TERVUREN — Remember that romantic boat ride with your sweetheart at the Bootjeshuis? Those days are likely gone for good, say town grandees. Though paddle boats won’t return, Tervuren is searching for a seasoned restaurateur to revive this iconic lakeside gem. Got €1,200 a month to spare through 2065? Plus €163,000 for a full overhaul?
Closed since 2016, apart from Tervuren’s annual Artiestentoer, the Bootjeshuis used to be a favorite stop for the thousands of walkers, joggers, and cyclists who frequent Tervuren Park. But its history isn’t without controversy. A fire in November 2000 gutted the building. Rumors swirled—some natives even blamed unruly teens from Tervuren’s large English-speaking school. But no official culprit was ever found.
When the Bootjeshuis finally reopens, forget taking your sweetheart gliding across the water. The cost of taking over the ponds from the federal government? A cool €1 million, according to Flemish liberal mayor Thomas Geyns (OpenVLD, Voor Tervuren). And apparently the federal government is opposed to boat rentals.
Who hasn’t been there for a boat ride from the Bootjehuis with their sweetheart
The loss of Tervuren’s romantic tradition has been a tough pill to swallow for many. “Who hasn’t been there for a boat ride with their sweetheart?” Flemish Catholic town council chair Mario Van Rossum (CD&V, Voor Tervuren) told Het Laatste Nieuws in 2016, when the restaurant shut its doors. Back then, he was the alderman for tourism.
Councilors are barred from bidding on the Bootjeshuis to keep things transparent. But in a late-night twist, only five of the nine tired-eyed opposition councilors opposed a last-minute amendment put forward by town grandees. That change now allows partners of councilors to submit proposals. “Why be stricter in this case?” argued Mayor Geyns. “That would just restrict someone else’s right to do business.”
Reopening was a long and challenging bureaucratic battle with the country’s Federal Property Office. “Thanks to our sustained efforts since 2021, we can now finalize the takeover of Bootjeshuis,” said Flemish nationalist (N-VA) heritage alderman Marc Charlier. The former mayor negotiated the transfer from Belgium’s federal Buildings Authority of the Bootjeshuis, Royal Vegetable Garden and the magnificent Saint Hubertus Chapel, built at the beginning of the 17th century in early Baroque style. Tervuren originally wanted to just pick out the Bootjeshuis.
When the Bootjeshuis finally reopens, don’t expect to see paddle boats gliding across the water. The cost of taking over the ponds from the federal government? A cool €1 million. And, according to Mayor Geyns, the federal government is opposed to boat rentals.
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Competition will be stiff for operators of the Bootjeshuis. Just 100 meters away, there’s the Foyer café and restaurant at the Warandepoort cultural center — opened in 2016 for €13 million. The Foyer is already a go-to spot. Still, given the Bootjeshuis’s prime tourist location by the lakes, the new restaurant might get the green light to offer menus not just Dutch but also in English and even French.
Don’t expect to sip coffee or enjoy a meal at the Bootjeshuis this summer. The reopening doesn’t seem feasible for summer 2025. That may allow local artists to use the location for a final farewell exhibition during Tervuren’s Artiestentoer, running from May 29 to June 1.
Author: Dafydd ab Iago. © Article and photos are licensed © 2024 for Tervuren+ under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
