In search of Mr. Cuddles | Route 2

Rector De Somerplein with a Buggy Point

In 1971, Pieter De Somer became the first rector - or big boss - of the new Dutch-language Catholic University in Leuven. This square was named after him in 2011. The square used to be called Maarschalk Fochplein, and many Leuven residents still call it that today. However, in WWI, the old Foch sent millions of people to their death. So let’s stick to Pieter De Somer!-

There is a Buggy Point under the square. From where you can borrow a buggy for free. Other Buggy Points can be found at Noordoever on Vaartkom and in the Tweebronnen Library in the city centre.

Toilets/baby changing facilities/Buggy Point: underground bicycle parking.

Extra Buggy Point/baby point/WC in Diestsestraat: Tweebronnen Library.

Fonske

On Leuven University’s 550th birthday, it gifted this “Fonske” to the city. The statue symbolises Leuven’s students. His full name is “Fons Sapientiae”. It is Latin for “fountain of wisdom”.

The students sometimes throw washing up liquid in Fonske’s fountain for fun. Fons’ head then appears to be filled with more bubbles than brains!

Did you know that Fonskes are also typical Leuven chocolates? Don’t forget to buy a box to take home with you. You can buy Fonskes at Think Chocolate (Vanderkelenstraat), Brown Betty (Bondgenotenlaan), Leonidas (Vital Decosterstraat) or Java (Jan Stasstraat).

30CC/Schouwburg | Theatre

The Schouwburg is the most beautiful theatre in Leuven and the surrounding area. It has stood here for 150 years already. But by far not every stone you see here is that old. The old Schouwburg was destroyed in WWI and rebuilt at a later date.

M Leuven: naked man (statue)

Have you noticed too? In every museum there are so many naked people, standing, lying down and hanging up. M Leuven even has a naked man standing in front of the entrance! Inside you’ll discover many more, out in the open and exposed, between ancient and new art. M actually has over 52,000 paintings and statues. It also exhibits art from other museums. The museum building is a mix of old and new, just like the art collection it houses. Stéphane Beel, a very famous, talented Belgian architect, decided to link the original old city museum to a trendy new construction.

In the museum garden you can play or take a well-deserved break beside the ancient oak tree.The easiest route is via Savoyestraat.

Museum play street

Bored of walking? You won’t be in Savoyestraat, the ultimate play street in Leuven. Hop on the dots from one colour to the next.

Ladeuzeplein

The Ladeuzeplein is the largest square in Leuven. Until the end of WWII it was still called “Volksplaats”. Before that - in French it was - “Place Napoléon”.

University Library & Tower

On Ladeuzeplein you can’t miss the absolutely huge University Library. It houses no fewer than 1.5 million books! The library looks older than it actually is.

The first, extremely old university library was not located here, but in Naamsestraat. That library possessed many more books. But they were lost in a fire during WWI. Countless precious books went up in flames. In 1921, the United States built a new University Library on this spot. Incredibly, it was hit again in WWII! Fortunately, Leuven received another new University Library from its generous donors. Plus a carillon, which is the largest in the whole country, consisting of 63 bells. You can read the name of the generous sponsors in the façade.

Totem/Kever

Opposite the University Library you can spy a 300 kilo beetle on a needle 23 metres high! This jewel beetle or “Totem”is an artwork by Jan Fabre.

The university gifted the artwork to the city when it celebrated its 575th anniversary. “Totem” symbolises the bond between the city of Leuven and its university.

Herbert Hooverplein: water features

Water brings life to a city. This is why Herbert Hooverplein features a play fountain with an 18 metre-long cross-section. All the tiny grooves represent an old street map of Leuven. The LEDs change colour. The 60 or so fountains and water jets will certainly cool you down... It’s the ideal spot on hot, summer days!

City park: city walls Sint-Donatus Tower

In the Sint-Donatuspark or city park, you can find a few remnants of the city walls and city tower, built from ironstone and sandstone. These remains from a distant past are over 800 years old!

Once upon a time, Leuven’s city limits ended right here. When the city expanded, a new wall was built further away. But archers still came to practise with their crossbows on this enclosed piece of land.

Extra: Museum of Zoology with a whale skeleton

Charles Debériotstraat, right next to the city park, is inhabited by a real whale! He is tucked away in the Museum of Zoology of KULeuven. You can pay him a visit for free on schooldays. The glass display cases are filled with countless weird, stuffed animals, staring right back at you. The bowhead whale hangs from the ceiling. He even survived a bombardment there in WWII.

KULeuven, Charles Debériotstraat 32, open free of charge on school days from 8:00 to 17:00.

Grote Markt

During WWII, the bombs almost completely flattened Leuven’s Grote Markt. Luckily, the Town Hall survived, and the Grote Markt was rebuilt after the war, even more resplendent than before.

Reception of Visit Leuven

Town hall

The Town Hall in Leuven looks like a comic book made of stone. What’s more, it is very illustrious: one of the most famous Gothic town halls in the world. The first stone was laid in 1439. Only 30 years later, in 1469, the work was completed.

The 236 statues were added in 1850. They represent various Leuven clever clogs and artists, as well as Brabant counts and dukes, patron saints and Biblical figures, etc. The stone comic book uses the figures to tell stories mainly from the Bible. “Watch out. If you don’t behave, this or that will happen.” A warning to all who saw it. Undoubtedly also for the judges who worked in the building. Because this town hall was once a courthouse.

A long time ago, a row of houses stood in the spot now occupied by the Town Hall. They had to make way for the construction of the new Town Hall.

Saint Peter’s Church

The place where the Gothic Saint Peter’s Church now stands was once occupied by a small, wooden church. This was long ago, in the 8th century. Construction of the stone Saint Peter’s Church began in the 15th century and lasted until the 17th century. And the church is still not finished! Just look: the tower is a lot shorter than originally planned.

This short film by the Leuven Historical Society shows how the church was originally meant to look.

Jacquemart

Jacquemart, Zjakkemaar or Jan with the Hammer was last to take up residence. He has been striking the hour for 600 years. And still jolts Fiere Margriet awake in her coffin every hour! Parts of her skeleton are found in the Chapel of Fiere Margriet within Saint Peter’s Church. And if you don’t believe it, we’ll tell you otherwise.