In the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchena, southern Germany

 Only a tiny portion of Germany’s largest state, Bavaria, can lay claim to having part of Europe’s Alps. Although the mighty Zugspitze is included in Bavaria’s Alpine share, most of what’s known as the German Alps is really the smaller Swabian Bavarian Prealps. These foothills are alive with romance (just ask Julie Andrews, whose classic love story, The Sound of Music, was filmed here).

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(in southern Germany) The market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchena, lies at the junction of the deep Loisach and Partnach valleys, in the Bavarian Alps at the foot of the Zugspitze, which is the highest mountain in Germany. The town, a union of the two ancient villages of Garmisch and Partenkirchen, was chartered in 1935 and retains much of its rural character. Thanks to its proximity to the Alps, it is one of Germany’s major resort towns. The town is a premier health and winter-sports resort, with ski facilities, an Olympic-sized skating rink, rack and cable railways, and summer mountain-climbing facilities. It has a number of trade schools and national sports-training facilities and a research facility focused on atmospheric ecology. Notable buildings are the medieval Old Church of St. Martin (Alte Kirche), the and the Baroque New Church of St. Martin in Garmisch. Thanks to its proximity to the Alps, it is one of Germany’s major resort towns -- although though Garmisch’s pedestrian zone is lined with expensive and trendy shops while Partenkirchen has more of a traditional Alpine character.

+ The resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is blessed with a fabled setting near the Alps and is a top destination for outdoors types, skiing fans, and day-trippers from Munich. With almost 75 miles (120 kilometers) of downhill runs of all difficulty levels, Zugspitze also has 68 miles of cross-country trails, a terrain park and Germany's first superpipe. To say you "wintered in Garmisch" still has an aristocratic ring, and the area offers some of the best skiing in Bavaria. Although the towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen were merged in the 1930s, each retains its own distinct character: Garmisch has more of a 21st-century feel, while Partenkirchen has retained its old-world Alpine village vibe.

+ Pictured here is the St. Martin parish church (also known as "Die Alte Kirche" or the Old Church), whose original foundation was laid long before the current structure was built (starting in 1280). It showcases Gothic wall paintings from throughout the centuries, including a seven-meter-high, larger-than-life-size figure of St. Christopher from 1330 and a Passion of the Christ fresco dating to the 1400s. Located in the historic district of Garmisch, it was for a long time the only parish church in the region and a meeting point for believers in the wider area of the Loisachtal and Isartal valleys. Besides the several lavish gothic mural paintings inside, there are stained-glass windows to admire. Also quite impressive is the baroque-style high altar.

In the city of Lille, in French Flanders, northern France

 French Flanders is a part of the historical County of Flanders in present-day France, where a dialect of Dutch was (or still is) traditionally spoken. The region lies in the modern-day region of Hauts-de-France and roughly corresponds to the arrondissements (administrative districts) of Lille.

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(in northern France) The city of Lille, in French Flanders, is found on the Deûle River near this country's border with Belgium. It is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord department, and the main city of the European Metropolis of Lille. Although Count Baldwin IV of Flanders fortified Lille in the 11th century, the  medieval town was destroyed or changed hands several times. Louis XIV besieged and claimed it in 1667. After being captured by the duke of Marlborough in 1708, it was finally ceded to France in 1713 by the Treaty of Utrecht. Lille was damaged and also occupied by the Germans during World Wars I and II.
+ With Tourcoing and Roubaix, Lille forms one of the largest conurbations in France. Its commercial and industrial activities have been stimulated by its proximity to the northern countries of the European Union and by its fortunate communications location. It is an important railway junction with high-speed rail links to London, Brussels, Paris, and other regions of southern and western France. It is served by a regional airport and a river port, and it lies at the hub of an extensive network of highways.

+ Recent decades have seen the country's fourth-largest city (by greater urban area) evolve from an industrial center into a glittering cultural and commercial hub. The boulevard de la Liberté, running southeast-northwest, divides the Old Town in the north, which used to be cramped within the city walls, from the "new town" in the south, with its wider streets. At the northwestern end of the boulevard stands the imposing (17th-century) pentagonal military citadel, the best preserved of all the military buildings designed by the engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. The fortifications around the Old Town have been destroyed, but the majestic archway, the Porte de Paris, still stands. The old hospital Hospice Comtesse, founded in 1236, was rebuilt in the 15th and 17th centuries. The Vieille Bourse, a 17th-century building in typically Flemish style, stands near the square named for General Charles de Gaulle, a native son. The local museum has one of the richest art collections in France, with paintings dating from the 15th to the 20th century. Highlights include its enchanting Old Town with magnificent French and Flemish architecture, renowned art museums, stylish shopping, outstanding cuisine, a nightlife scene bolstered by 67,000 university students, and some 1600 designers in its environs.

