Tervuren+

Sinterklaas’ Spectacular Helicopter Return to Tervuren

Dafydd ab Iago — Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:30:00 +0000

Sinterklaas’ Spectacular Helicopter Return to Tervuren

After a long hiatus, Sinterklaas is set to make a grand return to Tervuren — and he’s doing it in style. On Saturday 29 November 2025, children and families are invited to witness the festive figure’s spectacular arrival as he touches down in Tervuren Park at 1pm, accompanied by his cheerful Pieten.

In previous years, the Sint landed in the more regal Koninklijke Moestuin, on the grassy area between the playground and petanque courts. After several years away, he’s returning by helicopter, promising a dramatic and magical spectacle for all.

The helicopter landing is more than just a show — it’s a long-standing Tervuren tradition. Once on the ground, Sinterklaas and his merry Pieten will parade through the streets toward the Markt, where festivities continue with music, animation, and, naturally, copious amounts of sweets for children. Parents can snap photos of their little ones sitting on the Sint’s throne — a highlight for many families.

Environmental Concerns

Environmentally conscious visitors can take some comfort in the fact that the round-trip flight from Helikopter Verhuur Kortenberg is estimated to produce just 50–60 kg of CO₂, even accounting for hover time and sightseeing by local dignitaries. During the Covid-era, Groen+Vooruit Tervuren controversially decided to keep the helicopter grounded due to ecological concerns, a decision that was controversial for children and sparked debate among locals.

Sinterklaas won’t be confined to Tervuren alone. On the same afternoon, he will also be visiting Zaventem, arriving in traditional style by horse and carriage from 2.30pm. Meanwhile, in Halle, he’s expected to make a nautical entrance on 29 November, reportedly costing €13,350 according to the municipal administration. Tervuren itself prefers not to disclose the exact cost of its Sinterklaas celebrations.

For book-loving youngsters, the festivities continue at the Tervuren Public Library on Wednesday 3 December 2025, from 3pm to 4pm. Here, Sinterklaas and his Pieten will host a special storytime session, hand out sweets, and pose for photos with eager children.

🎄 Sinterklaas Event Guide – Quick Reference

Event	Date & Time	Location	Highlights
Grand Helicopter Arrival – Tervuren	Saturday 29 Nov 2025, 13:00–16:00	Tervuren Park → Marktplein	Sinterklaas lands by helicopter, parade with Pieten, music, animation, sweets, photo ops on the throne
Tervuren Public Library Visit	Wednesday 3 Dec 2025, 15:00–16:00	Openbare Bibliotheek Tervuren, Markt 7	Storytime with Sinterklaas and Pieten, sweets, photos, share your wish list
Traditional Entry – Zaventem	Saturday 29 Nov 2025, 14:30	Zaventem, starting from central point	Arrival via paard en kar, festive parade, music, treats for children
Boat Arrival – Halle	Saturday 29 Nov 2025	Halle (exact location tbc)	Nautical entrance by boat, festive celebration; cost reported at €13,350 by municipal administration

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Tervuren mulls help for trash costs

Dafydd ab Iago — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Tervuren mulls help for waste bag costs

Tervuren voted for the new — doubly expensive — weight-based residual waste collection back in 2022. Now they’re considering calls for a little known €12.50 social allowance to be hiked. That’s a small welcome gesture, especially for young parents juggling babies and nappies, as residual waste costs are set to jump to over €160 for a family of four.

“As far as I’m concerned, €12.50 is a fairly reasonable amount – it helps make sure people don’t overuse the system,” said finance alderman Jan Trappeniers (Voor Tervuren, CD&V), also warning against excessive generosity. By daytime, Trappeniers moonlights as a manager at a formerly state-owned railway operator. And he is also Interrand vice-chair.

The new system may cost a family of four double or more assuming costs of €160 — if they throw away the current average of 124kg of residual waste per person. That’s why the €12.5 support currently given by Tervuren is “completely ridiculous” for the opposition, especially for young families, even if they try to cut residual waste.

