Leuven City Guide
Leuven is in the Dutch speaking area of Belgium - 20 kms east of Brussels, and the capital of Flemish Brabant. Leuven is home to the oldest university in Belgium, dating back to the 15th century, and fantastic medieval buildings in the centre. Leuven is a lively city, with excellent nightlife, bars and restaurants.
London to Leuven via Eurostar and Belgium trains takes about 3½ hours.
What to do and see in and around Leuven
Stadhuis (Town Hall)
Leuven's Stadhuis is on the Grote Markt square, and is a gothic extravaganza of a building! The Stadhuis was begun in the 15th century, and the statues around the outside of the building were added in the 19th century. Visitors can enter the building, and see the collection of paintings inside, including portraits of the mayors of Leuven from 1794.
Beguinage
The Beguinage is a small village founded in 1232, as an area where Leuven's religious women could live a pious lifestyle. Many of the brick buildings date back to the 16th century. The Beguinage is now owned by Leuven University and the building are used to house students, professors and university staff.
University
The University of Leuven was founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V. The University was closed in 1797 by the French, and re-opened in 1817. The university library was destroyed in World War I, losing 300,000 books, then bombed in World War II, and finally rebuilt to house over 3 million books.
St Peter's Church
St Peter's Church is opposite Leuven Stadhuis on the Grote Markt square, and is another example of Leuven's gothic architecture (although less flamboyant than the Town Hall). The CHurch was originally built in the 15th and 16th centuries, but was badly damaged on World War II, and restored in the 1950s and '60s. The Church is home to Dirk Bouts' 15th century 'The Last Supper' painting.
Museum Vander Kelen-Mertens
The Museum was founded in the 16th century, and the building originally belonged to Leopold Vander Kelen (mayor of Leuven)and his wife Maria Mertens. The Museum contains an eclectic collection of furniture, paintings, sculptures, tin, silver, porcelain, and glass. The highlight of the collection is the religious sculptures and paintings including Rogier van de Weyden's "Holy Trinity".
Oude Markt
The Oude Markt (old market square) is the lively centre of Leuven. Lined with bars, cafés and restaurants you can relax and watch the world go by, and enjoy the architecture of the cobbled square.
Diest
30 minutes from Leuven by train
Diest is a quiet leafy town, best known for its well preserved Beguinage. Wander around the Beguinage's cobbled streets lined with simple cottages, which are now home to Diest's artists. Diest was also home to Willem I of Orange-Nassau, who fought against the Spanish occupation.
Hasselt
50 minutes from Leuven by train
Hasselt is the capital of Limburg province, and is a busy modern town with excellent shopping and cultural facilities. Northeast of Hasselt is Bokrijk, a large reconstruction of a traditional Belgian village. In Hasselt centre visit the Jenevermuseum, which demonstrates the process of making the local gin, with a free tasting at the end!
Tongeren
1 hour from Leuven by train
Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, founded by the Romans in 15 BC as a base camp. There are several Roman remains scattered around the town, visit the Gallo-Roman Museum for more information on the Roman history of the town. Tongeren is now home to Belgium's biggest antiques market every Sunday morning.
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