+ Lille is indeed an architectural feast with strong Flemish influences from the Grand Place (pictured here) to the basilica of Notre Dame de la Treille, to the quiet streets of row houses and gardens.

In the city of Heidelberg, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany

 "I once heard a California student in Heidelberg say, in one of his calmest moods, that he would rather decline two drinks than one German adjective." — Mark Twain

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(in southwestern Germany) The city of Heidelberg, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, is found on the Neckar River where it emerges from the forested hills of Odenwald into the Rhine plain. First mentioned in 1196, Heidelberg was the capital of the Rhenish Palatinate (Pfalz) and the residence of the electoral counts palatine until 1720. It was devastated in 1622 during the Thirty Years’ War and almost completely destroyed by the French in 1689 and 1693, so most of its important buildings are in the Baroque architectural style (which prevailed until the late 18th century) rather than Gothic medieval. The city passed to Baden in 1802 and experienced considerable growth in the 20th century.

+ Rising tall and rugged above the town of Heidelberg is the famous Heidelberg castle, which is a historic landmark that you won’t want to miss. For more than 500 years, Heidelberg Castle served as home to the Prince Electors of the Palatinate, though now it is a great tourist attraction that millions of tourists from around the world flock to see every ("normal") year. As you travel throughout the awe-inspiring city of Heidelberg, from nearly every angle you are likely to see a silhouette of the grand castle in the distance. This magnificent red sandstone structure, 100 meters above the river, still dominates the city. Construction began in the 13th century, but the most notable work was done in the Renaissance period and includes the Otto-Heinrichsbau and Friedrichsbau. In the cellar of the Friedrichsbau is the Heidelberg Tun, an enormous wine cask with a capacity of 185,500 liters. The castle can be reached from the lower city by a cable railway, which continues to the summit of the Königsstuhl (hill). The only other buildings to escape razing in 1693 were the Heiliggeistkirche (Holy Ghost Church), the Marstall (formerly the Royal Mews), and the Knight’s House. Other landmarks include the Old Bridge, the Town Hall, and the Jesuitenkirche (church).

+ The University of Heidelberg (Ruprecht-Karl-Universität), the oldest higher educational institution in Germany, was founded by Rupert I and chartered by Pope Urban VI in 1386. Its Geological-Paleontological Institute houses the "Heidelberg Jaw," a fossilized jawbone, some 500,000 years old, which was found in the vicinity (in 1907).

+ Today's visitors to Heidelberg follow in the footsteps of the late 18th- and early 19th-century romantics, most notably the poet Goethe and Britain’s William Turner, who was inspired by Heidelberg to paint some of his greatest landscapes. In 1878, Mark Twain began his European travels with a lengthy stay in Heidelberg, recounting his observations in A Tramp Abroad. Heidelberg's rich literary history, and its thriving contemporary scene, led to it being designated a UNESCO City of Literature in 2014.

In the port town of Antibes, in the Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur region, France

 “The Riviera isn't only a sunny place for shady people”

― W. Somerset Maugham
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(in southeastern France) The port town of Antibes, in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur region, lies on the eastern side of the Garoupe Peninsula across the Baie des Anges (Bay of the Angels) from Nice. Originally known as Antipolis, a Greek trading post established by Phocaeans from Marseille, it became a Roman town, and from 1384 to 1608 it was a fief of the coast-ruling Grimaldi family. The Grimaldi chateau, much rebuilt over the ages, is now a museum featuring works of Pablo Picasso, who painted here in 1946. There is also an archaeological museum displaying the Grimaldi fossils (the remains of prehistoric humans discovered locally).

