Leuven, Belgium

Leuven is a charming little town, but not a ton to do. It's been 10 years since I was there, but you could do a tour of a brewery at that time.

Leuven is more of an "enjoy the atmosphere" kind of town rather than a town stuffed with sites. Certainly, the cathedral is impressive. The Gothic stadhuis and university library are also stunning, but you can't really tour either one.

Probably the best advice I can offer for an enjoyable Leuven experience is this: go to a cafe on the Oude Markt in the evening, grab a table, order a few good Belgian beers (even though this is Stella Artois' hometown, there are much better brews available!), and soak up the university cafe atmosphere. This is one of those great little European "Back door" experiences that even Rick doesn't know about. There's also cafes on the Grote Markt by the cathedral, but the atmosphere isn't quite as lively here.

Brussels is a large city and a bit overwhelming. You might enjoy some smaller, easier to get around and see towns such as Brugge. By train, it's 1 1/2 hours away from Leuven. It is one of my favorite towns in Europe and I would not pass up going there again. There's lots to see and do. Check out Rick's book or go online at www.brugge.be Also, many posters have talked about the town of Gent. Check out the website www.visitgent.be for things to see and do. And for more info on Leuven, www.leuven.be will be helpful. Don't leave this country without Belgium chocolates for you and others back in the States. There are plenty of chocolate stores in Brugge. Have fun!

Thanks for the responses - we actually live in Germany, so it's not too easy to just peruse a book in say, Barnes & Noble or so =) I will definitely be checking out the chocolates though! They're not too shabby here in Germany, but one should always be open to new chocolate horizons, no? =)

About the Stella brewery tour... the best I can tell from the Dutch-language version of Inbev's website is that tours are only offered for pre-scheduled groups of at least 15.

I don't think there's a branch store in Leuven (there is one in nearby Brussels), but if you see a sign for "Moeder Babelutte", try their pralines! I always have the best intention of taking a box home to the US for others to try... and yet somehow the box always empties before the end of my trip...

Walk around the Beguinage in Leuven, that's fabulous atmosphere and can easily absorb more than an hour or two (depending of course on the weather)...

cheers,
Stephanie