Brabant: Leuven and Mechelen
DIVE INTO
Brabant was considered as a part of United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. From 1830 to 1995, it became a province of Belgium. And after 1995, it then was split into different parts, belonging to three provinces now in Belgium, which is the Dutch-speaking Flemish Flanders, French-speaking Walloon, and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.
Leuven
Fun facts about Leuven
-
Leuven is Belgium no.1 student town. There is 1 out of 4 people you meet on the street are students.
-
One of the world’s best beer, Stella Artois, is brewed here;
-
Leuven went through a tough time during several wars;
-
Oude Market Square is known as the Longest Bar in the World, with 37 bars;
-
Leuven is more intercultural than Belgium, as it is more close to a French-speaking Wallonia-region, together with its international students zone.
​
Basic information
Leuven is 25km east of Brussels. Within a 25-min-ride from Brussel-Centraal, or 1 hour from Antwerp, you can already reach this no.1 student town. Leuven is the capital and the largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant, and the 8th largest city in Belgium with around 100,000 inhabitants. It is located in the East of Belgium’s capital, Brussels. As many other cities in Belgium, many places in Leuven could also be reached within walking distance.In the 15th century, Leuven was a place that cultivated painters such as Dirk Bout, Albrecht Bouts and Jan Rombouts the Elder, which made a firm foundation of becoming a major European centre for art and knowledge later on. Leuven also suffered from both World Wars, with severe damages by rampaging soldiers in the World War I, and heavy air and artillery support from the World War II. Therefore, you can easily notice the contract of the old and the new, from old time and modern era.
Leuven also holds rich beer culture, such as the birthplace for Stella Artois, Leuvense Tripel, Domus and Keizersberg. A beer tour of tasting a wide variety of local and international beers is always a popular choice, including one bar that claims to offer more than 3,000 different beers. Who will think it’s not tempting?
Leuven is a calm and vivid international city, where seems like the World in a small scale. It maintains its cultural and historical heritage but is also an exceedingly affordable place for students with references to other world-cost education.
Stadhuis - Town Hall​
You may wonder, why is a city hall on the list of the must-visit in city. In fact, it was the front house of a larger complex of municipal buildings, and it is definitely a shining spot of the wow factor that Brabantine late Gothic architecture is aimed to inspire. It is located on Grote Markt Square, one of the three popular squares in the city, with two portals in the centre from the main façade, Saint Peter on the left, and Madonna and Child on the right. The most eye catching part is the three main stories that are distributed with 235 statues in canopied niches all over the building, with a gallery parapet on the top floor. You will also be attracted by interesting collections of artwork from, for example, Coustantin Meunier and Jef Lambeaux, in the interior.
St. Peter's Church
Another eye catching building located on the Grote Markt Square is St. Peter’s Church, which is across the Stadhuis. It is a 93-meter-long Roman Catholic church that was under construction for more than half a century since 1425.
You will be attracted by its Brabantine Gothic style, with its low bell tower that has never been completed, which is mentioned on the UNESCO World Heritage list. This church also stood as a warrior just as how it survived from both World Wars, from a collapsed roof top and inner part destroyed by a bomb.
What makes it different from the other churches is that it remains rich in works of art as it holds 1422 sculpture from Nicolaas de Bruyne. Besides, one of the masterpieces Last Supper was kept in this place as well.
KU Leuven - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Translated in English, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven stands for Catholic University of Leuven, founded in 1425. It is the oldest Catholic university in the world with more than 45,000 students in 2020. It ranks among the top 100 universities in 2020, and ranked as Europe’s most innovative university by Thomson Reuters for four consecutive years starting in 2016.
KU Leuven’s main campus is in Leuven of which its school facilities, libraries, institutions, residence halls are interspersed throughout the city proper. It is definitely interesting to see the library, as one of the 24 libraries and learning centres across its 12 campus. It keeps millions of books and other media.
Oude Market
What well serves the life of both locals and students is the centrally located large square that is just off the Grote Market - Oude Market Square. With the title of The Longest Bar Street in Europe, it definitely holds the liveliest square in the heart of Leuven with a wide choice of bars, cafes, and restaurants.
On a sunny day, you can easily find a nice terrace from a cafe or a restaurant, enjoy a lazy morning brunch and the stylish Flemish architectures, or you could invite yourself to taste various types of Belgian beer with a good price. In the evening, this is also an ideal place for dinner and drinks after a long tiring day. This street is definitely also at the core of student nightlife during the academic year. It will be even more activated at the end of August every year when Market Rock festival is organised, which is a free stage for featuring national artists and local music. Other than that, there are also cultural events such as Flower Carpet, Friday nights in July, Planting of the Mayple, etc.
Other interesting sights
If you are staying for a longer week, you take a walk to the statue Fons Sapientiae, or the Botanical Garden (kruidtuin). If you prefer some old time history and want to avoid the crowdedness, you might as well just wonder along the street Begijnhof, from which the university keeps the original condition of the Medival features. If you are a beer lover, a Stella Artois tour is daintily recommended.
