Paris area: Saturday → Sunday.

The accommodation will be selected after we have a clearer picture of the confirmed group size and available options.

We'll communicate:

🏨 Accommodation details
🛏️ Room arrangements
💶 Price
📍 Location
☕ Whether breakfast is included
💳 Booking/payment procedure

before participants are asked to commit to the accommodation arrangement.

Accommodation is not included in the Sunday Vacations organising fee.

# 🌍 SUNDAY VACATIONS MEMBERSHIP

Sunday Vacations is a community by UJAMAA ASBL, created around connection, discovery, nature, culture and shared experiences.

### 🌱 EXPLORER — €5/year

The simple way to discover the Sunday Vacations community.

Versailles organising fee: €40

### 🧭 VOYAGER — €50/year

For members who want to participate more regularly and benefit from preferred member rates on selected Sunday Vacations experiences.

Versailles organising fee: €30

### 🌟 AMBASSADOR — €150/year

For members who want to become more deeply involved in the Sunday Vacations community and support its development.

Versailles organising fee: FREE 🎉

Third-party costs such as transport, accommodation, admission tickets, meals and other external services remain separate unless explicitly stated otherwise.

# 💛 WHO THIS IS FOR

This weekend is for you if you're:

🌍 An international professional or expat

🇧🇪 Living in Brussels or the surrounding area

👋 New to Belgium and looking to meet people

🏡 A local interested in meeting an international community

💼 Looking for something different after the working week

📸 Interested in photography

🏰 Interested in culture and beautiful destinations

🚶 Happy walking and exploring

💬 Looking to expand your social circle

✨ Interested in experiences rather than another routine weekend

And especially...

### 💛 PEOPLE COMING ALONE.

Please don't avoid joining because you don't have someone to come with.

Solo joiners are welcome.

Part of the Sunday Vacations experience is creating an environment where arriving alone doesn't mean spending the weekend alone.

Meetup research has found strong people-focused behaviour around event discovery, with people actively searching around themes such as friends and social connection alongside activities and hobbies.

For international residents, social connection is particularly relevant: the Expat Insider survey includes finding friends, local friendliness, culture and feeling welcome among the factors related to settling into life abroad.

# 🎒 WHAT TO BRING

👟 Comfortable walking shoes

🎒 Small overnight bag

💧 Water bottle

📱 Fully charged smartphone

🔋 Power bank recommended

📸 Camera or smartphone if you enjoy photography

🧥 Extra layer for the evening

🌦️ Weather-appropriate clothing

🪥 Overnight essentials

💊 Any personal medication you require

🪪 Valid identity/travel documents required for your circumstances

🎟️ Required confirmations/tickets once communicated

😊 And an open mindset for meeting new people

Please travel light where possible, as this is a short overnight experience.

# ⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES

## 📸 Photography

This is not a photography course.

Photography is simply one way of enjoying and sharing the experience.

All levels are welcome.

Camera, smartphone or no camera — it's entirely up to you.

## 🚶 Walking

Expect several hours of walking and standing during the Versailles evening.

Participants should independently assess whether the physical demands of the experience are appropriate for them.

## 🌦️ Weather

This is primarily an outdoor evening experience.

Light or changeable weather does not automatically mean cancellation.

The Palace of Versailles / official event provider may apply its own weather, cancellation, postponement and ticket conditions independently of Sunday Vacations.

## 🚌 Transport & 🏨 Accommodation

Transport and accommodation have not yet been selected.

They will be determined once the approximate number of confirmed participants is known.

Registering for the Sunday Vacations event therefore should not be interpreted as purchasing transport or accommodation.

Full practical details and applicable costs will be communicated separately before any additional commitment/payment is requested.

## 🔥 GROUP SIZE

Places will be limited so we can maintain a genuine community atmosphere and manage the group responsibly.

Please RSVP only if you're genuinely interested in participating.

If your plans change, update your RSVP as early as possible so another community member can join.

### 💛 You RSVP → we count on you.

# ⚖️ LEGAL DISCLAIMER

Sunday Vacations is a community initiative operated by UJAMAA ASBL, based in Brussels.

Sunday Vacations / UJAMAA ASBL acts as a community organiser and facilitator and is not presenting itself as a travel agency, tour operator, hotel, transport company, official Palace of Versailles guide or provider of the Grandes Eaux Nocturnes.

The Sunday Vacations organising fee relates to the organisation and facilitation of the community experience.

Third-party services are separate.

Transportation, accommodation, admission tickets, food and other external services remain subject to the availability, prices, contractual terms, cancellation conditions and responsibilities of their respective third-party providers.

The final transport and accommodation arrangements will only be communicated once the group size and available options are known.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, third-party costs are not included in the Sunday Vacations organising fee.

Participants remain responsible for checking that they hold the appropriate identification and travel documents for travel between Belgium and France according to their individual nationality/residence situation.

Participants are also responsible for their personal belongings and for assessing their own ability to participate in the planned activities.

Programme details and timings may change due to transport arrangements, accommodation availability, weather, venue operations, safety considerations or circumstances outside Sunday Vacations' control.

Activities are organised by volunteers and covered under the COCOF volunteer insurance framework.

The COCOF documentation provided for Sunday Vacations describes volunteer insurance covering areas including civil liability, bodily injury and legal assistance for eligible volunteer activities, subject to applicable conditions and exclusions.

Participants should maintain any personal health, travel or other insurance appropriate to their individual circumstances.

VAT not applicable – small business exemption scheme, Article 56bis Belgian VAT Code.

# 💛 READY TO ESCAPE BRUSSELS FOR A NIGHT?

Saturday morning, we're in Brussels.

Saturday evening...

🌅 Sunset at Versailles.

👋 Conversations with people we've just met.

📸 Cameras coming out.

✨ Gardens lighting up around us.

💦 Fountains moving through the darkness.

🎶 Music filling the gardens.

🎆 Fireworks above Versailles.

And instead of rushing all the way back to Brussels after the show...

🏨 We stay the night.

Sunday gives us time to slow down, have breakfast, continue the conversations and travel home together.

Travel is increasingly about more than simply seeing an attraction. Experience-led travel focuses on intention, emotion, participation and connection — exactly the kind of experience we're building with Sunday Vacations.

### Come for Versailles.

### Come for the escape.

### Stay for the people you meet along the way. 💛

## 💶 SUNDAY VACATIONS ORGANISING FEE

🌱 Explorer — €40
🧭 Voyager — €30
🌟 Ambassador — FREE

🎟️ Versailles ticket: separate
🚌 Brussels ↔ Versailles transport: to be confirmed
🏨 1-night accommodation: to be confirmed

### 👉 RSVP to register your interest.

Once we have a clearer picture of the group size, registered participants will receive the proposed transportation and accommodation arrangements and associated costs.

Sunday Vacations 🌍
Escape routine. Explore. Connect. Live the moment.

There's nothing in the world even remotely similar to the Via delle Bocchette – and nothing can compare. Even a dozen other via ferratas, no matter how beautiful, won't offer as many thrills and satisfaction :) ! Thanks to its extraordinary beauty, the Gruppo di Brenta has also earned a unique place in the history of mountaineering, one that has been etched in the memory of the world's greatest climbers.

Attention!!! Considerable physical endurance, no fear of heights or high adrenaline/risk appetite - required :) Previous experience with Via ferratas – required, together with Via ferrata set (Helmet + Harness + Lanyard with absorber). No climbing experience nor snow equipment is necessary.

The schedule:

10.9 evening (or 11.9 at 6:25 in the morning) BXL->Charleroi Airport-> flight 19:25 to Milan (Bergamo)-> hostel (by rented car(s)).

11.9 Hostel->Madonna di Campiglio-> passo del Groste (2442m – by the ski-lift Groste I&II)-> via ferrata Alfredo Benini-> Rifugio Francis Fox Tuckett (2272m)

12.9 Rifugio Tuckett->via ferrata Bochette Alte-> Rifugio Angelo Alimonta (2580m)

13.9 Rifugio Alimonta-> via ferrate Bochette Centrali-> Rifugio Tommaso Pedrotti (2419m)-> Madonna di Campiglio->Airport Milan (Bergamo) 19:40-> 21:15 Charleroi -> BXL

We will share the real costs equally + small organising fee for the Sunday Vacations/ Ujamaa ASBL platform. Estimated budget (excluding meals and flight tickets-currently at 100E return ticket): car (Italy+Belgium+parking)+fuel, 1x20kg checked-in luggage, hostel in Bergamo, 2 nights in Rifugios, ski-lift Groste= around 220 EUR/pp.

ATTENTION!!! The group is closed now and we cannot onboard more people.