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  Leuven
Location in Belgium
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| Sovereign state |  Belgium |
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| Region |  Flemish Region |
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| Community | Flemish Community |
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| Province |  Flemish Brabant |
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| Arrondissement | Leuven | ||
| Coordinates | 50°53′0″N 04°42′0″E / 50.883333°N 4.7°ECoordinates: 50°53′0″N 04°42′0″E / 50.883333°N 4.7°E | ||
| Area | 56.63 km² | ||
| Population – Males – Females – Density |
90,706 (2006-01-01) 49.32% 50.68% 1602 inhab./km² |
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| Age distribution 0–19 years 20–64 years 65+ years |
(01/01/2006) 19.59% 63.45% 16.95% |
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| Foreigners | 9.43% (01/07/2005) | ||
| Unemployment rate | 8.67% (1 January 2006) | ||
| Mean annual income | €15,183/pers. (2003) | ||
| Mayor | Louis Tobback (SP.A) | ||
| Governing parties | SP.A-Vl.Pro, CD&V-N-VA | ||
| Postal codes | 3000, 3001, 3010, 3012, 3018 | ||
| Area codes | 016 | ||
| Website | www.leuven.be | ||
Leuven (Dutch, pronounced 
[ˈløːvə(n)] (help·info); French: Louvain, often used in English, German: Löwen) is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium. It is located 26 kilometers (16 miles) east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre.
The township comprises the historical city of Leuven and the former municipalities of Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, a part of Korbeek-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal.
It is home to Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewing group and one of the top five largest consumer goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries and the oldest Catholic university still in existence.
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The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.
Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the duchy between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14th-15th century texts as lewyn (other spellings: Leuwyn, Levyne, Lewan(e), Lovanium, Louvain)[1].
In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425: it is now the largest and oldest university in the Low Countries.
In the 18th century Leuven became even more important as a result of the flourishing of the brewery now named InBev. In the 19th century the city became an industrial but also an intellectual centre. Around 1885-1890 the economical crisis forced hundreds of citizans to emigrate to Latin America (Argentina), the USA and Canada.
On November 13, 1895 films were projected by Charles Moisson, an engineer working for the french Lumière brothers. He used their latest invention the cinematograph. The projection was held at the Catholic University of Leuven for an association of industrialists, scientists and photographs, it was the second one ever projected outside France at that time. In the same periode the Kinetoscope and the Kinetophone from Thomas Alva Edison came also to this city. In the coming years films were brought by travelling showmen at the fairs and the annual city feasts, in the local music hall and in halls. Between 1908 and 1914 there were about ten cinemahalls active in the city which counted about 40.000 inhabitants. Among these halls was also from 1912 on a special one dedicated to the Kinemacolor films.[2].
In the 20th century, both World Wars inflicted major damage to the city. Upon German entry in World War I, the town was heavily damaged due to the German Schrecklichkeit policy. The Germans shot the mayor, university rector and all the city's police officers.[3][4] The university library was deliberately destroyed by the German army on August 25, 1914, using petrol and incendiary pastilles. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts were lost.[5] The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities. Thousands of its citizens fled to the countryside, to other cities but also to the Netherlands, England and France. A number of them were also deported by the Germans to Germany. The sack of Leuven became a element in the propaganda war. One of the films, The German Occupation of Historic Louvain was produced September 20, 1914. The film was shown world wide i.e. in the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Canada and France.[6]
After World War II, the burnt down University library had to be restored again.[7] It still stands as a symbol of the wars and of Allied solidarity.
Given the presence of the KULeuven, an important European institution for academic research and education, much of the local economy is concentrated on spin-offs from academic research (primarily at Arenberg Research-Park and Haasrode Research-Park). There are several biotech, ICT and hightech companies located in the proximity of the university, such as the micro- and nanoelectronics research center IMEC, the biopharmaceutical company Thrombogenics, and wireless technology company Option N.V.. Additionally, Gasthuisberg is a renowned academic hospital and research center. There is a large number of private service providers in the medical and legal field as well.
Being the capital of the region of Flemish-Brabant means that there are many governmental institutions located in Leuven as well as the regional headquarters of corporations for public transport such as De Lijn. As the largest and one of the oldest cities in the immediate Flemish vicinity Leuven, with a large palate of cafés, restaurants, cultural institutions and shopping neighbourhoods, the city also attracts people from nearby cities and villages.
