Conference Venue
Faculty of Social Sciences
The conference will take place at the KU Leuven Faculty of Social Sciences.
Edward van Evenstraat 4
3000 Leuven, Belgium
About Leuven
The city
Since its founding, KU Leuven has been based in the city that shares its name. Leuven is a pleasant, safe and bustling student town, where centuries-rich history meets cutting-edge science. The city of Leuven is located in the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, approximately 25 kilometers east of Brussels. Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in Belgium and has nearly 100.000 inhabitants.
There are several good reasons for visiting this vibrant city. More information about the city and must see places when you visit, can be found on the official Tourism Leuven site. You will soon realise that this city has a way of getting under your skin.
The university
Situated in Belgium, in the heart of Western Europe, KU Leuven has been a centre of learning for nearly six centuries. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, KU Leuven bears the double honour of being the oldest existant Catholic university in the world and the oldest university in the Low Countries. Today, it is Belgium’s largest university. As a leading European research university and co-founder of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), KU Leuven offers a wide variety of international master’s programmes, all supported by high-quality, innovative, interdisciplinary research. The university also offers degree programmes at campuses in 11 Belgian cities, including Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp.
Travel to Leuven
From Leuven, it takes half an hour to reach Brussels South (Bruxelles Midi, Brussel Zuid) railway station. From there, you can catch high-speed rail connections to Paris, London, Amsterdam, Vienna and many other European destinations. The Leuven railway station is directly connected to the city centre via the Bondgenotenlaan (Allies Avenue), one of Leuven’s main streets. The walk from the station to the city centre is approximately 10 minutes.
- For more information on the Belgian railways click here
- For more information on the European train connections click here
Flixbus also provides a convenient way to reach Leuven within the EU borders (and UK). You can book your bus journey through this link: global.flixbus.com. For your information, buses run more frequently to Brussels and Brussels Airport. From there, you can easily catch a train or another bus to reach Leuven.
An extensive bus network provides extra mobility within the boundaries of Flanders or Wallonia. More information can be found on the official bus company websites:
- Flanders (Brussels National Airport): delijn.be
- Wallonia (Brussels South Airport): www.letec.be
Belgium is the heart of Europe. Belgium’s capital, Brussels, is accessible through many flight and train connections. Big European cities like London, Paris, Amsterdam or Berlin are close by. Scheduled flights to Brussels airport come from over 200 European and international destinations in 66 countries, allowing 500 million European inhabitants to reach us in less than 3 hours. The two airports closest to Leuven are:
- Brussels National Airport (Zaventem) – BRU – Belgium: This is Belgium’s main airport, located only 20 minutes from Leuven city centre. There is a direct rail connection from the airport’s own train station (“Brussels National Airport”) to Leuven. The train station is located underneath the airport and is accessible through lifts and escalators in the arrivals hall. Several car hire companies also operate from Brussels Airport. For more information, visit these websites: www.brusselsairport.be and www.belgianrail.be.
- Brussels South Airport (Charleroi) – CRL – Belgium: Leuven is a 1.5-hour train ride from Brussels South Charleroi Airport. The airport shuttle bus linking Leuven and Brussels South Charleroi Airport takes approximately one hour (€16.00). Another bus shuttle links Brussels South Charleroi Airport to the Charleroi train station, connecting the airport to the vast train network. Several car hire companies also operate from Charleroi Airport. For more information, visit this website.
Leuven can be reached via the Brussels Ring and the E40 and E314 motorways. The historical center of Leuven is traffic-free. The rest of the city center is subdivided into 5 districts. In each district a loop directs traffic from the ring road to a city center parking garage and back to the ring road. We advise you to park your car in one of the more advantageous ring road car parks. Public transport buses drive regularly from the car parks to either the city center or the train station.
More information about car parks in Leuven can be found here.
Travel Within Leuven
On foot
Leuven is a small-sized city, all locations are within walking distance. One of the most sustainable and healthy cities in Europe with traffic-free zones and outstanding cycling infrastructure.
Get your free city map here or at Visit Leuven, Naamsestraat 3, Leuven.
By bike
Bike rental in Leuven is possible with Blue-Bike. You can find a pick-up point near the Leuven train station inside the bicycle parking, Prof. R. Van Overstraetenplein 1/001, 3000 Leuven. For the first 24 hours you can already rent a bike for €2,50. Different rates apply after 24 hours which you can consult on their website.