The vast primeval beech forest to the south of Brussels has remote areas where the landscape has barely changed since the Ice Age.
You discover deep valleys carved out by glaciers and forested areas untouched for hundreds of years. Yet you can get out to the forest in just 12 minutes by taking a local train from Schuman or Luxembourg station. Get off at Groenendaal station in the middle of the woods.
Three areas of the forest have been listed as Unesco World Heritage because they have been left untouched. The largest tract is the Joseph Zwanenpoel reserve, where fallen trees are left to decay and rare wild mushrooms flourish.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
