Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Halle, Belgium

Located to the south of Brussels and positioned on the Flemish side of the boundary separating Flanders and Wallonia, Halle is a charming city centered around a striking white Gothic church.

During the brief period in early spring, particularly around April, visitors flock here when the Hallerbos forest is adorned with a breathtaking display of bluebells stretching as far as the eye can see.

It is essential to be adaptable, as the blooming period can vary and is influenced by the weather conditions in the preceding months.

Regardless of the season, Hallerbos is a visual delight, particularly in autumn, and Halle merits as much time as one can spare for exploration.

The historic center features a Renaissance town hall that gazes towards St. Martin’s Basilica, which houses an impressive collection of age-old treasures.

Among these is a 13th-century depiction of Mary with child, which has been revered by pilgrims and paraded around the city every two years on Whitsunday.

1. Hallerbos

Situated on the outskirts of Halle lies a 550-hectare forest primarily consisting of oak and beech trees.

In spring (April or May), the forest floor transforms into a magnificent sea of bluebells.

Individuals travel to Hallerbos from far and wide to witness this ephemeral spectacle, making it one of the premier destinations in Belgium for a couple of weeks.

The Hallerbos can be navigated via three marked trails that range from 1.8 to 4 kilometers (please remain on the designated paths to protect the flowers!). The landscape features undulating valleys and is aesthetically pleasing year-round, encompassing diverse habitats such as marshland, heather, and coniferous forests.

Notably, there exists a grove of giant redwoods that can be explored via the Sequoia Trail.

2. Sint-Martinusbasiliek

A remarkable landmark in Halle since the medieval era is the Gothic St. Martin’s Basilica, renowned for its 71-meter tower.

The church was constructed from white sandstone primarily during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Its nave, choir, lower sections of the tower, Maria chapel, and baptistery all date from this period.

A particularly rare aspect of this structure is its preservation from looting, thus retaining a substantial amount of art and artifacts in their original locations.

Among the most significant is the Black Madonna of Halle, an esteemed sculpture of Maria carved in 1250, which is attributed with miraculous qualities.

Also notably valuable is the alabaster Mone retable at the high altar, fashioned in 1533, along with the carved images of the apostles from the 14th century.

The octagonal baptistery features a striking hammered copper font that stands 2.46 meters high, produced in Tournai in 1446. Additionally, the treasury located in the crypt is filled with priceless artifacts, such as a monstrance gifted by King Henry VIII, papal bulls, ancient chalices, vestments, and a monstrance presented by Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy.

Of particular interest is a 14th-century book associated with the alliance between England and the Holy Roman Empire against France during the Hundred Years’ War.

3. Grote Markt

The main square of Halle is a long, narrow area planned in a triangular shape between Sint-Martinusbasiliek to the north and the historic town hall to the south.

Prominently displayed in front of the town hall is a statue honoring the esteemed cellist Adrien-François Servais (1807-1866), a native of Halle.

Grote Markt offers a diverse selection of bars, cafes, and restaurants, all furnished with outdoor seating, making it a popular gathering spot for public events, such as the Halle Carnival, one of the largest in Belgium.

Adjacent to the southeastern corner of Grote Markt lies Joseph Possozplein, where weekly Thursday and Saturday markets take place.

This market is notable for its large number of local producers actively participating.

4. Provincial Domain Huizingen (Provinciedomein Huizingen)

This park spans 91 hectares of lush greenery and recreational space on the grounds of a 19th-century chateau.

The Provinciedomein Huizingen offers a variety of activities, including extensive woodlands perfect for walking and biking, as well as a pond for rowing boat rentals.

Playgrounds are scattered throughout the estate, and children will take delight in the small zoo featuring domesticated animals such as goats, sheep, rabbits, parakeets, and pheasants, among others.

Visitors can enjoy beautifully landscaped areas including a rockery boasting 1,200 varieties of rock-friendly plants and flowers, as well as an arboretum housing exotic deciduous trees and conifers.

