Treinstapper from Groenendaal to Halle

On my hiking tour through the Belgian region of Flanders, I have now traveled further into the area a little south of Brussels. The cool thing about the Treinstapper hikes is that they run along Flemish GR long-distance hiking trails and are easy to reach by public transport. And so today I am hiking from Groenendaal station to Halle outside the gates of the capital and seeing if I can find a few green jewels and natural idylls here too. At the very beginning I have to fight my way through the construction site chaos at the station, but then I end up in the arboretum and am suddenly reconciled. Ancient poplars, sequoias and paths along wooden walkways - it's so pretty here! And the huge beech trees in the Zoniënwoud forest, which is even a UNESCO World Heritage Site, enchant me straight away. A war memorial in the middle of the forest reminds me a little of the site of Stonehenge and provides an extra portion of mysticism. After this long forest section, the route continues on a mix of gravel, forest and asphalt paths through an idyllic and hilly landscape. Between the fields, I walk past horses, peacefully grazing cows and dozens of blackberry bushes and treat myself to a small snack every few meters. Through the pilgrimage site of Alsemberg with its pretty church (unfortunately currently a little obscured by scaffolding), I reach a small heath area and a former paper mill from the 16th century. Finally, the route continues along the edge of the forest from the Hallerbos, which is known in spring for its magical purple carpet of bluebells, to the train station in Halle. After the long day of hiking, my legs are really burning - time for a reward portion of fries!