I’ll be taking you to the popular and less popular hotspots in Leuven. Leuven is a busy student city, but it has so many beautiful places you should really visit.
First things first, Leuven is a city in the province of Flemish
Brabant in Belgium. It’s located 25 kilometers east of Brussels and is the 8th
largest city of Belgium. The two things I think you could know Leuven from are
the KU Leuven (the largest university of Belgium) and the world’s largest beer
brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev.
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| University Library (Ladeuzeplein) |
When to go
I would definitely recommend visiting
Leuven in summer (from June to September), because it’s really nice to walk around
the city when the weather is nice. To avoid the huge amount of students that study
in Leuven, July is probably the best month because they go home in summer. If you want
to go out, come during the academic year (Late september until late June).
As Leuven is not a very big city, you probably
only need a day to see all the hotspots, but I’d recommend 2 days for sure. Then
you can take your time and you don’t have to hurry.
How to get there from the airport
The nearest airport is Brussels Airport. The
best way to get from Brussels Airport to Leuven is by train. This only takes 15
minutes and costs around €19 for a return ticket. In weekends (from Friday
19:00 to Sunday) it’s only €16. You can also take the bus (line 651 or 652), which
takes about an hour. If you buy a m-ticket, this costs less than €4. You could
also take a taxi, but personally I’d recommend the train as it’s really the
easiest option.
Where to stay
As I live in Leuven, I’ve never stayed in a hotel here, so I can’t recommend one from experience.
Close to the train
station is Hotel Industrie, it’s only €57 for one room for one night and it has
good ratings. Breakfast is included.
Hotel Industrie: Martelarenplein 7, 3000 Leuven
Transportation
You can walk everywhere in Leuven, because it's quite a small city. It only
takes half an hour to walk from the train station to the other side of Leuven. It’s
also possible to rent a bike or take a bus. I’d recommend walking or cycling, because then you see the most, it’s easy and it doesn’t take long. If you would like to rent a bike, go to Leuven Leisure (Tiensestraat 5, 3000 Leuven).
Budget
As you probably know, Belgium’s currency is
the Euro. I’d say you spend around €30 on food per day if you get some lunch and have dinner in an average restaurant. Of course you can
spend more if you go to a fancy restaurant, but it’s definitely possible to find
cheap, but good restaurants of all origins.
Let’s say you walk everywhere, you buy some
souvenirs and we exclude the price for the hotel. I think you’d probably only
need maximum 50 euros for a nice day in Leuven. Also check out the ILUVLeuven Ticket
that I’ll be talking about later, it’ll save you some money.
Things to see and do
Here is a top 10 list of things to see and
do in Leuven. With this link you can see them in Google Maps: http://bit.ly/top10-en.
1) Town Hall (tour: Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 4:00pm)
The Town Hall was built in a Brabantine Late Gothic style between 1448 and 1469. It’s a beautiful building that you have to see in Leuven. For 4 euros you can go on a guided tour (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, there’s a tour in English). There’s a special pass (ILUVLeuven Ticket) for a couple of monuments that I’ll talk about later. It includes this tour.
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| Town Hall |
2) Museum M (Every day: 11am to 6pm, Thursday: 11am to 10pm, closed on Wednesday)
Museum M shows old and new art inspired by
the diversity of Leuven. In addition to the permanent collection, M presents
temporary exhibitions by both old masters and contemporary artists. A normal
ticket is €12, but if you’re 19-25 years old it’s only €5. This can also be
included in the ILUVLeuven Ticket.
3) Saint Peter's Church (Every day: 10am - 4.30pm, Sunday: 11am - 4.30pm, closed on Wednesday)
St. Peter's Church dates from the 15th
century and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The entry
is free and you can buy a visitor guide for €5.
4) Brewery Stella Artois (tour: Saturday: 3:00pm)
Stella Artois is part of the world’s
largest brewery concern, AB InBev, and is still firmly rooted in its home base
of Leuven. The entrance to the brewery is located at Aarschotsesteenweg 20, a
15-minute walk from the center. You can visit the brewery every Saturday.
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| Brewery Stella Artois |
5) Park Abbey (tour: Saturday, Sunday: 2pm)
For only €5 euros you can take a tour in
the abbey. During the tour you get a unique look behind the scenes of different
parts of the building. Park Abbey is about one kilometer outside of Leuven, but
it really deserves a spot in the top 10 places to visit.
6) Groot Begijnhof / Great Beguinage
In 1998 the Groot Begijnhof, together with
12 other Flemish beguinages, was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
You can visit it for free. I love walking around here and the little houses are
beautiful. Leuven also has a Klein Begijnhof or Small Beguinage, it’s really
small but also nice to walk through.
