How to go to Louvain-la-Neuve

Louvain-la-Neuve is a mostly pedestrian town located 30 kilometers south-east of Brussels, in the French- speaking part of Belgium. The town is easily reached by car, train or plane.

By car

Take the E 411 Brussels-Namur motorway to Louvain-La-Neuve (not to be confused with Louvain, the French translation of Leuven, located in Flanders): if travelling from Brussels, take exit 8a; if travelling from Namur, take exit 9. At the road N4 roundabout, follow the signs to your Louvain-La-Neuve neighbourhood destination.

By train

Louvain-la-Neuve-Université station is directly linked to the railway junction of Ottignies, on the Brussels-Namur railway line, with two trains per hour in each direction, including on weekends. Attention: Do not confuse Louvain-la-Neuve with Louvain (the French translation of the Flemish city of Leuven), which is another city on another railway line. · Louvain-la-Neuve is approximately 30 minutes from Brussels; change in Ottignies for the train to ‘Louvain-la-Neuve-Université’. Direct trains take longer. · If you travel from Namur or Charleroi, change in Ottignies for the train to ‘Louvain-la-Neuve-Université’. · If you travel from Luxembourg, change in Ottignies (if you take the EC 96 Iris or EC 90 Vauban train that originates in Switzerland, change in Namur for a train to Ottignies). · If you travel from any other country, change in Brussels-Nord. Otherwise, change in Brussels-Midi, from which depart all trains to Ottignies via Brussels-Central, Brussels-Nord, Brussels-Schuman and Brussels-Luxembourg. Schedules are available on the SNCB website.

By air

From Brussels Airport (Zaventem), beginning at 5:25 am, you can travel by train to Louvain-la-Neuve. Seven days a week, 16 direct trains per day depart the airport for Ottignies, where you have to change trains to continue to Louvain-la-Neuve (not to be confused with Louvain, the French translation of Leuven). Brussels South Charleroi Airport serves low-cost airlines. It is located 40 km from Louvain-la-Neuve. TEC buses take you from the airport to the Charleroi South station. Trains depart until 9:57 pm to Ottignies, from which a connecting train takes you to Louvain-la-Neuve-Université station in eight minutes. 

Tourism in Wallonia

Wallonia invites you to visit its well preserved natural attractions, its castles and fortresses and its well-known Unesco world indistrial heritages sites, not forgetting its delicious culinary traditions!

Main touristic places:

The lion's mound is one of the attractions not to be missed... its location is intended to recall the place where the Dutch Prince of orange suffered a wound to this shoulder.
The citadel of Namur built on an impressive rocky spur, this exceptional heritage site has conserved traces of each period of its 2000-year-old-history.
Domaine of the Caves of han is exceptional in the beauty of its concretions and the immensity of its galleries, sculpted by the river Lesse which passes it from one side to the nother, has received almost 30 million visitors in over 250 years.
Les lacs de l'Eau d'Heure: Five lakes and more than 25 activities.
Villers Abbey is a destination site imbued with history and emotion. It was founded in the 12th century, under the aegis of Saint Bernard. Today, its majestic ruins give a marvellous idea of the life of monks of the cistercian order.
Pairi Daiza is 65 hectares of sumptuous, authentic and varied gardens. A true journet acros five continents. Round every corner a feast of colours that changes with the seasons awaits you. Pairi Daiza is home to 5,000 animals, including numerous endangered species that are housed in the jardin des Mondes as part of protection and breeding programmes for endangered species.
Orval Abbey: Visit of the Cistercian ruins:the visit includes an audiovisual presentation of the history of the monastery and of the present-day-life of the Community, access to the ruins of the medieval abbey, the museum housed in the foundations of the 18th century buildings, the pharmaceutical Museum ans the medicinal herb-garden.
Les jardins d'eau d'Annevoie: For 250 years, in Annevoie, nature animates, without machinery, unique water games in style gardens.
Durbuy: Welcome in the smallest city in the world.
Mélin: One of the most beautiful villages of Wallonia.
Euro space center: At the heart of the Ardennes, the sky reveals its secrets at Euro Space Center!
The boat lift of Strépy-Thieu: One of the tallest funicular boatlifts in the world. 
The castle of Lavaux-Saint-Anne: Listed in the major heritage of the Walloon region. One of the most famous buildings in Wallonia, symbol of the Famenne.
Circuit de Spa Francorchamps: Regularly voted as tops by the drivers of the world, the circuit of Spa-Francorchamps is part of the legendary motorsport tracks in the same way as le Mans, Indianapolis or Monaco.