When I arrived one morning at Leuven to visit the city during my last trip to Flanders, riding a Belgium, I was surprised to see that there were very few people on the street.
I soon discovered what was happening: Leuven is a university city in which almost half of the population that resides there during the year are students who go to University... and those days were holidays for university students.
Indeed, the main characteristic of Leuven is that it is about the University City most important in Belgium, apart, of course, from having places as outstanding as its spectacular gothic town hall or Great Beguinage.
In fact, University, or rather, the university buildings, are distributed throughout the city center and are not grouped in the typical university campus located in a specific area of the city, as is usual in most cities.
Therefore, in your walk through the center of Leuven you will find the most significant buildings, such as the University Pavilion, classicist style, where the Rector's Office.
Or the various university colleges, among which the Papal College which has this name because it is where in 1523 Pope Adrian VI established a college for poor theology students in his residence.
You will distinguish this university college by the statues with two large lions that are at the door of its main entrance.
Now, without a doubt, the most charismatic building in the historic University of Louvaina is the University Library, which will catch your attention due to its majesty.
But did you know that this building was actually built by the Americans after the World War I?
Indeed, Leuven It was a city very damaged during said European war, to the point that the Germans set fire to the aforementioned University Pavilion where there was a very old library with hundreds of thousands of books.
It was then that United States, with the help of hundreds of North American technical and engineering schools, financed the construction of the current building in Flemish Renaissance style.
You will find the trace of this financial support in numerous stones with which the building is built, engraved with the names of said North American schools.
You will see the majesty of the building amplified by being located in a large square with a huge open esplanade.
Be sure to enter the interior of the library where you can see the large reading room, which even during the holiday season when I visited was full of students.
Climb University Library tower
Although I couldn't do it, you also have the possibility of climb the tower of the University Libraryia. On the five floors you can see a photographic exhibition that shows you its history.
El tower chime It has 63 bells and is one of the largest in Belgium.
The schedules to climb the tower of the University Library They are every day of the week, from 10 a.m. to 17 p.m., except Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 13 p.m. to 17 p.m.
El entrance priceIt is 7 euros for adults and children under 12 have free entry.
For a next Leuven visit I have to go up to the terrace of the tower, from where there are surely excellent panoramic views of this beautiful university city in Flanders.
Magnificent building and description. I didn't know this place in Flanders