Leuven

Leuven, also called Louvain, is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is a Dutch-speaking city located about 25 kilometres (16 miles) east of Brussels. The city includes several areas such as Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Leuven proper, Wilsele, Wijgmaal, and parts of Haasrode and Korbeek-Lo. With over 100,244 people, Leuven is the eighth largest city in Belgium.

Leuven has been a university city since 1425, making it the oldest university city in the Low Countries. KU Leuven, the largest Dutch-speaking university in the world, has its main campus here. The city is also home to the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest beer brewer.

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Leuven.

Middle Ages

"Loven ou Louvain" on the Ferraris map (around 1775)

The earliest mention of Leuven dates from 891, when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia. Leuven became an important trading center between the 11th and 14th centuries.

Early modern period

In 1425, the University of Leuven was founded, making Leuven a center for learning. Famous buildings like the Town Hall and the Saint Peter's Church were built during this time. Artists and writers such as Erasmus worked in Leuven.

View over Leuven, late 19th century

18th and 19th centuries

In the 18th century, a famous brewery began making a well-known beer that is still brewed in Leuven today. During the 19th century, Leuven grew with new squares, streets with gas lighting, and improved waterways.

20th century

The ruins of the Catholic University of Leuven's library after it was burned by the German army in 1914

World War I

During World War I, German soldiers damaged Leuven, including destroying the university library. Many books were lost, but the library was rebuilt after the war.

World War II

In World War II, Leuven was defended by British and Belgian troops before being occupied by German forces. The university library was damaged again, losing nearly a million books.

Climate

Leuven experiences a temperate maritime climate. This means the weather changes throughout the year, with mild summers and cool winters. The city receives a fair amount of rainfall spread evenly across the seasons, making it a green and pleasant place to live.

Economy

Leuven has a strong economy because of its famous university, KU Leuven. Many new companies grow from ideas at the university, especially in areas like technology and medicine. Big research centers and companies work together in special parks just for science and new inventions.

The city is also important for government work and has many places for visitors to enjoy. One of the world’s biggest beer companies, Anheuser-Busch InBev, started in Leuven, and many financial services are based there too.

Demographics

As of January 1, 2024, the city of Leuven had a population of 104,009 people. The larger area around Leuven, called the arrondissement, had 527,443 people.

Leuven includes several smaller areas: the city centre (30,313 people), Kessel-Lo (29,147 people), Heverlee (22,521 people), Wilsele (9,786 people), and Wijgmaal (3,592 people).

Student population

Leuven has many students from around the world, especially near the city centre. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven; University of Leuven) has three campuses in the city, with over 50,000 students as of June 2024. It is the oldest Catholic university still operating in the world and the largest university in Belgium. There are also several hogescholen (universities of applied sciences), like UC Leuven-Limburg (UCLL).

Transport

In Leuven, you can easily walk or ride a bicycle to get around because many streets are only for pedestrians and bikes. The city centre has a speed limit of 30 km/h (19 mph) to keep things safe and friendly for walkers and cyclists. There are also some places where you can park cars.

The city has many buses that help people travel around. These buses are mostly run by a company called De Lijn. One special bus, called the Ringbus, goes around the ring road of the city. Buses numbered 91 and 616 go from Leuven to Brussels Airport.

Leuven railway station

Leuven has a big train station where you can catch trains on several lines. These trains go to places like Aarschot, Hasselt, Brussels, Liège, Schaerbeek, Schellebelle, and Ottignies. There is also a fast train line starting near Leuven that goes to Liège.

Some big roads, like the European route E40 and the European route E314, pass close to Leuven and connect it to other cities such as Aachen.

Politics

Mayor

Culture

Leuven is a place rich in culture and the arts. It is home to the Lemmens Institute, a special school for music, performing arts, and education, known for teaching music therapy and creative drama. There is also Kunstencentrum STUK, a center in the city where people can enjoy music, theatre, sound art, and dance. Every summer, the city hosts a fun rock music festival called Marktrock.

In 2009, a new museum named M – Museum Leuven opened. It shows both modern and historic art from artists around the world and from Belgium. As Leuven grows more popular, more visitors come to enjoy its culture. In 2030, it will be named Europe's Capital of Culture along with nearby towns.

Leuven is also famous for its beer. Many well-known beers were created there, such as Stella Artois, Leuvense Tripel, Domus, and Keizersberg. The city has many bars where you can try lots of different beers from all over, including one bar that says it has over 3000 kinds! The Higher Institute of Philosophy keeps the important papers and memories of the philosopher Edmund Husserl.

Sport

Den Dreef Stadium

Leuven was named European City of Sport for 2021. It hosted important cycling events like the UCI Road World Championships, following paths of the Grote Prijs Jef Scherens, a yearly race around the city. The city also starts the Brabantse Pijl, a famous race, and holds the Cyclocross Leuven each January.

