Keen swimmers, rejoice! Brussels' only outdoor swimming pool FLOW will be re-opening on 1 July for summer. From a new poolside sauna to free swimming lessons for young and old, the bathing spot will be the meeting place in the coming months!
People in Brussels will be getting out their swimsuits again as the re-opening of the beloved open-air swimming pool FLOW, run by the organisation POOL IS COOL, by the canal in Anderlecht will again open its gates on 1 July for its fourth summer season.
The bathing spot, located at the Pierre Marchant bridge, first opened to the public in 2021 and has since become locals' favourite spot to cool down in the summer months until early September. During this period, it is open every day of the week.
Credit: FLOW
Since it welcomed the first bathers, FLOW has evolved rapidly: the Kiosk was added in 2022 and it became the first pool with biological water treatment in Brussels in 2023. Since last winter, it has welcomed dare-devils coming for cold swims, and in 2024, starting this summer season, the long-dreamed-of sauna can be found by the poolside. Finally, this all is powered by locally generated green electricity via the energy platform Bolt.
Reservations needed
As was the case in previous years, keen swimmers are advised to book their 45-minute time slot for an afternoon swim (from 13:00 until 19:00) via the booking page, especially on Belgium's few warm days. "There is only a very limited amount of last-minute tickets available at FLOW," POOL IS COOL wrote in a statement.
Ticket prices are €3.50 for adults, €2.50 for youngsters aged 12 to 17 and €1.50 for children aged six to 11. Children under six can swim for free. Booking is only possible from 48 hours before the desired time slot.
As was the case in the previous two years, mornings from Monday to Friday are reserved for organisations to plan group swimming sessions for free, while during weekends, the mornings are reserved for (free) swimming lessons for children, teenagers and adults. On Wednesday evenings, aqua gym sessions are on the agenda, while early morning swimming is organised twice a week with parallel yoga and Qi Gong sessions.
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From this year, an 80-minute slot can be booked for those looking to enjoy a sauna session before or after swimming in the pool.
Although the people behind POOL IS COOL are excited to enter another summer season, they again stressed that the pool is "not a solution to the pressing shortage of outdoor swimming water in Brussels". However, FLOW does aim to be a prototype to "learn what open-air swimming in Brussels could look like in the future".
