Belgium is getting ready to welcome its biggest bouldering center in Ghent later this year. The sport has been gaining momentum since earning Olympic recognition in 2021. An old factory building in Ghent will be transformed to house the massive center, offering 200 climbing courses along with other exciting activities such as a paintball course, rooftop restaurant, indoor playground, and even a boxing ring.
Belgium’s biggest bouldering centre yet will open in Ghent later this year. The sport has shot up in popularity since gaining Olympic recognition in 2021.
Get ready to reach new heights, Ghent! An expansive new bouldering center is set to open in the city this October, transforming a historic factory building into an adrenaline-pumping climbing haven. The center, named ‘Walden,’ will boast a staggering 1,250 square meters of climbing wall surface, making it the largest in the country.
“Ghent’s climbing halls are always packed, especially since bouldering became an Olympic sport in 2021,” shared Bram and Pieter Bruyland, the founders of Paintball Ghent, who are spearheading this exciting venture. They are confident that the new center, with its 200 diverse climbing courses, will further fuel the sport’s popularity. The brothers also highlighted the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris, where 19-year-old East Flanders native Hannes van Duysen will represent Belgium, as another potential catalyst for bouldering’s growth.
The chosen location for this bouldering paradise is none other than the Galveston building, a former textile factory with a rich history dating back to 1910. The building’s transformation has required a substantial investment of over €1.2 million, with the Flanders region contributing €269,000.
This isn’t the only bouldering hotspot in Belgium. Brussels, for instance, already boasts 19 such centers, and with the addition of ‘Walden,’ Ghent is set to solidify its place on the climbing map.