Harelbeke (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The De Gavers recreation area in Harelbeke reopened after a €5 million renovation. Hanne Vande Sompele highlights new family restrooms, changing tables, and a sustainable wooden pavilion with rainwater reuse.
As VRT News reported, the De Gavers recreation area in Harelbeke, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, has been completely renovated. The new facilities were officially opened yesterday, Dec 10, 2025. The project cost €5 million and focused on making the area more modern and user-friendly.
How has De Gavers in Harelbeke been transformed with a €5 million upgrade?
Officials mentioned that a key part of the renovation is the new restroom facilities. The family restroom has 3 toilets side by side: 1 for adults and 2 smaller ones for children.
“There’s a men’s side and a women’s side,”
explains Hanne Vande Sompele of the recreation area.
“There’s also a cubicle for people with limited mobility and a cubicle with a family toilet.”
The De Gavers recreation area has added new facilities designed for young families. Many members of the team are parents and know how hard it can be to use public restrooms with small children.
Officials mentioned that the family restroom allows several people to use it at the same time. Similar toilets in nearby shopping centres have received very positive reactions from visitors. This type of family-friendly restroom is also becoming more common in the Netherlands.
“It’s a lot more spacious, which is also more practical,”
Hanne adds.
“De Gavers also targets young families, so we thought it would be useful to add such a toilet to the recreation area.”
The new restroom will include a changing table for babies and toddlers. The pavilion is mainly built from wood and has a sustainable design. 2 large cisterns collect rainwater, which is reused for flushing the toilets. Any extra water is drained into the Gavermeer lake instead of the sewer system.
The De Gavers recreation area in Harelbeke has long been a popular spot for visitors. It offers walking paths, picnic areas, and activities around the Gavermeer lake. Plans to improve the facilities started in early 2024. Construction on the new pavilion and family restrooms began in spring 2025 and finished in December 2025.
