Leuven, Belgium - how to get, what to see, Catholic University and other attractions

After completing my studies at a Russian university, I decided to move to Belgium. For all the time of my life in this small country I climbed every corner of it, but one of the first and most memorable trips was for me to visit the city of Leuven. Outside of Belgium, the city is not very famous, but for the Belgians it is a matter of national pride. Imbued with a medieval spirit and at the same time keeping up to date, old and at the same time youthful, this city is incredibly rich in contrasts. You rarely see someone over thirty on his cobblestone pavements, because mostly students live here. And yet, at every step, one can feel the spirit of the past. In general, if you are attracted to medieval romance and you are looking for genuine Old World artifacts, you should definitely visit this atmospheric town.

And by the way, Leuven is an ideal starting point for exploring any part of Belgium: just a stone's throw from Brussels, the North Sea coast is only 1.5 hours by train.

How to get there

Getting to Leuven is no more difficult than to other European cities. Both buses and trains arrive here. The nearest airport is in Brussels and it is very close. Actually, everything is close in Belgium. This small country is incredibly convenient for moving on any form of transport.

By plane

To get to Leuven by air, choose a flight to Brussels Airport or Charleroi Airport. The first accepts international flights from Moscow, and the other is used by domestic European carriers (including the low-cost airlines Ryanair and Wizz air).

Let's say you flew by Aeroflot or Brussels Airlines flight from Moscow to Brussels. Most likely, your flight time was 3 hours 35 minutes, and for round-trip tickets you paid about 190 EUR (prices can be found here). After passport control and baggage claim, you just have to go down the escalator a couple of floors down and catch the train to Leuven. Ticket can be bought at the railway ticket office or in a special machine. Finding both is easy. Riding the fast IC train will take you some trifling 13 minutes. Trains run approximately every 10 minutes. A ticket will cost 9 EUR one way. If you are under 26 years old, then do not forget to say this at the box office and present your passport. In Belgium, youth discounts apply to all types of tickets.

If your starting point is St. Petersburg and you want to fly directly to Brussels, you have to choose Brussels Airlines. Only this company provides direct flights between the two cities (though only once a week, on Wednesdays). You will need to fly for 3 hours. You can also choose a flight with transfers. In this case, the flight will take a little longer (at least 12 hours). The transplant will have to be done in Moscow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Helsinki or Zurich.

By train

Getting to Leuven by rail directly from Moscow or St. Petersburg is not a good idea. The best thing that lovers of measured wheel knock can choose is to take the Moscow-Paris train at the Belorussky Train Station in Moscow and get off in Berlin. This section of the route will take you about a day. Ticket prices and timetables for the historic Moscow-Paris train can be viewed on the Russian Railways website.

From the German capital, you can get to Leuven by domestic European trains, making several transfers (for example, in Cologne and Liege). The ticket price will be from 100 to 130 EUR, and you will have to spend about 7 hours of time. Thus, a trip from Russia by train to Leuven is a long and expensive business. I would not advise you to choose such a difficult path.

If you intend to get to Leuven from any other European city, the train, on the contrary, can be a great choice. The railway connection between European countries is just fine. In most cases, you will not notice how you cross the border. Ticket prices can be found on the website of any European railway carrier (STIB, DB, etc.).

From the main railway station of Leuven, the building of which you see in the picture above, it is very easy to get to the city center. It is best to do this on foot, because you have only a kilometer to overcome. If you go completely lazy, then wait for the bus. Almost all bus routes pass through the city center - Grote Markt Square.

By bus

If you decide to get to Leuven by bus, you will get all through the same Brussels. Buses from companies such as Brussels go from major European cities to Brussels Eurolines or Flixbus. The price of tickets is very moderate, because the main customers of the companies are students and immigrants.

From the capital of Russia to Brussels can be reached by company bus Ecolines. He leaves twice a week from the Shchelkovo station in Moscow. Tickets cost around 140 EUR. Bus schedule and current prices can be found here.

From the capital of the European Union to Leuven it is most convenient to travel by train. It takes no more than 20 minutes. Especially since Ecolines buses arrive at the Rue Cardinal Mercier, which is located in close proximity to Brussels main station.

