Ornate Exteriors of Leuven Town Hall Architecture, Belgium
Leuven was our first halt after we set off on road trip from Hasselt towards Antwerp in Belgium.
Leuven has a good mix of old Gothic structures and modern pubs and restaurants. A very good reason why I had to include Leuven City in itinerary. Also Leuven is listed in tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage sites’ list since 2002. And I am glad I did!
First sight of the historical Leuven Town Hall is unforgettable! If I am asked to recollect the sights of Leuven it is the Gothic Town Hall that comes clearly to mind.
Leuven Town Hall Architecture Belgium
The intricate Leuven Town Hall architecture details refuse to fade away. You can never miss this beautiful sight while in Leuven. It is there out in the open for all to see and admire it free.
Interested in Town Halls? See another beautiful one here: Rathaus Town Hall in Basel Switzerland
Things to do in Leuven Belgium
Here is a brief list of things to do in Leuven Belgium
- Leuven Town Hall, you can never miss this.
- St Peter’s Church Leuven
- Leuven’s Groot Begijnhof or Great Beguinage
- Leuven has the oldest university of Belgium, the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven). The university is functioning since 1425AD.
- Leuven is seat of 3 universities with 3 notable academic libraries
- The annual Zythos Beer Festival in Leuven where more than 100 Belgian brewers offer you the chance to taste over 500 different types of beer.
- Visit to Leuven’s Christmas market & fair can be another memorable experience.
- For Leuven city sightseeing take city tour bus.
Leuven Town Hall Construction
In the center of Grote Market of Leuven you will find this intricately decorated massive structure. It is the town hall of Leuven, Belgium and can very easily be credited as the most stunning town hall among all European countries.
3 architects planned, designed and supervised for 30 years until this medieval wonder was completed!
This was built in 15th century from the years 1448 to 1469. The present facade of the Town Hall is 17th century version completely rebuilt according to previous details.
Leuven Town Hall Architecture Belgium
Leuven Town Hall Architecture Details
The laced structure looks stunning against the blue sky. Statues are distributed throughout the facade of the town hall. The building has ornate stone carved facade depicting several scenes from Bible.
Interesting point to note here is that:
The 236 statues of Leuven’s ‘Hall of Fame’ were added to the facade after 1850. Of these 220 statues are of men and 16 are of women. It has 3 layers, each representing famous personalities of different time line.
- First layer depicted famous people in the local history of the city. They are famous Leuven scientists, artists and historical figures.
- Second layer has saints and symbolic figures of the various parishes of Leuven.
- Third layer has the Counts and Dukes of Leuven.
- The towers feature biblical figures.
A guided tour would be most helpful here. I couldn’t avail one because the tour in English language is conducted only on some specific days. Here are some detailed shots from the facade of the Town hall of Leuven of Belgium.
The building faced some damage during World War II. The repairs on the facade were completed in 1983. Today this Town Hall is Leuven-ians pride and joy!
How to reach Leuven Belgium
The 2 major airports near to Leuven are Brussels Airport and Antwerp International airport. Leuven is 30 km by road from Brussels. There are frequent trains too from Brussels and Antwerp to Leuven.
The impressive Gothic Town Hall is located on Leuven’s Old Grote Markt.
Tips for Leuven Town Hall Visit
- Open timings of Leuven Town Hall – everyday 3pm to 4pm
- Small fee is charged for informative guided tour of the town hall.
- Watch the light show in city of Leuven during Christmas when the facade of town hall is lit up with colorful lights.
- Take city hall Leuven appointment, because for the short duration when it is open it is fully booked.
- Tours are conducted in English, French and Flemish.
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I’ve been to Belgium but not here. I love the architecture. It always amazes me how these places survived the times.
I can’t believe how ornate the town hall is! All those details! I’ve been to several cities in Belgium but not Leuven unfortunately. Love city.
That is an outstanding gothic facade, not exactly understated, it’s amazing how it has survived through the turbulent 20th century. Good explanation of the carvings and the different designs in each layer.
The architecture is amazing and it’s such A pretty place so I would love to have a tour guide to have more context— would you know what days the English tours are ? SOmetimes, I just feel like I get more out of it with a guide but when there isn’t then I appreciate the intricate details of the building.
