Leuven wasn't in our plan at all; we added it while looking at the brochures in our hostel in Ghent. Since it was such a lovely place worth seeing, we decided to end our trip with Leuven. Of course, while we were quickly working out the remaining time, how close it was to the airport and how far from Bruges, what did we see but that it's 20 minutes by train from Brussels Airport. Cutting a little from the time we'd set aside for Bruges, we explored Leuven in 3-4 hours. Leuven is low-key, a true university town!
When you get off at the train station, the huge Bondgenotenlaan shopping street greets you. It's very pleasant to walk, but Mechelsestraat, which we found through local tips, is enchanting with its tiny cafés and boutique shops!
We think that, starting with this route, you can walk everywhere, but if you like you can rent a bike for the day for €6-12 from Leuven Leisure near the train station. You can take a break here for a drink and join city tours or beer tasting activities.
Now for what to see and visit in Leuven..
Leuven City Hall
For us this was the most striking building in Leuven. Right near the Grote Markt, the Town Hall has a very magnificent appearance.
It was built in the 15th century to rival one in Brussels. When you look at the Town Hall you'll notice the countless statues, especially on the front facade. Among the statues are some of the most important citizens of Leuven, and even of Belgium.
Note: The only way into Leuven Town Hall is with the guided tour held every day at 13.00. The tour costs €4. You can get more information from Leuven Tourist Info right around the corner.
Getting there: You can easily explore Leuven on foot. Our tip: if you don't have internet, download the maps.me app and you can easily get where you're going. To get here, you can use the address Grote Markt 9.
Walk a lot! 👣 But be ready for rain at any moment!☔
St. Peter's Church
Right opposite the Town Hall you'll see another of Leuven's jewels, Saint Peter's Church, built at almost the same time. It's a representative building of Gothic architecture. We recommend you take a look and see the beauty inside too. Inside there's also a lovely treasury of some medieval paintings and sculptures.
Note: The church is open every day and you can visit between 10.00 - 16.30. Entry is free. Entry to the section displaying the treasury, open to visitors at the same hours as the church, is €3.
Getting there: Keep exploring on foot! To get here, you can use the address Grote Markt 1. 👣
Leuven University Library
In the cities we visit, if we can find the time, we always want to see book cafés and libraries. But this university library is very beautiful, even a work of art! We definitely shouldn't have just taken photos, we should have gone inside too! Sadly, since 1 January is a holiday everywhere, the library was closed too. It wouldn't have been bad at all to go into the library, look at some old books and spend a few hours there.
Note: As I said above, the library is closed only on 1 and 2 January in the whole year. Let's sulk at our luck; this city was a lucky find for us anyway. 🤩 For those who'll visit, you can go Monday - Friday 10.00 - 19.00 and Saturday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00. A standard ticket is €7, a reduced ticket €5, and entry is free for children under 12. If you'd like more information, we're adding the university's link.
Getting there: After leaving the train station, if you walk straight along the street in front of you, this lovely library will be on your left. To get here, you can use the address Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein 21. 👣
Museum Leuven
Museum Leuven is definitely a place to see for lovers of contemporary art. Focusing on the production of artworks in Leuven and Brabant from the Middle Ages to the 19th century, they make a lovely presentation by mixing traditional exhibitions with truly modern abstract ones. Its architecture is magnificent from the outside too! Even though, like the library, we couldn't visit this museum, we looked into it for the post.
Note: As I said above, the museum is closed on 1 January. Apart from that it's also closed every Wednesday. On the remaining days you can visit the museum between 11.00 - 18.00. As for entrance fees, a standard ticket is €12, €10 for students over 25, and €5 for ages 19-25. If you like, you can buy a LeuvenCityCard for €16 and enter this museum for free.
Getting there: The museum is 200 metres down from the university library, and you can walk there in 1-2 minutes. To get here, you can use the address Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28. 👣
Bonus 1
Founded in this small town in 1366, the Stella Artois Brewery is not only old but also the largest brewery in the world. At their address at Aarschotsesteenweg 20 you can tour the brewery with a guided tour every Saturday and Sunday.
The longest bar in the world (!), at least in part, is here: you can have lunch in the Oude Markt. You can stop for the famous beers or a cup of coffee. There are 29 cafés, and you can find beer for 1 euro!
Bonus 2
Another of the university's nice touches: having entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008, among 13 other Flemish beguinages, Leuven's Beguinage is used these days for its academic guests or foreign students.
What luck! In buildings from the 13th century, it's a commonly seen kind of structure, open at that time to house Catholic women who decided to live here for worship without marrying. We couldn't visit it, but we're adding the link to its World Heritage List entry.
What did we do in the cities we visited on our Belgium tour? If you'd like to take a look, the links are below...
25 km
25 km
43 km