Don’t dust off the skates this year. A brief cold snap won’t revive the frozen-lake free-for-all of 2022, despite the occasional teenage dash onto the ice spotted last week.
Bad news for winter romantics: Tervuren’s lakes are unlikely to freeze solid enough for skating in 2026. Even with temperatures dipping to –5°C, Europe’s 30-day forecast shows no sustained sub-zero stretch long enough to safely support ice sports. Flemish officials say it would take more than a full week of hard frost to make skating viable—conditions that simply aren’t on the horizon.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Tervuren has been here before. In 2022, with COVID lockdown fatigue still raw, residents flooded onto the ice despite an explicit ban. Even a sitting alderman—then earning €59,882 a year—joined the fun. Locals and Brussels intruders alike were skating, strolling, playing impromptu hockey, and drinking tea on the frozen lakes. Police were pushed into an awkward game of cat and mouse, enforcing a local ordinance that prohibits access to the ice on “canals, ponds, streams, water basins, and watercourses.” Yes, the lakes count.
At the time, then-mayor Marc Charlier (N-VA) had little choice but to send officers out into bitter weather to uphold the rules. For the municipality to officially open the lakes for skating or walking, ice thickness must be certified at a minimum of 10 centimeters—a threshold unlikely to be reached this winter.
Cold-weather obligations in Tervuren don’t stop at the shoreline. Local by-laws require residents whose properties border public roads to keep adjacent footpaths “sufficiently cleared” for pedestrians. That means shoveling snow, preventing slippery conditions, and keeping gutters and sewer grates free of ice.
In apartment buildings, the responsibility falls squarely on ground-floor residents—primarily those whose units face the street. Fail to comply and fines can reach €350. Worse, if someone slips, you could be held legally liable for damages.
Overseeing it all is Mayor Thomas Geyns, who earns €99,881 a year, on top of his income as a lawyer. A Flemish liberal (Open VLD, Voor Tervuren) and head of the municipality’s administrative police, Geyns is responsible for maintaining order year-round—including when temperatures plunge. The message this winter is blunt: enjoy the cold from the shore, clear your sidewalks, and leave the skates at home.