By car

Traveling around Europe by car can be quite fun. If you decide to get to Belgium from Moscow by your own vehicles, first go to the Minka, which will lead you to neighboring Belarus. From Belarus, head to Poland, bypassing one of the customs points (Berestovitsa, Warsaw Bridge or Domachevo). If the Internet will be available to you on the road, look in advance at the network on which of the points has the least queue.

After customs, continue on the European roads (routes E40, E411, E19, A12, A201, etc.). In addition to Belarus, you will have to cross the territory of Poland and Germany.

If you get to Leuven by car from St. Petersburg, the journey will take approximately the same amount of time (at least several days). The price of gasoline in Europe today fluctuates around 1.4 EUR per liter. If your car consumes 8-10 l / 100 km, then the cost of gasoline can be about 300 - 350 EUR.

hint: Leuven - time is now15: 0713 OctoberDifference in hours: Moscow & plus; 1 Kazan & plus; 1 Samara & plus; 2 Yekaterinburg & plus; 3 Novosibirsk & plus; 5Vladivostok & plus; 8

When is the season. When is the best time to go?

What time to visit Leuven is entirely your choice. Tourists in European cities can be found at any time of the year. However, it is worth noting that in winter and autumn in Belgium it was rather dank and cold. You can walk the streets for a long time only if you are not at all afraid of bad weather. In summer, the temperature in Leuven is much more comfortable, and the students on the streets are less. Nobody will stop you from enjoying the ancient architecture. On the other hand, it is students who give their city their charm and their absence during the summer holidays is always perceived as strange.

Leuven in the summer

As already mentioned, in summer Leuven is much more disposed to walks than in winter. In fine weather, you can sit down on the terrace of a cozy cafe and sip your delicious Belgian beer slowly. You can visit one of Europe's oldest Botanical Gardens. Or maybe you are lucky and you will catch a concert of some street band. In Belgium (and especially in student Leuven) they are extremely popular.

Leuven in the fall

Autumn in Leuven is a time of active student life. If you want to feel the real rhythm of this city, feel free to come here in the autumn months. But don't forget umbrellas and comfortable walking shoes. Average temperatures range from 10 to 12 ° C.

Leuven in the spring

It gets warmer in Europe much earlier than in our usual climatic zone. So a trip to Leuven in the spring is also a great solution. The average temperature fluctuates around 10 ° C. In May, the thermometer can rise to 12 ° C and above.

Leuven in winter

In winter, it is cold in Leuven. Snow, of course, does not lie, but the cold wind from the North Sea does its job. However, this does not mean that the winter months are just the wrong time to visit this city. As in other European cities, in December the Christmas Market takes place here, and it is not inferior in magnificence to fairs in many capitals of the Old World. Average temperature in the winter months: 2-4 ° C.

Leuven - monthly weather

hint: Leuven - weather for the months of January January ± 2.2 February ± 2.7 March ± 5.8 April ± 8.3 May ± 12.3 June ± 15.4 July ± 17.1 August ± 17.1 September ± 14.5 October ± 10.5 November ± plus 5.8 December & plus; 3.2

Areas. Where is better to live

The city of Leuven is divided into five districts (Everlei, Kessel-lo, Leuven, Wigmaal, Wilsel).

The central district of Leuven is called so - Leuven. It is surrounded by a ring road. It is here that the main attractions are located, the vast majority of hotels and university buildings. If you do not know that administratively Leuven consists of several more districts, you might think that this is where the city ends.
AT Everlei there are several student campuses, the old Abbey Park, founded at the beginning of the XII century, as well as the extraordinary beautiful Renaissance castle - Chateau d'Arenberg. This is a green and calm area, where you can also find quite decent housing.
Near Kessel lo There are no hotels. But here, too, has its own ancient abbey. And also a large park de Bron.
Area Wigmal very small. It occupies only 4 square kilometers of area. 3,5 thousand people live here. There is a conservation area where you can breathe fresh air.
AT Wilsel several ancient beautiful buildings (the town hall and the church of St. Agatha) have been preserved. From time immemorial farmers settled here. So this is also a green place.

Approximate housing prices in Leuven are presented below.

What are the prices for vacation

Prices in Leuven are quite high, despite the large number of students.

