Conference Site
 Leuven is one of
Europe's most ancient university towns, and is ideally located.
Straddling the banks of the navigable Dijle River and the trade route
from Bruges to the Rhine territories, Leuven grew to become a major
trade and textile center. Town and university enjoyed many periods of
prosperity. The town hall, the famous 'Begijnhof', the churches,
cloisters and colleges stand silent witness to those days and make
Leuven the interesting place it is. Leuven is only 25 km away from
Brussels, the capital of Belgium and the center of the European Union.
Leuven is located very centrally in Flanders and in Belgium and is an
ideal starting point for many excursions.
The Conference will take place in the
unique setting of the Beguine Convent, the "Groot Begijnhof", listed as
a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This 'Begijnhof', or 'garden of the
Begijns', was founded in the 13th century outside the town
wall of the time. The oldest houses date from the 16th
century when the original houses were replaced by brick structures. The
'Groot Begijnhof' is now a University residential quarter for students,
professors, and employees of the University. The Infirmary of the
'Begijnhof' has been converted into the Faculty Club, a place for the
academic staff of the University to meet, and the Chièvres
Convent has been converted into a congress center.
Leuven is a small town. Its diameter does
not exceed a 25 minutes walk. The conference takes place at the south
edge of the town and the rail-way station is at the north-eastern edge
of the town. To see a map of Leuven with the Railway station (white
square at the right of the map) and the 'Begijnhof' (red circle), click
here. (opens new window)
This map gives an overview of the town. To
see more details, simply click on the region you want to see, and the
program returns you a more detailed map.
Travel Arrangement
 by train ...
The main railroad linking Köln-Brussels-Ostend passes
by Leuven (every hour). There is a train from Brussels to Leuven every
30 minutes.
The railway station is only a 15-minute-walk from the centre
of the city and the conference site. You can also take a taxi or a bus
(in front of the railway station) to the "Fochplein", the centre of the
city. There are busses every 10 minutes.
For information on train timetables, consult the following web site. (opens new window)
by plane ...
The national airport (ZAVENTEM) is at about 25 km from
Leuven. You can take a TAXI, but this is quite expensive (approximately
50 euro). You can also take the train in the airport (follow the train
pictograms) to Brussel NOORD (first call), which leaves every quarter
of an hour. Then you take the train to Luik/Liege, Welkenraedt,
Köln, Genk, or Leuven, which all call at Leuven. Prefer the
international or IC/IR trains because they do not stop too often. When
you leave the train and walk out of the building, you are looking in
the direction of the town centre. Right in front of the station you can
find taxis, busses, or you can walk.
For flight info from and to Brussels airport, please consult
the following web
site. (opens new window)
by car ...
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North-West
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West + South-West
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South
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South-East
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(North-)East
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Antwerpen, Amsterdam
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Gent, Oostende, Paris
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Luxembourg
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Liege
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Hasselt, Aachen,
Köln
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Ring around Antwerpen,
direction Brussel (E19)
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In Gent, direction
Brussel (E40)
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Direction Namur, Brussel
(E425)
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Direction Brussel (E40)
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Direction Leuven &
Brussel (A2)
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You arrive at the Ring
around Brussel, follow direction Luik/Liege (E40). After ten km, exit
Leuven, Genk, Aachen (A2).
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Take the exit Leuven,
Genk, Hasselt (A2)
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Exit Brussel, direction
Leuven
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Immediately leave the A2
(direction Leuven). After 4 km, you arrive at the red circle at the
bottom of this map
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You arrive at the red
circle at the left side of this map
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Attention:
If you want to drive to your hotel, mind the traffic loops
in Leuven. Enter Leuven as close to your hotel as possible.
Social Events
| Date |
Event |
| Sun September 19th 2004 |
Welcome reception
|
| Mon September
20th 2004 |
Visit of the famous Stella Artois brewery
|
| Tue September 21st 2004 |
Conference dinner
|
Hotels in Leuven
Hotel-accomodations can be found here.
An overview of all the hotel-locations and the conference-site can be
found on this map
Tourist Information
On the following page
you'll find links to interesting sites for tourists.
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