Louvain-la-Neuve Tourist Attractions
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The university town of Louvain-la-Neuve is a product of the conflict between the Walloons and the Flemish. When this confrontation reached another zenith in 1968 the Flemish expelled their Walloon colleagues from the Catholic University of Leuven founded in 1425.
Townscape
In Louvain-la-Neuve it was intended to try out new forms of residence and living. More than 80 architects wanted to turn away from the idea of a large town and to recreate the intimate character of small areas as they were in a medieval town; therefore around the urban center brick was the preferred material for the buildings in the narrow little streets. Here pedestrians have priority; the station access roads and parking lots are sited underground and from them a system of passages, branching out in all directions, leads into the open air.The center of the town is the main square with the concrete university hall, the Church of Saint-François d'Assise and the Museum of the Archaeological and Art History Institute in which sculpture from the 12th to the 18th C. is displayed. Around the center are grouped the residential buildings of the parts of the town called Bruyères, Hocaille, Lauzelle and Biéreau; to the east towards the motorway lie the science park and the large buildings of the cyclotron. Relaxation from studies can be enjoyed in the provincial estate the "Bois des Rêves".
Surroundings
Lac de Genval
A little outside Rixensart lies the Lac de Genval which is a favorite rendezvous at weekends for the people of nearby Brussels; it has excellent facilities for angling and a considerable number of good restaurants.
Genval - Water and Fountain Museum
The Water and Fountain Museum features a collection of fountains from the past. Other displays highlight the development of water distribution.
La Hulpe
A little further to the west of Rixensart lies La Hulpe where the Belgian paper industry had its beginnings. Today it is an elegant residential quarter of Brussels with eight little châteaux. A walk in the Domaine Solvay, named after the industrial family, who in the 19th C. owned the château in the middle of the park, is well worth while. Today the château is a cultural center.
Wavre
Wavre, 6km/4miles to the north of Louvain-la-Neuve, has three attractions: the museum of living water plants in the suburb of Limal, the Walibi Adventure Park and the Aqualibi aqua park.
Aqualibi
Some of the attractions to be found at this water park include a wavepool, waterslides, a jacuzzi and solarium.
Living Water Plant Museum
An unusual open-air museum of living water plants is in the suburb of Limal, with over 800 species of plants.
Rixensart - Château de Mérode
In the township of Rixensart, 8km/5miles northwest, the pretty red brick Château de Mérode was built between 1631 and 1632. It is square with four corner towers and many windows and is open to the public. It is impressive because of its tasteful furnishings which include Gobelin tapestries, Louis XV pieces, pictures (including some by Nattier and Tischbein) as well as a collection of weapons which the French mathematician Monge brought back from Napoleon's Egyptian campaign.
Hot Air Balloon Festival
In 5km/3miles west lies Céroux-Mousty where in May a festival of hot air ballooning is held, attracting many visitors.
Ottignies - Bois de Reves
Spread over 50 ha, this provincial estate provides ample walking paths for visitors.
