Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent’s Zalige Zwemdagen (July 12–13, 2025) offers 2,000 swim spots at Veerkaai. Led by Alderman Vandenbroucke and Waterland vzw, with safety checks by De Vlaamse Waterweg. Registration opens June 24.
As VRT News reported, Ghent is hosting the Zalige Zwemdagen on July 12th and 13th, 2025, at Veerkaai. This event offers an opportunity for 2,000 people to swim in open water right in the city. A designated area, 50 by 25 meters, will be marked with buoys to keep everyone safe. Swimmers will enter in groups of 100 every half hour, ensuring enough space for a comfortable swim.
Registration will open on June 24th, 2025, with priority given to Ghent residents and students living in local student housing. Officials mentioned that make sure people must be at least 12 years old to participate. Spaces are expected to fill up quickly.
Will Ghent’s Zalige Zwemdagen open city waters for swimming?
According to officials, Ghent’s Zalige Zwemdagen will include special swimming lessons in the mornings for anyone who wants to try open-water swimming for the first time, and people need to sign up for those separately.
There will be change rooms available for everyone to use, and there will also be lifeguards present to monitor everyone and keep everyone safe. The event will be held at Veerkaai, which is a short distance from the Van Eyck swimming pool.
Ghent is currently awaiting official regulations from the Flemish government to allow more frequent and widespread open water swimming opportunities. Alderman Joris Vandenbroucke (Voor Gent) highlighted that despite its temporary nature, this pilot project is a significant step toward the long-term goal of offering free, open-access swimming in Ghent’s waters on a more permanent basis.
De Vlaamse Waterweg, an environmental group, and Waterland vzw are all working together for the open water swimming project in Ghent. Waterland vzw is in charge of checking the water to make sure it’s safe to swim in. If the water isn’t clean enough, the event might be cancelled to keep everyone safe.
Ghent wants to make sure people can enjoy the water while also taking care of the environment and making sure everything is safe and sustainable for the future. They mentioned that the goal is to let people swim freely in the city’s waters in the future.