+ Juan-les-Pins, with its parasol pines and sand beach, is part of the Antibes community, which also includes the luxury resort of Cap d’Antibes. Although Antibes was traditionally the center of the local flower trade, tourism now dominates the local economy. In addition to its attractive beaches, the area offers a series of large yachting harbors. The town’s development was also boosted by the growth of Sophia-Antipolis, a neighboring science park that is one of the largest such parks in France.

+ Although the surrounding coast is largely developed, inside Antibes' 16th-century ramparts the Old Town rambles along a series of narrow streets to sheltered squares, lively markets, and sandy beaches. With its boat-crowded port, 16th-century ramparts, and narrow cobblestone streets festooned with flowers, it is little wonder that lovely Antibes has attracted so many artists and writers. Guy de Maupassant, Claude Monet, Ernest Hemingway, Graham Greene, Dorothy Parker and F Scott Fitzgerald all lived or worked here at one time. The town's most famous resident, though, was Pablo Picasso. The 14th-century Grimaldi Castle, a seafront fortress where Picasso once had a studio, is now home to a museum dedicated to the works he created while living here. The collection of drawings, paintings, ceramics, and lithographs is accompanied by photographs of him at work in the town. Only Antibes' attractive Old Town would be recognizable to any of its famous former famous residents. The modern town, like many along the Côte d’Azur, has sprawled along the coast and inland, so the best vantage point is from the sea -- ideally from one of the many yachts that pull into port throughout the summer, or from the long series of beaches south of town.

+ Regardless of your interest in art, a walk along the waterfront is a quintessential Antibes experience with expansive sea views leading all the way to Cannes. In the morning, fishermen sell their catch on the docks, while in the afternoon, cafés tempt you to linger over a lazy seafood lunch. By night the giant contemporary "Nomade" sculpture of a figure looking out to sea glitters on the Bastion de Saint-Jaume against a backdrop of super-yachts.

In the capital city of Budapest, Hungary

 "Budapest is a prime site for dreams: the East’s exuberant vision of the West, the West’s uneasy hallucination of the East." – M. John Harrison

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(in Hungary) The city of Budapest, the capital of Hungary is the political, administrative, industrial, and commercial center of the country. The city straddles the Danube River in the magnificent natural setting where the hills of western Hungary meet the plains stretching to the east and south. It consists of two parts, Buda and Pest, which are situated on opposite sides of the river, and connected by a series of bridges. The site has been continuously settled since prehistoric times and is now the home of about 20 percent of Hungary's population. Once called the “Queen of the Danube,” Budapest has long been a lively cultural center. Writers and poets have been drawn to Budapest, as have Hungary’s composers: Ferenc Erkel, Ernst von Dohnányi, Béla Bartók, and Zoltán Kodály all lived in the capital.

+ Strategically well placed at the center of the Carpathian Basin, Budapest lies on an ancient route linking the hills of Transdanubia with the Great Hungarian Plain. The Danube was always fordable at this point because of a few islands in the middle of the river. The city has marked topographical contrasts: Buda is built on the higher river terraces and hills of the western side, while the considerably larger Pest spreads out on a flat and featureless sand plain on the river’s opposite bank.

+ In a central position is Castle Hill, crowned by the restored Buda Castle. In the 13th century a fortress was built on the site and was replaced by a large Baroque palace during the reign of Maria Theresa as queen of Hungary. The spire of the medieval Gothic Church of Our Blessed Lady (also known as the Matthias Church) thrusts into the skyline above Castle Hill, with the late 19th-century Neo-Romanesque Fishermen’s Bastion (featured here) in front of it, and a contemporary hotel next to it.

+ Fishermen’s Bastion, a neo-Gothic structure that looks medieval and offers some of the best views in Budapest, was built as a viewing platform in 1905 by Frigyes Schulek, the architect behind Matthias Church. Its name was taken from the medieval guild of fishermen responsible for defending this stretch of the castle wall. The seven turrets represent the Magyar tribes that entered the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century. The bastion consists of a large terrace that blends neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque styles. Stroll around the terrace to inspect its intricate features, such as the towers symbolizing the Magyar tribes. See a monument to Stephen I of Hungary, mounted on a horse. Climb down the steps and follow the walking paths around this surreal site. Note how trees climb the sides of the terrace, which is built seamlessly into the hill. (Visitors can enjoy magnificent views of the Danube River and the eastern half of Budapest from this fascinating neo-Gothic balcony at the top of Castle Hill.)