Washable pampers

Groen+ group leader Elmo Peeters led calls for more social support: “Young parents often have heavier [waste] from pampers. Let’s see if they can have an advantage,” said Peeters, who receives some €1500/year for attending Interrand board meetings. As a former Interrand vice-chair, Peeters and his party Groen, together with Voor Tervuren (CD&V, OpenVLD) voted through the costly shift to weight-based collection against an angry N-VA in 2022. Tervuren Unie+Volt, too, appears to have made rubbish collection a core issue: “Busy parents don’t have time for more ecological washable pampers,” said a Tervuren Unie+Volt councillor.

Currently, there’s only a subsidy covering 50% of the price of reusable nappies, up to €150. For second-hand reusable nappies, only up to €50 will be covered. Until toilet trained, an average baby is estimated to go through 1,450 kilograms and €2,500–€3,500 worth of pampers.

“This [weight-based] system is more expensive, causes nuisance and does not guarantee a reduction in residual waste,” added the N-VA. The Flemish nationalists now have limited influence in town hall, holding only two of the €59,882/year alderman posts, compared to Voor Tervuren’s four, not including Mayor Thomas Geyns himself. As a small concession to N-VA, Tervuren has commissioned a study on alternative waste collection.

Part of Interrand, Tervuren has little choice but to switch to weight-based pricing. Geyns has previously noted that other intermunicipal waste companies are unwilling to accept new municipalities that reject the system. And residual waste is also extremely expensive and set to rise as incinerators begin paying for CO₂ emissions from 2027.

Incinerators’ dioxin and PFAS

Tervuren is also required to cut annual per capita residual waste from around 124 kg to 83 kg by 2030. The town’s residual waste is mostly incinerated by Biostoom 56km away in Beringen, where local residents have raised health concerns. A 2022 study there even found that 100% of eggs analysed failed to meet EU dioxin standards. The report called for further research to determine the exact source of the contamination. PFAS emissions were not measured.

The council also approved a €1.7 million contract for a new dump site in Vossem Keiberg. That’s despite ongoing legal action by a local seeking a pedestrian and cycle path along the Leuvensesteenweg (N3). The waste site is expected to be operational by late 2026. The new facility will be larger, easier to access, and equipped with a weighbridge, allowing residents to pay based on the actual weight of their waste.

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New Waste Tariff Summary

The municipality’s chip-based system charges residents based on three components: Rental, Frequency, and Weight.

Residual & Organic Fees

🏠 40-liter Container Rental (Monthly) €0.70

🏠 240-liter Container Rental (Monthly) €1.40

🗑️ 40-liter Emptying Fee (Residual) €0.65

🗑️ 240-liter Emptying Fee (Residual) €1.30

⚖️ Residual Waste Processing Fee (per kg) €0.32

⚖️ Organic Waste (GFT) Fee (per kg) €0.16

♻️ Recyclagepark Tervuren Tariffs

💳 Payment: Bancontact preferred; cash accepted at Tervuren office. | 📦 Bulky waste: Charged €5–€30 by type. | 🎟️ Free visits: Valid even with paid waste. View full tariff details (Link placeholder)

📅 Waste Collection Calendar

🚛 Types collected: Residual, GFT, PMD, Paper, Bulky (on request). | ⏰ Timing: Out after 8 PM (night before). Collection starts 7 AM (6 AM summer). | 📱 App: Download Recycle! (Android/Apple). | Check collection calendar here

Opinion | Tervuren children deserve more than good intentions

Dafydd ab Iago — Fri, 07 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

A quarter-century after a fatal accident claimed the life of an 11-year old girl on Oppemstraat, the perils for children going to and from the Heilig Hart College remain unchanged. Consultation, meetings and studies continue, yet a safe route to school is still missing.

