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leuven

Home to some of the most beautiful medieval buildings you'll ever see, it is also home to one of the oldest universities in the world and if that's not enough, the Stella Artois brewery too.

Less than half an hour train ride from Brussels, Leuven is home to Belgium’s oldest university. For great food, fantastic shopping, lively bars and a super-cool music scene all packed into an easy-going city, look no further. Leuven is home to some of the most beautiful medieval buildings you'll ever see and it is also home to the Stella Artois brewery.

Is there a local speciality?
Whilst in Leuven, be sure to try the intriguingly named ‘Waterzooi’, a stew of either chicken or fish simmered in stock, cream, and white wine served with puréed vegetables. Leuven’s master brewer Sebastian Artois founded the present day Stella Artois in Leuven. Nowadays the variety of beers on offer is so plentiful that it makes a perfect substitute for wine with a meal.

Any good activities around?
There is a wealth of architecture to be found in Leuven. The city is also full of impressive university buildings such as Van Dale College which was founded in 1558, the University Library and the Linen Hall on Naamsestraat. And, to get your breath back from admiring all that beautiful gothic architecture, why not take a walk along the nearby beaches.

When's market day?
The largest antiques market in the Benelux region takes place in Tongeren every Sunday.

Interesting town fact
The city of Leuven is so compact that nowhere is more than a 20 minute walk away from the centre. In 2000, Leuven’s Beguinage was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.