The forest trails near Groenendael train station are dotted with new signs explaining the Japanese art of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. The aim is to encourage stressed urban residents to discover the healing properties of ancient forests.
Trains run to Groenendaal from Schuman and Luxembourg station so there is no need for a car. A 12-minute train ride followed by a ten-minute walk and you are deep inside ancient beech woods where UNESCO-protected areas of primeval forest have barely changed since the Ice Age. Trains are frequent during the week, but the weekend service is limited.
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.