Leuven is also the worldwide headquarters of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the largest beer company in the world. In fact, InBev's Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal to Mechelen.
Leuven is one of co-location centres of Knowledge and Innovation Community (Sustainable Energy) of The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) [8]
Co-location centres - KIC Inno Energy:
CC Germany: Karlsruhe, CC Alps Valleys: Grenoble, CC Benelux: Eindhoven / Leuven, CC Iberia: Barcelona, CC PolandPlus: Krakow, CC Sweden: Stockholm
InnoEnergy is a strongly integrated alliance of reputable players from the education, research and industry sectors. It was created based on long standing links of cooperation as well as the principles of excellence and transformation. The partners have jointly developed a strategy to tackle the weaknesses of the European innovation landscape and aim to be the leading motor for innovation in the field of sustainable energy.The KIC will create economical and societal value by developing ideas from mind to market.[9]
Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as during the academic year many residents in its centre are students.
Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. Besides boasting the "longest bar" in Belgium, the Old Market, dozens of bars and cafés crammed into a central square in Leuven ("Oude Markt"), it's also the proud home city of Belgium's smallest bar, Onder den Toog which can be found in Noormannenstraat[citation needed].
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven; Catholic University of Leuven) is the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world and the biggest university in Belgium.
There are also a number of hogescholen (Vocational university, literally translated: "high schools") such as the Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (KHLeuven; the Catholic High School Leuven), as well as a university college: Groep T (Group T).
The mayor of Leuven is currently Louis Tobback, a socialist politician prominent on the national level, formerly minister of internal affairs and leader of the socialist faction in the lower chamber of the Belgian parliament, among other positions held.
In September 2009, the refurbished art museum re-opened under the new name: M Museum.[10] The opening exhibition was devoted to Rogier van der Weyden and his circle.[11]
One of Belgium's finest conservatories is based in Leuven: the Lemmens Institute, which is described as "Faculty of Music, Performing Arts and Education". It is known for its Music Therapy Education and its Wordart-Drama Education.
In Leuven is the glass factory of Belgian glass manufacturer Theys & Miseur. The studio is well known all over the world for making high-quality glass art.
Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival Marktrock. The main football club of the municipality is Oud-Heverlee Leuven, the successor of K. Stade Leuven.
In 1996 the Afrika Filmfestival in Leuven was launched by a group of volunteers, specialists in African cinema, who are represented by the association Film & Cultuurpromotie vzw. This festival works with the university, local, national and international organisations and associations and wants to assure cultural diversity in the city and to foster sustainable development towards the African artists, actors and filmmakers. It runs traditionally in the last two weeks of April. The festival is known for its special contacts with the cinema world of DRCongo, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa and Mozambique. The Afrika filmfestival has also a decentralized programmation in a number of cities and villages in Brussels, Flemish Brabant, Limburg, Antwerp and East Flanders. Every year, the festival supports or puts into the normal film distribution for the Benelux African films, which is an essential policy to guarantee cultural diversity and sustainable developmenent. www.afrikafilmfestival.be
Leuven is twinned with:
Besides these, Leuven has partnerships with:
Leuven is mentioned in the song "Dirty Blue" by Woven Hand, a lyric that mentions "the bells of Leuven".
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Leuven [1] is
a dynamic and thriving city of about 92,000 inhabitants in Flemish
Brabant, Belgium. It's a
true university town in which the town is more alive during the
academic year (end of September till June), although there are a
lot of events in Summer. The university, with about 30,000 students
every year, is the oldest Catholic University in the world, founded
in 1425. The historic centre is one of the most beautiful in
Belgium.
It is also the ideal starting point to discover the rest of the country: Brussels is just around the corner, the Coast is only a 1,5 hour train ride away and Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Liege, Mechelen and Hasselt are nearby.
Lately, more and more tourists visit Leuven as the city has stepped up its efforts to make tourists feel at home.
You may find that the average age of the population drastically changes during the Academic Year, when it often seems only students stroll around the city. In general however, Leuven has everything to appeal to both young and old: A lively nightlife, interesting and sometimes stunning historic sites, the important and world renowned University and two seemingly endless shopping streets.
The city has a long and interesting history, being founded probably in the 9th century. It was particularly interesting because of the location, at the river Dijle and close to Brussels. Most of the city was thrashed and burned to the ground by the German invasion in World War I, and was again damaged during World War II. The historic centre itself however has been preserved and historic buildings like the University Library have been restored, partly with foreign relief funds.
