The countdown to Christmas begins in Luxembourg City

(CS) If you cannot wait to count down the days to Christmas, Luxembourg City will launch just the thing for you, with a special advent calendar and a surprise in store behind doors around the capital.

From December 1, there will be a 10 to 15 minute show every day at a site somewhere in Luxembourg City. To find out which door will open and at what time visit knock-knock.lu

The advent calendar is only one of several novelties hosted by Luxembourg City as part of the Winterlights festival.

The Christmas Market this year will for the first time feature a Swiss village, with special stalls and concerts, as well as a Christmas pyramid. There will also be an outdoor play area and festive workshops for children.

Christmas light switch-on - November 22

The festive lights in the capital will be switched on on November 22 by Luxembourg City mayor Xavier Bettel at 5pm. On Saturday, the Christmas Markets in Place d'Armes, Place de la Constitution and Place de Paris will officially open.

The Christmas Market in Place d'Armes and Place de la Constitution will be open Sunday to Thursday from 10.30am to 8pm, and 10.30am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. On December 24 the market will close its doors for the year at 5pm.

The market at Place de Paris will be open from 10.30am to 8pm daily. There will also be a so-called solidarity market, where charities will raise funds for a good cause, in Grand Rue, open daily from 10.30am to 5pm.

St Nicolas Parade - December 1

There will be special events and concerts in Luxembourg City throughout the Christmas Market period.

Among the highlights are the St Nicolas parade on December 1, which kicks off at the central train station at 2pm, as well as the Advent Circus, which stops by in Glacis from November 28 to December 15.

A special evening awaits cinema lovers on December 13, when the Inuit Throat Singers join a screening of classic documentary Nanoon of the North at 8.30pm.

For the full programme and all the details on this year's Winterlights festival visit winterlights.lu