Belgium, Leuven

Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in Flanders, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre.

It is one of the Flanders' Art Cities and soon to be the venue for the greatest stag do of all time. Mothers, lock up your daughters. In fact, lock yourselves up as well as Nesty will soon be in town.

History

The first mention of Leuven goes back to 891 ('Loven'), when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.

In the 18th century Leuven became even more important because of a flourishing brewery that would later become Interbrew (recently renamed to InBev), the largest brewery company in the world.

In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city, destroying the university library twice. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities.

Student population

Nowadays Leuven is a real "student city", as during the academic year most citizens in its centre are students.

Leuven sports one of the liveliest bar scenes in Belgium. Besides boasting the "longest bar" in Belgium, the Old Market, tens of bars and cafés crammed into a central square in Leuven, it's also the proud home city of Belgium's smallest bar, Onder den Toog in the Noormannenstraat.

Mayor

The mayor of Leuven is currently Louis Tobback, a socialist politician prominent on the national level who was once minister of internal affairs and leader of the socialist fraction in the lower chamber of the Belgian parliament, among other things.

Culture

Leuven is well known for its summer rock festival Marktrock. The main football club of the municipality is Oud-Heverlee Leuven, the successor of K. Stade Leuven. Leuven also has some orchestras, like the famous Arenberg Orchestra.