A full meal for one person in a cafe will cost you 15-20 EUR.
A room in a decent hotel will cost about 100 EUR per night. Hotel prices you can see here and here. If you want to rent a house, look here for more information.
For a trip around the city by taxi you will have to pay at least 20 EUR.

hint: Cost of food, accommodation, transport and other currency: Euro, € US dollar, $ Russian ruble, rub Prices in restaurants and cafes

Eating (lunch / dinner) in a reasonably priced restaurant	821 rub
Lunch / dinner for two, 3 course, middle class restaurant	4643 rub
McMill at McDonald's or similar combo lunch	572 rub

More details

The main attractions. What to watch

There are many architectural sights in Leuven. You don’t have to look specifically for them - go to the center and wander along the cobbled streets. On the way you will meet a lot of beautiful buildings. Do not forget about museums - Flanders carefully stores many unique paintings of Flemish masters. Museums of painting are in Leuven.

Top 5

Grote Markt and Town Hall

In my personal opinion, the main square in Leuven is hardly inferior in beauty to the Brussels Grotto Markt (or Grand Place). On it stands the town hall building, which is one of the most luxurious examples of Brabant Gothic. Amazing with its size (it does not even fit into the lens!) And the splendor of the facade, it really deserves attention. You can view its facade with its head up to the sky, almost endlessly, because it is decorated with several hundreds of skillfully made statues. These are the heroes of biblical scripture, and the rulers of the city, and its outstanding figures.

Unfortunately, during the Second World War, the building was seriously damaged, but the Belgian masters did everything to restore its original appearance. Today you will not notice that some parts of the town hall were rebuilt. The building looks especially beautiful at night with backlight.

Big Beginage

Big Beginage is often put in second place among the attractions of Leuven. Whether it is justified or not is up to you. However, for my taste this place will be really interesting only to those who are interested in history. In Big Beginage, you will not find striking architectural excesses. This is just a small, quiet district of about a hundred houses where runners lived in the 13th century - women whose ascetic life was approaching monastic. Nonetheless, Levin Beginage is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In some houses people still live here. The atmosphere is unusually pacifying. Walking here after visiting the busy center is a pleasure.

Monument to Fonske

Belgium is a country that is famous and boasts of its unusual avant-garde monuments and various street sculptures. The Fonke Monument is a vivid confirmation of this. Like the pissing boy in Brussels, Fonske is often dressed in various outfits. According to official theory, it symbolizes conscientiously students. Evil tongues say that the monument is rather put to those who do not shy away from heavy alcohol libations.

University library and bell tower

This is another wonderful architectural monument decorating the city center. You can not only admire the university library with the bell tower adjacent to it from the street. You can enter here, go over the roots of ancient scholarly books, and then go straight up to the bells to view the city from a bird's eye view. You can only envy students who go to prepare for exams in such a beautiful place. The Leuven Library is open all days except Monday. Tue from 13:00 to 17:00, Wed from 10:00 to 17:00, on Thursdays. from 13:00 to 17:00, Fri, Sat and vskr. from 10:00 to 17:00.

It is interesting that the library was completely destroyed by the Germans during the First World War, but was restored thanks to donations in 1928.

Monument to the Fly

Right in the square in front of the pompous library is another unusual monument that invariably attracts the attention of passers-by. It is a large steel needle, 23 meters high, on which a giant fly is planted. It was installed in the 2000s in honor of the 575th anniversary of the founding of the University of Leuven. The author is a famous Flemish artist who won a tough competition. In his own words, the needle is designed to compensate for the massiveness of the library building, and the fly symbolizes the power of nature, which man always seeks to know.

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

There are many interesting places of worship in Leuven. Where else should students come to pray for a successful exam?

Church of St. Quintin

An excellent example of ancient Gothic, which has been here since the 15th century. When the parish church existed here much earlier. Inside you will find the most beautiful stained glass windows of the XIX century, as well as a lot of sculptures and paintings of various eras.

It will not be difficult to find the church, it is located in close proximity to the main attractions at Naamsestraat 160A. Sometimes organ concerts take place here, but it is better to familiarize yourself with their schedule in advance on this site.

