Louvain-la-Neuve is a newly born town, situated in the French-speaking part of Belgium, in the province of Walloon Brabant. It was created in 1969 in order to host the [http://www.uclouvain.be/ Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve], who had just separated with the Catholic University of Leuven, and had to move from Flanders to Wallonia. It counts 20,000 inhabitants, with approximately the same number of students attending University and colleges in town. Be careful not to confuse between Leuven which is a town in Flanders, and is also spelled ''Louvain'' in French, and Louvain-la-Neuve. You can also find the abreviation LLN instead of Louvain-la-Neuve.
Get in
By car
Louvain-la-Neuve is situated at the crosspoint of many important roads:
Brussels-Luxembourg E411 motorway: exit number 8a from Brussels, 9 from Namur-Luxembourg.
The N4 Arlon-Brussels drive its way round Louvain-la-Neuve, follow the signs.
Other important roads from Charleroi, Nivelle, Wavres...
By train
Louvain-la-Neuve is connected to the important Brussels-Luxembourg line. There are direct connections to Brussels, but it is generally quicker if you change in Ottignies. Connections to Namur, Liege, Charleroi in Ottignies station (10 min from Louvain-la-Neuve station). There is a direct train linking Louvain-La-Neuve and Leuven. All the trains are operated by the Belgian railways company [http://www.b-rail.be/ (NMBS-SNCB)].
By bus
Local buses [http://www.infotec.be/ (TEC company)] link Louvain-la-Neuve to main neighbouring towns. A special bus connects LLN to the other university Campus in the Brussels district of Woluwe. It is the quickest and most comfortable way to reach Brussels from LLN, but it arrives quite far from the center of Brussels.
Get around
Louvain-la-Neuve was designed as a pedestrian city, and so it is. You won't have to walk more than 20 min in order to get to any place in the city. Moreover, there are lots of covered paths in the city center in case of rain.
Motorized traffic in the center is entirely underground, so it's pretty enjoyable for the pedestrian. The city is also very accessible for wheelchair, bikes, rollerblades...
Be careful, nearly everybody gets lost the first time they get around the town, as everything looks pretty much the same from an outside point of view, and Louvain-la-Neuve's layout is not very logical to new visitors.
You can find a map of Louvain-la-Neuve [http://www.dom.ucl.ac.be/info_plan.html here (click on ''telecharger le plan'' to download)].
See
Since it's a fairly new town (created in 1969), Louvain-la-Neuve does not have any historical buildings or similar monuments. Nevertheless, it was designed in a radically different way from older towns. The urbanistic development of the town brings some tourists, interested in the way the town evolved from scratch to what it is nowadays. You can find particularly interesting the following buildings/places:
The ''Bibliotheque des sciences'' (Sciences library) is situated at ''place des sciences'', upper town, and presents an interesting concrete architecural style.
The ''Aula Magna'', on the main square is the main auditorium in the city, good panorama on the lake.
The ''tour'' (Tower), nearby the ''Place des Wallons'', is the only building in LLN with more than 5 storeys.
Some gigantic frescos are disseminated around the city center.
Do
Since Louvain-la-Neuve was made with the sole purpose of hosting the university, it is full of students all year round, but when they leave for holidays, the town can look quite empty. There are still plenty of things to do:
The biggest event in town is the student-organised 24h bike, which is the biggest student party in Belgium, with more than 50,000 students. There are three different categories in the race - humanitarian, competition and folkloric bikes. This event takes place the third Wednesday of October.
The University has created a special type of accommodation, called a ''Kot-a-Projet'', which houses between 8 and 12 students around a specific project, such as organising a job fair, or circus activities. Thus, a lot of different kind of events are available during the course period.
If you have to cope with disrupting rainfalls, you could enjoy the [www.ugc.be UGC] Multiplex, situated on the main square. The UGC is currently closed (as of June 2008), pending resolution of a conflict with their landlord.
A well-known theater is present in Louvain-la-Neuve since the very beginning of the city. The [www.atjv.be/ Atelier Theatre Jean Vilar] will provide you with a wide variety of plays, but only in French. It's situated near the ''Grand-rue''.
The ''Ferme du Blocry'' and ''Ferme du Biereau'' situated in respective districts offer a wide variety of concerts.
Learn
As the host to the Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve provides anybody eager to learn with anything they may wish to be taught. Besides the University, which provides academic courses in Sciences, Applied Sciences, Law, Sports, Economics, Theology, Philology, Psychology and Agronomy, you can find a wide range of colleges. Moreover, a lot of languages are taught by the [http://cll.be Language Center].
