"Louvain-la-Neuve, Brabant" Louvain-la-Neuve by DrewV

Louvain-la-Neuve Travel Guide: 23 reviews and 20 photos

Mes amis et moi, nous buvons! - Louvain-la-Neuve

Louvain-la-Neuve -- Through Hallowed Halls the Beer Doth Flow

For four incredible months, I lived in the happy little college town of Louvain-la-Neuve, in central Belgium. Studying at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, I thoroughly misspent my time there traveling, drinking, eating, drinking more, and living a fun-filled, if debaucherous, life.

Which is VERY easy to do in LLN. Belgian college kids love to party. And there's nothing else in the town except college kids and the adults who feed them with moules, frites, et beaucoup de biere.

Une Petite Histoire

The roofs of LLN

Many many moons ago, in what would later become Belgium, the Catholic Church founded the Catholic University of Louvain. The university and its scenic Flemish hometown flourished and fell according to the whims of the large nations and peoples around them. And for 450 years, all was good.

Then in the sixties, trouble brewed. The people of Flanders, suddenly wealthy from the rise of tourism in their villages and the grwoth of the service sector, began to crave their own university, a school for Flemings taught in Flemish. At the time, the UCL still taught in French. Faced with rioting and other uprisings, the Belgian government did the unthinkable: they separated the university into two halves. The Flemish half would stay in Flanders, in Leuven (the ancient city), and the French helf would be transported thirty kilometeres south to the village of Ottignies, where a "New Louvain" would be constructed.

And so it was. All the French-speaking profs, books, students, workers, and paraphenlia were uprooted and moved to Louvain-la-Neuve. The new city was purpose-built to be a college town, the only "new town" in Belgium since 1620. It looks as though some bonehead from the 60's tried to make a "modern classic," but ugly or not, it will always be someplace I'll call home.

Just the facts, man...

lonely weekend in Louvain-la-Neuve

But this website isn't about history or the amount of beer I consumed in a four-month period. It's about travel. Would you, dear reader, deign to go to Louvain-la-Neuve? Maybe. But here's the deal:

1 -- It's a college town. Belgium is a small country. So all the students go home on the weekend, so that they can study without distraction, eat mom-cooked meals, and do their laundry. Therefore, if you visit LLN on the weekend or in the summer, you will be <b>the only person there</b>. I'm not kidding. I got there on a Saturday before school started, and the only thing missing was tumbleweeds. Desolate.

2 -- If you go during the week, during the autumn or spring, the place is hopping, but it's definitely college-type fun. Every group in town runs a bar, with cheap beer and dancing. Usually these are tied to majors: Pyscho, Maison des Sciences, the ever-nasty Agro. If you go to one of these glorified frat parties, wear your grungiest clothing, because the kids love to throw beer across the room. You're guaranteed to step in something nasty, so don't wear decent shoes. And watch where you walk, because bathrooms aren't real popular -- balconies are much more convenient. A Spanish friend of mine there couldn't take the filth: "How do people live like this?" she'd ask before counting the days before she would return to Barcelona. If you're not prepared, you might do the same.

3 -- There are no sights here. All the history is on the Flemish side. It's very difficult to get to. The train station is on a spur off the Brussels-Luxembourg line. The food is all right, but nothing special. The brew pubs are all right, but Brussels has better. As a tourist, there is no reason whatsoever to take the side trip to LLN.

But as for me, I would never change a thing. Part of me is still there, sitting in Jazz Matazz, guzzling a Chimay Bleu, or hanging with <i>mes amis</i> playing obscure Belgian drinking games or going to the massive cinema on the Grand'Place and watching Jean Reno films without subtitles. That's Louvain-la-Neuve. Mine.

Last visit to Louvain-la-Neuve: Dec 2001
Intro Updated Jul 23, 2003
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Reviews (18)

Noel at Louvain-la-Neuve Things to Do (2)

Even though very few people actually "live" in Louvain-la-Neuve, the Christmas Market is large and extensive. Why?... more travel advice

Walk by the lake Off The Beaten Path (1)

A convenient lake sits in the dell beneath the l'Hocaille Quarter. Of course, I don't have a picture, but I do have a... more travel advice

No bike photos... Will beer do? - Louvain-la-Neuve

24h de LLN Things to Do (2)

How's this for a party: 20 groups of students create crazy-looking floats mounted on bicycles, then ride them around... more travel advice

While on someone's sofa, play your guitar! - Louvain-la-Neuve

Somebody's Floor (or Sofa) Hotels (1)

Look, by my count there is only one hotel/inn/place to stay in LLN: le Relais, a passable one-star hotel-type place... more travel advice

Shopping (2)
See All Wavre
Nightlife (4)
See All Mmmm, really questionable kebabs...
Local Customs (1)
Bisoux!

Transportation (1)
Le chemin de fer!
Restaurants (6)
See All Mmmm, poulet...
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Comments (6)

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melissa_bel Nov 17, 2004 at 3:48 PM

Andrew, You nailed LLN's and Belgian universities ambience! This place is crazy. I went to the "godless" concurrent, ULB and damn those "cercles" for the many hangovers (we also beer a-flying there). Very entertaining page to read.
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cadzand Feb 13, 2004 at 12:07 PM

Mmmm LLN ! and his beer, fries, crêpes, waffles, smells etc. etc.. You made a fairly good description of it. Bisoux :-))
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alza Jul 24, 2003 at 7:52 PM

No reason to go?... great authors spoke at the uni, amid turbulent students... worth coming fm Brussels. Overall, LLN was a lil boring, i liked it like that. :-)
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Norali Jul 14, 2003 at 5:45 PM

Yes, bisous!! One *tsk* Some interesting tea flavours in Creperie bretonne as well.. Oups! I forgot you are into beer.. I will return to this page often, I think.
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Sharrie Jun 30, 2003 at 7:51 PM

It's a place I probably will never set foot on, but it's a page where I learned a great deal! Kisses in exchange for food & drink?! LOL... An EXCELLENT read !!!
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feline01 Jun 25, 2003 at 8:08 AM

Hmm, frites. Now you got me thinking of Pommes Frites, a delicious place in NYC, belgium french fries have arrived in the US!!