The next episode takes you to Leuven, a place that give out plenty of student city vibes that is just situated around 30 mins out of Brussels. It is gorgeous and chic! The city centre is easy to explore on foot and you can certainly see most places. I love how gorgeous and quaint the place is and it there is so much history and yet at the same time, it isn’t too boring. It is a great place for a day trip and you can certainly spend a couple of hours here. Furthermore, the main station is right on the edge of the city centre and this makes it very easy to visit for the day. This cute city also comes with plenty of gothic style architecture. I was making my way to Antwerp from Bonn and decided to stop here for a couple of hours!

The trip was perfect for me! I arrived in Liege from Bonn, Germany and to get to Antwerp which was my final destination, the train have to pass by Leuven. I got the tickets on the same day and tickets for regional trains within Belgium cost the same, no matter how early or late you get them. They work by distance and zone so you can take any train on the same day. My tickets cost 17.10 Euros which covers my trip from Liege to Leuven and Leuven to Antwerp. The official Belgian rail app is pretty handy and you can use it to check all the schedules.

As mentioned earlier, the train station is right on the edge of the city centre and it takes only 10 mins to walk to and from the city centre. This makes it super easy and conducive for a day trip. I used the lockers at the train station to keep my bags while I explored and these range in size which determines the price. It is kinda costly as I require a huge one and I paid 12 Euros! Do note that they only accept card payments! From the train station, you can simply stroll on the main avenue, Bondgenotenlaan. It will take you straight to the city centre. It is also lined up with numerous shops on both sides of the road. Check out how gorgeous the setting is!

I didn’t have a plan for Leuven but rather just wander around and check out places as I pass by. Some of the more iconic places that you have to visit include the Grote Markt as well as the famous 15th-century church, Sint-Pieterskerk.

You can never miss it given how imposing it is. The gothic facade and exterior of the Leuven Town hall is also absolutely gorgeous! Here are some additional pictures of the city.

I got lunch in Leuven and found the best roasted chicken and chips ever in Belgium. The chips were so good that it is making hungry right now while typing this. It is better than any chips that I got in Belgium before. They were fried to perfection. Crispy outside and so fluffy inside. They were perfect for dunking into the various sauces. Check out this place, Poule & Poulette. They have a couple of outlets all over Belgium. I got the lunch special which came with half of their speciality flame-grilled chicken, fries and apple sauce. It was so good and such a great meal as I finish off everything besides the apple sauce. That was a little weird for me.

No meal in Belgium is complete without a little Belgium beer and I certainly got one of my favourites, the Liefmans.

Conclusion

An amazing city to visit and I am glad that I made the right choice to head to Leuven for the day while passing by, it is certainly worth checking it out if you are in the region. Great place, great people. Even if you are based in Brussels or there for business, this is a good place to check out during the weekend as well. I wish that I had more time in Leuven and could slowly check out the city! Leuven, glad for you to be my 99th! Next up, my big 100th!!!