On 17 December 2002, just before the Christmas holidays, Oppemstraat claimed the life of eleven-year-old Géraldine B. She was walking to school. A quarter of a century later, our mayors are still talking about studies, promises, and endless consultations.

“And I must say it was a very constructive meeting,” said current mayor Thomas Geyns (Voor Tervuren, OpenVLD) after talks with his counterpart from Wezembeek-Oppem, Nicolas Celis (Horizon). In his familiar style—one in which he enjoys highlighting his own efforts—Geyns stressed the importance of structural consultations with neighbouring municipalities, something he says his predecessors paid too little attention to.

Equally striking is the statement of former mayor Marc Charlier. Geyns’ immediate predecessor described the situation as “not particularly dangerous.” “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” said Charlier, now Mobility Alderman.

Sadly, both politicians ignore the reality of unsafe crossings and a busy junction where the speed limit suddenly jumps to 70 kilometres per hour.

A quarter-century of consultations, studies, and good intentions by mayors and aldermen alike, have yet to bring structural change. Parents continue to send their children to the Heilig Hart College with a heavy heart.

The risks for children walking or cycling to the school have been known for decades, certainly since the early 2000s. Meanwhile, traffic at the school remains as chaotic and dangerous as it was twenty years ago, when Géraldine was hit.

On 21 August 2001, further along the Leuvensesteenweg (N3), 41-year-old Stefaan W. lost his life while cycling. It is therefore all the more regrettable that the planned foot and cycle N3 path, bridging the dangerous missing link, has since been removed from Flanders’ priority infrastructure list.

The message to Tervuren’s walking and cycling children—and their parents? Wait a little longer. Perhaps until 2036.

The children of Tervuren do not need another study or consultation group. They need safe roads—today, not in the next administration.

If another child is hit tomorrow, it will not be an accident. It will be the tragic but predictable result of years of administrative delay and political cowardice.

Reconnect to Tervuren’s Celtic roots on Arboretum walk

Redacteur — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This Halloween, reconnect with Tervuren’s ancient Celtic heritage on a free guided walk through the Tervuren Arboretum. On Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 13:30 to 16:30, the Sonian Forest Nature Group (NGZ) invites you to explore the Ogham Celtic tree alphabet .

The walk provides the perfect context to learn about the Ogham alphabet, a unique writing system based on trees and plants. Though its exact origins are debated, it is believed by many to have emerged in 4th-century settlements in West Wales. Here, it was influenced by Romanized Britons familiar with the Latin script, as evidenced by bilingual Ogham stones found in Wales that are inscribed in both Irish and British Latin.

This free Arboretum walk is a great opportunity to explore the connection between language, nature, and history in the heart of Tervuren.

While Tervuren’s name may be medieval Dutch, the area’s deeper Celtic history is still evident in its streams and villages. The brook known as the Voer, which gives its name to streets like Voerweg, almost certainly reflects the Gaulish root uer- or vor-, meaning “water, stream.” This is the same root found in the word for whiskey. Similarly, the hamlets of Moorsel (mori- “marsh” + selo- “dwelling”) and Duisburg (dubra “water”) also hint at our rich Celtic past.

Event Details and Tickets

For more information and to get your free tickets for this unique guided walk, visit ngz.be.

Join Natuurgroepering Zoniënwoud to uncover the ancient stories written in the landscape and celebrate the Celtic legacy that continues to shape our region.

Read our exclusive interview with Arboretum’s forest ranger Kevin Knevels by Tervuren+’s Jasmin Kohl.

Tervuren Bets on €1.7M Dump, Ditches N3 Bike Path

Redacteur — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 18:30:00 +0000

Tervuren is rolling out smart waste bins in 2025. Equipped with chip technology, the techie bins will weigh our residual household waste. ©Tervuren+

Tervuren still plans to build a €1.7 million waste processing center at Vossem Business Park, despite ongoing legal action by a local resident demanding a cycle and footpath along Tervuren’s most dangerous Leuvensesteenweg (N3). Budget constraints have meanwhile frozen plans for expropriations needed for the path.

