The Riveras in Edinburgh: Leuven

My first stop in Belgium was in the medievil city of Leuven. Joe conferenced here last fall and loved it and was adamant that I not pass by the chance to see Leuven for myself. So, while he was busy presenting a paper in Louvain-la-Neuve, I roamed the streets of Leuven and took in this charming city on my own. It did not disappoint.

After a pretty walk from the train station, down cheerily decorated streets lined with bright, bustling shops, my first stop in Leuven was the quaint town centre where the Stadhuis (Town Hall, built between 1439 and 1463) stood quite impressively. The intricacy of the stone work reminded me of Notre Dame in Paris and I loved seeing this majestic building all lit up, later in the day, for Christmas.

My walk through Leuven took me by some beautiful old churches...

St Peter's Church, dating back to 986 and significantly damaged during WWII

St. Michael's Church

It was really cold during this trip, so I used the excuse of the cold weather to stop in a little cafe/hut for what turned out to be the.best.hot.chocolate.ever. seriously. imagine pure melted chocolate (the good stuff), mixed with thick, hot cream (also, the good stuff). Now, you may be imagining something a few steps inferior to what I actually tasted.

After that delicious interlude, I found myself on this charming little path:

I then meandered through the streets of Leuven, attempting to follow my map, before finally finding the Groot Begijnhof (the Great Beguinage) where unmarried, religious woman lived in a community devoted to prayer and helping those in need. They were not, however, nuns and took no formal orders. This particular Beguinage apparently dates back to the 13th centurty and was really interesting to walk through as it is really a small village within the larger city of Leuven. It seems completely self contained and it is easy to forget the busy streets of Leuven just beyond the walls of the Beguin.

My last stop was back in the city centre at the Oude Markt, a pretty little street that is apparently busy with students dining and debating outside during the warmer months.

On my way back to the train station, I decide to make a small detour to check out the Christmas market. What a treat! I am so glad I stopped. This particular Christmas market was by far the best one I came across on our trip and I just loved it. It was so charming and festive. There was great Christmas music (with live musicians at times), and a very pretty set up. My favorite part, however, that the very centre of the market was a small "wooded" area that you could enter through a particular gap in the trees. The path lead you through a small village of log cabins showing various rooms all ready for Christmas and St. Nicholas' visit, who was himself hanging out in one of the cabins.