Search form

menu menu
  • Daily & Weekly newsletters
  • Buy & download The Bulletin
  • Comment on our articles

No reservations needed for final open-air swim day

17:25 15/08/2019

The summer pilot project Expedition Swim, which saw Brussels residents signing up to swim in local ponds and lakes, comes to and end this weekend at Bois de la Cambre with an open swim. Swimmers don’t need to register in advance as they previously did.

It’s first come, first served, so swimmers are advised to arrive early; registration starts at 12.30 and swimming at 13.00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Realising that this weekend’s weather is perhaps less enticing to potential swimmers than previous temperatures this summer, organisers promise they have a surprise that will help keep everybody warm.

An earlier date in the pond at Bois de la Cambre had to be cancelled due to concerns about the water quality during the heat wave. Water quality can be seriously, if temporarily, affected by sweltering heat and by storms. Water quality tests now indicate that the pond is safe for swimming.

Expedition Swim is a test project launched this summer to assess the effect that swimming has on the ecosystems of Brussels’ bodies of water. It’s led by Pool is Cool, a group that campaigns for outdoor swimming options in the capital.

Photo: The first Expedition Swim outing was at the Neerpede pond in Anderlecht

Written by Lisa Bradshaw