Leuven is located just east of Brussels (20km). It is the capital of the Province of Flemish Brabant in Belgium. This means it houses a lot of administrative services and the Province Building, where the province council is located. Its main industries are technology (due to the University) and beer. Important companies have their home base in Leuven, such as InBev and Imec
Leuven contains two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Groot Begijnhof is part of the Flemish Béguinages. The Belfry on St Peter's Church is a part of the Belfries of Belgium and France. The University buildings and the Historic Centre are also on Belgium's tentative list to become a World Heritage site in its own right.
Land at Brussels International Airport, which services Europe, America, Africa and Asia. The airport is quite busy and also has a lot of low-cost carriers.
There is a train and bus station on the Airport itself - follow the signs! The Airport Express Train to Brussels leaves every 30 minutes, but there are direct trains to Leuven as well, every half hour on weekdays and every hour in the weekend. Taxis wait at the arrivals area.
Travel time to Leuven is about 20' by car (with little traffic) and 13' by train.
More low-cost carriers arrive at Brussels South Charleroi Airport but travel time to Leuven is considerably longer (1,5h). You can purchase a special train ticket for € 20 that will enable you to take the bus from Charleroi airport to Charleroi railway station, and from there on to every Belgian train station. There is no direct train link between Leuven and Charleroi; you have to change trains in Brussels. More information on the airport's website.
Leuven can be conveniently reached by car. The E40 highway runs from Brussels via Leuven to Liège, whereas the E314 highway links Leuven with the province of Limburg and with Maastricht and Aachen, at about 1 hour distance. The city has recently installed a Parking Guidance System that guides you to the larger parkings in the city centre. Look for the electronic signs on the city ring road.
It is advised not to start looking for a free parking spot on the street, since it's expensive and the many one-way streets can be a real maze when you're driving.
Note that the speed limit in and around the city is 50 km/h, or 30 km/h in certain areas. Your chances of getting a ticket when crossing the speed limit even slightly, are close to 100%, especially on the ring road.
Leuven's railway station is one of the busiest of Belgium. There are frequent direct trains to and from:
Almost all cities can be reached by train through the Brussels North or Brussels Zuid/Midi hub. Thalys and Eurostar trains depart from Brussels Zuid/Midi.
There are bus lines from the cities around Leuven (Brussels, Tienen, Aarschot, Mechelen, Diest and Wavre), but connections by train are usually faster and cost about the same. Buses are sometimes faster if you want to go to Herentals, Turnhout, Geel or other towns in the Campine region.
Licensed taxi's have yellow-and-blue (or the older red-and-white) colors on top. They can be found mostly at the airport. One-way to Leuven usually takes 20' (if traffic isn't dense) and costs about €55.
The city has recently installed several new touristic road signs and city maps at several locations, which make getting around in the city a lot easier. Don't be afraid to ask people on the street for information, as they are usually very open and helpful towards tourists - some will even walk you to your destination.
The public transport company De Lijn has a number of bus lines through Leuven. Centre of their network is the Train Station and the stop at the Fochplein. Since distances are not that big, you won't really need public transport unless you're going to Meerdaalwoud, Heverleebos, Campus Arenberg' or the hospital Gasthuisberg. There is no subway or tram line.
When arriving in Leuven by train, walk to the Martelarenplein in front of the Station and walk down the Bondgenotenlaan in order to get to the city centre: the Grote Markt (Grand Place) where the tourist information desk is situated. Discover the rest of the historic city centre from there. Note that you can also take the Diestsestraat, which is a pedestrian-only street.
The city has many special areas for cyclers and most - but not all (beware of police controls) - 1-way roads can be accessed in both ways for cycles. It's very easy and comfortable. Make sure to lock your bike to a fixed object or the bike will be stolen, it's sort of a sport among students.You can also rent bicycles. More information at the Tourist Information Desk (near City Hall).
In the city centre, it will prove quite difficult to get around by thumb, since most streets and squares are car-free. If you want to thumb out of the city, pick a spot on the city ring road and hope for a quick pick-up. Be advised most traffic is local or headed for Brussels. The Koning Boudewijnlaan is a good spot as well, since it leads to the offramp to the E40 (Brussels-Liège) and the E314 (Limburg).
Remember to hold up a sign with your final destination, as most people will not 'just' pick up hitchhikers.
