Cycling from Leuven: Bouts & Beer Route

Our adventure starts at the Grote Markt in Leuven. Leuven's Gothic town hall is a veritable gem. The foundation stone was laid as far back as 1439; it was completed 30 years later. Stopping here to admire the view is well worth it. That's because the facade of this building is decorated with 235 statues, each in its own niche. This hall of fame depicts dignitaries, scholars, artists and other figures from Leuven's history. 

This tour focuses on the craft of Belgian beer and one of our greatest Flemish Primitives. The mysterious artist Dieric Bouts arrived in Leuven in the mid-15th century, in the midst of an economic and cultural boom. Bouts grew along with the city. He started a family here, created an impressive body of painted works, and was officially appointed city painter in 1472. St. Peter's Church, which is right in front of us, demonstrates why. He painted two masterpieces especially for this church. Both The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus and Bouts' magnum opus The Last Supper still adorn this site today, almost six centuries after they were painted. This centuries-old splendour makes you want to learn more about Bouts.  

We cycle along a quiet cycle path, whistling as we go, to our next stop: Park Abbey. This place boasts nearly 900 years of history. It was once one of the leading abbeys in our region. Today, it is the best-preserved abbey site in our country and far beyond. We take a breather for a moment in this green oasis. The grounds and abbey buildings have a rich history to tell. In the heart of this domain is PARCUM, a museum at the crossroads of religion, art and culture. And we once again come across Dieric Bouts. When the Flemish Master lived in Leuven, this place was already in full bloom. A sign with a QR code provides comprehensive information about the link between the Abbey and Bouts. So what's the story? No spoilers!  

After a relaxing half hour, we turn left. A picturesque cobbled road leads us to a new, tasty stop: Hof ten Dormaal brewery, where a new QR code tells us about this site. This craft farmhouse brewery is renowned for its delicious beers, made with hops and grain from its own harvest. One of their brews bears the name 'Bouts'. Highly appropriate for our trip. This Leuven-brewed wheat beer is based on flavour reports and recipes from the 15th century, when the master lived in Leuven. We simply have to try it, especially now we are about half-way through our adventure. After a glass of Bouts, we continue our trip. We turn onto the cycle path next to the Leuven-Dijle canal. Although this canal didn't exist in Bouts' day, we can't help but think of him here. Such a straight waterway would lend itself perfectly to the vanishing point perspective, as often used in drawing and painting. Dieric Bouts was the very first artist to apply this technique in his day. Painting this canal on canvas would have been right up his street.  

To finish our adventure, one last serving of Bouts awaits us. We lock up our bikes and walk a few minutes to M Leuven, a temple for ancient and contemporary art. After our visit, evening is slowly approaching and Leuven has even more to offer. A city where the Oude Markt is called 'the longest bar in Europe' is well worth discovering. As such, we end our adventure with a walk through Belgian beer culture. Looking for a delicious glass, alcoholic or non-alcoholic? Café Belge, MALZ, or one of the many other pubs in the bustling city centre is a good place to start.