Leuven, called Leuven from the Dutch language, is the oldest university center in the Benelux. It also boasts a magnificently decorated Gothic town hall and the UNESCO-listed Beguinage.
The history of Leuven dates back to the ninth century, when a settlement was established on the trade route. It quickly became one of the main trade and craft centers of Brabant. In 1425, the Catholic University of Leuven was established here. Erasmus of Rotterdam. The university belonged to the leading centers of revival thought and to this day remains one of the most important universities of Western Europe. Brewing has developed in the city since the 18th century, and Stella Artois Brewery, one of the most famous in Europe, continues today.
The Old Town of Leuven stretches between two squares, the Market Square (Grote markt) and Fochplein. On the first stands a richly decorated Gothic town hall, cloth hall and a huge, fifteenth-century church of St. Peter, in which you can admire the painting depicting the Last Supper. In turn, Fochplein is known for the Fountain of Wisdom in the shape of a student, to whom wisdom is poured into his head through books. Other well-known buildings of the Old Town are Wielki Beginaż, i.e. buildings where members of the beginek association lived in the Middle Ages, and the belfry tower with one of the largest carillons in the world.
