Hallerbos
The Hallerbos ( Dutch for Forest of Halle ) is a mixed forest in the province of Vlaams-Brabant (Flemish Brabant) near Halle in Belgium , about 25 km southwest of the capital Brussels. Like the Sonienwald (Forêt de Soignes), this forest area is a remnant of the huge coal forest , which stretched from the Rhine to the North Sea in Roman times. Julius Caesar called this forest “ silva carbonaria ” in his reports on the Gallic War . Along the former coal forest ( Kolenwoud in Flemish , Forêt Charbonnière in French ), a language border arose in the 5th century. The forerunners of today's French language were spoken in the south and today's Dutch language in the north. It represents the current language division of Belgium, north of the forest they speak Flemish / Dutch, south of the forest Walloon / French.
In the early Middle Ages the Hallerwald belonged to the Franconian family of Saint Waltrudis von Mons from the Merovingian royal family and the Arenberg family . As border disputes arose again and again, 24 landmarks ( border posts ) were installed in the 18th century , 19 of which can still be found in the forest. After the French Revolution , the Arenberg family was given the entire forest. During the First World War, German troops cut down almost all of the large trees. In the 1930s, the forest was reforested, about a third conifers and the rest of deciduous trees ( oak , beech , rowan trees ). After the First World War, the Hallerwald became the property of the Belgian state.
The forest area is about 552 hectares and is known for its blossoming of the rabbit bell in late April / early May. The forest is under nature protection, but two hiking trails lead through the forest. The "Sequoiawandeling" is four kilometers long, the "Reebokwandeling" eight kilometers.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Our Belgian blue miracle , belgieninfo.net of April 23, 2015
- ↑ The Blue Forest. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008 ; accessed on July 3, 2013 .
- ↑ expatica: True blue. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009 ; accessed on July 3, 2013 .
Coordinates: 50 ° 42 ′ 23.4 " N , 4 ° 17 ′ 22.2" E