Did you know that there's a wealth of stunning street art to be discovered in Halle? Hop on your bike and see it all on the Halle Street Art Tour! This 21 km cycling route takes you past breath-taking street art by national and international street artists in Halle, Lembeek and Buizingen. Along the way, you'll find out more about both the artists and the stories behind these gems. Pick up your map from the tourism office and head out on the Street Art Tour bicycle trail!
The nine artworks to marvel at along the way...
Play the Rabbit, Free the Bird
➜ JC De Kazerne, Leide, Halle
In 2016, the artist conjured a rabbit on the old drying tower of the old fire station. This is a pearly white rabbit that traps birds in a cage, but one threatens to escape. Colors also play an important role. The purple and green symbolize the Haller forest. How the story continues, the artist Vanhee leaves to the visitors. Gijs Vanhee is an internationally renowned street art artist from Mechelen.
Woodland playground
➜ Molensite, Eizingen, Buizingen
Discover a beautiful piece of art along the soothing Zenne Trail. Stand for a moment by the flowing water and enjoy the nature around you. The blind facade was brightened in 2021 by its magical colors that add a touch of nature's colors. It was created by Simon Mannaerts, also known as SIMO. Drawing is clearly his second nature. He creates portraits in oils, as well as large-scale murals like the one here.
The past
➜ NMBS-station (tunnel), Buizingen
Buizingen station was brightened up with artistic drawings from a distant and dense past. They were created in 2016 by well-known artists from the street art scene. When you walk through the tunnel you enter an Egyptian atmosphere. They worked with the base color white to make the tunnel appear brighter and create more depth. Artists also agreed on a certain color palette together to achieve a beautiful successful color combination.
Constellations
➜ NMBS-station, Halle
The 180-meter-long station wall was created by as many as 24 talented street art artists in 2018. They used as many as 600 spray cans. Many of the artists are internationally known. It brightens up the station neighborhood and in the process catches the eye of train passengers. Notable is the constellation of twins. It is a reference to Adrien François Servais. He was a well-known cellist, composer and, in the process, honorary citizen of Halle.
The enchanted forest
➜ Canal side Pacapime, Halle
Be enchanted by the collective of Gooze & Bozik. With a wall of no less than 2,000 square meters, it is one of the largest murals in Europe. The work is a fairy tale about a boy and girl from Halle who take a nature walk every day on their way to school. From the paper they find on the ground they make animals that really come to life. The beautiful wall painting was created in 2021 on the back of the Pacapime paper mill. The paper comes to life, so to speak. On this sweltering Zenne, with this work they want to make residents and visitors aware of the Zenne and show that street art can have a breathtaking effect on a place.
Hallerbos
➜ NMBS-station (tunnel), Lembeek
In the station of Lembeek we worked with basic purple as a reference to the Hallerbos and its typical wood hyacinths. The station has a spacious tunnel with lots of light which makes the street art works shine even more. The beautiful works ensure that the stations are placed in a positive light. The work dates from 2015 and was created thanks to the non-profit organization Killerbee.
Easter Soldiers
➜ NMBS-station, Lembeek
The Lembeek tradition served as the inspiration for Nitra Art and has been drawn on the walls of the station since 2021. In 2023, the artwork was further expanded by Koen 'Eres' Deweerdt. The Saint-Veroon March is a great pride among many Lembeek residents. It is a centuries-old tradition that continues on Easter Monday to honor Saint-Veroon.
Mourning Space
➜ Burial site, Gaasbeeksesteenweg, Halle
At the cemetery in 2021, a beautiful, calming grief space for children and youth has been created. It is a place where they can process a precious loss. They can also leave a message there on the chalkboard next to the work. A variety of natural elements appear in this place. The place is symbolically shielded by a yew hedge. It represents connection between life and death, eternity and impermanence.
Jungle
➜ Fathers Church, Volpestraat 25, Halle
Welcome to the very first church in Belgium to incorporate contemporary street art. After 400 empty spray cans, it has become an artistic place that takes you into the jungle. The artists were inspired by the location. They were struck by how few windows there were in the Paters Church and their imagination immediately took them to an abandoned church somewhere in the jungle where Noah's ark was stranded. On December 1, 1842, the very first celebration of Mass took place here. Now it is a modern place where you can admire the beautiful work of Bart Smeets and Steve Locatelli. The work has been showing off on the wall there since 2017.
Attention! The Fathers Church has been closed to visitors since the end of 2022. This decision was taken for safety reasons, as renovation and repurposing works need to be carried out to make the building safe for the public.
