The Blue Forest

It started mid-April... the blooming season in Hallerbos forest. Situated in both the Flemish and Walloon Brabants, the place transforms into a purple/blue sea every year in spring. A surface of 552 ha gets magically covered in a purple carpet of bluebells for a few weeks on...

"A wonderful spectacle of nature," explains Paula from Spain. "It gives you the impression that you walk in a fairy tale!" It is about 5 km away from Halle train station and you can dedicate less than half a day walking around the whole place. More information on: www.hallerbos.be

The bluebell forest of Hallerbos is getting more and more famous among expats and Belgians themselves, especially since a few websites started advertising it as "one of the most beautiful places in the world". Although the bluebell forest is still a very quiet and not crowded place, a downside of its popularity is a certain disrespect from visitors. People have been seen walking outside the official paths and stepping on flowers to take selfies, as parodied in Flemish tv-show "Fans of Flanders".



Now the flowers are starting to slowly fade, but it is still a beautiful place that is worth visiting, also because it has giant sequoya trees towering it. In any case, you can try again next year!

A big thank you to Paula De la Torre for her photos and feedback!