I’m really excited to interview Sofie Couwenbergh of Wonderful Wanderings about Leuven, Belgium. Sofie’s tips for the best things to do in Leuven are awesome because she grew up in a small town nearby and her family has been visiting Leuven since she was a young girl. She went to university in Leuven and loves how it is small enough to walk everywhere, yet there are plenty of events throughout the year.
Please take a moment to subscribe to our podcast. It is available on all of the major podcast channels, such as Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Sti
St Peters Church
Leuven, Belgium
Leuven is a small town in Belgium that is about 16 miles east of Brussels. It is Belgium’s reigning brewing capital and is the home of Inbev, the second largest brewery in the world. Most people in Belgium speak three languages – Flemish, French, and English – so Americans should feel comfortable traveling to Leuven to try the beers and delicious food.
Sofie says that the weather in Leuven can be fickle, with all four seasons and quite a bit of rain. Summer is definitely the best time to visit if you want to experience the local festivals. Local festivals include Zythos Bierfestival (Belgium’s largest beer festival), Kort International Short Film Festival, and the COOL Music Festival. Oddly enough, that is when the city is least crowded because that is when most of the city’s 40,000 college students go home for summer break.
We share a lot of resources and local suggestions in today’s podcast, but you should also check out Visit Leuven, the local convention and visitor’s bureau. They are a wealth of information and can help you plan an itinerary based on your time, budget, and interests.
If you’d like to learn how to travel for free using airline miles and hotel points, check out my free 7-day email course.
The square in the center of town is called Laudeuzenplein. Until WWII, it was called Volksplaats or People’s Place.
Getting around Leuven
The closest airport is Brussels Airport (BRU), which is only 30 minutes by car to Leuven. Use our Expedia tool below to find flight, hotel, and rental car options.
Sofie says that Leuven tries to ban the use of cars as much as possible. It is a very walkable city, but there are also buses and a solar-powered electric sightseeing train if you’d prefer.
If you need to rent a car to go outside the city limits, click here for the best offers from Avis, Budget, or Hertz.
Enjoy a delicious meal at Gloria during your visit.
Places we talked about on the podcast
Here is a map of all of the places we talked about on the podcast episode with Sofie Couwenbergh about Leuven, Belgium. You can zoom into the map and click on each dot to explore the city.
- Red dots = best places to eat in Leuven, Belgium
- Green dots = best things to do in Leuven, Belgium
- Yellow dots = best places to stay in Leuven, Belgium
Who is Sofie Couwenbergh?
Sofie Couwenbergh is a copywriting and content strategist for her company Let Me Write That Down For You. She helps companies create and implement strategies to bring in new leads and retain their existing customers. In her spare time, she writes about her travels around the world and can’t-miss Belgian experiences on her blog, WonderfulWanderings.com. So far, Sofie has traveled to 26 countries and the list continues to grow.
Here are a few articles that she’s written:
- 21 Delicious and Fun Things to do in Belgium
- Holidays in Belgium: Annually Updated to Plan Your Trips
- 8 Delicious Belgian Recipes You Have To Try
You can connect with Sofie on her website and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Click here to download our one-page guide of Sofie’s tips for Leuven.
Big thanks to today’s podcast partner – Bluffworks
This episode is brought to you, in part, by Bluffworks. Whether I’m traveling for business or pleasure, it’s important to have clothes that make me look good AND feel great. I wear Bluffworks jeans, slacks, dress shirts, and blazers because they’re wrinkle-free and are designed for the modern traveler. And if they get dirty, a quick spin in the washing machine and they’re good as new.
Go to WeTravelThere.com/bluffworks and use the promo code from the image below to save 10% off your order. There are many styles to fit your needs so you can stay wrinkle-free when you travel.
Stay tuned for our next episode
Listen to the next episode when Josh Stine of Seat Insiders shares the best things to do in Edinburgh, Scotland. Josh and I talk about the Beltane Fire Festival, hiking the extinct volcano of Arthur’s Seat, and golfing at the “old course” named St Andrews. We hope you’ll join us when We Travel There.
What’s your favorite part of Leuven, Belgium? Send us a Tweet, let us know in the comment section below, or continue the discussion in our Facebook group!
Please take a moment to subscribe to the podcast via Apple Podcasts or Stitcher so you don’t miss the next episode! While you’re at it, give us a rating and Tweet the podcast to your friends.
To see which cities we’ve interviewed and scheduled, please visit WeTravelThere.com/map. If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please submit an application at WeTravelThere.com/guest.