St. Peter's Church

It is located right on the main square and from the side of the main entrance is incredibly similar to the Church of St. Quintin. The same high Gothic arches and patterned windows, a similar bell tower. The main difference that immediately catches your eye is two unfinished towers (supposedly already during construction it was discovered that the earth could not withstand their weight). At the same time, the bell tower of the church is even included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list.

Inside the church is the tomb of Henry I (the first Duke of Brabant), a fearless warrior and participant in the crusades. In addition, here you can see paintings and sculptures of both the Gothic and Baroque periods. Among the pearls of the church is the triptych of Dirk Bouts, one of the most famous Renaissance masters in the Netherlands. True, in order to see it, you will have to buy a separate ticket to the treasury (provided that you do not yet have a ticket to the M. Museum, with which you can visit the treasury for free). If you just want to admire the interior interiors, then you do not need to pay anything.

Museums Which are worth a visit

A short list of Leuven museums consists of only a few items. Apparently, students do not really like to spend their free time in museums!

Museum M

In the very center of the city there is an avant-garde building in the form of a huge white cube. This is the central museum of the city, succinctly named "Museum M". In his appearance, one would think that only works of modern art are stored here. However, it is not. In addition to modern exhibits, in the halls you will find ancient sculptures and rare examples of Flemish painting. In my opinion, this is a good opportunity to get acquainted with the history and culture of the city.

A ticket giving access to the entire collection costs 13 EUR. If you are not yet 25 years old, then you will be asked to pay only 5 EUR. At the time of writing, the museum is closed, but from the beginning of June 2017 it will open its doors again to visitors. Museum Hours: Mon from 10:00 to 16:30, Tue from 10:00 to 16:30, Wed-Closed, Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun. from 10:00 to 16:30.

Spoelberch Museum (Spoelberchmuseum)

A very small museum, which presents the personal collection of Karl-Victor Spoelberch - a Belgian scholar, collector and literary critic. The art collection was donated to the university after the death of the owner. Among the exhibits are family portraits, furniture and silver of the 17th-18th centuries. Tourists can be lured here by the fact that the entrance to the museum is absolutely free. It is located at Naamsestraat 40. Unfortunately, it is open only on Saturdays from 14:00 to 17:00.

Museum of Scouts (Nationaal Scoutsmuseum)

The National Museum of Scouts, a kind of Belgian pioneer, was opened in 1982. Here you can see how this movement was born and how it turned into a common national hobby. The museum displays old uniforms, badges, flags, photographs and other artifacts. In my opinion, the collection is not without interest. Scouts are indeed a widespread phenomenon in Belgium. It is not uncommon to see on the street a group of children in short shorts and ties around their neck, who, following their counselor in orderly rows, go to spend the night with tents somewhere in the forest. Doesn’t resemble anything? Exactly. Therefore, it is not without interest.

The museum is located at Sint-Geertruiabdij 5. The museum is open on Saturdays from 14:00 to 18:00.

Parks

Botanical Garden (Kruidtuin)

The main park in Leuven is the Botanical Garden. Small but rich in rare plants, this garden is a favorite vacation spot of local residents. Once upon a time, medicinal herbs were grown here for local medical students. And today it is just a great place for walking. Plus, free. The garden can be found at Kapucijnenvoer 30.

St. Donation Park (Sint-Donatuspark)

Not far from the university library is another nice and well-groomed park, laid out in the English style. In summer, on spacious lawns, students lie around with books, and families with children set up sun umbrellas and have picnics. The highlight of this park is the remains of an ancient city wall that once protected the city from unwanted visitors. It is located on Tiensestraat Street.

Dylepark

Located next to the Big Beginage. This is a very small park. But in terms of comfort, it is not inferior to its competitors. There are also ponds, benches and lawns. If after a long walk around Beginage you are looking for a place to relax, then this park is perfect.

Tourist streets

The main attractions, shops, cafes and restaurants are concentrated in Leuven not on the streets, but on the squares. This is the already mentioned Grote Markt, as well as Oude Markt (Old Market).

Grote Markt

As I already said, here is the central Town Hall (the most beautiful building in the city, and perhaps the whole of Belgium), as well as St. Peter's Church and the houses of various Belgian guilds. In its current form, the square has existed since the 14th century. Like the Brussels main square, the Leuven Grote Markt is periodically decorated with a huge carpet of color, and this is truly an amazing sight. In addition, concerts are held here in the summer months, open-air dance venues are organized and gastronomic markets are opened.

