City or town
Things to see in Leuven (Belgium): 80 places and when to go
Leuven is a town in Belgium, and this site lists 80 places in and around it, mainly Nature (37), History (32), Wildlife (29). The best known are Château of Arenberg, Leuven Town Hall and Saint Peter's Church, Leuven. The best time to come is April to October and December; also possible: January to March and November. In June there are 16 h 16 of daylight, and in December, 7 h 44. Here is what there is, when to go, how to get there and what else is nearby.
In a nutshell
- Where
- Belgium · 50.8776, 4.6999
- Places
- 80 places on this site, in the town and around it.
- What people come for
- Nature (37) · History (32) · Wildlife (29) · Temples (10) · Food and drink (7) · Mountains (6)
- Best time
- April to October and December.
- Also possible
- January to March and November.
- Nearest airport
- BRU Zaventem, 15 km as the crow flies
What to see in Leuven
The places in and around Leuven, best known first, each with its own page: what it is, when to go and what is next to it. Distances are from the centre, as the crow flies.
- Château of ArenbergChâteau in Leuven, Belgium2.0 km
- Leuven Town HallCity hall of Leuven, Belgium156 m
- Saint Peter's Church, LeuvenChurch in Leuven, Belgium235 m
- Great Beguinage, LeuvenBeguinage in Leuven, Belgium691 m
- Collegium TrilingueCollege at the University of Leuven393 m
- Saint-Michaels' churchChurch in Leuven, Belgium167 m
- M – Museum LeuvenArt museum in Leuven, Belgium340 m
- Academic libraries in LeuvenHeritage library and research library of KU Leuven, Belgium537 m
- American CollegeFormer Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium495 m
- Park AbbeyMonastery2.0 km
- Sint-Donatus ParkPark in Leuven, Belgium339 m
- Hortus Botanicus LovaniensisBotanical garden in Leuven, Belgium681 m
- St Gertrude's Abbey, LeuvenAbbey in Leuven, Belgium698 m
- Saint Quentin's ChurchChurch in Leuven, Belgium850 m
- Valduc AbbeyFormer cisterciencer abbey in Beauvechain, Belgium10 km
- Africa PalacePalace in Tervuren, Belgium14 km
- BalenbergHill in Tremelo, Belgium14 km
- BeninksbergMountain in Belgium10.0 km
- ChartreuzenbosProtected area6.5 km
- DijleparkPark in Leuven, Belgium473 m
- Donjon Ter HeydenKeep in Belgium9.1 km
- Kasteel van HorstCastle in Sint-Pieters-Rode, Belgium11 km
- Chapel of Saint VeronaChapel in Bertem, Belgium6.7 km
- Heilige DrievuldigheidscollegeSchool in Belgium80 m
And the other 56, by what you come to do:
- History: Heverlee War Cemetery, Hollands College, Kasteel van Meldert, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Steenbergenkapel, Sint-Corneliskapel (Breisem), Église Sainte-Catherine de Duisburg, Sint-Pieter en Pauwelkerk, Sint-Pieterskerk, Sint-Remigiuskerk, Sint-Joris-Weert railway station, Volmolen, Martin's Gasthuis
- Nature: Doode Bemde, Hertebron, Minnebron, Silsombos, Snoekengracht, Tomberg, Wijngaardberg, Bertembos, Bosreservaat De Heide, Bosreservaat Drie Eiken, Bosreservaat Everzwijnbad, Bosreservaat Grote Konijnenpijp, Bosreservaat Grote Omheining, Bosreservaat Mommedeel, Bosreservaat Pruikenmakers, Bosreservaat Putten van de IJzerweg, Bosreservaat Veldkant Renissart, De Gevel, De Spicht deelgebied Molenbroek, Dunbergbroek (Hagelandse Vallei), Eikenbos, Heikantberg, Kastanjebos, Kasteeldomein van Horst, Koebos, Koeheide, Middelberg, Troostembergbos, Wijgmaalbroek, Zandgroeve Ganzemans
- Food and drink: Hof ten Dormaal brewery, Adept, Braxatorium Parcensis, Brouwerij De Kroon, Brouwerij De Schuur, Craywinckelhof, De Vlier
- Hiking: GR 128 Variant Leuven, GR 512 Brabantse Heuvelroute Variant Bivakzone Meerdaalwoud, Streek-GR Dijleland, Streek-GR Dijleland Variant Neerijse - Leefdaal, Streek-GR Hageland Aanloop Station Vertrijk, Streek-GR Hageland Aanlooproute Leuven
- With kids: Verts de Terre ASBL
When to go to Leuven
The best time to visit Leuven is April to October and December; also possible: January to March and November. This comes from its own places: a month counts as the town's best time when it is the best time for half of what there is to see.
- JanPossible8:11
- FebPossible9:45
- MarPossible11:32
- AprBest time13:34
- MayBest time15:18
- JunBest time16:16
- JulBest time15:52
- AugBest time14:20
- SepBest time12:22
- OctBest time10:24
- NovPossible8:38
- DecBest time7:44
Best timePossibleBetter notHours of daylight
In June there are 16 h 16 of daylight, and in December, 7 h 44. In April, 80 of the 80 places are at their best.
When to go to Belgium in general, with its festivals and peak seasons, is in its country guide.
Getting to Leuven
The nearest main airport is Brussels Airport (BRU, Zaventem), 15 km as the crow flies. How to get around Belgium (train, car, bus) is in its country guide, and what to sort out before you leave is in its checklist.
Where it is (opens in a new tab)Directions (opens in a new tab)
Other towns nearby
- Wavre32 places21 km
- Mechelen76 places23 km
- City of Brussels278 places26 km
- Westerlo40 places28 km
- Zoutleeuw74 places29 km
- Nivelles32 places41 km
And all of Belgium, in its country guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to see in Leuven?
The best known: Château of Arenberg, Leuven Town Hall, Saint Peter's Church, Leuven, Great Beguinage, Leuven, Collegium Trilingue. In all, 80 places in the town and around it, all on your trip map from day one.
When is the best time to visit Leuven?
April to October and December; also possible: January to March and November. In June there are 16 h 16 of daylight, and in December, 7 h 44.
How do you get to Leuven?
The nearest main airport is Brussels Airport (BRU), 15 km away. From there, directions opens the route on the map.
How do I add it to my trip?
Create a trip with Leuven as the destination and these 80 places are on your map, each with its category. The ones you like go into a day's plan with one tap, and Kokai reminds you when you pass nearby.
Keep reading
- BelgiumBefore travelling to Belgium: 5 things worth sorting out, each with its deadline. For Spanish citizens, a Spanish ID card (DNI) is all it takes to get in.
- Nature792 places for nature in Belgium, from Grand-Place to spots hardly anyone knows. Best time: April to October. Each with its own season by altitude and daylight.
- Where to travelPick what you fancy (mountains, beaches, museums…) and the months you have free, and Kokai tells you which countries to go to and what to see there.
Data from OpenStreetMap, licensed under the ODbL, from Wikidata, CC0, cities from Natural Earth and airports from OurAirports. Daylight hours are calculated from the latitude. More in credits.