Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Leuven, Belgium! It’s a university town with a fun student nightlife scene. As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Leuven Belgium.
Hate #1: Bike Riders in Leuven
There are a lot of bikes in Leuven, and you really need to pay attention when you are walking around. When you step into the street, look in every direction, because you never know where a bike will come from. During the school year especially, there are tons of bikes zooming around Leuven. The delivery trucks are something else to look out for.
Hate#2: Quiet Atmosphere
I recommend Leuven as a half-day trip from Brussels, and that’s mostly because it’s a quiet town, aside from the nightlife. There aren’t a ton of things to see in Leuven, from a tourists’ perspective. Of course, if you keep reading, we have a few suggestions, but it’s not a super touristy destination with a lot going on.
Hate #3: Business Hours
Almost everything closes at 6:00 in Leuven, so if you want to do some shopping in the evening, you may be out of luck. Everything picks back up in the evening, which is great for students, but as a traveler, you have a bunch of quiet hours in the evening before anything gets going again.
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Hate #4: Student-Oriented
Leuven is a great town for students, but for older travelers, there isn’t a ton going on. It’s very much a university town, so everything is geared towards students. Lots of great food at cheap prices, bars, and nightlife. There are a few tourist sights like the art museum and the Town Hall, but it really can all be seen in half a day.
Hate #5: Service in Leuven
Service in Leuven, and across Belgium, kind of sucks. Servers in Belgium are paid a good wage, so they don’t provide the kind of overattentive service you might be used to in other countries, such as the United States. Bartenders seem to be the friendliest, but the servers and store clerks just aren’t that great. If you have a friendly encounter in a service situation, consider yourself lucky!
Love #1: Youthful Vibe
We mentioned already that Leuven Belgium is really geared towards students. But that’s not all bad. The great thing about visiting a university town is the youthful vibe. There’s such a great energy being around so many young people. And while Leuven may be geared towards students, who doesn’t love good, cheap eats? There are tons of places to eat and go out in Leuven and you won’t break your budget.
Love #2: Beer Culture
If you like beer, you’ll love Leuven. The Oude Markt at night is one of the best places to go in Leuven; it fills with people every night after 10:00. Leuven is also home to the Stella Artois Brewery, so you can take a tour and get the freshest Stella Artois possible.
Love #3: Bike-Friendly
Leuven is very flat, so it’s easy to explore by bike. With lots of bike rentals available, it’s a great way to explore the city at your own pace. Even Brussels is only 30 kilometers from Leuven, if you are a serious cyclist, you could pedal through the countryside, have lunch in Grand Place and return to one of the hotels in Leuven Belgium by evening.
Love #4: Flemish Architecture
The Flemish architecture in Leuven is really cool to look at. The main square is surrounded by historic buildings. The Town Hall is a great example, as is the University Library building. While there aren’t a ton of things to do in Leuven, it’s nice to just take a relaxing stroll, or cycle, around town to admire the architecture. It’s also very safe in Leuven, which is an added bonus.
Love #5: Central Location of Leuven
It’s super easy to get anywhere in Belgium from Leuven. It’s 15 minutes to Brussels airport, 20 minutes to Brussels Central Station, one hour to Ghent, 90 minutes to Bruges. So even though I recommend only a ½ day in Leuven, you could actually use it as a home base to explore the rest of the country by train. If you can’t find affordable accommodation in Brussels, it can’t hurt to check the prices at Leuven hotels and commute around the country from an affordable home base.
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Leuven is a nice day trip from Brussels or an affordable base for exploring Belgium. The “hates” are really just things to have a heads up on rather than a reason not to visit Leuven. Want more tips for planning a central Europe vacation? Check out these other blog posts: