MARCH 2023
If you are looking for the perfect spring activity, look no further than visiting the Japanese garden in Hasselt. The garden usually reopens after the winter close at the end of March and this year I finally got to visit. Right now the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, so you can enjoy a bit of Japanese sakura magic in Belgium. Japan during cherry blossom season is still on my wish-list, but at least I have been to Hasselt 😉
Practical information
Tickets for the Japanese garden in Hasselt cost € 6 per adult, you can buy your tickets on the spot and don’t need to book a timeslot. Apparently, it can get busy during weekends, so if possible, go during the week. There is sufficient parking near the entrance. The garden usually closes for the winter and reopens for the cherry blossom season at the end of March. There are two times when it is particularly interesting to visit the gardens: during spring when the cherries are in bloom and in fall for the fall foliage. Check out the opening hours on the official website. During the weekends and during events the Japanese garden also has food stands, but when we visited there were only some vending machines. You are allowed to bring your own picnic though!
Cherry blossom season
You probably already know that I always try to scout the best locations for spring blossoms and the Japanese garden is definitely included on my list. We visited on March 24, when the first round of blossoms had just opened up. I expect that there will be even more blossoms in April, so it is definitely worth it to bring a visit in the next few weeks. I loved the traditional Japanese garden with the pink touches of the blossoms. We visited on a Friday morning and did not find it very crowded at all, it was very cold so that might have been a factor. In my pictures below I will try to give you an impression of this beautiful garden and how incredibly well maintained it was.