Mayor Geyns, who also oversees urban planning, has chosen not to wait for a ruling from the Flemish Council for Permit Disputes. And despite a pledge to be a full-time mayor, he has returned to practicing law and has previously argued defended clients’ property rights before the same tribunal.

Earlier this year, Geyns blasted the Vossem resident whose lawsuits have halted several building permits at the business park, including those for Au Flan Breton and a farm equipment depot. The resident says authorities must construct a safe walking and cycling route from Leefdaal to the Q8 petrol station before allowing heavy lorry traffic linked to the park’s expansion.

So far, the resident’s legal challenges have led to the annulment of disputed permits. But Geyns appears determined to push the waste processing center through. “We have an investment of €1.7 million here,” he told the town council, arguing the new site is needed to replace the outdated Oppemstraat facility. “Cases before the Council for Permit Disputes now take over two years. By then, our recycling park will already be built,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws.

At present, only a car wash is operating at the business park, with a €15 million police station — reportedly twice its original cost — due to open soon.

Saint Hubert Procession in Tervuren

Dafydd ab Iago — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Tervuren echoes to the sound of hunting horns and hoof beats on Sunday 26 October, as the Brotherhood of Saint Hubert stages its annual celebration and procession in honor of the patron saint of hunters, animals and nature.

The event is among Belgium’s oldest local religious traditions and highlights Tervuren’s centuries-old bond with Saint Hubert – a connection stretching back more than a thousand years. Legend has it that the saint once owned land in Tervuren and may even have died here. His legacy endures in the 17th-century Saint Hubert Chapel in Warande Park and through the Brotherhood founded in 1605.

This year’s celebrations begin at 10:30 with a solemn Mass at Saint John’s Church, accompanied by the Saint Cecilia Choir and the Royal Antwerp Hunting Horn Circle. Around 11:45, riders and horse-drawn carriages will depart from the Africa Palace, joined by local dog clubs featuring breeds such as the Tervuren Shepherd, Schnauzer and Pinscher. The procession winds through the historic town center towards the Saint Hubert Chapel, where horses, dogs and other pets receive individual blessings.

Along the route, local scouts distribute small blessed rolls – a centuries-old custom said to protect residents from rabies. The celebration ends with a disply of game, including culled boars, a flourish of hunting horns and greetings from local dignitaries, including the mayor.

Tervuren’s devotion to Saint Hubert has weathered many challenges. The last major procession before the French Revolution took place in 1795, after which religious gatherings were banned under French rule. The tradition only returned following Napoleon’s Concordat of 1802, which restored freedom of worship.

More recent years have brought their own trials. In 1992, strong winds forced police to close the Warande Park, and riders and their dogs were blessed instead at Saint John’s Church. In 2020, the pandemic restricted celebrations to a small Mass with just a few horn players.

Looking ahead, the Brotherhood will have to soon start preparing for a landmark year. In 2027, Tervuren will mark the 1,300th anniversary of Saint Hubert’s death, hopefully with a series of special events that could include parades, concerts and fireworks.

Visitors are warmly invited to join Sunday’s festivities, which coincide with a local fair on the Market Square. More information and a century of photographs can be found at www.sinthubertustervuren.be.

Fietsbieb Tervuren Celebrates Five Years

Dafydd ab Iago — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Fietsbieb Tervuren Celebrates 5 Years of Sustainable Cycling | Tervuren+

The Fietsbieb will celebrate five years on 18 October. Many Tervurenaars have donated their children’s outgrown bikes to support the initiative. The next Fietsbieb opening is Saturday 18 October, from 10:00 to 12:00.

Tervuren’s child bike library first opened in October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. For €20 a year, families can borrow a checked, second-hand children’s bike, and exchange it as their children grow.

The remaining 2025 opening dates are 18 October (fifth anniversary), 15 November, and **20 December**. Run entirely by volunteers, the Fietsbiebs source, refurbish, and manage bicycles while supporting sustainable mobility in the community.

