Walkable cities: Leuven

University city Leuven, 15 miles east of Brussels, is where the Big Bang theory of the universe originated and boasts one of the best-known Gothic town halls in the world, sitting proudly in the Grote Markt square.

Author Victor Hugo recommended that statues of people associated with the city be placed in the building’s empty niches. As a result, the town hall façade became a local hall of fame after 1850, some 400 years after it was built.

Across the cobbled courtyard, Dieric Bouts’ masterpieces The Martyrdom of St Erasmus and The Last Supper are displayed in St Peter’s Church. Mixed- reality headsets bring the artworks to life through 3D holograms. Continue to M Leuven for more art at the nearby museum.

For panoramic city views, visit the tower at the university library, which overlooks Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein. This public square is home to Totem, an enormous, surreal statue of an upturned beetle impaled on a needle. Created in 2004, the sculpture celebrates science and technology at the acclaimed KM Leuven university.

Leuven is renowned for its brewing heritage and you’ll find beer tours, adventure walks and festivals celebrating the local brews. Nicknamed ‘the longest bar in Europe’, the Oude Markt is an ideal spot to sample Belgian beer.

You can also arrange a guided tour of the Stella Artois brewery. First created in Leuven in 1926, the original pilsner served here is stronger than the exports.

Other sites to take in on your tour include the UNESCO listed Great Beguinage, formerly a convent community which now belongs to the university, and Park Abbey, one of the best preserved abbey sites in Europe.

And don’t forget to sample the Belgian chocolate! Pop into Bittersweet for delectable, artisan creations.

Step count: 9,000

Getting there: Take the train via London and change at Brussels Midi or fly to Brussels Airport and go by train to Leuven in just 15 minutes.