The main football club is Oud-Heverlee Leuven, which includes both men’s and women’s OH Leuven women teams playing at the top level. The city’s main basketball team is the Leuven Bears, playing at SportOase. Other top teams are IHC Leuven for ice hockey, KHC Leuven for field hockey, and teams for water polo and volleyball. The city is also home to a famous Gaelic games club called ‘the Earls of Leuven’, part of Gaelic Games Europe and The Gaelic Athletic Association.

Buildings and landmarks

Secular

The Town Hall was built between 1439 and 1463 by Sulpitius van Vorst, Jan II Keldermans, and Matheus de Layens. It has a Brabantian late-Gothic style. In the 19th century, 236 statues were added to the outside, each showing an important person from the city's past. The reception hall dates from 1750.

The Château of Arenberg was first built in the 16th century in a Renaissance style and later changed to a neo-Gothic style in the 19th century. The duke of Arenberg gave the land to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in 1916. It is open to visitors and has a green park with gardens. You can see eggs from wild ducks in the park.

The Keizersberg, meaning "Caesar's hill" or "Emperor's hill", was where the Castle of Leuven once stood. Local stories say Julius Caesar was linked to this place. The castle was torn down in 1782. On the same hill, a commandery for the Knights Templars was built in 1187. After the order ended, it was used by the Knights Hospitallers. The French tore down most of it in 1798.

The Linen Hall, with early-Gothic style and a Baroque addition, is now the University Hall. The University Library on the Ladeuzeplein was built by American architect Whitney Warren. It was a gift from the American people to Leuven after World War I, when the Germans burned down the old library. The tower has one of the world's largest carillons.

The Oude Markt or Old Market square in the center of Leuven is a busy place with social activities. In the middle, there is a large statue called 'De Kotmadam', or "The Landlady", sitting on a bench.

Sint-Donatus Park has parts of the old city wall. Leuven had two ring walls built around the city during the Middle Ages. Parts of the first wall from the twelfth century can still be seen in six places. Not much remains of the second wall from the fourteenth century.

Totem is a statue in the center of Ladeuzeplein by the artist Jan Fabre. It shows a tall needle going through a large, jeweled beetle. The statue is very tall and stands in front of the university library.

Fonske was designed by Jef Claerhout.

Fonske is a statue near the town center. Its full name is Fons Sapientiae, meaning "fountain of wisdom" in Latin. The statue shows a university student reading a book with wisdom flowing into his head like water from a glass. Like Manneken Pis in Brussels, Fonske is sometimes dressed in special costumes for celebrations.

Religious

Saint Peter's Church was built between 1425 and 1500 by Jan Keldermans and Matheus de Layens. During the Second World War, the church was damaged. Restorations found an old Romanesque crypt from the 11th century. The church has many paintings from the 15th to 18th centuries, including a famous one of the Last Supper by Dirk Bouts. The church's tower, planned to be very tall, was only finished to 50 metres and has a carillon. The tower is part of UNESCO's list of Belfries of Belgium and France.

Saint Anthony's Chapel, located at Pater Damiaanplein, was built between the 17th and 20th centuries. It holds the tomb of Father Damien, known for his work with people with illness in Molokai. He was recognised as a saint by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

Saint Michael's Church was built in the Jesuit Baroque style. Saint Quentin's Church includes parts of an old Romanesque church from the 13th century.

The Great Beguinage is one of the best examples of this type of building and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.

Park Abbey, founded in 1129, is a well-preserved Premonstratensian abbey and still home to a small group of Canons regular. Keizersberg Abbey, a Benedictine abbey founded in 1888, sits on Keizersberg, where a castle once stood. Vlierbeek Abbey was founded in 1127, and St Gertrude's Abbey in 1206.

The Al Fath mosque, built in 2016, is a place for prayer. Al Ihsaan, founded in 1976, is a government-supported mosque offering Arabic lessons. There are also many smaller churches and chapels in the town.

Colleges

The Old University of Leuven once had many colleges, some still used today by KU Leuven. These include:

Holy Ghost College, founded in 1442, now a home for theology students and priests.
Collegium Trilingue, started in 1517 to teach Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
Pope's College, founded in 1523 for theology students.
St Anthony's College, founded in 1607 and a center for Irish learning in Europe. The Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe is now there.

Leuven, European Capital of Culture 2030

In September 2025, the European Commission announced that Leuven, together with the East Brabant region, will become the European Capital of Culture in 2030, representing Belgium. This is a special title given to cities that show outstanding culture and arts.

Notable people

Born in Leuven

Leuven has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some important figures born in Leuven include several Dukes of Brabant in the 12th and 13th centuries, Maria of Brabant who was queen consort of France, and Louis Elsevier, a well-known book publisher.

Other notable individuals born in Leuven are Quentin Matsys, a painter, and Charles de Bériot, a violinist. More recent famous people from Leuven include Dries Mertens, a footballer, and Kim Gevaert, an Olympic gold medalist in sprinting.

Lived in Leuven

Many influential people have also lived in Leuven. This includes Desiderius Erasmus, a famous humanist and theologian, and Gerardus Mercator, a renowned cartographer.

Other well-known residents of Leuven are Christian de Duve, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in medicine, and Georges Lemaître, the astronomer who proposed the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe.