The four provincial domains in the province of Flemish Brabant were once again a popular destination for families, walkers, sports enthusiasts, and nature lovers this summer. Despite some heatwaves and local challenges, the domains attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Provincial Domain Halve Maan in Diest experienced an exceptional swimming season, registering over 214,000 visits by the end of August. The outdoor swimming pool alone attracted more than 111,000 swimmers, with 32 sold-out days directly resulting from the warm summer. Top activities included the mini-cars (6,251 visitors), the high ropes course (4,748 visitors), and mini-golf (3,418 visitors).
Provincial Domain Het Vinne in Zoutleeuw also recorded strong growth figures, receiving 70,239 visitors between early April and late September, an increase of 13,879 compared to last year. Deputy Ann Schevenels attributes this success to the good weather and investments in play infrastructure and the activity calendar.
Provincial Domain Huizingen welcomed 213,936 visitors from April to September, a decrease of 13.5% compared to the same period in 2025, partly due to extensive Molenbeekworks. Attraction usage also declined, with the four main attractions showing a combined drop of 15.9% from 2025. The pop-up mini-cars saw the largest decrease, while the train and mini-golf remained notably stable, and the boats even achieved a slight increase of over 3%. Despite temporary diversions and operational challenges, Huizingen remained a significant recreational destination.
Deputy Ann Schevenels evaluated the Huizingen season positively: "Despite the extensive Molenbeekworks and temporary inconvenience, Huizingen continued to attract over 213,000 visitors, with the train and mini-golf remaining remarkably stable and the boat attraction even growing slightly. This indicates remarkable resilience from both the recreational offerings and the domain's team."
Figures from Provincial Domain Kessel-Lo show that visitors sought refreshment in large numbers at the play stream, ponds, and green recreational areas during hot days. The domain also experienced a notable peak during the solar eclipse, with high attendance at the rowing pond, lawns, and picnic spots. Ann Schevenels emphasized the importance of quality green recreation close to home and invited everyone to continue discovering the provincial domains.
