Leuven is Belgium's best-kept secret. You can find it 20km east of Brussels. The capital of Flemish Brabant, it has a lot to offer within walking distance.

The historic centre contains "Belgium's longest beer counter", and the "Oude Markt" (Old Market), where nearly 40 cafés await you.

Rather handily, the only other outlets on the square are two pharmacies.

Just round the corner is the Great Market, or "Grote Markt" - scene of one of Belgium's finest buildings, its 600-year-old town hall with hundreds of statues adorning its façade.

Turning right we come to Muntstraat, a cosier and much less commercial restaurant street than the Rue des Bouchers in Brussels and further up, Hogeschoolplein (College Square), where you can sit and eat salads which look like mini-gardens at De Werf restaurant and guest house.

In Naamsestraat, De Clijne Taefel restaurant offers the finest grilled food in 450-year-old decor.

400m further on, you come to the Great Beguinage (Groot Begijnhof), a Unesco World Heritage site, where an order of nuns lived in a self-contained village. It is now maintained by the University of Leuven, along with most of the other major buildings in the town.

Another very nice building to look at is the University Library in Ladeuzeplein. It was gutted during the war, but lovingly restored with help from other colleges and universities which pledged money for its reconstitution. All the names of those establishments which helped renovate it are grafted onto the pillars and walls of the building.

If you come on Saturday afternoon, the bell ringer performs a concert from St Pieters church in the Grote Markt, audible throughout the centre.

There are many festivals and events all year round, but here are a few:

Easter Folk Dance festival
www.paasfeestenleuven.be

Summer concerts:
www.beleuvenissen.be

High summer gastro-event:
hapjetapje.leuveninscene.be/

City centre rock event:
www.marktrock.be

Short Film Festival:
www.kortfilmfestival.be/index_engels.html

There is also a Christmas market in December and a yearly autumn market on the first Monday after the first Sunday in September. There are plenty of places to stay, and much to do in the surrounding region:
Tervuren, Brussels and Antwerp are very close by.

Take the E40 from Calais straight there. Follow signs to Brussels, take the ring road round the capital and drive for a further 20 minutes.

By train, 30 minutes from the Eurostar terminus.
Map: tinyurl.com/yt8jan

I agreeI disagree

1.  
2. Send to friends