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Bierbeekstraat 75, Leuven, 3001, Belgium
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Leuven, Oude Markt
Great Beguinage, Leuven
Het dagelijks brood, Leuven
Town Hall Leuven
My husband and I are staying in Leuven for 6 months at the Begijnhof. We want to get into a daily work out routine. Where should we go?
~S
I got my own answer at K.U.L. fabulous new facility across the road from the Groot Begijnhof. Answer to our weightlifting prayers. Trainers to help and great hours. A little pricy, but worth it.
The first time I was in Leuven is dated back in 1994 when I stayed in Brugge for a 3 month exchange programm.
I remember Leuven as a nice and lovely city. What I remember best is the bench "Kotmadam"
If you want some more info about Leuven try this link: www.leuven.com
In front of the town hall is the impressive St. Peter's church. Both buildings were constructed in Gothic style, although the church seems to be less elegant and flamboyant than its civil neighbor. This site was first occupied by a smaller Romanesque church. The new gothic church was built by the same architects who constructed the town hall. Sulpitius van Vorst erected the choir of the church before 1409-1410. After he died in 1439 architect Keldermans continued the work of his predecessor and afterwards architect Mathijs de Layens constructed the transept.
By the end of the 15th century the nave of the church was completed. In 1507 the construction of the towers started. This very important part remained unfinished. The soil under the church proved to be too unstable to carry the weight of the middle tower which should have reached an altitude of 165m. At the beginning of the 17th century the tower had to be partially demolished to prevent further destruction of the church.
During the 19th and 20th centuries different renovation campaigns were undertaken. The church suffered considerable damage during the bombing raids of the Second World War in 1944. Between 1945 and 1963 the Saint Peter's church was partially rebuilt. In 1992 the restoration of the Western facade was completed. Bij 1998 the restoration of the choir was finished. There are still renovations going on inside the church.
The most important painting, however, is Dirk Bouts' 'The Last Supper' (painted between 1464 and 1468), painted for the altar of the Holy Sacrament of the church. The painting is a triptych. The last supper can be seen in the middle panel. The four panels around the center show four representations of the Eucharist in the Old Testament: the Jewish Pasha, The sleep of the prophet Elias, The sacrifice by Abraham to Melchisedek and .
Oooh!
A last piece: while visiitng Leuven, you may notice it (or not) but the city is a rebuilt one. The bombings had left deep scars but those "old-school" styles won't reveal them.
Those Renaissance buildings are not from Renaissance period. They replaced the ones from Renaissance.
That's an example but same as for Gothic or any other style.
Here on the pic, I wanted to have a picture of a building whose use I don't even know. If some architecture and building freak can help me on this... See? The one at the back !
Update on March 2 :): OlafS just told me this building is the post-office. I guess central post-office. Only the beguinage was saved from bombings, if I recall it well. Hence, kept its Middle-ages style, foundation and spirit, that contributed in adding it in the list of UNESCO World Heritage list.
No Art Nouveau houses here (or very very few), for same reasons as above.
Like on so many airports also in Leuven it is a good custom to bring your friends or relatives some chocolat for their good health! In Belgium you can find these shops in the pedestrian area in the larger cities, they are almost on the street, you can eat from the paper or pack in a large variety of boxes and such.
Please give it a try and taste the wonderful Belgium chocolat, it is a good way to keep fit :)
Address:
Tjokolateke
Brusselsestraat 18
3000 Leuven
Price level Oktober 2005 = 16 Euro per kilo chocolat
The annual carnival in Leuven is held the first three weeks of September. It is mainly held on the Ladeuze square and adjacent H. Hoover square, but also on the Oude Markt (old market square).
Aside from the obvious rides and attractions, it's also a great opportunity to sample some Belgian snacks like waffles etc... For atmosphere, I would recommend going there at night - it's safe since the carnival is located in the heart of town.
The monday after the first saturday of September, most of the city center is closed for traffic and Leuven becomes one big street fair. It's a day off for schools, banks and people who work in the city (except of course stores/restaurants etc, which put their stands out on the sidewalk).
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Q: Accommodation for a few days? "Hey Guys I am looking for accommodation in leuven for a few days (3/4) end of the month for a family of 5. What would you..."
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