I love that each layer represents a certain theme, such as famous locals of the past. It gives you a new perspective when you travel and know the history of where you are.
That Town Hall is just stunning! I love exploring buildings around the world and learning about the architecture. It would be great to visit this in person!
What an amazing building, this Gothic Town Hall. The facade details of Leuven Town Hall are so intricate and even tell Biblical stories!
Belgium’s on my bucket list. Hoping to make it there sometime this year. Thanks for a little preview. Adding Lueven Town Hall to my list.
I’ve just come back from Belgium… too bad I didn’t know about this place, it looks amazing! Next time 😉
The facade is just so mindblowing and I love the theme that you have described. Examining each one of them would take ages. And I see the gender bias here too …LOL.Beautiful pictures Indrani
When I was in Belgium I spent all my time in Brussels; eating waffles, eating fries, eating chocolate, drinking beer and reading comics. lol. I should of paid more attention to the architecture. But I was relieved that this gorgeous piece of architecture is not in Brussels so I didn’t miss anything. However, this has inspired me to go back.
What amazing architecture. The attention to detail is incredible. Some of the best Gothic buildings I’ve seen. It’s too bad (or perhaps not) I’m not a beer drinker.This is the perfect destination for beer fans.
I can’t believe how ornate that building is. I wouldn’t have expected that in a small town, although I’ve never actually heard of Leuven and have no idea how big it is. I’ll have to ensure I arrive on a day when they’re giving an English guided tour so I can learn more about the building. I’ll be in the Netherlands this summer, so not too far away to visit.
The Leuven Town Hall could be the most spectacular building I have ever seen a picture of! Now I just gotta go and see it in person. Since Leuven is famous for its breweries, I am sure I will have a great time.
That must be one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Europe – it’s fantastic. I’ve been to Belgium plenty of times but never to Leuven – now it’s definitely on my list to visit
That is a brilliantly made facade! From a distance, it looks like it would be this intricately woven design and as you come closer to see those statues, it’s even more intriguing. This is the kind of place I really like to visit when I go to a city with rich history.
I always grew up with Gothic Architecture and never looked too deeply into it the motifs. With a squint and a bit of imagination, I could imagine the wall of statues in an Indian temple like Akshardham. Perhaps it’s all of the ornate details and the repetition of a common theme. I don’t know but it’s interesting to see connections like this.
I really enjoyed Leuven a lot and this structure totally blew my mind away, it’s so large and sophisticated!
Wow, what a stunning structure, I love over the top buildings and this is so ornate. I would love to see this in person and walk all around this gorgeous building.
The town hall architecture is mesmerizing. I cant’ say that Belgium was ever on my radar much, but I’m a big fan of Gothic architecture and now an totally reconsidering 🙂
i;m not sure where to head next Indrani, this, or Italy first. ^0^
your photo makes me want to travel both, which unfortunately i can't. ^0^
fascinated at how much you know about architecture, and the intricate details in this structure is something to look out for.
Spectacular & splendid. What amazing architecture !
Utterly amazing!
SO ornate, So lovely and so well shot
What intricate beauty- the statues are fantastic!
a town hall? wow! the details are absolutely fantastic. grand!
Stupenda!!buona giornata e felice week end…ciao
Wow I thought it was a cathedral at first. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
What a gorgeous building, The detail on the sculptures is beautiful. Thanks for sharing, happy skywatching!
Wonderful photos. This edidicio in magnificent, a masterpiece of art.
Stunning structure!
Dusk
Its just beautiful, am sure you'd have spent a lot of time gazing at those awesome figures!
More magnificent architecture!
I think this is the most ornate town hall I have ever seen. It's a beautiful building, and the carvings are fantastic.
magnificent!
This is a lot more amazing than the humble church that I have featured today.
Sydney – City and Suburbs
Beautiful place, architectural marvel.
Civic Religion. Thanks for showing us!
Friendly Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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What an incredible cathedral! The intricate, ornately carved facade is awesome! Those blue, blue skies are the perfect backdrop, Indrani! Superb captures as always! Wishing you a wonderful weekend1
What an awesome structure.
Hugs
SueAnn
Fascinating information and beautiful shots!