If you are unlucky and all these events pass you by, do not be discouraged. Grotto Markt always has something to do, because many beer and souvenir shops are waiting for visitors at any time of the year.

Oude Markt (Old Market)

The second largest square in Leuven is surrounded by neat red brick houses. The most important building here is the library that I already mentioned. In fine weather, the whole area is full of tables, at which locals and visitors enjoy drinking the famous Belgian beer. Do not deny yourself the pleasure and be sure to skip the circle here.

What to see in 1 day

See Leuven in one day - a simple matter, because the town is small. The main attractions can be seen even in a few hours. Here is a short route for the most hasty.

From the main station go to the main museum of the city. This is best done along Bondgenotelaan Street. This is a large wide street, where on the way you will meet banks, restaurants, shops and cinemas. If you have more than a couple of hours, take a look at Museum M along the way. For this, turn onto Jan Stasstraat.
If time is running out, keep going straight and you will run straight into the main square of the city. Inspect the Town Hall, a monument to drinking or studying students, St. Peter's Church. Going around the Grote Markt in a circle, go to the adjacent Oude Markt. Here I advise you to take a short break and hang for a while in some cafe.
Then head down Minderboedersstraat to the Botanical Garden. By the way, along the way you will meet a pretty beautiful massive building of red brick - this is the Anglican Church of St. Mary and St. Martha.
After strolling through the Botanical Gardens, head south along Kapucijnenvoer Street to Big Beginage (the lowest point on the map). Turn left onto Janseniusstraat, then right to Redingenhof, then again right to Redingenstraat. When you reach the river, turn left and you will find yourself in front of the historic Big Beginage quarter.
Having examined Beginage, you can slowly go back to the station. On the way, you can take a break from a long walk in the St. Donation Park, as well as go to the STUK Contemporary Art Center, located at 96 Naamsestraat. This way you will get a fully-fledged view of the city.

What to see in the surroundings

To the question of what to see in the vicinity of Leuven, we can safely answer: "All of Belgium!" The capital of Belgium, Brussels is only 30 kilometers from here. 66 kilometers from Leuven is the beautiful city of Antwerp. Ghent and Mons are also less than 100 kilometers away. You can read about these cities in separate articles, so I’d better tell you about the sights of Leuven that are administratively located within the city, but where tourists rarely get to.

Stella Artois Brewery

Outside the main ring road of Leuven is the famous Stella Artois Brewery. Getting here is not easy - you need to buy tickets in advance at the tourist information office (Naamsestraat 3) or online. There are no cash registers at the brewery itself. Entrance is also not easy to find. Tours are carried out strictly in groups every Saturday and Sunday at 13:00 (in Flemish) and at 15:00 (in English). But true beer lovers, I'm sure nothing will stop. The brewery is located at Vaartstraat 94. The ticket costs 8.5 EUR.

Arenberg Castle

It is formally located in the city of Leuven, but it is quite far from the center to go here. The castle was built in the late Gothic style. Once it belonged to one of the Belgian ducal houses, but today it is the property of the university. It's hard to believe, but several faculties are located in the castle building. Almost real Hogwarts! Unfortunately, only select students can enjoy the interior of the school. All the rest can only envy. The castle is located at Kasteelpark Arenberg 1.

tip: Routes to neighboring cities Leuven - Oud-Heverle 5 kmLeuven - Hasrode 5 kmLeuven - Rotselar 8 km

Food. What to try

In Leuven, it is worth trying traditional Belgian dishes (waterza, flamand chop, American fillet ...), as well as chocolate, waffles, beer and fried fries.

If you are in Leuven from August to March, be sure to try the mussels. This period is considered the best for their tasting, as you will be notified by numerous signs on the doors of restaurants.

Recommended Places

The cheapest and most delicious Leuven restaurants are easy to find - they are located in Oude Mark Square. Here, most students dine and local eateries compete fiercely in an attempt to not disappoint them.

More expensive restaurants are located near the Town Hall in the main square of the city. Rather, they are designed for tourists, but this does not mean that the cuisine here is tasteless.