7) Botanical Garden (Every day: 8am to 8pm, Sunday: 9am to 8pm)
The Botanical Garden of Leuven is the
oldest botanical garden in Belgium. The University of Leuven created it in 1738
for its medical students. You can walk through it and also visit the greenhouses.
8) Mgr. Ladeuzeplein and University Library & Tower (Monday to Friday: 10am to 7pm, Saturday & Sunday: 10 am to 5pm)
The Ladeuzeplein is the largest square in
Leuven. In the middle there’s a beetle on a needle, a sculpture by Jan Fabre.
On Friday, the weekly Friday market is on this square. Just next to the
square is the beautiful University Library. In the summer, you can only visit
the large reading room on weekends. It’s very impressive, so I do recommend
making sure you’re in Leuven on a Saturday or Sunday. This can also be included
in the ILUVLeuven Ticket.
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| University Library |
9) Vaartkom
This old industrial zone around the Vaart
is constantly evolving. The factory buildings are being renovated and occupied
by contemporary lofts, shops and offices. There’s a small port with boats from
all around the world. It’s not far from brewery Stella Artois and Keizersberg
Abbey.
In my opinion, Keizersberg Abbey also deserves a place
in the top 10, but then it wouldn’t be a top 10 anymore of course. For a nice walk and a
beautiful view over the city, make sure Keizersberg Abbey is on your planning
too.
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| Vaartkom |
10) Oude Markt
Last but not least, Leuven has the longest
bar in Europe, the Oude Markt. If you’re in Leuven during the academic year
(Late september until late June), you will find lots of students here in the
evening and night. Now, the square is completely empty because the bars are
close due to the pandemic. Believe me when I say it’s a very rare view.
Where to eat
Breakfast
- Nosh (Naamsestraat 14, Leuven) €
Breakfast & lunch, all day long.
- Wasbar (Tiensestraat 7, Leuven) €€
While eating breakfast,
you can even do some laundry.
Lunch
- Boccone (Rector De Somerplein 15A, Leuven) €
Run by real Italians, everything you eat here tastes like a piece of Naples or Siena. What can you have lunch there? (Fresh) pizze al taglio, paninis, focaccias, salads, pasta cups and Italian dolce.
- Würst (Margarethaplein 1, Leuven ) €€
Haute Dog: A
crispy organic roll fresh from the oven, an artisanal patented wurst and
surprising toppings make the classic hot dog a refined and original dish.
Dinner
- Notre Dame - Quasimodo (Grote Markt 11, Leuven) €€
You will find a quick bite or an extensive meal in a relaxed atmosphere here, right in the center of Leuven.
- Ellis Gourmet Burger (Naamsestraat 5, Leuven) €€
Burgers, salads,
side dishes, finger food, homemade cocktails, mocktails and ice teas.
As I already mentioned, you can buy a “ILUVLeuven
Ticket” or a “ILUVLeuven Ticket XL”. The first one includes entry to the Town
Hall and the library on the Ladeuzeplein for €8. The second one also includes
entry to Museum M for €16 in total.
Leuven is a safe city, but as in all cities
just be careful for pickpockets.
Nightlife
For nightlife, just go to the Oude Markt. There’s always lots
of people and the nickname “longest bar of Europe” says everything.
Shopping
The Diestsestraat and the Bondgenotenlaan are two long streets with lots of shops. Be careful, on Sundays most of the shops are closed. (Except for the first Sunday of the month for Sunday Shopping)
Tours
Leuven Leisure is a company that organises
guided walks and bike rides, such as the Pub Tasting Tour on Fridays and the Brewery
Bike Ride on Saturdays. If you’re not really interested in beer, they also have
other walks, such as the Sunset Walk. Check out their website: https://www.leuvenleisure.com/en/.
Suggested books
If you plan on visiting more cities in Belgium,
I’d recommend the Lonely Planet Belgium & Luxembourg travel guide. Also
check out this website for more inspiration and information: https://www.visitleuven.be/en.
Special events
I’ve listed a couple of events that I can recommend, but also check this website for other events: https://www.visitleuven.be/en/events.
- Friday market (7am – 1pm)
On Friday, you can find stalls with food, textiles, flowers &
plants on the Ladeuzeplein.
- Christmas market (December)
For a month, more than 170 stands display their delicious and beautiful merchandise every day. Each year a host country is central with typical, traditional products.
! This year the Christmas market is cancelled !
- Beleuvenissen (July)
Free concerts on the Oude Markt and other
swinging squares.
- Summer Movies (July & August)
Free outdoor screenings that start as soon
as it gets dark.
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