Leuven, Belgium


Member since
2015Exchange dates | Duration |
---|---|
July 12, 2021 - July 30, 2021 | 2 weeks |
If the COVID19-situation allows safe travelling, we would love to exchange! |
|
August 07, 2021 - August 21, 2021 | 1 days |
Youhou, we have a tentative agreement with a family from Haute-Savoie! |
|
October 30, 2021 - November 06, 2021 | 1 |
Germany, France, ...? |
Open for tentative agreements (taking COVID into account). Green cycling/biking, lovely local food, and cultural heritage in Leuven. Welcome!
About our house
° an open plan living area, a fully equipped kitchen, four bedrooms (one kingsize bed, three single beds), office space, bathroom, two toilets, a terrace and a city garden which opens to a playground & a table tennis (we have rackets)
° situated within a 15 min walk of the historical center of Leuven (http://www.visitleuven.be/en)
We do not have cable television but we do have wifi, a dvd player with dvd's, and board games and toys!
We have a share in an ecological vegetable farm and in a local dairy farm nearby. You can pick up (prepaid) vegetables, cheese and yogurt in our street/next street! [between April and November].
° a nice ecological farmers shop is at a 5min walk and a great eco-cooperative is at a 15min walk.
° regular supermarkets at 10min walk, same for baker, butcher, etc
° smoke - shoe free!
ABOUT LEUVEN
° A medieval university city built around the river 'Dijle'
Unesco World Heritage - beguinages https://www.visitleuven.be/nl/groot-begijnhof
gothic townhall and cobble stoned car-free market places - www.visitleuven.be/nl/bezienswaardigheden
13th century botanical garden
12th century city walls with walking paths -
fine arts museum M - https://www.mleuven.be/en/home
roman, baroc and gothic churches - https://www.erfgoedcelleuven.be/nl/monumenten-en-sites/kerken
abbey of the Park, abbey of Vlierbeek, Kaiser's abbey
great coffee culture (https://mokcoffee.be/)
micro beer breweries (https://domusleuven.be/en/huisbrouwerij/)
three weekly markets, and tons of very affordable restaurants (we leave our favourites!)
brewery bike rides, canoe/kajak/SUP at the Dijle, guided walks - www.leuvenleisure.com/en/
Commonwealth War Cemetery - nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heverlee_War_Cemetery
adventure parc (free entrance) and open air swimming pool - www.vlaamsbrabant.be/vrije-tijd-cultuur/provinciedomeinen/kessello/attracties-en-recreatiemogelijkheden/index.jsp
swimming paradise and indoor playworld - https://www.sportoase.be/nl/philipssite
GREEN SURROUNDINGS OF LEUVEN:
° wood and forests: Heverleebos, Lindenbos, Chartreuzebos, and Meerdaelwoud - https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerdaalwoud,_Heverleebos_en_Egenhovenbos
° canal Leuven - Mechelen with biking and walking paths
° Leuven is a bike lover's dream with tons of well signposted cycling routes - compose your own route with the cycle nodes network - www.fietsroute.org/Cycle-Networks.php [we can offer you bikes]
° Leuven has plenty of great walking paths - compose your own track with the walking nodes network - www.wandelknooppunt.be/routeplanner
Watch one of the GR hiking trails in the area! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4z2YBXCwys&feature=youtu.be
° Natural Preservation Area Doode Bemde - www.natuurpunt.be/natuurgebied/doode-bemde
° walking in the vineyards at Houwaert - www.toerismevlaamsbrabant.be/producten/bezoeken/bezienswaardigheden/wijndomein-houwaartse-wijngaard/
° Natural Preservation Area 'Mene-Jordaanvallei' - www.natuurpunt.be/natuurgebied/mene-jordaanvallei
° Natural Preservation Area 'Hagelandse vallei' - www.natuurpunt.be/natuurgebied/hagelandse-vallei
30MIN BY CAR/TRAIN:
° BRUSSELS - https://visit.brussels/en
100+ musea (Comic Museum, Natural History, Train World, Auto World, Chocolate Museum, ...)
Atomium - https://atomium.be/home/cover?lang=en
Grand Place Unesco World Heritage Site - https://visit.brussels/en/place/Grand-Place
European Parlement
° MECHELEN - www.mechelen.be
medieval city with vibrant atmosphere
Kazerne Dossin: museum, memorial and documentation center on the transportation of Jewish and Roma people during WWII - https://www.kazernedossin.eu/EN/
Animal and adventure parc Planckendael - https://www.zooplanckendael.be/en/
Natural Preservation Area 'Rivers of Mechelen'
° CASTLES
Caslte of Arenberg (10min by car), at the river Dijle, now part of the university campus
Castle of Horst (25 min by car), a medieval castle surrounded by water and wood
Castle of Meise and Botanical Cardens (35 min by car) - https://www.plantentuinmeise.be/en/
Castle of Gaasbeek and Castel of Beersel (50 min by car)
° AMUSEMENT PARK WALIBI - www.walibi.be/en
attractions
water park Aqualibie (swimming paradise)
1h BY CAR/TRAIN
° ANTWERP - www.visitantwerpen.be/en
Historic center with cathedral, renaissance town hall Unesco Heritage, narrow streets, Grand-Place
Rubens house - https://www.rubenshuis.be/en
Antwerp Zoo - http://www.zooantwerpen.be/en
Chocolate Nation
Art Nouveau Central Station ranked as one of the most beautiful train stations in the world
12th century Fortress 'Het Steen' at the river Schelde
Red Star Line Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, Photo Museum, Home of Diamonds, Fashion Museum,...