For those who seek variety, Muntstraat has prepared many surprises. In addition to restaurants with classic Belgian cuisine, here you can find Mexican, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese and even Chinese cuisine.

Budgetary

Traiteur kapucijn - An excellent inexpensive place where they sell fresh baguettes with various fillings. Prices are very affordable (from 2 to 5 EUR). This place is located in close proximity to the Botanical Garden (Kruidtuin). It is quite possible to take a baguette with you and dine on a bench.
Another tasty and cheap establishment is Kiekekot (Mechelsestraat 46). Open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00. Kurds own. There is always fresh fried chicken with spices and great beer. (5 EUR - half chicken, 9 EUR - whole chicken).

Mid level

An excellent Sicilian restaurant located at Tiensestraat 123. Called Etna trattoria. Owned by a married couple, incredibly in love with their job. Highly recommend to visit.
Muntstraat 10B has a nice Asian restaurant Taj mahal. Great for vegetarians.
I invite all Italian lovers to Rossi on Standonckstraat 2. The menu may not seem too sophisticated, but in the end what do we expect from Italian cuisine, if not quality pasta and pizza?

Expensive

Unusual restaurant of Nepalese cuisine Nepali House Restaurant located at Dirk Boutslaan 7. Gourmet cuisine, incredibly polite staff. At the same time, prices are quite moderate, if we take into account that we are talking about a gourmet restaurant.
But Leven's most famous fashionable restaurant is called Areberg. Located at Kapeldreef 46. Here, excellent service and consistently tasty dishes.
Also can visit Zarza, Couvert couvert, Zappaz.

Holidays

The main events take place in the city in the summer. This is due to the fact that in the summer students go on vacation and the noisy streets of the city empty. Accordingly, the authorities are doing everything to attract as many people as possible to the city in the summer.

At the end of July, a music festival takes place not far from Leuven Rock werchter - one of the largest in the world! Usually it takes place at three sites and gathers up to one hundred thousand people. In different years, celebrities such as Madonna, Leni Kravitz or Muse played at the festival.
The festival takes place on August 15 Marktrock, which collects predominantly European stars and has a slightly smaller scope.

Security. What to watch out for

Leuven is a safe and clean city. The crime rate here is very low. The city center is quite safe even at night. Of course, this does not mean that basic safety rules can be neglected.

I do not advise you to walk in city parks at night (tipsy students - that is still the public).
Be sure to keep track of personal belongings - pickpocketing happens everywhere. Vu cafes and restaurants do not leave your outer clothing unattended or at least take everything out of your pockets.
If you rent a bike, fasten it tightly with a lock. Theft of bicycles is almost the first article of crime in prosperous European countries.

The central police station is located on the main square of the city, next to the Town Hall. You can easily go there in case of any problems. On the street, it’s quite difficult to catch a policeman, they usually patrol the streets, dressed as civilians.

Try to avoid areas Sint-maartensdal and De bruul. Some places in the Kessel-Lo area should not be visited at night (namely Casablanca and Vredespleintje).

By the way, about bicycles. Please note that in Belgium a violation of the rules of the road is punishable quite strictly, even when they are committed on two wheels.

Things to do

In Leuven, you definitely will not be bored. In student cities, life is always in full swing and Leuven in this sense is no exception. Of course, you can devote all your time to visiting monuments of architecture. But I advise you to plunge deeper into the everyday life of Leuven. To do this, go to bars and pubs where Leuven students spend all their free time. You will find the best addresses below.

Shopping and shops

Shopping in Leuven is easy. Most stores are located on streets leading from the train station to the city center (e.g. Bondgenotenlaan) Typically, stores close around 18:00. Some work until 20:00. Supermarkets usually work until 20:00 from Mon. on Thursdays and until 21:00 on Friday.

The main shopping street of the city is called Diestsestraat. Recently it has been made completely pedestrian. There are two main shopping centers. In one of them you will find a cinema (Kinepolis), where you can watch movies, both in Flemish and in the original.
Small private shops can be found on the streets Brusselsestraat, Mechelsestraat and Parijsstraat.

Seasonal sales take place in the city in January or July. During these periods, discounts reach 70%, and the streets are crowded with customers, especially on weekends.

