Grote Begijnhof

Top choice in Leuven


This idyllic, village-like corner of Leuven would make an ideal film set for a medieval drama. The lantern-lit cobbled streets are lined with step-gabled brick houses with stone window frames. Semi-wild roses scent several green oases, which are richly serenaded with birdsong, and a couple of pretty footbridges cross the central stream.

There is no specific 'sight' here, though the huge church of Sint-Jan-de-Doper can be visited on summer afternoons. The houses are mostly occupied as charming homes for lucky university staff and some PhD students.