Buy
A new mall, ''l'Esplanade'', opened in October 2005 and can provide you with anything you need. You can find it right beside the station.
Most shops are concentrated around the city center, in the ''Grand-rue'' and ''Charlemagne'' streets. There is also a gallery in front of the station.
Eat
Most of the restaurants are situated on or in between the main square and the university square next to the train station. However, some more specific places can be found elsewhere in town:
Very good belgian fries and a true ''fritkot'' up in ''Lauzelle'' district, near the sport hall, ''Chez Jean-Lou''.
University restaurant are quite cheap. The main one, ''Le Sablon'' is in the center, next to the Main Street. A smaller one called ''Le Galilee'' is situated at ''Place des sciences''.
A more stylish place, the [http://www.loungeatude.be/'''Loungeatude'''(in French)] is to be found in the ''Biereau'' district, next to the ''Ferme du Biereau''.
Along with the mall, Louvain-la-Neuve was provided with a brand new fast food, which allow you to find well-known food, if you're afraid of tasting the Belgian cooking. Quick, Charlemagne street.
Drink
Louvain-la-Neuve's beverage is beer, either light or strong ale, either Belgian or foreign, it can be found in a wide variety of colours, flavours and price ranges.
Night Life
Students are organising a lot of parties, which take place in Student Union pubs, every faculty has one, and even some regions. Beer is usually served in 25cl plastic glasses for 0.8?. The custom is to drink it in one shot with some friends.
Erasmus students usally hang out at the [http://www.becketts.be/home.html Beckett's] Irish pub next to the multiplex, and the [http://www.guinch-bar.be/ Guinch Bar(French)] on the Traverse d'Esope. Prices are more expensive than in Student Unions.
Snooker and karaoke are available in the center underground club, next to the station.
Sleep
Louvain-la-Neuve's accommodation problem is nearly as old as the town itself. You can find only two hotels:
''Le Relais'', in the very center of Louvain-la-Neuve, rooms from 30?[http://www.relais.ucl.ac.be/eng/accueil.html].
The second one is more expensive, situated in the scientific park of Louvain-la-Neuve, boulevard de Lauzelle: ''Relais Mercure''(50?-120?)[http://www.accorhotels.com/accorhotels/fichehotel/gb/mer/2200/fiche_hotel.shtml].
You can find more hotels in nearby ''Wavre''. More info (in french) [http://www.ucl.ac.be/inforville/horeca.html#2 here].
Exchange students
If you are going to stay in town for several months, start looking for a place early. Students usually look for flats (''kots'' in belgian french/dutch) during the months of April and May. Leases usually go from September to September, but shorter deals are possible, especially with Erasmus students. You should normally get help from the university in order to get a room. The center is quite noisy, but close to everything. For students in Sciences and Engineering, ''Biereau'' is the closest district, ''Bruyeres'' is nice too. For other students, ''Bruyeres'', ''Lauzelle'' and ''Hocaille'' are nice, with lots of students. Some streets are very noisy due to student activity but calm down during exams and holidays. Most noisy months in LLN are September-October and February-March.
Here is a short summary of every district:
''Baraque'': At the eastern outskirts of the city, this district is mostly residential. Close to the science faculty.
''Biereau'': Oldest district of the city, close to the faculty of Sciences and Applied Sciences, lots of students, some residents.
''Bruyeres'': A district build in two parts. The older one is mostly inhabited with students, the newer one is mainly residential. Close to every faculty. Very close from Economics and Political sciences faculties.
''Centre'': City center, a lot of university and administration buildings, but some student flats, and since 2005, a new range of flats forbidden to students. Close to every faculty, can be very noisy in some part of the year.
''Hocaille'': On the northwestern slopes leading to the ''Blocry'', this district is a mix between students and inhabitants. Closer to Psychology, Human Sciences and Thelogy faculties. Very close to the sport hall.
''Lauzelle'': This modern district bordering the ''Bois de Lauzelle'' is mostly residential. Far from everything, if something can be far in Louvain-la-Neuve.
Get out
The rollercoaster park of [http://www.walibi.be/walibibelgium/home/index_en.cfm?lg=en Walibi], the biggest in Belgium, is situated 10 minutes away from Louvain-la-Neuve by car, a little bit more by train.
The former battleground of Waterloo is less than one half hour away from town.