Domus
What to order: a Flemish house dish with one of its beers, which arrive through a copper pipe from the brewery opposite
Tuesday to Sunday · closed Monday · no midday break on Friday, Saturday and Sunday
geocalia
Day itinerary · 50.88° N · 4.70° E
Leuven on a quiet day, 25 minutes by train from Brussels.
The Gothic town hall, the University Library tower, lunch at the Domus brewery, the Grand Beguinage and the Oude Markt. By train, about 25 minutes from Brussels.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Bruselas fromBarcelona 2 hGirona 2 hSantander 2 hVitoria 2 hZaragoza 2 hMadrid 2 h 15Palma de Mallorca 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Alicante 2 h 30Málaga 3 h
Part of LeuvenBeers of BelgiumHistoric bookshops and libraries of Europe
Add to my trip
Total time7 h
By car30 min each way
From BrusselsTrain · about 25 min
WalkingAbout 6 km
DifficultyEasy
Cost€40–65 pp
Best dayTuesday to Sunday
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Brussels 30 min by train
from Bruxelles-Central or Nord
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1
The Grote Markt and the Gothic town hall
the façade of the 236 statues
- 8 min on foot
-
2
The University Library and its tower
tower €10 · free under 12
- 8 min on foot
- 3
- 12 min on foot
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4
The Great Beguinage (Groot Begijnhof)
along the Naamsestraat · free
- 12 min on foot
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5
The Oude Markt, Europe's longest bar
a beer on a terrace
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Back home 30 min by train
fifteen minutes' walk to the station
Approximate cost
About €20–35 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
The Grote Markt and the Gothic town hall
Leuven is the shortest trip from Brussels, and the calmest: a university city dating from 1425 that you can cover entirely on foot from the station. This plan sets out mid-morning, climbs the library tower, has lunch in a brewery-restaurant with its own beers and goes down to the Grand Beguinage before a beer on the Oude Markt.
The day, hour by hour
10:00 · Train to Leuven. About 25 minutes. From the station, the Bondgenotenlaan leads straight to the Grote Markt.
10:45 · The Grote Markt. The Gothic town hall, closed inside until 2029, and St Peter's Church.
11:30 · The library tower. On the Ladeuze square: the story of the two fires and the view of the city, €10.
13:00 · Lunch at Domus. Flemish cooking with beers that arrive through a pipe from the brewhouse opposite.
14:45 · The Grand Beguinage. A red-brick district crossed by the Dijle, free.
16:15 · The Oude Markt. The square of terraces, with the students.
17:30 · Return. In Brussels before half past six.
Time30 min
Change the route
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Lukemieke
What to order: the vegetarian dish of the day, with soup
Monday to Friday, 12:00–14:00 and 18:00–20:00 · closed weekends and 18 July to 16 August
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Leuven
Tuesday to Sunday: Domus is closed on Mondays and M Leuven on Wednesdays. During term time, from September to June, the city is livelier.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1The last day of the trip
With your suitcase in left luggage, Leuven is fifteen minutes from the airport.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the trip to Leuven cost?
Between €40 and €65 per person with train, tower and lunch.
Is there time in half a day?
Yes, for the square, the tower and the beguinage.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/belgium/leuven/itineraries/half-a-day-in-leuven-from-brussels
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.