My first visit to Leuven happened almost four years ago, on a cold February day. It was probably no warmer this December day but at least the city was looking festive. All decked out for Christmas, it felt delightful to walk down its streets. This one Christmas day in Leuven helped get me in the mood for the holidays!
In general, everyone knows Leuven as the student city of Belgium. Both Belgian and foreign students flock to its highly esteemed universities. I find that outside of that, it’s still a city worth visiting! People often overlook Leuven over the bigger Belgian cities when there’s much to see in Leuven.
CHCO Chocolate Company
Brusselsestraat 10, 3000 Leuven
Whenever I visit any city, I love finding a place with good hot chocolate. Because let’s face it, you’ll need it after strolling the streets for hours! So imagine my happiness when I found CHCO Chocolate Company that serves hot chocolate in 60 different flavors. I chose the cinnamon hot chocolate and thoroughly enjoyed that festive flavor! Obviously, I made sure to drop by here before my train and buy more hot chocolate flavors for the road. There were so many tempting ones that I simply couldn’t resist. I was too curious about how an apple crumble or brownie hot chocolate tastes like!
Back outside, we spent the rest of the chill December afternoon walking all over Leuven. We strolled through Klein Begijnhof and Groot Begijnhof, which I made sure to visit last time I was here. Unsurprisingly, it was a calm oasis compared to the rest of the city.
Beguinages always feel like you’re stepping back in time. Architectural complexes built to house religious women, you can find them all over Flanders. I always think that they don’t belong in modern cities because they’re quiet and peaceful. I mean, I live in the countryside of Belgium and even here, it’s noisier than inside beguinages!
Unfortunately for the lovers of Christmas markets, there won’t be one in Leuven this year. However, I find the city to be so charming in its Christmas attire that you don’t really need one! Simply exploring the many side streets of Leuven and sitting down for coffee or hot chocolate is enough. It was definitely enough to get me in the mood for Christmas!
The numerous squares filled with historic buildings look especially lovely during this period. As well as the imposing Catholic University Library, which I have yet to visit. One more reason to return to Leuven, I suppose! And let’s not forget the most famous building in Leuven, the town hall, which is completely outlined with Christmas lights. During normal times, the city organizes guided walks through its streets. They all have different themes and get you to experience an enchanting Christmas in Leuven!
Overall, spending a Christmas-themed day in Leuven is something I would suggest to everyone. The city looks charming at any time of the year, and even more so during December. So I would definitely recommend dropping by Leuven this month and enjoying the festive atmosphere!
