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    Lions

    Belgium

    Lions

    City

    Leuven (German: Löwen) is located approximately 25 kilometres east of Brussels and has been home to one of Europe's oldest universities since 1425.

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    Leuven (German: Löwen) is located approximately 25 kilometres east of Brussels and has been home to one of Europe's oldest universities since 1425. You come here for the Late Gothic Town Hall, the UNESCO-protected Great Beguinage, and an Old Town shaped by student life.More than 50,000 students from KU Leuven ensure the cafés on Oude Markt are bustling late into the night. The city is also home to the headquarters of brewing giant AB InBev, where Stella Artois is brewed. The compact city centre is easily explored on foot.
    Leuven has a population of around 104,000 and is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant. The old town within the ring is compact: it's about a ten-minute walk from the station to the center, where the Town Hall and Sint-Pieterskerk face each other on the Grote Markt. What's special is the combination of medieval heritage and a very young population, as the university shapes the cityscape and daily rhythm. Worthwhile are the district around Ladeuzeplein with the University Library and M Leuven, the Great Beguinage, and the Vaartkom, the former industrial quarter by the canal with the De Hoorn brewery and the OPEK cultural center.

    Sights in Lions

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Attraction

    1Town Hall of Leuven (Stadhuis)

    The late Gothic Town Hall on the Grote Markt was begun in 1439 according to plans by Sulpitius van Vorst, Jan II Keldermans, and Matheus de Layens, and was completed in 1469. The facade is adorned with 236 figures dating from after 1850, including personalities from the city's history, patron saints, as well as the Counts of Leuven and Dukes of Brabant.
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    Church

    2Sint-Pieterskerk

    The Gothic main church on the Grote Markt was built between 1425 and 1500. Its most famous work is The Last Supper by Dirk Bouts.
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    Attraction

    3Oude Markt

    The square is almost entirely lined with cafés with terraces; Visit Leuven calls it the longest bar in the world. On a bench sits the life-size figure of the Kotmadam, a symbol of student life.
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    Historic Landmark

    4Great Beguinage (Groot Begijnhof)

    The Grand Beguinage, with nearly 100 houses, dates back to the early 13th century and has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998. The University bought it in 1962 and restored it by 1989. The Early Gothic church has no tower, only a bell turret.
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    Attraction

    5University Library and Library Tower

    The University Library on Ladeuzeplein was built from 1921 to 1928 with American donations, after the old library burned down in 1914. A carillon with 64 bells hangs in the tower, and you can climb the floors up to the balcony; at certain times, there are tower visits with a live carillon concert.
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    Museum

    6M Leuven

    Opened in 2009, the museum displays old and contemporary art in historical buildings connected by modern architecture. It is located about a ten-minute walk from the train station, closed on Wednesdays, and open until 10 PM on Thursdays.
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    Restaurants in Lions

    1

    EED

    Restaurant with modern cuisine in the upscale price segment in Vaartstraat, awarded one star by the Guide Michelin.
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    2

    EssenCiel

    Restaurant with contemporary cuisine in the high-end price range on Bondgenotenlaan, awarded a Michelin star.
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    3

    Convento Wijnbistro

    Wine bistro with market cuisine in Mechelsestraat, recommended by Guide Michelin; a wine shop is attached.
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    Eating and Drinking in Leuven

    Stella Artois

    Pils is inextricably linked with Leuven: its roots trace back to the Den Horn Brewery, which in 1717 was named after its brewmaster, Sebastien Artois. To this day, it is brewed on the edge of the city center.

    Domus House Brews

    The small brewpub Domus on Tiensestraat serves its Con Domus and Nostra Domus beers, plus a seasonal beer, directly on site.

    Beers from De Hoorn

    Brewery De Hoorn in the Vaartkom is linked to Stella Artois' beginnings. Today, enjoy a drink on its terrace overlooking Sluispark.

    University, Gothic and Beer

    A City Shaped by its UniversityFounded in 1425, the university continues to shape the city to this day, with KU Leuven counting over 50,000 students. Its history is also one of wars: On August 25, 1914, the old library burned down. The new building on Ladeuzeplein was constructed between 1921 and 1928 with donations from the USA and was set ablaze again by shelling in May 1940, with almost a million books lost. The Grand Beguinage has belonged to the university since 1962 and today primarily serves as a residential quarter for academics.Brewing TraditionIn 1764, Leuven boasted 52 breweries. Sebastien Artois became brewmaster of the Den Horn brewery in 1708 and gave it his name in 1717, from which Stella Artois later emerged. Today, AB InBev has its global headquarters here. Alongside this, smaller establishments like the Domus Brewery in the city center cultivate the local beer culture.

    Nightlife

    1

    Café Entrepot (OPEK)

    The OPEK Art Centre café on the Vaartkom offers a waterside terrace, simple dishes and drinks.
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    Getting to and Around Leuven

    Getting ThereFrom Brussels, the train journey to Leuven takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes, with several connections per hour. From Brussels Airport-Zaventem, the journey is only about fifteen minutes. Additionally, from September 2026, the ICE train between Cologne and Antwerp will stop here twice daily. By car, you can reach the city via motorways A2 and A3.Getting AroundThe best way to explore the city center is on foot or by bike. Since the 2016 traffic plan, the city center has been divided into five sectors and a car-free pedestrian zone: By car, you cannot drive directly from one sector to the next; you must use the ring road. Convenient options include car parks, such as Parking Ladeuze near M Leuven, or parking facilities on the city outskirts with bus connections to the center. Unlike Brussels, Antwerp, or Ghent, Leuven currently does not have an environmental zone.

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    Nearby

    Flemish Brabant

    The province surrounds the Brussels Capital Region. Its center is the university city of Leuven (Löwen) with its late Gothic town hall; southwest of Brussels lies the Pajottenland, home to Lambic beer.
    Mechelen

    Mechelen

    Mechelen is halfway between Brussels and Antwerp and can be reached from both cities in about 20 minutes by train. You come for the tower of St. Rumbold's Cathedral, one of Belgium's oldest breweries, and a poignant Holocaust memorial.In the first half of the 16th century, Mechelen was the capital of the Netherlands under Margaret of Austria. Palaces and churches date from this Burgundian golden age, and the Old Town remains manageable and largely car-free to this day.
    Brussels

    Brussels

    Brussels is the capital of Belgium and home to key EU institutions, also one of Europe's great cultural cities. Around the Grand-Place, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1998, are guildhouses, 19th-century covered shopping arcades, and countless brasseries; in addition, there's the Atomium, Victor Horta's Art Nouveau houses, and the Magritte Museum.
    Region Brussels-Capital

    Region Brussels-Capital

    The Capital Region comprises Brussels and its 19 municipalities, and is a bilingual enclave in the heart of Flanders. Home to central EU institutions and NATO headquarters, Brussels is also one of Europe's great cultural cities, boasting the Grand-Place and Victor Horta's townhouses.

    Walloon-Brabant

    This small province lies directly south of Brussels. Its most famous site is the battlefield of Waterloo, where Napoleon lost his last battle in 1815; also featured are the abbey ruins of Villers-la-Ville and the Walibi theme park in Wavre.