Visiting Louvain in one day: what to see and what to do?

Crossed by the Dyle, the city of Leuven has a good number of parks and gardens. The perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city center on a sunny Saturday afternoon and breathe the fresh air of these small green spaces.

Just a short ten-minute walk from Leuven's Grand Place is the Sint-Donanutspark and its vast grassy areas. Groups of friends and families can be seen there sharing a picnic, an afternoon snack, or a game of Molkky on this spring afternoon in the sun. Some remains of ancient ramparts, including a sandstone tower, are also located within the park.

The Dyle Park and its magnificent wrought-iron bridge are undoubtedly the most beloved Leuven spot for lovers. In this small secret garden, you can hear the gentle breeze rustling through the leaves and the croaking of frogs. You could almost imagine yourself in one of the paintings by the famous painter Claude Monet, wouldn't you?

The city of Leuven includes 2 béguinages: the small one to the north of the city and the large one to the south. It was the latter that we visited during our weekend in Leuven and it was a real favourite for us. Dating from the 13th century and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, these dozens of small brick houses form a complex with the gardens, alleys and squares that surround them.

Calm reigns in the Grand Béguinage, the perfect place to read a book in one of the small parks or stroll through the various cobbled streets. These offer some nice views of the Dyle which runs through the béguinage. Today, it is the students, professors and staff of the KUL (University of Leuven) who live there. Rather unusual as accommodation, isn't it?

The historic Leuven Town Hall is located on the Grand Place, opposite Saint-Pierre Church. This Gothic masterpiece took over 30 years to build and is now one of the most famous town halls in the world. The interior of this architectural gem can only be discovered with a guide. He will also explain the story behind the 235 statues of Leuven Town Hall.

The Arenberg Castle is a magnificent Renaissance castle. Located on the outskirts of Leuven, it is now the property of the KUL. With its 29 hectares of parks and gardens, it is not difficult to travel back in time and dream of strolling arm-in-arm with one of the Bridgertons.
 

It took us about twenty minutes walk from the city center to reach the property. The road to Arenberg Castle is pleasant. We follow the various paths of the verdant campus of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), almost as if we were in a forest! 

What would a city trip be without good addresses? Unlike its architecture, the food market is quite modern and the city of Leuven is full of good addresses that we didn't have trouble finding. Our stomachs can tell you we ate well!

We ate a magnificent salad (for Estelle) and a homemade lasagna (for Romain) at Lettuce. A friendly place with an industrial style in the heart of Leuven's historic center. For the more greedy, we enjoyed an excellent ice cream from Galetje at snack time.

By the way, we note all our good addresses on our Mapstr profile, feel free to subscribe.

Leuven is a city brimming with activities and places to see. In our 24 hours there, we didn't have time to see everything the city offers. We advise you to go for a whole weekend to fully enjoy Leuven. Here is a list of activities and places we want to do during a future stay in Leuven:

📍  Visit the University Library, straight out of the Harry Potter decor, and climb to the top of the Tower for a magnificent panoramic view of Leuven. Remember to go there on the weekend because the reading room is reserved for students during the week. Prices: €7 per adult • €5 for students, teachers and residents of the city of Leuven • Free for under 12s.

📍  Visit the Leuven Botanical Garden, the oldest in Belgium, and its 450 m² of greenhouses. Free entry

📍  Cycle around the Abbeys. The Abbey of Saint-Gertrude, the Abbey of Keizersberg, the Abbey of Vlierbeek and the Abbey of Parc are witnesses to the rich religious past of the city of Leuven. More information on thecycle route here.

📍  Visit the Abbey of Parc and its beautiful gardens.

Leuven is easily accessible by bike from our Belgian capital! We took a 40-kilometer route via cycle paths to reach Leuven from Brussels during our cycling tour of Flanders. An alternative, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly way to travel.

If you want even more ease, you can take the F3 Cyclostrade, fully marked, which connects Brussels to Leuven in just 30 kilometers.

Leuven can also be reached from Mechelen by a beautiful (easy) bike ride of 45 kilometers along the waterways. The direction from Leuven to Mechelen is preferable to have a slight downhill slope throughout the route.
This last option is offered by Martin's Hotel, which has a location in each of the cities.

Discover our bike trip between Brussels, Leuven and Mechelen to discover Belgium differently! 🚲

Cycling isn't your thing? The train is an alternative way to get to Leuven while minimizing your ecological footprint, and the station is only 15 minutes from the Grand Place.

Fairly central on the Belgian rail network, you can be in Leuven in 25 minutes from Brussels, 30 minutes from Liège and Wavre, 40 minutes from Ottignies and 45 minutes from Antwerp. For more information or to plan your journey, please visit the SNCB website.

Do you prefer to travel with your own vehicle? Leuven is easily accessible by car, however, the historic city center is closed to traffic. You will need to park your car in one of the city's paid parking areas. You can find all the information on the Visit Leuven website.

To conclude this article, we loved our stay in the capital of Flemish Brabant. Leuven is a city rich in history, architecture, culture, and green spaces. Leuven is the perfect destination for a city trip with friends, a weekend of sport, or a romantic getaway with your loved one. We hope to return soon to discover all these places on our list and find other good addresses.

If you enjoyed the article, and it helped you discover Leuven, don't hesitate to leave us a comment 😉