Leuven resurrected from the ashes of war

Appointment at the Martelarenplein (V) at the station. In August 1914 this was also the Treffpunkt for the invading Germans. For them, for logistical reasons, the station was the most important building in the city. Before WWI, this Statieplein was, just like today, surrounded by cafes, restaurants and hotels, with a green park in the middle. All these buildings were destroyed and then rebuilt in the same neoclassical style. The station area is currently being redeveloped, but the building itself retains its beautiful façade front from 1875 in eclectic style. The war memorial, completed in 1925, reflects the zeitgeist of the time: fascination with Egyptian culture (obelisk form) and the rise of art deco. The allegorical sculpture tells dramatic stories: the barbarism of the Germans, population on the run, the resistance, the reconstruction. • Walk straight across the station into Bondgenotenlaan, the Champs-Elysées of Leuven. That avenue also suffered the same fate in those dramatic August days of 1914 and was completely destroyed. Justus Lipsius, on the left on his high pedestal, remained standing, but only the skeleton remained of the magnificent municipal theatre from 1864 (no. 21). University Library You turn left into the Jan Stasstraat, to the Ladeuzeplein, with the beetle impaled in the air by Jan Fabre (2005). Behind it rises the imposing university library with carillon tower (1925; now also to be visited), a gift from the United States, after the Germans had burned the centuries-old library in the Naamsestraat in 1914. But in WW II this new building went up in flames again. Today it is a prestigious knowledge cathedral with more than three million books. • In the other corner of the square, turn right into Vanderkelenstraat. On the left is the municipal museum M, the new Leuven art temple, opened in 2009. The colonnade next to the entrance looks like a Greek temple. Until WWI, this was the façade of the court, which then also burned out completely inside. Now you will find old and new art in one contemporary construction.•Past the museum you turn left into the Savoyestraat, with the gate (1650) of the disappeared Savoie college. At the end turn right and via the Tiensestraat to the Rector de Somerplein. Until recently known as Fochplein, this is the meeting point par excellence. This square was also redeveloped very recently, including a large underground bicycle shed. • You then circle counterclockwise around St. Peter's Church, so starting with Margarethaplein. The main shopping street, the Diestsestraat, opens onto it, followed by the court and the former post office building. Walk via the M. De Layensplein and the main entrance of the church to the Grote Markt 1. Those other spacious squares around the church, which raise the profile of the building, are the direct result of the great fire of August 1914, which completely destroyed the city center, except for the town hall. Tiense-, Diestse- and Mechelsestraat used to run to the church or the Grote Markt, but the last houses have not been rebuilt. The medieval street plan was thus erased by WWI. The Glorious Gothic St. Peter's Church, a Gothic giant, was worked on from 1400 to the 17th century, but in the end the heavy main tower was never completed, for technical reasons. She was also badly battered by the two wars. Yet it still houses many art treasures. The Grand Place is smaller than that of Brussels, but the town hall from the 15th century, crown jewel of pure Gothic, also enjoys world fame. The façade alone has 236 statues. The also Gothic Tafelrond to the left of it (15th century) and the showy catering facades on the right had to be completely rebuilt after WWI. • Walk down rue de Namur, past the tourist office (left), to the seat of the university (right), located in the old cloth hall from the 14th century. Until 1914, the university library was located here. It too was relentlessly burned down, including thousands of irreplaceable manuscripts and cradle prints from before 1500. This cultural disaster provoked worldwide outrage. • The Zeelstraat on the right takes you to the Oude Markt, the longest bar in the world. De Kotmadam, icon of the student city, also sits on her couch. Walk back to Naamsestraat via Krakenstraat and cross them to Hogeschoolplein. The atmospheric Pontifical College from 1523, with courtyard, served as a German barracks in WWI and was therefore also spared. Along the St.-Michielstraat, with Maria Theresiacollege and baroque SintMichielskerk, it goes back to the Naamsestraat. Cross and descend via the St.-Antoniusberg to the Damiaanplein. Father Damien was buried in the church crypt in 1936. • Just follow the Schapenstraat and in it the first right, the Redingenstraat. You arrive at the Dijle, where the Redingenpoort once stood. Next to house De Meander you follow the footpath next to the Dijle, through a park. At the end it runs under the Dijlemolens, relict of an old flour mill on water power. • Diagonally opposite you dive into the Groot Begijnhof 2. One of the largest old beguinages in Belgium, beautifully refurbished and today the home of KU Leuven. A village in the city, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll around on good luck and then look for the Rechtestraat. In line with it, past the Aborgpoort, turn left under the plane trees, towards the Leuven ring (as the red-white GR does). Via a pedestrian tunnel you cross the ring underground. Then you are in the sports room, the university sports center. Castle and campus Walk straight under a building and turn right on the T. Leave the sports fields behind and take the first side road on the right. At the end you come to a concrete road, which flanks the canalized Voerbeek. Keep following that bank path until the long bend and then leave it to the left. You cross a bridge and end up in the park of the Arenberg castle 3. Behind the castle you turn around it to the left, successively past the old water mill (17th century), the Dijle and the main entrance. The current castle (16th century) underwent numerous renovations and now belongs to K.U. Leuven. There are several faculty buildings in the park. • Opposite the castle, the driveway takes you to the Kardinaal Mercierlaan. There is hotel-brasserie De Lodge, famous for years as a cozy-old-fashioned place De Oude Kantien and once the castle farm. From here you walk left back to the city. • Past the sports fields of Stade Leuven (left) you arrive at the Porte de Namur, but just before that you abruptly turn right. Cross the Chaussée de Namur and walk into Ruelenspark, a residential area for the social welfare. Turn left at the T. The road rises through the park to the Broekstraat. On the other side, take the Paul van Ostaijenstraat, which rises further. It ends at the Geldenaaksebaan. Cross it over to the new Philips site 4. Old company buildings of NV Philips now house various public and federal services. Turn right. Past the skate park on the left up the stairs, past the Sportoase, the post office and the police. About 100 m further you will find the main entrance of the site, at the post office. • You will arrive near the urban cemetery. Take the park on the left towards ringlaan. This is how you end up on the Leon Schreursvest, right in front of the Central prison. The memorial stone for Leon Schreurs, a Leuven war hero in WWI, is a little further to the left. Cross the Tiensestraat at the Tiensepoort. A green walking and cycling lane along the ring lane leads you back to square one. Along the way you will notice how here, on the eastern edge of the old Alma Mater, a brand new city is rapidly emerging, ready for the 21st century.