The woods known as the Hallebos to the east of Halle have become famous for the blue flowers that flourish on the wooded slopes.
Up until a few years ago, the bluebell woods were only known to locals. But then people began to post photos of ‘The Blue Forest’ on Instagram. And the Hallebos suddenly became mobbed.
The bluebells grow deep in the woods, on slopes warmed by the sun. Sometimes you don’t see any. But then you suddenly see the extraordinary blue haze that spread across the entire woodland like an Impressionist painting.
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Halle now brands itself as Hyacintenstad, the Hyacinth City (the flowers that grow there are actually wild hyacinths). It organises a Hyacinth Festival every year in that brief period when the flowers appear – once the soil is warm enough, but before the trees block out the light. The city’s rubbish bins are even decorated with photos of the woods.
But there is a problem. The narrow country lanes leading to the woods quickly became blocked with cars as thousands of people set off to secure the perfect Instagram shot. Some people like to pose in the middle of a sea of blue, which can kill off the delicate flowers.
The city now tries to manage the crowds. It has marked out a bike route starting at the station. It also runs free shuttle buses at weekends.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
