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Great Beguinage of Leuven

Great Beguinage of Leuven

Highlight • Historical Site

Great Beguinage of Leuven

Name: Great Beguinage of Leuven
Rating: 2

Recommended by 23 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

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Groot Begijnhof

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Location: Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Best Hikes to Great Beguinage of Leuven

4.6

(22)

190

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1. Oude Markt Leuven – Leuven Town Hall loop from Leuven

8.17km

02:06

40m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

5.0

(5)

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2. Leuven Town Hall – Saint Michael's Church loop from Janseniushof

6.90km

01:46

30m

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Easy

4.8

(6)

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3. View of Park Abbey and Ponds – Park Abbey loop from Leuven

10.8km

02:46

40m

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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Moderate

Tips

February 23, 2025

The oldest and largest of the two Leuven beguinages is located in the southwest of the city, enclosed by the Redingenstraat in the west, the Zwartzustersstraat in the north and the Schapenstraat in the east.

Originally, the grounds of the beguinage extended further south of the farm to the second city wall, the current Tervuursevest.

The layout of the Groot Begijnhof is strongly determined by the local hydro- and topography. The oldest core of the beguinage is the part between the Schapenstraat in the east and the Kleine Dijle in the west. Due to the eastern slope, the buildings are organized along two north-south axes: the Bovenstraat and the Middenstraat.

The Gothic beguinage church and the complex with the infirmary and the farm are located south of the east-west axis, the Rechtestraat, and the Kleine Dijle. The more recent extension of the beguinage on the island between the two Dijle arms has a less strict organisation of the buildings along the extension of the Rechtestraat and its side street, the Benedenstraat. The houses of the third extension west of the main arm of the Dijle, also called the Spanish or Soldiers' Quarter, are built around an inner courtyard.

Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Groot Begijnhof , id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/125415

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February 23, 2025

The Great Beguinage was founded in the ducal domain of Ten Hove, in a low-lying area along the Dijle and outside the first city wall of Leuven. The permission to build a beguinage chapel in 1232 is the first written mention of the beguinage. The official foundation followed in 1234; this is recalled by the early 14th-century inscription on the buttress to the left of the side portal of the church. Before it became an independent parish in 1250, the beguinage was first part of the Saint-Quentin parish. The infirmary was first mentioned in 1263. An inscription on the buttress to the right of the side portal of the beguinage church mentions the start of the construction of the beguinage church in 1305.

The beguinage church (14th-15th century) is the oldest building in the complex. A few other buildings date from the 16th century, but the vast majority of the buildings date from the 17th century, when the beguinage experienced an unprecedented boom. Around 1700, the beguinage had about eighty houses and ten convents, houses in which several beguines lived together under the leadership of a convent mistress.

During the 18th century, the decline set in until the beguinage was closed down by the French in 1798. In 1803, a community of 124 beguines was able to move back into the beguinage and take the church back into service. During the 19th and 20th centuries, however, the number of beguines continued to decline, from twenty beguines in 1895 to two in 1962. The University of Leuven purchased the beguinage in 1963, after which a large-scale phased restoration of the complex was undertaken.

Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Large Beguinage, id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/125415

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Hebari Hike&Bike

February 6, 2025

The Great Beguinage of Leuven, also known as Beguinage Ten Hove, is a well-preserved and fully restored historic district of about ten streets in the south of the city center, located on the Schapenstraat, not far from the Naamsepoort. It is one of the largest still existing beguinages in Flanders (see also beguinage), with a built-up area of approximately 3 ha. The Dijle flows right through the court and splits into two arms (plus a connecting ditch), over which there are three bridges in total. In our opinion, this is one of the most beautiful districts of Leuven. So when visiting Leuven, a must

Translated by Google •

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Elevation 30 m

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Monday 8 December

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Location: Flemish Brabant, Flanders, Belgium

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Great Beguinage of Leuven

1. Oude Markt Leuven – Leuven Town Hall loop from Leuven

2. Leuven Town Hall – Saint Michael's Church loop from Janseniushof

3. View of Park Abbey and Ponds – Park Abbey loop from Leuven

Other Popular Places to Check Out

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