During the walk, we visited a newly developed area in Leuven, the Sluispark. The park was officially opened on 30 April 2017. In the preceding years, the park was constructed in the area between Glasblazerijstraat and Sluisstraat on the one hand and Sluisstraat and Vaartstraat on the other, more specifically between the arms of the river Dijle, which flows into the Leuvense Vaart a little further on. This area and the associated urban development project are also sometimes called DijleDelta. The river was reopened along the park.
The park is a large grass square and, in addition to a few trees and a paved walking and cycling path, also contains a few fountains. In the centre of the park, there is a paved square with benches. In terms of surface area, the Sluispark is almost as large as the Leuven City Park. The square is largely enclosed by the Dijle and surrounded by mainly apartment buildings. The restaurant and café De Hoorn is also located in the park. In the Sluisstraat, in November 2017, the food hall De Smidse was also opened, close to the park.
The place where the park is situated used to be home to terraced houses and several large buildings that were part of the bottling plant of Brouwerij Artois. Some of these old Artois buildings have been integrated into a new district of new apartment buildings. Work is still in full swing on this new district in some places.