Bars Where to go

Leuven is a city of beer! The largest brewing company in the world, Inbev, was founded precisely in Leuven. Therefore, walking here through the bars and tasting the most varied varieties of hops is a real pleasure for true connoisseurs. But be careful: some Belgian beers are so strong that drinking them in bottles is a dangerous undertaking.

Entrance to most bars in the city is free, and beer prices are relatively low.

The most “bar” place in the city is Old Market Square, which is sometimes called the longest bar in Europe, although this name is disputed by the German Düsseldorf. Almost all Leuven students flock to Old Market Square every night. The noisiest parties are held on Wednesdays and Thursdays from late September to early December and from early February to late May (i.e. during the school year).

Near Tiensestraat bars belonging to student communities or "cats" are located. To get here, it is advisable to make friends with someone from the locals. "Cats" in Belgium are very close and friendly. It’s not that they didn’t accept strangers ... but still it’s worth going into a strange monastery with at least a guide. Below you will find a list of all the real student bars.

Huis der rechten - bar of law students;
Politika owned by students of the faculty of sociology;
Pavlov - bar of the faculty of psychology;
AT Dulci economists gather;
Fak letteren - bar of the faculty of art;
Délibéré - bar engineers.

Here are a few more bars that deserve your attention.

Cafe belge. Here you will find a wide variety of Trappist beers that were originally made by the monks of the Catholic Order of Trappists. This beer is an integral part of the Belgian brewing tradition. Abbey beer is also present here. Its main difference from the Trappist one is that it is no longer brewed in monasteries, but in ordinary industrial breweries.
I also advise you to go to Domus This is a small brewery and tavern. The beer they make here is sold directly to visitors.

Clubs and nightlife

Most parties take place in clubs in the city center. The entry price is usually small and is designed for students 2 EUR - 4 EUR). Here are some of the most popular clubs:

Club Montréal. Located at Naamsestraat 34, just 100 meters from the town hall building. Open from Mon on Thursdays from 18:00 to 06:00, as well as on Sunday. from 20:00 to 06:00;
Lido (Bogaardenstraat 33);
Musicafé (Muntstraat 5);
Albatros at Brusselsestraat 15, also 100 meters from the town hall;
Rumba & co, (Kiekenstraat 6).

Large dance spaces are located outside the city. Entrance and drinks will cost you a little more in such places.

Club roomthat is approximately 8 km. from the city center in the Herent area. Open on Fridays and Saturdays. Every first Friday of the month is a gay party.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

They bring from Leuven the same as from other areas of Belgium: chocolate, beer, diamond jewelry, designer clothes ... be sure to buy chocolate in specialized chocolate boutiques such as Leonidas. Take trappist varieties from beer.

How to get around the city

There are several shuttle buses of the local transport company in the city De lijn. They all depart from the central station (Rector De Somerplein stop). Distances in the city are very small, so most likely you will not need buses. It is best to walk around Leuven, or in extreme cases - to ride a bicycle. With the bike paths in Leuven, everything is in order. There are no metro and trams in the city.

Taxi. What features exist

Taxis in Leuven can be recognized by the characteristic sign on the roof. Taxi stands are in Fochplein and Martelarenplein. You may need a taxi if you have a night flight or try too many Belgian beers. You can order a taxi in advance at Leuven by this number.

Vehicle rental

You can rent a car in Leuven. Here is the office of the international company Avis (Geldenaaksebaan 484). I advise you to book a car in advance on the aggregator website or to rent a car immediately in Brussels, where there are much more such companies. To rent a car in Belgium, you need an international driver license. In addition, you must be 21 years old (it will be difficult for people younger than the car). A car on mechanics for 3 days will cost about 70 EUR, see the approximate prices here.

Leuven - holidays with children

Perhaps Leuven is not the best place to relax with children, but not the worst! Firstly, it's safe here. And this means that you can not be afraid that your child will fall into some kind of criminal alteration. Secondly, there are many cheerful young people here, which means that Leven’s atmosphere will surely appeal to your children. And thirdly, there are many parks and green corners that are great for families.

One of these parks is located in the Kessel-Lo area and is called Provinciaal Domein Kessel-Lo. This is a large green space where there are many playgrounds. From the main railway station there are buses No. 2 and No. 10. Well, do not forget about all those parks that I have listed above.