Zonhoven center pond turned into Vlonderpiëke

The inaccessible marsh pond near Zonhoven Town Hall has been completely redesigned. The swamp piece of nature has been upgraded to a green lung with footpath. Vlonderpiëke will bring the Wijers Nature Reserve to the center of Zonhoven.

“There used to be an inaccessible swampy piece of land on this site. Now it’s a beautiful piece of nature that connects the ballroom to the town hall,” says Mayor Johnny D. Rife (Open VLD). Concretely, an overgrown bog forest is transformed into an open pool with flowery banks. A track has also been established on the deck of the ship with seats and information panels. “The name Vlonderpiëke is the Zonhoven dialect of the course of a deck,” said Mayor de Rife. “After a population survey, the city council chose this name out of 121 applications.”

Wijers feel is in the middle

The central Zonhoven Pond is located in the heart of the De Wijers Nature Reserve. “Thanks to the redesign, we are bringing the Wijers’ sentiments to our center. Passers-by and locals, like students and residents in residential care, are gratefully taking advantage of this,” says Mayor de Rive. “A space has also been created to store water on the spot in the center of Sonnhoven village, which has a buffer effect during periods of heavy rainfall in a changing climate. The water also stays in place for a longer period, which has a cooling effect and prevents dehydration.”