Furthermore, the park is equipped with sports facilities, a mini-golf course, and a large outdoor swimming pool complete with slides and a designated beach area for warm summer days.

5. Den AST

After several decades at the 17th-century Jesuit college beside Sint-Martinusbasiliek, the museum dedicated to Halle and its surroundings relocated to a beautifully restored old malt house at Meiboom 16 in the 2010s.

This move aligns with Halle and Pajottenland’s historical connection to brewing beer.

One permanent exhibit at Den AST details the stepwise process of malt production, highlighting the malt house’s peak period in the 19th century.

“Halle, Heilig” (Halle, Holy) narrates 800 years of the city’s history, encompassing medieval guilds and traditional crafts including pottery, weaving, and stained glass making.

“Halle, Duivels” (Halle, Devils) focuses on the city’s customs and traditions, from pilgrimages to Carnival festivities.

6. Stadhuis

The initial Gothic town hall of Halle was established in 1432 with oak beams graciously donated by the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, but it unfortunately burned down in 1595. Its successor is a magnificent Flemish Renaissance structure, completed in 1616 after an extensive eight-year construction process.

The design intricately incorporates Gothic elements such as crow-stepped gables and ribbed vaults, while showcasing the symmetry and horizontal alignment characteristic of the Renaissance style.

Additionally, there are traces of Baroque stylistic features in the ornate scrollwork (volutes) found on the dormers and gable steps.

Visitors will be welcome to explore the interior, as Halle’s tourist office is situated here.

On the side wall along Basiliekstraat, a plaque commemorates the 19th-century author Hendrik Conscience’s notable contributions during his time in Halle.

As a prominent figure in the Belgian revolution, Conscience defied the norms of his time by writing in Dutch as opposed to French.

7. Paterskerk

Halle’s historical Recollects monastery was appropriated by the Franciscans in the 1840s.

They remained here for 170 years until their departure in 2013, and the complex has been seeking new uses in recent years.

Since 2016, the residential areas have been transformed into assisted living apartments, while the cloistered garden has been converted into a public park.

The municipality of Halle also acquired the monastery church, which is now utilized for social, cultural, and artistic events—ranging from concerts to contemporary art exhibitions.

In this creative spirit, two innovative street artists, Bart Smeets and Steve Locatelli, have been commissioned to create captivating murals within the space, inspired by the theme of “fairytale jungle”.

8. Rozentuin Coloma

Located within five kilometers of Halle is a stunning historical estate surrounding a castle transformed into an elegant residence in the 18th century.

Domein Coloma is renowned for its rose garden, reportedly the largest in Europe, spanning 15 hectares.

The garden is designed formally with low boxwood hedges, pergolas, pathways, and magnificent views of the castle, featuring over 3,000 rose varieties from 25 different countries.

Specialized beds are dedicated to historic rose cultivars as well as a surprising variety of roses developed in Flanders, many of which were created by the renowned rose breeder Louis Lens.

One particularly striking feature is the bed that recreates the red and white coat of arms of the Roose barony, which owned the castle for centuries up until the 20th century.

Today, the castle houses the cultural center for the Sint-Pieters-Leeuw municipality, and the estate also includes an orchard of historic fruit tree varieties.

9. Kasteel van Beersel

A short journey east leads you to Beersel Castle, which is one of Belgium’s finest examples of preserved military architecture.

This formidable structure, featuring three towering keeps set within a moated, circular enclosure, was initially constructed as a frontier bastion for the Duchy of Brabant, serving to defend the southern approach to Brussels.

The circular enclosure, or “enceinte,” dates back to the mid-14th century, with subsequent reconstructions occurring after a successful siege by Louis XI at the end of the 15th century, and when the castle was adapted for residential use in 1617. Its remarkable preservation is attributed to restoration efforts undertaken in the 1920s and 1930s, during which the decaying residential building at the center of the enclosure was demolished.

Visitors are encouraged to explore the battlements, ascend the towers (now home to numerous birds), and observe the centuries of wear etched into the bricks by countless footsteps.

Beersel Castle operates from Tuesday to Sunday from April through October, and also on Sundays in March and November.

10. Oud Jezuïetencollege

Facing Sint-Martinusbasiliek at Kardinaal Cardijnstraat 7 stands an elegant Baroque edifice erected in the mid-17th century as a Jesuit college.

This institution served its purpose for a century until the Jesuit order was dissolved, after which the building has had various roles as a school, a hospital, and later an orphanage and caregiving home, all managed by religious organizations.

Until 2014, it acted as a regional museum and continues to host the Servais Academy for Music, Word, and Dance, which has occupied the premises since the 1970s.

The Oud Jezuïetencollege remains a focal point in Halle’s historic center, built from brick and adorned with sandstone window dressings and an imposing entrance.

11. Brouwerij Boon

For those with a penchant for exceptional beer, the Pajottenland region to the west-southwest of Brussels is synonymous with Lambic beer, a distinctive style brewed using wild yeasts and bacteria unique to the Zenne Valley (in contrast to traditional brewer’s yeast). One notable local variant, Gueuze, is packaged in champagne-style bottles owing to a secondary fermentation that occurs with the mixture of young Lambic beer.

Gueuze features a dry, tart flavor, akin to Kriekbier, which incorporates crushed Morello cherries, initiating fermentation once again due to the natural sugars in the fruit.

Comprehensive insights into Kriekbier, Gueuze, and the darker Duivelsbier can be found at Halle’s Boon Brewery, which hosts the largest collection of barrel-aged Lambic beer in the world, totaling over 2,500,000 liters.

12. Streekproducten Centrum

For those seeking specialty food or beverages exclusive to Flemish Brabant, this shop is the ultimate destination.

With over 250 products sourced from across the province available at Streekproducten Centrum, it showcases a rich local diversity.

Beer enthusiasts aiming to acquire the region’s highly-prized Lambic beers will find great convenience here.

This venue offers a selection of Gueuze, along with a range of Kriekbieren.

In addition to the beer selections, visitors can discover a plethora of local items, including Poireke (pear schnapps), traditionally crafted jams, Babelutte (toffee), as well as pralines, which are a celebrated specialty of Halle.

13. Cycling

Navigating the area on two wheels is advantageous, as it boasts an extensive network of 1,800 kilometers of bike paths available to all.

This network is known as the fietsknooppuntennetwerk Vlaams-Brabant (Flemish-Brabant cycle junction network) and can be expertly traversed using numbered junctions.

One prominent trail within this system is the 21-kilometer Halle by Bike route, which encompasses the Hallerbos and a picturesque segment of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal.

For those interested in wildlife, the countryside surrounding Halle serves as a sanctuary for bats, particularly in older bunkers, church towers, and historic ice cellars.

The Bat Bike offers a 20-kilometer family-friendly trail showcasing areas with a high likelihood of bat sightings, the only mammals capable of flight.

14. Mariaprocessie, Halle

Every two years, on Whitsunday (Pentecost), a tradition originating in Halle over 750 years ago takes place.

This is a procession dedicated to Mary, organized by the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Halle (Broederschap van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Halle), occurring in even-numbered years.

The procession unfolds in three segments: the first recounts the story of the Marian image at Sint-Martinusbasiliek, underlining its significance to the city and establishing it as a pilgrimage site for individuals across the continent.

The second segment addresses contemporary social issues from a Catholic perspective, leading to the solemn procession where the historic image is carried throughout the city, concluding with the Holy Sacrament.

15. Bosmuseum

A seasonal museum is located at Hallerbos, which operates on Sunday afternoons during the bluebell blooming season in the spring.

This museum is found at the entrance and features taxidermies, models, and meticulously researched informational panels covering the forest’s fauna, flora, history, and geology.

When open, the Bosmuseum serves as an invaluable introduction for walking in these woods.

It is also accessible during the popular autumn season, with visits permitted every Sunday throughout October.