Leuven Hotels

Leuven the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium. It is located about 30 kilometers east of Brussels, with as other neighbouring cities Mechelen, Aarschot, Tienen, and Wavre. It is home to Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewing group and one of the top five largest consumer goods companies in the world; and to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the largest and oldest university of the Low Countries and the oldest Catholic university still in existence. The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia (see: Battle of Leuven). According to the city legend, its red-white-red colours depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle. In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425: it is now the largest and oldest university in the Low Countries. In the 18th century Leuven became even more important as a result of the flourishing of the brewery now named InBev. In the 19th century the city became an industrial but also an intellectual centre. Around 1885-1890 the economical crisis forced hundreds of citizans to emigrate to Latin America (Argentina), the USA and Canada.