Monasteries, chapels, and coworking spaces? Apache guides you through the religious heritage of Leuven and reconstructs how they were repurposed when their religious function faded.

Leuven is a city full of quiet orders. Benedictines on the hill, Lazarists along the canal, sisters and brothers in the lower city – each with their own walls, gardens, and routines. But these places are increasingly standing empty, being converted into co-housing, conference centers, or assisted living rooms. Who inherits the city when God leaves the neighborhood? This walk follows the trail of eight locations that illustrate the transition from religious to urban logic – and along the way asks how we as a society deal with heritage, ownership, and who actually benefits from it.

In the past forty years, there has been a 14.8% decrease in Belgium of buildings 'designated for worship'. In absolute numbers, this represents a shrinkage of 220 hectares or 2.2 million square meters. We are mainly talking about monasteries, abbeys, churches, and chapels – although synagogues, mosques, and temples also fall under that property category.

The vast majority of that – over 200 hectares – has been disposed of since 2007. This is based on cadastre data collected by Apache in 2024. Brussels then had 15% fewer religious buildings, Wallonia saw a decline of 7.7%, and Flanders – where most of the religious real estate is located – repurposed 18%. Nowhere in Belgium were more consecrated places sold and repurposed than in Leuven.

This summer, Apache takes its readers through Flanders and through its archive. Walk through picturesque alleys, cycle between blooming fields, and pass forgotten memorials, barricaded castle gates, or new construction projects with a hint of history.

This walk is 8.4 km long and contains 9 stops.