On Saturday April 16th, the Hyacinth Festival in Hallerbos or Halle forest officially opened to visitors. Every year, the hyacinths’ blooming attracts thousands of visitors, some of whom even travel from abroad. Last year, an estimated 59,000 visited the forest during the festival.
Hallerbos is a forest in Belgium known for its magical carpet of bluebells. It has been nicknamed ‘The Blue Forest’. It is an ancient forest and the most important and extensive forest area between the Senne River and the Sonian Forest. The carpet of bluebells which bloom each year and the giant Sequoia trees make it a popular place to visit, and given its beauty it is no wonder.
The visitors come from all over the world.
Frans Vanwinghe, volunteer
Bluebells are not the only flower to be found in these woods; bright white wood anemones and yellow star-shaped lesser celandine can also be seen at certain times, as well as wild daffodils, Solomon’s seal, yellow archangel and sweet scented bedstraw. But it is the the bluebells that steal the show. ”This morning there were people from Estonia,” volunteer Frans Vanwinghe told Belga news agency. “Last week there were Colombians, as well as people from the Czech Republic, Bulgarians.”
The spring flowers bring different phases of bloom and color to the forest throughout the season, and because of variations in the weather the bluebells do not bloom at the same time every year. In the past, May 1st used to be the peak time for the bluebells, however this hasn’t been the case for several years now, with the beech trees already fully in leaf on May 1st. It is always worth checking the website before a visit.
“I inform people if they have questions about the forest. I also try to make sure people stay on the path,” forest ranger Thomas Boonen told Belga news agency. “Many people want to take a close-up photo, but it’s very important that the hyacinths and other flowers are not trampled. That’s why we have also placed ropes in the most important places.”
The seven to ten days following the blossoming of the beech tree leaves are seen as the most impressive, as the purple blue of the bluebells combines with the transparent bright green of the young beech leaves to give a magical effect to the forest. Plenty of light is still reaching the forest floor and the flowers thrive, before turning a more grey blue as the fully leafed trees darken the wood. Just the thought of standing in the woods surrounded by fresh greens and brilliant blues certainly feels soothing.
The best way to explore the Hallerbos is with the free walking map, and there are three marked hiking loops (yellow, blue and white/black) within the forest. If you wish to learn more about the area you can also take one of the many free open walks with a nature guide who will provide much more detail, or take a look at the Forest Museum.
The city of Halle in Flemish Brabant asks tourists to forsake their car as much as possible and to instead use public transport or a bicycle to reach the site. A free shuttle service is organized between the local train station and the forest, available from 9 am to 8 pm. Two-wheelers can also be borrowed free of charge from the station. In 2019, according to the mayor, about 17,000 people used the free shuttle.
