Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Top 10 Leuven

About 20km east of Brussels, Leuven has long been associated with students and beer. It’s home to Belgium’s oldest university and the brewing giant InBev SA, whose origins date back to the Den Horen brewery in the 14th century. The capital of Flemish Brabant province, Leuven is a lively town with much to offer

 

1 SINK your teeth into a hearty steak, accompanied by delicious frites, at the Meating Room (12 Oude Markt, tel. +32 (0)16 200 043), one of many great restaurants the city has to offer. For lighter fare, head to trendy Zarza (92 Bondgenotenlaan, tel. +32 (0)16 205 005) for unique Asian- and Mediterranean-accented French cuisine. 2 PLAN ahead for a trip to Marktrock, held here every year around mid-August. One of Europe’s biggest urban music festivals, it sees rock and pop bands from around the world turn the Oude Markt and other outdoor venues into one huge party.

3 ENJOY some of Belgium’s finest Gothic architecture on the Grote Markt (Great Market Square). The Stadhuis (Town Hall), whose construction dates back to 1439, has photo opportunity written all over it with its vast array of statues of counts, Brabant dukes, artists and other notable celebrities of Leuven’s past.

4 FIND inner peace touring the many abbeys and beguinages. The latter housed communities of women who were religious but kept to and supported themselves. The Gothic tower at St. Gertrude’s Church and Abbey was designed by Jan van Ruysbroeck, better known for the Brussels Town Hall.

5 BE ADVENTUROUS and sign up for a Viking-themed boat ride on the Dijle river in a vessel modelled after the ships used by the Vikings in their attack on Leuven some 1,000 years ago. The €24 per person charge includes a glass of local jenever liqueur, the boat ride and a torchlight parade (Natur-Natur, tel. +32 (0)16 470102, natur-natur.be). There are also opportunities for canoeing and kayaking.

6 TAKE A BREATHER in the Botanical Garden, Belgium’s oldest, dating back to 1738. Originally a medicinal herb garden, today the so-called Kruidtuin (30 Kapucijnenvoer) is a whole lot more, with 2.2 hectares of fascinating plant life, a greenhouse with a collection of tropical and sub tropical plants, as well as regular exhibitions in the orangerie.

7 ACQUAINT yourself with the town’s brewing tradition with a tour of the Stella Artois brewery (breweryvisits. com), owned by InBev, or the local brewery Domus (tel. +32 (0)16 201449), famous for its amber-coloured Nostra Domus and unfiltered lager, Con Domus, both available year-round.

8 PARTY on the Oude Markt, which locals cheerfully refer to as ‘the longest bar in the world’. It’s usually filled with students hoisting their glasses, especially when the temperature rises. Bag a seat outside and soak up some summer sun.

9 ABSORB turn-of-the-century charm in luxurious art deco surroundings at Café Gambrinus (13 Grote Markt), a local institution since 1896. Linger over your coffee while taking in the mirrors, floral-motif windows and frescoes – amazingly all still the original décor.

10 VISIT the Sint-Pieterskerk (Saint Peter’s Church), right across from the Town Hall. It’s Leuven’s oldest church, rebuilt after a fire in 1176, and features the ‘Last Supper’ triptych by Flemish Primitive painter Dirk Bouts.

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