Lier's 'De Waterperels' extends weekend hours to 8pm as heatwave grips Flanders
The open-air swimming domain 'De Waterperels' in Lier is keeping its doors open until 8pm this weekend, letting visitors swim later than usual as high temperatures settle over Flanders, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
For residents of Lier and the surrounding Rivierenland area, longer pool hours during a heatwave mean a safe, supervised place to cool off during the hottest part of the day — a small but real quality-of-life and public-safety measure when temperatures climb.
'De Waterperels' is an open-air swimming and recreation domain in Lier, a town in the Rivierenland area of Antwerp province, Flanders. The story concerns a temporary extension of its evening opening hours during a heatwave, allowing swimming until 20:00 this weekend.
Background
Extending pool hours during hot spells is a recurring Flemish summer practice. Belgian municipalities and outdoor domains routinely adapt when the weather service flags sustained heat, both to help residents cope and to reduce risky unsupervised swimming in canals and quarries.
What to do
Visitors to 'De Waterperels' can swim until 8pm this weekend; those seeking relief from the heat have a supervised option later into the evening than usual.
Impact
Regional — Directly relevant to Lier and the Antwerp-province Rivierenland area: families, young people and vulnerable residents gain extended access to supervised cooling this weekend.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceHet Nieuwsblad — 'De Waterperels' blijft dit weekend langer open door hittegolfPrimary· nieuwsblad.be· 25 July 2026Retrieved 25 July 2026· 1 day ago· Dated