Fietsbieb operates from a shed at School van Tervurendreef, next to the town’s Speelbieb toy lending library. Open Wednesdays 14:00–16:00 and Saturdays 10:00–12:00, the Speelbieb lends puzzles, games, outdoor toys, and baby equipment for children up to 12 years old.

“From a social perspective, this is a fantastic concept,” said Lut Kint, former alderwoman for social affairs.

More Information

Mayor Geyns launches Spotify podcast

Dafydd ab Iago — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:30:00 +0000

Mayor Thomas Geyns is expanding his public presence by hosting Recht Inzicht, a podcast on Spotify and Apple. The 29-year-old liberal politician combines expert legal commentary with surprising observations drawn from his position as Belgium’s third-youngest mayor.

Geyns (Voor Tervuren, Open VLD) narrowly secured the mayor’s post in 2024, defeating Kristina Eyskens (Voor Tervuren, CD&V) — daughter of former prime minister Mark Eyskens — by just 50 votes. That narrow vote and low 53.16% total turnout, may have encouraged him to break with tradition by promising to be a full-time mayor.

“The mayoralty was often combined with other activities. I won’t be doing that,” he told Flemish broadcaster VRT just after winning the mayorship. The move was, he then said, “a significant break with the past.” Tervuren’s €109,000/yr mayor and €59,882/yr alderpersons have traditionally combined their posts with full-time day jobs. That has raised ethical considerations. Many of Tervuren’s 44% non-Belgians hail from countries where combining full-time paid functions is frowned upon or prohibited as in the Netherlands, Germany and France.

What I really mean is …

A year on from elections, Geyns’s early promise about being a full-time mayor has evolved into a more pragmatic view of the job. “I had the ambition to work seven days a week as mayor,” he reflects. “What I really mean is: I’m available seven days a week.”

Geyns oversees security, policing, town twinning, urban planning and the municipality’s 420 staff. Urban planning is perhaps the responsibility he values most. As mayor he is able to profit from being on both sides by continuing at a leading lawyers’ practice. In the past, he has defended clients at the Court of Permit Disputes. “Now I’m on the other side — namely, on the side of how a permit is drawn up, how such a preliminary process works, and all the conversations that take place beforehand with architects, applicants, neighborhood committees,” says Geyns.

Geyns’ unique dual role in the field of urban planning — both as mayor and as a private lawyer — does not appear to breach Tervuren’s strict code of ethics for elected officials. A recent addition to the section on “conflicts of interest and the appearance thereof” further tightens the code by prohibiting local councilors and aldermen from using their @tervuren.be email addresses for communications unrelated to their official duties.

Not every aspect of the job is as pleasing. “I always find that a bit less enjoyable when officiating a wedding,” Geyns openly concedes in the frank podcast. It requires him not only to declare couples married but also to offer a few words of wisdom to those starting a new life together.

The mayor also holds by-appointment sessions for residents every Monday and Friday. He describes this as “classic constituent service” but acknowledges that the practice can be controversial. “Some people frown upon it, or it gets negative commentary,” he says. “It’s sometimes seen as the mayor trying to sort out favours for his voters. But that’s not how I see it.”

Caravan Tuur Launch Event

Thomas Geyns and his team will officially unveil Caravan Tuur to the public on Saturday 11 October. The launch will take place at Warandeplein in Tervuren from 11:00 to 14:00. The mobile caravan is designed to bring municipal services closer to residents, making it easier to ask questions, meet others and join community activities. There will be entertainment for children and free treats for visitors.

The event is organised in cooperation with:

CC De Warandepoort – https://www.warandepoort.be
Visit Tervuren – https://www.visittervuren.be
Welzijn en zorg Tervuren – https://www.tervuren.be
Huis van het Kind Tervuren – https://www.tervuren.be/huis-van-het-kind

Two-day Gridlock to test Tervurenaars

Redacteur — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Tervuren residents are bracing for a fresh round of transport disruption as workers paint so-called bicycle “suggestion lanes” (fietssuggestiestroken) on Vossemberg and Rootstraat. Traffic will be diverted via the already congested Tervuren centre and Leuvensesteenweg.

