Tourism in Leuven
LEGENDARY, LIVING, LEUVEN. Leuven is only a stone’s throw away from Brussels. No other Flemish town or city appeals to one’s imagination like this historic university city does. Take a walk through rich historical heritage. Enjoy the friendly and exuberant urban atmosphere. Experience the charm of the city’s omnipresent creative spirit. Leuven may be centuries old, but it is also bustling with life! At Leuven’s Great Market Square, you won’t now where to look first. You are surrounded by magnificent monuments such as the Town Hall and Saint Peter’s Church, both prime examples of Brabantine Late Gothic Style. In the Town Hall you must pay a visit to the gothic hall and the salons; in the Treasury of Saint Peter’s you can let yourself be overwhelmed by the paintings of the Flemish primitive Dirk Bouts. When in Leuven, you must also pass by the Great Beguinage. This town-within-a-city comprises over 70 little homes and “convents”, community houses where the “begijnen” used to live. Most of these buildings date back to the seventeenth century. Central in the Great Beguinage, a UNESCO World heritage site, is the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Leuven is renowned for its centuries old glory, but does that make it a dormant city? Not at all. Leuven is full of life and energy, which is made apparent for instance by the many realisations of contemporary architecture. Leuven, the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant, has undergone quite the metamorphosis in the last decade. The beautiful station square is brand new and the Bondgenotenlaan, the avenue that takes you directly to the inner city from there, has been renewed in a splendid fashion as well. The railway station itself and its surroundings have been fully renovated and rebuilt, new purposes have found their way to the former industrial site of the Philips factory, the Arenberg Campus Library and the STUK arts centre are housed in eye-catching modern buildings, etcetera. Whilst walking in Leuven you will notice that this is an art city with many faces. Leuven is a university city, showing the marks of over six centuries’ worth of students’ joys and sorrows and the pleasant hustle and bustle of young people. Leuven is also a historic city with many gorgeous buildings and structures; an exuberant and Burgundian city with flavours, textures and prices that suit every taste; a city with amazing architecture with an international feel to it. So many things to see, so much to do… You will most definitely want to come back! Tourism Leuven