Flowering season 2022
Permission for commercial or professional photo shoots, with or without models, or film recordings must be requested via the box office. In the Hallerbos you must always stay on the paths, also when taking pictures and filming. The soil and vegetation are fragile and very sensitive to trampling.
The use of drones is not allowed in the forest.
For over three weeks, the wood anemones have filled large parts of the forest with a white sea of flowers. Now they are wilting. The reserves to cover the forest floor with a sea of white flowers again next year, after the daffodils in March, have been replenished in their rhizomes. The leaves of the bluebells are doing the same preparation work for next year. But they put the reserve materials in a new bulb. At least where photographing visitors have not trampled the leaves. For the bluebells it becomes a race against time to flower and get pollinated. The oaks and beech trees are sprouting. Every day more young fresh green, now transparent, leaves appear on the trees. Exceptional this year is the wonderful bluebell scent that has been filling the forest for days. Together with the drumming woodpeckers and the singing birds, this makes a walk in the forest a wonderful, relaxing experience.
Due to the crowds, the Vlasmarktdreef will be closed to car traffic from tomorrow, April 20th, until Sunday evening, April 24th. Parking 2 (Bosmuseum) and Parking 8 (Achtdreven) will then no longer be accessible.
So please use Parking 1 (Hogebermweg) or Parking 11 (Houtveld). A walk is marked from both car parks to the center of the forest.
Map with walking loops (download)
People with a disabled card can park in the reserved spaces at Parking 4 (Dries 3 – 1500 Halle).
The flowering stems of the bluebells extend above their leaves, which are increasingly slumped due to the weight of their length (and long cells with few partitions). As a result, there is now a deep blue-purple flower carpet in the forest. The bluebells continue to smell wonderful. Every day there are more tall beech trees with light green transparent leaves at the top of their crown. The oak leaves too are budding further. For the time being, the sunlight is still reaching the forest floor and flowers. It is wonderful to walk in the forest and experience the vibrant colours of spring.
Bluebells are delicate and easily damaged, especially if they’re trodden on. Damage can prevent the leaves from photosynthesizing, causing the plant to die back. Bluebells take many years to get established, so minor damage can have long-lasting impact. Help to look after the bluebells by sticking to the official pathways. By doing so, you do not compact the soil and new plants can germinate. In this way, the forest remains magically beautiful in the spring for future generations.
A lovely sunny day in the woods to enjoy spring. The bluebells gradually provide the purple-blue fairytale atmosphere. Here and there a tall beech tree gets leaves. Every day is now different in the forest. The wood anemones are still blooming, but will gradually begin to wilt. Every day there are more blooming hyacinths. The young leaves on the small thin beech trees already provide a fresh green play of light above the sea of flowers. When you come to the forest, behave like a respectful guest: stay on the official trails for hikers (so do not walk into the bridleway) and do not leave the paths to take pictures, put rubbish in the bin and keep Dogie on the leash. Enjoy your visit.
The wood anemones are also still blooming and together with the purple-blue of the bluebells that creates a beautiful carpet of flowers in the forest on a sunny day. A purple-blue sea of flowers is gradually appearing on the flanks of the valleys, but not all flowers are blooming there yet. There are also many bluebells with flower buds on the plateaus that will open in the coming days. Anyone who comes to the forest can enjoy a wonderful floral scent at specific times. If you can, come for a walk during the week, when it is much quieter in the woods. There is a special free walking brochure for this period. Here you can find the maps of the brochure: map 1 and map 2.
On Saturday 16th, Sunday 17th, Monday 18th, Saturday 23th, Sunday 24th, Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1 May, the Vlasmarktdreef will be closed and Parking 2 Bosmuseum and Parking 8 Achtdreven will not be accessible by car. It is recommended to use Parking 1 Hogebermweg or Parking 11 Houtveld. On those days there is a free shuttle bus every half hour from 9 am to 8 pm between Halle Station and Parking 2 Bosmuseum in the Hallerbos. In Halle there are also stops on Baseliekstraat (stop ‘Park’) and on Welkomstlaan (where there is a long parking strip). There is free bicycle rental at the Station in Halle, on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on weekends and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. During those three weekends and on Easter Monday between 9 am and 8 pm, people with a less mobile card can drive to Parking 8 Achtdreven. The forest now looks more beautiful every day, with more bluebells in bloom. It’s best to come during the week to enjoy the spring in the forest. Always stay on the official trails for hikers also when taking pictures. Never walk in the bridleway or stand next to the path. In this way you protect the forest, you do not damage plants, you do not compact the forest floor so that plants can germinate there and you do not disturb animals.