Mayor Thomas Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren) and his team sanctioned the two-day closure for contractors to apply the paint on a section of the F29 cycle “motorway” (fietssnelweg) that will link Leuven, Tervuren and Brussels.

Geyns has yet to announce when exactly the two-day closure will take place between 14 and 31 October 2025. Residents are kindly urged to check out the mayor’s Facebook page. That date depends on when contractors can apply the thin layer of bitumen to provide a skid-resistant surface on the painted cycle lanes. If applied below 5°C the bitumen can become too stiff or brittle leading to poor bonding, cracks, and peeling.

The works were commissioned by the Flemish road construction agency, De Werkvennootschap, also in charge of the F29’s €5.4 million Vier-Armen cycling bridge.

Construction of the F29 — financed by the EU and Flanders to the tune of €20 million — has already closed through-traffic in the Park of Tervuren. Reopening has now been mooted by authorities for the end of the year. But this new two-day closure on the Vossemberg will be accompanied by a series of modifications for several key roads, including the Rootstraat.

Motorists now face extended detours. Through-traffic between Vossem and Duisburg will be redirected via the Tervuren’s busiest roads: the N3 Leuvensesteenweg and through Tervuren centre. The temporary prohibition of heavy goods vehicles in Veeweidestraat will funnel more commercial traffic onto alternative local roads.

Mayor Geyns is expected to urge the public to use alternative routes and check for daily updates. And once completed the F29 bicycle “motorway” will link Leuven and Brussels with a fast, safe cycling route.

By Dafydd ab Iago.

More Subsidized Housing for Tervuren

Dafydd ab Iago — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Tervuren will add 139 subsidized social housing units by 2042. Town grandees have yet to give a timeline, including for the Ravensteinwijk project. They also did not reveal details on a bylaw to prioritize residents deemed to be “Tervurenaars” for the housing.

Social housing has traditionally gone up on the commune’s outskirts in Moorsel or behind the KAT school, with exceptions like the vacant Linde tower near Diependal. The Linde’s renovation starts next year and when completed would deliver 52 units. Vossem’s Kleine Ham brings another 40–50. The planned “densification” of Ravenstein, behind the KAT school complex, will add more.

Due to its size, the Ravenstein Masterplan has to undergo a mobility study, possibly adding a new road onto the Tervurenlaan. And water buffering and removal of hard surface pavements could possibly prevent flooding. Flanders now has a provisional binding target to build 50,000 new social housing units between 2026 and 2042.

“For Tervuren, a provisional binding target has been set. It means that Tervuren must add 139 social housing units,” said Carine Borghans (Groen+Vooruit). To bolster the commune’s Flemish character, social housing tenants without basic Dutch now face fines up to €500 starting Jan. 1, 2025. The bar rises to intermediate Dutch in 2027 under a policy by Flemish Housing Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit).

Prioritizing Locals

Former mayor and current housing alderman Marc Charlier (N-VA) said the town is considering a bylaw to boost “living in your own region” by setting eligibility criteria. The lucky ones, who meet the age, language, and residency duration criteria, are deemed sufficiently “Tervurenaar.” They can then buy and build with subsidized Tervuren land.

The legal framework suffered a recent setback at Belgium’s constitutional court over EU free movement principles. And Tervuren’s own variant of the policy has seen unnamed councillors buy cheaper under tweaked conditions.

Tervuren Social Housing Targets

Target: 139 new units by 2042
Key Projects: De Linde (52 units), Kleine Ham (40–50 units), Ravensteinwijk densification
Local Priority: Bylaw pending to prioritize “Tervurenaars”
Language Policy: Fines for lack of basic Dutch starting Jan 1, 2025