Swimming in the most sustainable pool in Brussels. Running on a 400-metre track open day and night. Building strength and stamina at the Basic-Fit gym right next door. Training in a sports hall where students and top athletes work side by side. At VUB, sport isn’t an afterthought – it’s second nature.
The most sustainable pool in Brussels
Since 2018, VUB has had a completely renovated swimming complex. Two pools – a 25-metre pool and an instruction pool with a moveable floor – make swimming possible for everyone: from babies to seniors, from elite athletes to students in recovery.
With 130,000 visitors a year, long opening hours and affordable prices, the pool is more than a sports facility. It’s a social crossroads where neighbourhood, city and university come together. At the same time, it’s a Brussels showcase: energy-efficient, compact, and built with maximum water and heat recovery.
The athletics track: 400 metres of freedom
For those who prefer running to swimming, there’s plenty of space too. The tartan track has six lanes and is open daily from six in the morning until midnight. Students with a sports card, schools and clubs all share the track. A place for performance, but also for relaxation.
Where sport meets science
VUB Sport aims for more than muscle and fitness. It’s about physical, mental and social wellbeing. Sport is a lever for an active lifestyle – and a way to shape critical, engaged citizens.
That broad outlook is also reflected in the new facilities and research centres on campus. Take CEMAS, the Centre for Martial Arts and Science, where students, clubs and federations train together in a brand-new martial arts hall. But CEMAS is more than a sports hall: researchers work with trainers and young people on the social value of martial arts, showing how discipline, respect and resilience in the ring carry meaning far beyond the mat.
Not far away is BLITS, the Brussels Laboratory for Exercise and Top Sport. More than ten thousand athletes – from amateurs to professionals – have already undergone exercise testing or sports medical screenings there. In the climate chamber, athletes can even train or test themselves under extreme conditions, from 6,000 metres altitude to 50 degrees heat. It’s a place where science and sport strengthen one another, and where both body and mind are trained at the same time.
Elite sport at VUB
Since the launch of the Elite Sport and Study programme, 991 elite student-athletes in 61 different disciplines have combined their sporting careers with a degree at VUB. With a success rate of 87% – well above average – they prove that academic ambition and top-level sport can go hand in hand.
Whether it’s a few laps to beat exam stress, preparation for a major competition, or a training session in the BLITS climate chamber: at VUB, sport is always within reach.
A peek inside the labs of VUB scientists?
Join us on 23 September 2025 for the Academic Opening and explore the renewed VUB laboratories
On 23 September, VUB will not only open the new academic year but also the doors of its laboratories. Discover live the technological innovations and scientific breakthroughs our researchers are working on – the very ones that could soon make the headlines.