Licensed taxi's can be identified by the blue-and-yellow/red-and-white symbol and can be found near the Fochplein and the Martelarenplein. Although you probably won't need one, given the perfect railway connection, they're probably the easiest way to get to the Airport, for example at night.
You can get more information about these sites and more at the Tourist Information Desk, situated on the Grand Place, near City Hall.
Shopping in Leuven is easy: you can pick one of the two main roads both starting at the Train Station and ending at the Grand Place, near City Hall and St. Peter's Church. Stores usually close around 6pm, and at 8pm on Thursday. Supermarkets are usually open until 8pm, 9pm on Friday.
In general, you'd have to really make an effort to find a horrible meal in Leuven. Almost all restaurants are tasty and relatively cheap, given the student population.
Smoking is not allowed in restaurants.
In Belgium, the legal drinking age in bars and cafe's is 16 for beers and 18 for spirits.
Attend the nearby and world renowned Rock Werchter [12] music festival in late June/early July, or Marktrock [13] in the city centre, around August 15th.
Leuven is truly a beer city, with the world's largest brewery Inbev being founded here. Try the many tasty beers, but beware, some have much higher alcohol levels than in the rest of the world! Bars are mostly entrance-free and prices are relatively low.
Other bars filled with young people LaPaz, The Seven Oaks[17], Ron Blacks [18]. You can find drinks at very low rates here.
Most parties take place in clubs in the city centre (and require a small entrance fee, €2-€4):
Larger venues are situated outside the city centre, and have a slightly higher entrance fee (€5-€9) and drinks cost a bit more.
Leuven is a very safe and clean city, with very low crime records.
In general, there are no unsafe spots in the city best avoided. The streets are safe, even at night. Of course, it is advised to take the precautions tourists are urged to take everywhere (eg. to avoid pickpocketing).
The city centre police station is located next to City Hall on the Grand Place. Don't hesitate to walk in if you have questions. Police usually patrol by car and on foot, and most of the times anonymously instead of walking around in uniform (especially at night).
Beware that police are especially harsh on traffic violations (also the ones made on a bike!), violent behavior and public disturbance.
Note that Belgium and the Netherlands have different drug regulations! Smoking pot (marihuana) is officially not allowed, although it is tolerated when done indoors. An adult can never have more than needed for 'personal use'. Expect any more to be confiscated if they are found by police and you risk being penalized.
Useful phone numbers:
Leuven has two larger hospitals. The Academic Hospital UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg is the largest hospital in Belgium and is located just along the ring road. The Regional Hospital Heilig Hart is located in the city centre. As always, dial 112 when you are in distress. You will be taken to either of both hospitals.
For smaller health problems, Belgians usually go to their family doctor, who are often in a group practice in city areas. Ask your hotel, hostel or guide for information on the nearest doctor. Going to the Emergency Room for small health problems will not only cost you, it will also take longer to get help (~45 minutes).
Leuven literally has a pharmacy at every corner. You can not buy medication in a supermarket.
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Category: Usable articles
Germanic - 'lo' (woods) and 'ven' (march, wetland) put together
Leuven n
   | Official Leuven website - Officiële site van de stad Leuven - Home |
| | Marktrock site - Marktrock - Hét stadsfestival in leuven |
| | Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven (Catholic University College of Leuven) - Homepage | Katholieke Hogeschool Leuven |
| | Lemmensinstituut - Hogeschool voor Wetenschap & Kunst |
| | Groep T Hogeschool Leuven (Group T University College of Leuven) - Home - Groep T |
| | Wijgmaal website - wijgmaal digitaal! - wijgmaal |.be|.eu|.net|.info|.org|.biz - Wijgmaal (Leuven) - Postcode 3018 |
| | Drieduizend, Leuven Photoblog - drieduizend - fotografie in leuven - 10/07/2009 - duif |
| | More pictures - Personal photo album gallery of toerismeleuven |
| | Detailed map of Leuven - Kaarten van de stad Leuven. |
| | Leuven at Wikitravel - Leuven travel guide - Wikitravel |
| | The culture of destruction in the First World War - The culture of destruction in the First World War Craig Gibson TLS |
| | Arenbergorkest - Het Arenbergorkest - Leuvens studentenorkest |
| | Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (University of Leuven) - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven |
| | Student Forum - Ekospam - Als het 5 voor 12 is |
| | The Flat Nuts (young Louvainesque pop choir) - Home - The Flat Nuts - Popkoor Leuven |
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