How to reach the city
There are busses connect Brussels airport with Leuven, and fairly easy to reach Leuven from Brussel-Centraal. Besides, Leuven railway station is located between, line 36 (Brussels - Liège), line 35 (Leuven- Aarschot-Hasselt), line 139 (Leuven Ottignies), and many more. When you reach the city, most distances can covered on food or with a bicycle. Some streets have the limitation of car speed 30 km/h to make it a pedestrian and bike-friendly city.
To get from Kortrijk to Leuven it takes up to 2 hours by train and about 1 hour and 20 minutes by car. Going there by train requires to switch trains in Ghent.
Mechelen
Michelen
Facts about Mechelen:
-
The nick name of Mechelen is Maneblussers (Moon Extinguishers).
-
Mechlinian, a Dutch dialect, is spoken in Mechelen.
-
Used to be a transit camp from the World War II.
-
The Toy Museum in Mechelen has the biggest collections of games, toys and dolls in Europe.
St Rumbold's tower​
You won’t get lost in this city because of this flat-topped cathedral’s tower. The unusual shape is easily recognise and dominate the surroundings. The upper part of the tower was abandoned in the 16th century because of financial reason, and for centuries it held the city documents, served as a watchtower, and could sound the fire alarm, until it was used as a cathedral. With the vanish of forty preciously decorated Gothic altars during the Eight Year’s War, the main attraction today will be the skywalk over the city. After climbing 438 steps, you can get to the top of the tower, from which you can gaze afar both Brussels and Antwerp. Of course you could also take a rest and explore on different levels and rooms inside the tower.
Kazerne Dossin
Mechelen was the hub of Belgian railway network that aroused the attention of Nazi during the World War II. It was forced to be used as a deportation centre, where over 25,000 people were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Therefore, the museum Kazerne Dossin - Memorial, Museum and Documentation Centre on Holocaust and Human Rights was established to memorise and alert people this part of Belgian history. Now the barracks are a memorial place, where around 100,000 people come to visit every year.
Beguinage street
Different from the one in Leuven, Beguinage Mechlen carries hope and possibilities back to the time of the Crusades. It was founded for the women such as widow, orphans and women who failed to find a suitable husband as many of the man left on a crusade and never returned. Many of them had to choose to stay here because another option - the convent - was more for aristocratic women.
Beguinages were small towns within a town. They had their own bakery, brewery, nursing home, church and bleaching fields, which was a remarkable architecture declared as a UNESCO World heritage site. If you want a pleasant stroll during the day, this quaint and narrow streets are the places to go as it will offer you exuding atmosphere of tranquility.
Het Anker Brewery
Did you know that Het Anker Brewery has existed for more than 100 years? With a fairly reasonable price, you can take a tour of this Flemish brewery founded in 1471. You can expect to know more about the ingredients in beers, and discover all different types of beer during the tour.
Het Anker Brewery is located at the edge of the Large Beguinage. It started to produce “Emperor beer” after World War II, which was changed to “Gouden Carolus” after. It was named after Romen Emperor Charles V, who was raised in Mechelen, and was one the favourite tipple of him. It is a 7.5% dark beer that won the gold medal at the World Beer Awards in 2012. Since 2010, they also produce Gouden Carolus Single Malt whisky from the mash of Gouden Carolus Tripel.
Other interesting sights
Besides the Beguinage street, there is anther nice walking route along which you could discover the casualty and beauty of this city - the river Dyle. Dyle is the river that runs through Mechelen. Along the way, you can see some beautiful houses - the famous trio of colourful houses built in the 16th and 17th-century. This will also eventually lead you to the Botanical Garden in Mechelen.
You could also visit the street Bruul or the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat for shopping. The Street Bruul is full of familiar brands, and the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwestraat is occupied with chain stores and some nice boutique shops, for example:
-
UMA - for Scandinavian fashion;
-
HUT - a Beautiful concept store, a great place to get for gifts;
-
MY EX BOYFRIEND - Vintage furniture and cool design items for your home;
-
ZOET - a nice Candy store;
-
…
If you are tired of walking and are looking for a place to have a rest, you could also visit Foom for a nice late afternoon brunch, a fancy but pricy lunch at Costa Foodhouse, a divine burger at IL CARDINALE, or nice coffee and cake at NOEN.
You shall not miss the weekly Saturday market in Mechelen either, if you are a market person like me. You can enjoy the morning business and fresh ingredients and fruits that brings you the locals and culture of this small city. What is better than a fresh made fluffy waffle on a Saturday morning?! and St Rumbold’s Tower is definitely a perfect place to see the overview of everything (opens at 10am).
​
The best seasons to come and visit Mechelen are Spring and Summer, especially with the weekly free concert in the botanical garden. There also festivals such as Maanrock in the last week of August, and Beer festival at the beginning of October.
How to reach the city
As Mechelen is in the middle of Antwerp and Brussels, it is convenient to leave from either city. With a 20 min ride, you can already reach this place. It takes around 30 min to drive, and if you prefer the view on the way, then cycling isn’t a bad choice. It’s a nice 1h15m explore. When you reach the city, everything is in walking distance.
When going directly from Kortrijk, it takes about