In the city of Lucerne, central Switzerland

 “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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(in central Switzerland) The city of Lucerne, capital of Lucerne canton, lies on the Reuss River where it issues from the northwestern branch of Lake Lucerne, southwest of Zürich. The city’s name was derived from the Benedictine monastery of St. Leodegar (Luciaria), founded in the 8th century. From the nearby fishing village emerged a city, chartered around 1178, whose inhabitants were originally serfs of the monastery. After the opening of the St. Gotthard Pass (ca. 1230), Lucerne developed into an important trade center between the upper Rhine and Lombardy. In 1291 the monastery and city were purchased by Rudolf IV of Habsburg, against the will of the citizens, who desired independence. Political instability under Rudolf’s successors led Lucerne to join the alliance that had been formed by the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden in 1291. The group won independence after the Battle of Sempach (in 1386) against the Habsburg army. By 1415 Lucerne had acquired most of the territory of the present canton. It became the leader of the Catholic cantons during the Reformation period and was the seat of the papal nuncio from 1579 to 1874. The city’s aristocratic regime was compelled to abdicate in 1798 under the onslaught of the Napoleonic armies. Lucerne was for a time the capital of the Helvetic Republic, resuming its status as the cantonal capital in 1803.

+ Divided into two parts by the Reuss River, which is crossed by seven bridges within the city, Lucerne has one of the most beautiful settings in Switzerland. The 15th-century Spreuerbrücke, now the oldest bridge, is roofed and decorated with some 56 paintings, scenes from the Dance of Death, dating from the early 17th century. Until its destruction by fire in 1993, the 14th-century Kapellbrücke or “Chapel Bridge” (shown here [completely reconstructed]) had been the oldest bridge, and is similarly decorated. The Old Town on the right bank is distinguished by well-preserved 14th-century town walls with nine watchtowers, quaint alleys, and squares with medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque houses.

+:This gorgeous Swiss city's cobalt lake is ringed by mountains of myth. Its well-preserved medieval Altstadt (Old Town) and reputation for making beautiful music, combined with its covered bridges, sunny plazas, candy-colored houses and waterfront promenades, have made it quite a stunning, and deservedly popular destination for tourists -- ever since the likes of Goethe, Queen Victoria, and Wagner savored its views in the 19th century. Legend has it that an angel with a light showed the first settlers where to build a chapel in Lucerne, and today it still has amazing grace.

+ Lucerne doesn’t only dwell on the past, with a roster of music gigs keeping the vibe upbeat. Carnival capers at Fasnacht, balmy summers, golden autumns – this "city of lights" shines in every season.

At Pena Palace, on Cascais Bay, the Portuguese Riviera

 “My affection hath an unknown bottom, like the Bay of Portugal.”

– William Shakespeare
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(on Cascais Bay, the Portuguese Riviera) Some 25 km (~16 mil.) west of Lisbon, the country's capital, the Portuguese Riviera is the affluent coastal region, centered on the towns of Cascais, Oeiras, and Sintra. Sometimes called the Costa do Sol, it is coterminous with the Estoril Coast. In the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal faces the Atlantic on one side and shares a border with Spain on the other. Portugal’s monarchy began in 1143. Its first King was D. Afonso Henriques who conquered the land from the Moors. For a short period Philip II of Spain ruled the country (from 1580 until 1640), when it reverted to the Portuguese monarchy again. The last King, Manuel II, left and went into exile and in 1910 Portugal became a Republic. The Estoril Coast is a half hour’s drive from Lisbon; during the monarchy this area was the summer residence for the royals who spent their vacation in palaces built in neighboring Sintra (featured here).

+ Long the home of Portugal’s monarchs, Sintra (featured here) is a town of great historic mansions, set against the backdrop of lush hills. Sintra’s many castles include the Palácio Nacional de Sintra (a main abode of Portuguese royalty until the early 20th century), the hilltop and storybook Palácio da Pena (depicted here), Quinta de Regaleira (incorporating several architectural styles and gorgeous surrounding gardens), the Castelo dos Mouros (Moorish Castle), and the Palácio de Monserrate. With its rippling mountains, dewy forests thick with ferns and lichen, exotic gardens and glittering palaces, Sintra is like a page torn from a fairytale. Sintra-Vila, its UNESCO World Heritage–listed center, is dotted with pastel-colored manors folded into luxuriant hills that roll down to the Atlantic. Celts worshipped their moon god here, the Moors built a precipitous castle, and 18th-century Portuguese royals swanned around its dreamy gardens. Even Lord Byron waxed lyrical about Sintra’s charms: "Lo! Cintra’s glorious Eden intervenes, in variegated maze of mount and glen," which inspired his epic poem Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. It is the must-do side trip from Lisbon, which many do in a day, but if time’s not an issue, there's more than enough allure here to warrant lingering a little longer than that.

+ The Palácio da Pena (Pena Palace), rising from a thickly wooded peak and often enshrouded in swirling mist, is a bizarre confection of onion domes, Moorish keyhole gates, writhing stone snakes, and crenellated towers in pinks and lemons. It is considered the greatest expression of 19th-century romanticism in Portugal. Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg-Gotha, the artist-husband of Queen Maria II, and later Dom Ferdinand II, commissioned Prussian architect Ludwig von Eschwege to design it in 1840. (Inspired by the Stolzenfels and Rheinstein castles and Potsdam's Babelsberg Palace, a flourish of colorful imagination was launched!)

In the captal city of Madrid, Spain

 "Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night. Appointments with a friend are habitually made for after midnight at the cafe. -- Ernest Hemingway

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(at the geographical heart of the Iberian Peninsula) Spain's capital city of Madrid, is situated on an undulating plateau of sand and clay at an elevation of some 646 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest capitals in Europe. Spain’s arts and financial center, few cities boast an artistic pedigree quite as pure as Madrid’s: many art lovers return here again and again. For centuries, Spanish royals showered praise and riches upon the finest artists of the day, from home-grown talents such as Goya and Velázquez to Flemish and Italian greats. Masterpieces by these and other Spanish painters such as Picasso, Dalí and Miró now adorn the walls of the city’s world-class galleries.

+ A traditional nickname for the Madrileños is gatos (“cats”), originally coined in the Middle Ages as a reference to the ability of local troops to scale castle walls. It would be no less apt as a reference to the local lifestyle and the late hours kept by the city’s inhabitants, although keeping late hours is also common in other parts of Spain, especially in the heat of summer. People eat late, theaters and cinemas begin performances late as a matter of course, and the siesta is by no means dead. The city offers a wealth of cultural events and entertainments; its cultivated people tend to be widely read, while the youth are up-to-date with the latest pop music.

+ Madrid is a city that, with its style and flair, absorbs and holds those who live there or know it. The city's inhabitants have a reputation for being quite attached to it -- as reflected in the words of a local proverb, “From Madrid to heaven, and in heaven a little window from which to see it.” If the storybook capital of Spain looks and feels a bit like a fairytale, it may be because so many buildings here have a castle-like look to them. Even City Hall is astounding, with its white pinnacles and neo-Gothic features. Depicted here is the Plaza de Cibeles, a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become a symbol for the city of Madrid. It sits at the intersection of Calle de Alcalá, Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado. Of all the grand roundabouts along the Paseo del Prado, Plaza de la Cibeles most evokes the splenour of imperial Madrid. The jewel in the crown is the astonishing Palacio de Comunicaciones. Other landmark buildings around the plaza’s perimeter include the Palacio de Linares and Casa de América, the Palacio Buenavista and the national Banco de España. The spectacular fountain of the goddess Cybele at the center of the plaza is one of Madrid’s most beautiful. Ever since it was erected by Ventura Rodríguez in 1780, the fountain has been a Madrid favorite. (There are fine views east from Plaza de la Cibeles towards the Puerta de Alcalá or, west towards the Edificio Metrópolis.)

In the city of Venice, Italy

 “I am deeply convinced that it is together that humanity will be able to respond to the different challenges it will have to overcome.“

-- French-Swiss artist Saype (his real name is Guillaume Legros)
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(in the north of Italy). The greatest seaport in late medieval Europe and the continent’s commercial and cultural link to Asia, Venice is unique environmentally, architecturally, and historically. One of the world’s oldest tourist and cultural centers, it remains a major Italian port in the northern Adriatic Sea. A timeless city of more than 100 tiny islands surrounded by the vast Venetian Lagoon, Venice is an enchanting city that casts visitors under an intoxicating spell. It’s dreamy and romantic, with an undercurrent of mystery and drama. The Grand Canal is the center of activity, with gondoliers singing to the passengers in their boats. The magnificent Piazza San Marco is another must-see hub.

+ Never was a thoroughfare so aptly named as the Grand Canal, which still reflects the glories of centuries of Venetian architecture in the 50 palazzi and six churches lining its banks. At the end of Venice’s signature S-shaped waterway, the Palazzo Ducale and Basilica di San Marco add a few more exclamation points. Hiding in the city's narrow backstreets are neighborhood churches lined with Veroneses and priceless marbles, convents graced with ethereal Bellinis, Tiepolo’s glimpses of heaven on homeless-shelter ceilings, and a single Titian painting that mysteriously lights up an entire basilica.

+ Venetians are also accustomed to setting trends, whether it be with controversial artwork in the Punta della Dogana, racy operas at La Fenice .or radical new tech start-ups challenging Silicon Valley giants. On a smaller scale, this unconventional creative streak finds vibrant expression in the showrooms of local artisans where you can find custom-made red-carpet shoes, purses fashioned from silk-screened velvet, and glass jewels brighter than semiprecious stones. In a world of cookie-cutter culture, Venice’s originality still stands out.

+ Pictured here, for example, is a giant biodegradable land-art painting by the French-Swiss artist Saype, from the Beyond Walls project, which was captured on Friday April 15, 2022 -- on a floating barge in Venice. Extending over an area of eight by 30 meters, this fresco was created using biodegradable pigments made from charcoal, chalk, water, and milk proteins. The piece will travel in and around Venice and will be unveiled during the Biennale Arte 2022, the 59th International Art Exhibition., making Venice part of Saype's Beyond Walls global human chain. This aerial view shows just one of a series of interlocked hands made as part of a project creating a spray-painted "human chain" across the world -- to encourage humanity and equality. (The Beyond Walls project is based on Saype's premise that the world is polarized, and that part of the population has chosen to withdraw into itself.)

In the city of Halle, south of Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany

 "It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill." -- Oscar Wilde

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(in the Hallerbos, also known as the "Blue Forest," near the Belgian city of Halle) The city of Halle, in the Halle-Vilvoorde district of the Brabant province, is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal -- on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia. Halle lies on the border between the Flemish plains to the North and the undulating Brabant lands to the South. The Hallerbos, covering an area of 552 ha (1,360 acres), is mostly situated in the municipality of Halle, in Flemish Brabant -- with a small part in Walloon Brabant. The Blue Forest is known in the region for its bluebell carpet, which covers the forest floor for a few weeks each spring, attracting lots of visitors.

+ Historically, the Hallerbos was part of the Silva Carbonaria -- the "charcoal forest" (the dense old-growth forest of beech and oak that formed a natural boundary during the Late Iron Age through Roman times into the Early Middle Ages across what is now western Wallonia.) During World War I, most of the old trees were removed by the occupying German forces. Reforestation took place from 1930 to 1950.

+ Hyacinth carpets have long been a spring fixture in age-old European woods, such as Britain’s Micheldever and others, and are not unique to Belgium. Still, it’s the Hallerbos with its slender beeches rising from the violet tapestry that walks away with the “most enchanting” title every time. Its carpet is the densest, and its history as part of the legendary “charcoal forest,” the most illustrious.

+ There is no better time than now to visit the Blue Forest, during the famed Hallerbos-Bluebell Festival, which is fully open for the first time since COVID-19 appeared more than two years ago. (Tens of thousands have already thronged the pathways during the crowded long Easter weekend.) As of yesterday (23 April 2022), the sun’s rays still cast tight shadows from the trunks over the purple-blue sea of ​​flowers. Since last night so many leaves have been added to the trees that the sun can barely filter through the foliage. The forest is now filled with a soft diffused light and two pastel colors: on the forest floor the soft blue-purple of the bluebells and above the transparent fresh green of the young beech leaves. The oaks are also almost completely in leaf. As in many past years, the trees took 8-to-10 days to completely fill the sky above the bluebells with leaves. This beautiful period with soft diffused light will last for a few more days, but it will soon darken in the forest and the intense purple-blue color of the bluebells will turn a light blue-grey. The magical fairytale time in the forest is nearly over, for this year at least.