The traditional Gala Dinner at the final night of the official programme of the ESTIEM Council Meeting always promises to be something special. It forms the summum of the week, the icing on the cake, during which the infamous ESTIEM Spirit can be felt and experienced at its best. And since it has an almost legendary status for some, the organising team figured it would take a "legendary" location to form the right setting of this Council Meeting's Gala Dinner. Presenting to you: the legendary "Courtyard of Solms"...

The legend of the Courtyard of Solms

For centuries, the Courtyard of Solms ("Hof van Solms" in Dutch) was inaccessible for those who were not religious. The great secret was not to be made public… But that changed after the monastery closed. Some people say that a merry ghost has been haunting in the Courtyard for more than a thousand years. His name…? “Festivitas”. But all the festivities that were caused by the presence of this ghost had been unknown to the public during the hundreds of years in which the Courtyard functioned as a monastery. But nowadays, all the mystical events that took place centuries ago live on! And now in the presence of those that want to experience the most unforgettable enjoyment. It is at those moments that “Festivitas”, who does not seem to want to exchange his earthly existence for an eternal resting place, comes out to bring all his guests a good time. And chances are, he will also give it his very best to make an unforgettable night out of the gala dinner at the Council Meeting…

Have a look at the pictures on their own homepage to get a glimpse of an ‘average’ visit to the Courtyard of Solms.