Kapermolenpark

Next to the Japanese Garden, Hasselt

A 22.7-acre green hub by the centre — pools, the biggest skatepark in the Benelux, trails, and summer bars.

Kapermolenpark is Hasselt's main outdoor recreation hub: a roughly 22.7-acre (9-hectare) green space a short walk from the centre, right next to the famous Japanese Garden. It packs a lot into one park — bike paths and walking trails, a big playground, kiosks and summer bars, and even a new 20-pitch camper site tucked into the greenery for visiting tourists. Two things stand out. The swimming complex (Zwembad Kapermolen) has nearly 1,000 m² of water, including two sports pools, a wave pool, a 65-metre whitewater course, and children's pools — the outdoor complex runs May 1 to October 1. And the skatepark is the largest open-air skatepark in the Benelux and one of the biggest in Europe: a 60×50 m concrete park designed by pro skaters, with a central bowl, quarter pipes, and rails, recently renovated for everyone from first-timers to pros.

Local tip

Pair it with the Japanese Garden right next door — they share the same corner of the city. The outdoor pool only runs May to October, and the summer bars (like the pop-up zomerbar by the ice rink) are a June-to-September thing, so the park feels very different in winter versus high summer.

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