With much of Belgium experiencing several days of uninterrupted sub-zero temperatures, many ponds and fens across the country now have a thick layer of ice, leading to hopes that skating on natural ice will be possible in the coming days.
However, strict conditions control ice skating on open bodies of water, with an official go-ahead necessary before people can venture onto the frozen surface. And whilst this can happen in some parts of the country, skating on natural ice is never allowed in Brussels regardless of the weather conditions.
"Safety and biodiversity are central to this decision. The general skating ban is stated in our park regulations," Judith Verbist, spokesperson for Environment Brussels, told The Brussels Times.
"The thickness of the ice varies too much from pond to pond due to the proximity of a source or where the water catches more sunlight," she stressed. "The depth of the Brussels ponds also varies greatly. Skating or walking along the pond edges also causes problems for biodiversity and causes a lot of stress for the birds."
Skating across Belgium
Those wishing to enjoy natural ice are better off in other places in the country, particularly the municipalities of Aalter (close to Ghent) and Kalmthout (just above Antwerp).
Currently, the grounds of Rock Werchter music festival in the municipality of Rotselaar (Flemish Brabant province) are a favourite location for skating enthusiasts – as this video shows.
"We have about 20 ponds where you can skate in the winter, spread over various nature reserves," said the Nature and Forest Agency, stressing that skating on natural ice is only allowed with city or municipality permission.
A woman and her dog pictured on ice on the ponds at the Kalmthoutse Heide in December 2022. Credit: Belga/Kristof Van Accom
One of the first places that typically allows ice skating in Belgium is de Putse Moer in Kalmthout, a shallow fen north of Antwerp that usually freezes over quickly. "Normally, ice skating is possible after five or six days and nights of freezing temperatures. That will probably be this weekend, but we have to wait and see for now," Christian Heydt, Kalmthout's ice master, told De Morgen.
In previous years, people started skating on the Putse Moer when the ice was 5-6 centimetres thick, but it would have to be at least 7-8 centimetres to hold a large mass of people at the same time. "Hundreds or even thousands of people came when it was possible to skate in previous years."
In Aalter (between Gent and Bruges), ice master and former marathon skater Patrick Vervaele told De Standaard that he will try out his skates on the frozen Kraenepoel after just "one or two more freezing nights." He added that the Kraenepoel is "only 20 centimetres deep in some places, but it goes up to 3 metres at its deepest – very treacherous."
Every day, Vervaele carefully measures how thick the ice is and determines which places need to be cordoned off to prevent someone from falling through.
For those who don't want to take the risk, the Bleukensweide meadow in the Mechelen district of Leest usually opens up to ice skaters quickly: the grassland serves as a buffer basin and is now flooded due to the abundant rainfall in recent weeks. For the time being, however, there is no ice layer.
The Nature and Forest Agency stressed that skating on natural ice when it is not explicitly permitted is "extremely dangerous" as birds sometimes do everything they can to keep the water open in some places. "These open areas freeze over again at night, making the pond appear completely frozen over. However, when recreational skaters skate, slide or walk over it, they can fall through the ice."
The Agency keeps a list of ponds where it is possible to skate. If the ice is thick enough and if the municipality confirms that skating is safe, the confirmation 'SKATING IS ALLOWED' is stated behind the skating pond(s).
