Cycling from Leuven - Dieric Bouts route

If we look behind us, we make our first acquaintance with another leading figure from Leuven. Dieric Bouts is the main character on our trip. This mysterious artist is one of our greatest Flemish Primitives. He arrived in Leuven in the mid-15^th century, with the city enjoying an economic and cultural boom at the time. Bouts grew along with the city. He started a family here, created an impressive body of painted works, and was officially appointed city painter here in 1472. 

St. Peter's Church, which is right in front of us, demonstrates why. He painted two masterpieces especially for this place. Both The Martyrdom of St. Erasmus and Bouts' magnum opus The Last Supper still adorn the church today, nearly six centuries after they were painted. This centuries-old splendour makes you want to learn more about Bouts. 

We carry on our ride via a quiet cycling path. After about twenty minutes, we arrive at our next stop: Park Abbey. This place boasts nearly 900 years of history. Once one of the leading abbeys in our region, today it is the best-preserved abbey site in Belgium. We hop off our bikes and lock them. This green and tranquil area is well worth a visit. The lands and abbey buildings have a rich history to tell. At the centre of the site, we find PARCUM, a museum at the intersection 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! 

Now we've expanded our minds, it's our legs' turn again. We cycle on. A separate bike path takes us past elegant buildings. Along a stretch of towpath along the Dijle River, we end up on a deserted bike path, right through the fields. We switch off completely, enjoying the company and the greenery, cycling on and on. 

While we let that sink in, we continue cycling through the rural outskirts of Leuven. A kilometre-long bike path leads us unguided through the fields. We therefore return to the historic city where our adventure started. One last effort though before we ride into Leuven. A dauntingly steep hill welcomes us back to this city of learning and heritage. Once the gradients are behind us, we can take a breather. Here we see a campus of Leuven's university of applied sciences and arts UCLL. What was once a dull, concrete facade is now a spectacular sight. Street artist Bisser has produced his take on the Gothic façade of Leuven town hall. A very familiar sight for Bouts. 

With this contemporary nod to centuries of heritage, we once again head into the city. We wind our way through the historic centre. We behold the monumental mural in Dirk Boutslaan, which refers to the modern-day spelling of his name. We then start to fan out, until we reach the spot again between the town hall and St. Peter's Church.