Today brought the most wonderful adventure that I believed deserved its own post. I decided when I woke up this morning that I was going to visit Kasteel van Arenberg, this beautiful chateau located just outside Leuven that reminded me much of Downton Abbey. How did I find this gem, you may be asking? Instagram.
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| There's a moat, too! |
Before arriving in Leuven, I looked up the city's "geotag" on the social media site to discover that this place existed. How neat is that? I found a girl who is actually studying abroad here and started scrolling through her pictures to discover the castle was within walking distance of my residence. After googling "Kasteel van Arenberg" I learned that this place has tons of history, and I mean tons. Since the 12th century, this has been the chateau of the lords of the Heverlee until the 15th century when it was passed from family to family during the Renaissance period.
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| You can find pretty little things everywhere you look. |
Just before the first World War, the duke at the time was trying to sell the chateau to the University of Leuven. Unfortunately, it was seized by the Germans and Austrians once WWI rolled around. It wasn't until 1921 that the University of Leuven gained ownership of the building. Today, it acts as the engineering campus for our university. I can't imagine getting to go to class in a chateau everyday...how dreamy!
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| Belgium's very own Downton Abbey |
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| The first signs of spring - the tulips are starting to pop up too! |
The walk there was so beautiful. Leuven is surrounded by one big loop/highway that acts as the entrance/exit for the city. In order to get to Kasteel van Arenberg, you must cross this highway and then continue onward down this beautiful path lined with old homes and vine-covered fences and gates. If you're from Indianapolis - think Meridian Street, but 10x's more European. It was so romantic. I'm thinking this will be the perfect place to run once it gets a bit warmer out. Upon finally arriving to the castle, you can walk on the grounds and explore.
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| Another building just next to the castle with the neatest watermills. |
We even got to pet a few doggies being walked along the way! An afternoon well spent - but tomorrow it's back to class!
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