This handsome, cobblestoned square is flanked by a tasteful ensemble of high-gabled brick buildings. Some of these date from the 18th century, while others are comparatively new. At ground level, these buildings house the larges concentration of bars and cafes in town, and as such, attract the town’s university students in droves. *

We passed through the square on several occasions and felt the lively vibrant atmosphere but I didn’t feel the urge to dwell and soak it up. I preferred the vibrant but calmer atmospheres of other parts of Leuven.

Within the square is one of the numerous Leuven statues:

Statue by Fred Bellefroid built in 1984 in honour of the kotmadam. “Kot” is Flemish slang for a student room, and the “kotmadam” is the landlady of the building, who would prepare meals for the students, tidy their rooms and help them when help was needed.

*from the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Belgium and Luxembourg