Travel

Leuven. A Young Belgian City With A Long History

Arenberg Castle

Isn't it amazing when you get to visit a place that seems to have sprung out of nowhere? For many, the only cities on Belgium's tourist map are Brussels, Gent, Antwerp and Bruges. Almost nobody talks about Leuven, yet it is one of the most charming small cities one can ever visit.

When we were given a choice to pick between a list of cities for our #ParkInnExpress challenge, Leuven intrigued us for it was the only place on the list we had not visited before. A quick online search led us to pictures of the gorgeous Town Hall and we were instantly sold.

The Town Hall

Leuven is only a half an hour train ride away from Brussels. It is home to the oldest Catholic university in the world and it boasts a young atmosphere and a long history. We were eager to discover its secrets, since the clues for our scavenger hunt included the most famous Gothic Town Hall in the world, the longest bar in the world, a UNESCO heritage site and a place with 1 million books. Exciting, isn't it?

The library

Together with Flora from Flora The Explorer, we made a first stop at the university library. Most of Leuven was burned to the ground during the two World Wars, and the library was no exception. The huge number of books the library hosts today is due to donations from book collections all over the world, while the amazing neo-Flemish-Renaissance building is worth a visit inside-out.

Next we went to the Grote Markt where the incredibly ornate Town Hall and the 15th-century St. Peter's Church are located. You might have seen the Town Hall in Brussels and thought it was amazing. It really is, and its beauty is further enhanced by the surrounding guild houses in the Grote Markt. But the truth is, Leuven's Town Hall is even more elaborate, if smaller and lacking the imposing tower. Leuven's Gothic Town Hall takes your breath away by is sheer beauty and complexity.

The Gothic church opposite the square remains in the shadow of the administrative building. It's somehow difficult to take a good look at it, or a good picture as a matter of fact as is seems to have been squeezed in there and no space for a panoramic viewpoint is left. The bell tower has never been completed, yet the interior is imposing and shrouded in peace in spite of the renovation works that have half of the church closed.

St. Peter's Church

In front of the main entrance we stumble upon a small Saturday morning flee market and Erasmus' statue. He used to be a lecturer at the University of Leuven and the statue depicts a rather small man for such an emblematic figure. Behind the church, a student pours wisdom into his head by reading a book (ok, the fountain should have been on to prove the point).

A few meters away, we enter Oude Markt, also called the longest bar in the world, for all the businesses in the square are cafés/bars, and there's about 40 of them. While Dusseldorf is another city that claims the title of the 'Longest Bar in the World', truth is we find ourselves quite comfortable in the Oude Markt, among all the beautiful old buildings and sunny terraces. Plus the beer culture here is just as rooted in the soul of the locals as it is in Germany, if not even more so.

Oude Markt

We stop at one of the bars for a delicious broodje (sandwich) and a glass of Stella Artois. It's a satiating lunch and it seems to be quite in fashion. Plus Stella Artois beer has been brewed in Leuven since 1926.

Right in the middle of the square the statue of Fred Bellefroid is bathed in the last sun-rays of autumn. She was a kotmadam, the landlady of the building where students were hosted and she used to prepare meals for them, tidy their rooms and help them when help was needed.

A short walk away, near Atrecht College, we find Renée. She represents the female student population of Leuven, while Atrecht College was the first to offer university degrees in teaching to women. Leuven has a number of interesting sculptures, many related to the students and university life.

Our last stop for the day is the UNESCO heritage site of Grand Beguinage. This place dates back to the 13th century when it was inhabited by a community of unmarried women who lived a semi-religious life. The streets are quiet and the little canals add charm to the place. Nowadays it is used as a campus for the students of University of Leuven and as lights are switched on inside, the windows are filled with magic.

Grand Beguinage

For dinner, we return to Park Inn Hotel right by the railway station. Since we arrived to Leuven by train, the hotel is ideally situated. There's even an overhead bridge connecting the hotel with the station. Our corner room overlooks the train tracks and the newly built canopy over the platforms is interesting to look at, however, the quality windows don't let the sounds of the station get inside.

The room is comfortable and as eco-friendly as it gets. They even use rain water to flush the toilets! There are dashes of colour throughout the hotel and the restaurant is pretty much designed for privacy and comfort, in spite of the huge windows.

For dinner we go for Belgian fries with stoofvlees, a traditional Belgian sweet-sour beef and onion stew made with beer and seasoned with thyme, bay and mustard and some delicious crème brûlée that comes in 3 flavours and generous portions.

Breakfast next morning is varied and delicious, but we especially like the croissants and can't seem to have enough of them.

Since we have time, we take the bus from the terminal next to the train station and go to the magnificent Arenberg Castle (first picture) just outside the city, for a morning walk on the beautiful grounds painted in shades of yellow and we can't stop wondering why we didn't visit Leuven before.

Honestly, Leuven deserves to be on Belgium's tourist map together with Bruges, Gent, Antwerp and Brussels!

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