The Halle Bluebell Festival doesn’t start until 13 April, but the first wild hyacinths are already in bloom in Halle Wood outside Brussels. We will still have to wait more than a week before the enchanting blue carpet of flowers appears predicts forester Thomas Boonen.
"Depending on the weather, the little blue flowers bloom a bit earlier in some years than in others. This year they are perfectly on schedule. The rain has certainly not affected them at all. On the contrary," Thomas explains.
Saturday will be sunny and warm. Many tourists and nature lovers may already be heading for Halle Wood to spot the first wild hyacinths. "Still, we don't expect the crowds until Saturday 13 April," says Mayor Marc Snoeck (Flemish socialist/Vooruit). "Then for three weekends we will operate free shuttle buses from Halle station to Halle Wood. The buses will run for the last time on Wednesday 1 May. This year there are also special shuttle buses for people with disabilities."
Hallerbos or Halle Wood is known across Belgium as the best place to admire flowering wild hyacinths. In fact, as a result of social media, the locality has become so popular that in recent years stewards and foresters have been deployed to ensure that people do not stray from the paths and step on flowers.
For people who prefer to avoid the crowds, it’s good to know that there are other woods across Flanders where the wild hyacinth is in bloom. These include Brakelbos in Brakel, Muziekbos in Ronse and Bos Ter Rijst in Maarkedal, all in East Flanders Province.