Leuven
Belgium'S Great University Town, KU Leuven Founded In 1425, With A Flamboyant Gothic Town Hall, The Oude Markt'S Long Bar Lined Square And The Home Brewery Of Stella Artois · Leuven, Flemish Brabant Province
Leuven (Louvain in French) is the university town of Flanders, 25 minutes by train east of Brussels, where the university founded in 1425 still shapes daily life: tens of thousands of students fill the cafes, libraries and bike racks. Its centrepiece is the Town Hall on the Grote Markt, a flamboyant Gothic jewel-box covered in some 236 statues added in the 19th century, facing St Peter's Church, whose treasury holds Dirk Bouts' Last Supper. Nearby are the Oude Markt, a square lined with bars that locals call the longest bar in Europe, the UNESCO-listed Grand Beguinage, now student and staff housing, and the University Library, burned in both world wars and rebuilt with a tower you can climb. Leuven is also the home of Stella Artois, whose brewery sits at the edge of the centre. People come for a lively, compact and easy day trip or a quieter base than Brussels, close to Brussels Airport. The honest caveat: the sights are few and small, and the town feels very different in term, when students pack the squares, and in the summer holidays, when many cafes are quiet.
The Grote Markt with the Town Hall and St Peter's Church, and the Oude Markt, central Leuven, 25 minutes by train from Brussels, Leuven, Flemish Brabant Province, Belgium
The old town is always open; the Grote Markt and Oude Markt are lively late into the night during term. The Town Hall interior is usually seen only on a guided tour booked through the tourist office, often at weekends or set times - confirm. St Peter's Church and its treasury have been under long restoration with changing hours and closures, so confirm it is open and whether the Last Supper can be seen. M Leuven, the city art museum, usually opens most days with one weekday closure and a late evening on some days - check the current schedule. The University Library tower usually opens daily with shorter winter hours. Getting there: SNCB/NMBS trains run from Brussels in roughly 20-30 minutes and from Brussels Airport in about 15 minutes; the old town is a 10-minute walk from the station, and De Lijn buses cover the rest. Driving, the centre has a circulation plan that stops through traffic, so use the station car parks. Book the Town Hall tour and any brewery tour in advance.