Brits can reach a city known as the ‘beer capital’ of Belgium in under three hours on the train.
Home to one of the most popular beers in Europe and a street famed for having the ‘longest bar in the world’, the city of Leuven is a must-visit if you enjoy an occasional glass of the amber stuff.
Reachable from Brussels in just over 15 minutes, the historic metropolis boasts a vast array of churches and chapels, working abbeys and inhabited ‘beguines’ with cobbled streets for the perfect Insta.
The city also punches above its weight when it comes to its attractions and, indeed, its attractiveness.
Recently awarded second place in Monocle’s Small City Index thanks to its quality of life, buzzing nightlife and welcoming population, it has all the hallmarks of a tourist hotspot without, dare I say, the herds of tourists you would usually associate with such places.
Ben Lerwill of the Guardian even described it as “Belgium’s best-kept secret” owing to the array of things there is to do there.
But where it really comes into its own is on the beer front, with breweries sprawled across the city and long rows of bars offering menus the size of the bible to choose from.
As well as being home to Stella Artois, you can also get a taste of some progressive beers in Brewery De Coureur, or take a trip back in time by sampling ales from an abbey brewery at Braxatorium Parcensis.
Tours in the predominantly cycling city are available, and will all land you back where you want to be, which is at the so-called ‘longest bar in the world’.
Otherwise known as the Oude Markt, it is actually a collection bars, standing shoulder-to-shoulder all along the cobbled street, which when combined make what is technically just one long bar.
Now, where did I put my passport?
Related: Malbec rated among top 5% of all wines in the world on sale in Waitrose
