Sports and leisure activities Belgium

During the summer season, the Pontoon allows water sports enthusiasts to practice their sports. Adults, teenagers or children, each amateur will find his or her account. More precisely to practice or use towed buoys, wakeboard and water skiing, kayaks, canoes and paddles. This is an opportunity to remind people that speed sports and those using muscle power cannot be practised just anywhere on the Meuse. For more information, contact the Maison du Tourisme. In addition to the practice, the Ponton also allows initiation to water skiing.

Renipont beach is to Lasne what the Atomium is to Brussels: inseparable. A haven of greenery and an open-air aquatic leisure zone that delights young and old alike. A superb lake fed exclusively by springs. This natural site is perfectly maintained with its white sandy beach, lawn, children's playground and cabins. When the vacations are still a long way off, it's the ideal place to swim and spend the day with friends. La Guinguette offers a brasserie menu and terrace.

One of the oldest and most charming swimming pools in Brussels (1904) reopened in January 2017 after 8 months of work. The pool has been completely sealed and the filtering systems modernised. With its three balconies and 260 cabins, it expresses an irresistible charm for all generations. Not forgetting the Turkish baths, hammams, massage room and rest room, which have also been completely renovated. Another special feature is the unusual size of the pool (33 m x 13 m), an undeniable legacy of a less standardised past.

Neophytes and pros of rollerblading, skateboarding and bmx can cross paths on the long ramps, some of which reach 45°. The highlight is, of course, the bowl and the light show in the evening, which decorates the place with a blue halo. This skatepark is also a friendly public place open to all, integrated in the district and so urban since it overhangs a railway. It is equipped with benches, a drinking water fountain and small bleachers. So appreciated by the youth that there are traffic jams at rush hour!

Schleiper's is the place to go for everything you can't find anywhere else when it comes to stationery and art supplies. Hobbyists, professional artists and graphic design students can find paints, easels and all the right materials here. For kids, there are clay figures, masks, stencils and other craft ideas. Schleiper has two other Brussels addresses in Etterbeek (rue de l'Etang 63 and 75 near Place Jourdan) with a more targeted clientele.

Located 5 km east of the city center, this vast park is one of the city's green lungs. It features Rivierenhof castle, century-old trees, ponds, an arboretum, one of the finest rose gardens in the Benelux with 259 different species and 8,000 roses, a lake, a sports center, miniature golf, children's playground, open-air theater and art gallery. You can combine a walk with a visit to the Sterckshof silver museum.

There's something a little California about the sun shining on this surf spot surrounded by dunes. Yes, you can surf in Belgium, and Windekind has been promoting the sport for 30 years! You can take lessons, rent a surfboard, windsurf or kitesurf equipment (or, for the less daring, a paddle board). And if water sports aren't your thing, the bar, which is open all year round, is THE place to be in Oostduinkerke, especially at sunset. It's like being in Malibu!

Freshly renovated, the Bains de Saint-Josse are one of the most beautiful swimming pools in Brussels. They date back to 1934, when Art Deco was in vogue. It's all there: the pure, geometric lines, vintage tiling, mosaics, high glass ceiling and 2-storey changing rooms... Before you even get in the water, you'll be stunned, and we don't know why, but swimming in such an environment makes the pool laps a little less difficult. Don't forget your swimming caps! PRM-accessible.

If you want to get off the beaten track and away from the asphalt of Antwerp, head for the Boekenbergpark. If you can't pronounce it, no matter! The main thing is to reach it to finally appreciate the calm, the voluptuousness of the shade of the trees in summer. Don't forget your bathing suit and your towel because we come here especially to appreciate a magnificent and immense pool of emerald green water. In reality, a pond transformed into a natural eco-friendly pool where you don't pile up on top of each other in concrete. Ideal to relax.

The most beautiful andoldest swimming pool in Antwerp, built in pure Art Deco style in 1933, is well worth a visit and is reminiscent of the famous Molitor pool in Paris, built in the same style. It, too, features two floors of cabins surrounding a 33-meter competition pool with 5 lanes. But its appeal is not limited to its pool: it boasts an excellent spa with whirlpool, hammam, hot and cold baths, sauna, massage and treatment rooms. Everything for relaxation and well-being.

This program combines two Belgian passions: cycling and beer. Departing from the Centre nautique de l'Orient (or from the tourist office if you've booked a bike), you're ready to pedal your way through the Tournais countryside and along the Péronnes canal with the help of knot points. Three itineraries are proposed, but all aim at the Dubuisson brewery (which brews Bush, one of Belgium's strongest beers) to enjoy a guided tour of their facilities (Saturdays, 3pm) or the Beerstorium (open daily), before returning to Tournai.

Dating back to 1830 and renamed in 1945 after Jan Guilini, Belgian swimming champion and World War II resistance fighter, this 25 m-long indoor pool features an Art Deco interior in the style of Paris's beautiful Molitor pool. For the record, Jean Guilini helped rescue 5 British airmen who crashed into the sea off the coast of Blankenberge, before being arrested and executed on May 22, 1944. It's a great place to cool off in summer, when the cobbled streets and canals heat up under the sun.

Located on Godarville lake, in a vast green space between La Louvière and Charleroi, Domaine de Claire-Fontaine is the ideal place for a family getaway! Here you'll find a wide range of activities to delight young and old alike: swimming and waterslides, pedal boats, miniature golf, pétanque, tree climbing, zip lines... You can also enjoy a gourmet break at the Brasserie du Lac or a pitch at the 2* campsite on site.

Flore Pincemin trained at the Ritz in Paris. She dares to be daring every week: sushi, Lebanese mezze, cupcakes... Cooking classes, oenology classes, classes for or with her children; morning classes, evening classes, take-away or thematic classes: the possibilities are numerous! The little extra, which will delight all expatriates in the capital: cooking in the language of Shakespeare. The tastings at the end of the course are ideal for discussing gastronomy with the other apprentice chefs, in a friendly atmosphere.

These vintage 1950s baths offer a spectacular setting. Curiously nestled on the third floor of the building in the heart of the Marolles district, with a breathtaking view over the Place du Jeu de balle, this 25-metre-long swimming pool is, in itself, a real piece of the city's history. Local residents used to come here to wash up. With its low entrance fee and old-fashioned look, it's sure to please anyone who loves an old-fashioned atmosphere. There are two other public swimming pools in Brussels, in Laeken and Neder-Over-Hembeek.

For the whole family, thrills are guaranteed! Thrill-seekers will love the river of rapids and wave pool, while a paddling pool is reserved for the little ones. For lovers of zen, we recommend the hot-water lagoon, sauna, hammam, cold shower, Swedish bucket and footbaths. The 25-metre pool invites you to swim, do aqua-fitness or aqua-jogging... The complex also boasts a Rest-eau-Café, with a brasserie menu, because letting off steam in the water is a great way to unwind!

This 18-hole golf course by the sea is well worth a visit for all golf enthusiasts. Every effort is made to preserve nature and wildlife in their natural state. The Royal Ostend Golf Club was created in 1903, when the coast was being developed with its wealthy Belle Epoque houses, and was built to keep the local bourgeoisie busy. Today, it still offers some fine challenges, all set against a backdrop of sublime scenery. The clubhouse is particularly beautiful, especially since it was recently renovated.

This verdant setting is a real eye-catcher. It's the ideal place for relaxation, conviviality and sport. At the beginning of the season, free introductory lessons are organized, and a range of courses is available for those who wish to go further. Next to the green, you'll be amazed by the cuisine at Birdie Avernas: an excellent brasserie offering a balanced menu of fish, seafood and tasty meats, with a terrace for summer evenings. Françoise takes care of everything and always welcomes you with a smile.

Here's an easy 10-kilometre walk from the lower town of Eupen itself! As you leave the town, you enter a beautiful forest, first of deciduous trees, then of pines, following the course of the Vesdre. Soak up the sounds of nature and the rushing water. The Vesdre, which flows through lower Eupen, is one of three rivers that feed the Eupen dam and artificial lake, the country's third-largest drinking water reserve, which supplies Eupen, the Pays de Herve and even part of Liège.

The dam, which you can drive over (even drive your car over) and observe from both sides (reservoir side and lake side), is truly impressive. It's a veritable wall of stone, holding back an astronomical quantity of water. It took 12 years to complete (the dam was inaugurated in 1950). If you look at the lake side, you can see the gentle relief of the Hautes-Fagnes, covered with conifers that appear more black than green. Are we still in Belgium or have we been transported to Canada? A landscape that can be appreciated even better from the terrace of the Besucherzentrum Wesertalsperre, a panoramic restaurant high above the dam. Now's the time to take a break, wolf down some schnitzels, boulets liégeois or a nice waffle, before returning to Eupen via another path, which is part educational trail, between forest and countryside. The trail is very well signposted, so you won't get lost.

How about a tropical diving adventure in Belgium? It is now possible! With more than 2,200 freshwater fish in a tank, divers (with snorkel or tank) swim among about 30 species of fish from all over the world in a more real than life artificial reef setting. It's much more fun than in a classic dive center. TODI is also an example of reconversion since the pool was built in the decanter of the former Berigen coal mine. A restaurant is open every day.

A 9.5 km fitness trail that takes you to some of the city's most beautiful spots, in a green, pedestrian atmosphere that's a pleasure to stroll through. You can follow the winding lanes of the city center at a leisurely pace, as well as the linear cycle paths and footpaths around Bruges, near the windmills, in the greenery. The guide gives brief explanations of the viewpoints and tells you interesting anecdotes. Original and invigorating!

This downtown atelier organizes 1h30 workshops with Elisabetta, the chocolatière. After an introduction to Belgian chocolate and a few tricks of the trade, the serious business begins with a demonstration of chocolate tempering on a marble slab. We promise you, you won't remain indifferent to the spectacle of melted chocolate! Finally, it's your turn to make your own beggars, truffles and chocolate bars. Let your imagination run wild. Afterwards, your creations will be packaged... unless you eat them first!

Art Avenue is a hobby store located in Namur. They offer a wide range of products including machines, tools, paper, stamps, inks and much more.