° NAMEN, LUIK AND DINANT: CITIES IN THE FRENCH SPEAKING PART OF BELGIUM
Namen/Namur in French: cruises on the river Meuse and Sambre - www.namurtourisme.be/en/
2000 years old Citadel in Namur and in Dinant - www.citadellededinant.be/en/
Cathedral and Belfry in Namur
Préhistomuseum and Archéoforum in Luik (Liège in French) - www.visitezliege.be/en
Military heritage of Namur - 9 forts
Many castles in the area of river Meuse - https://www.valleedelameuse-tourisme.be/vie-de-chateau.html?lang=fr
Plenty of hiking paths
° BOKRIJK - www.bokrijk.be/en
Historal open air museum showing how people lived in Belgium in the middle-ages with actors
Medieval children games and workshops woodcarving, fire making, etc
Huge (and free) playground
1H30 or more away
° BRUGES (1h30)
* Venice of the North!
° BELGIAN COAST (2h)
Natural Sea Preservation Area 'Het Zwin' - www.zwin.be
WWII German Atlantikwall - www.raversyde.be/en/atlantikwall
°BELGIAN ARDENNES (south part, close to France, French-speaking, very hilly and rocky) 1h30
Caves and wildlife park of Han - grotte-de-han.be/en
Parc de Furfooz www.visitardenne.com/en/adventures-ardennes/outdoor-adventures/parc-de-furfooz
Thermal baths of Spa
Kayakking at river Lesse
ABOUT US
° We are a family who love hiking, good food, sustainable living, coffee bars (Stefaan), reading (all), yoga & pilates (the ladies), playing sax (Noah), dancing (Esra), and sewing (Anna). We lived abroad (Canada & Sweden), and currently enjoy all the pleasures of Leuven - a charming university city nestled in green and close to art cities and the capital.
° We offer you a tidy, clean and welcoming place, a fridge with local goodies and a large box with information.
° Preference for cleanliness and a considerate way in treating belongings. We will take very good care for your house
and are in search for swappers with the same mindset :-).
° Due to allergy: no dogs or heavy carpets.
° Rabbits + Tiby the cuddly tiger cat hope to be feeded.
Swap history (Intervac + Homelink)
2012: Waspik (NL)
2013: Vancouver Island (CA), Versailles (FR)
2014: Paris (FR), Dresden (DE)
2016: Boncelles (BE), Helsinki (FI), Freudenstadt (DE), Altensteig (DE), Mariestad (SE)
2017: Bruges (BE), Tecklenburg (DE), Hasselt (BE), Kristinehamn (SE), Berlin (DE), Stockholm (SE)
2018: Paris (FR)
2019: Berlin (DE), Eschbach (DE)
2020: Paris (FR)
Welcome to Leuven!
Our Family
- 2 Adults
- 3 Children
- 13 Exchanges made
Occupation
- university professor (psychology)
- engineer - math teacher
Our Home
- House Type: House
- Floor: 2
- Environment: In the city
- Bedrooms: 4
- Bathrooms: 1
- Sleeping Capacity: 5
- Living Area: 140 m2
References
In my house
- Pets - Not allowed
- Small children - Allowed
Exchange Types
- Home exchange
Indoor
- Free internet access
- Central heating
- Toys and games
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Clothes dryer
- Guitar
Outdoor
- Garden
- Terrace or deck
- Park / playground
- Bicycles: 4
Facilities
- No smoking
- Pet care wanted
Our Destination Wish List
- Open for all offers
- United Kingdom
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- Austria
- Germany
- France
- Belgium
Spoken Languages
- English
- Français
- Dutch
Occupation
- university professor (psychology)
- engineer - math teacher
Children
- Girl - Age: 16
- Boy - Age: 13
- Girl - Age: 11
Pets
- 5 rabbits (Lilli, Elsa, Blanca, Bollie & Bobo) in the garden
References
This member has completed 13 successful exchanges. Here are some members that he exchanged with in the past:
Seraing,
Belgium
BE065
Sint Michiels Brugge,
Belgium
BE418
Berlin,
Germany
DE1006137
Helsinki,
Finland
FI1146
LE PLESSIS TREVISE,
France
FR090124
Créteil,
France
FR090509
Mariestad,
Sweden
SE1008787
Sollentuna,
Sweden
SE1011333
Kristinehamn,
Sweden
SE1013304
Enköping ,
Sweden
SE11324