Day Trips to Take in Leuven: Park Abbey

Have you ever had family visiting you in Belgium and you aren’t sure what to show them? IHL recently took a trip to Park Abbey in Leuven and found it to be the perfect outing for a group of people. Check out our itinerary (put together with the help of Visit Leuven) we did with a large group of internationals for some inspiration for your next outing when friends and family visit you in Belgium!

By
International House Leuven
31 May 2024

Schedule for the Day

Below is a suggested schedule for a day trip to Park Abbey:

12:00-14:00: Picnic at Park Abbey
14:00-16:00: Parcum tour
16:00-17:00: Walk around Park Abbey
17:00: Drinks at Park Abbey cafe

Before Coming to the Park

We recommend packing a lunch to enjoy as a picnic in the Park. There are plenty of great restaurants in Leuven where you can get takeout, or you can stop by a grocery store to build your own lunch.

If you are visiting on a Sunday, you could pick up some delicious treats at Heverlee market for your picnic.

Getting to Park Abbey

Park Abbey is easy to get to from Leuven Train station via bus. It only takes about 15-20 minutes with the bus. You can get bus tickets in the De Lijn app, there are also group ticket options for groups between 10-30 people at a reduced rate. Check out all the other ways to arrive at Park Abbey here.

Picnic in the Park

We enjoyed a lovely picnic in the park with a group of internationals, an activity we can highly recommend! While there are a few wooden benches to sit on, bringing a picnic blanket to sit on was helpful. We had our picnic here, it was a nice, quiet green space, the perfect spot for a picnic!

Tour the PARCUM Museum

After picnicking in the Park, we took a tour of the PARCUM Museum at the Abbey. This tour offered a great look at what life was like living in the Abbey. Many of the rooms have been preserved and offer an insightful look into a historical building. During the tour, you’ll get to see interesting artifacts, beautiful rooms (including an impressive library!), stained glass windows, beautiful architecture, and more. This tour is certainly worth doing while you’re at Park Abbey.

Want to book a tour? Visit the Park Abbey website for pricing and availability. Audio guides are available in Dutch, French, and English. If you are interested in going with a large group, it is best to contact Park Abbey to arrange a tour.

Drinks at Park Abbey

Most Abbeys in Belgium brew their own beer, and Park Abbey is no exception. De Abdijmolen, is a cafe in the center of Park Abbey to enjoy a nice drink! It’s a great place to relax and enjoy the quiet nature around the Abbey.

Additional Things to do at Park Abbey

If all the above activities haven’t filled your day yet, we can recommend taking a walk around Park Abbey. It’s quite big and there is a lot to see! The walk takes you along the 3 lakes of the Abbey that have been there for over 900 years. You’ll spot plenty of birds and perhaps even a few cows grazing in the pastures or rabbits hopping in the fields!

If you happen to be at the Abbey Tuesday-Saturday, you can stop by the Abbey shop called De Wikke that features local Belgian beers, yogurt made from the Abbey cows, tasty homemade bread, and other things that have been grown on the Abbey grounds.

Share With Your Friends and Family

The next time you have visitors in Belgium, we highly recommend taking them to Park Abbey. For more information on Park Abbey and things to do in the area, visit the Park Abbey website. If you need more inspiration for things to do in Leuven, check out Visit Leuven’s site for ideas!

Still Not Sure?

Check out the video of our trip!

Something wrong or unclear on this page? Let us know.
This page was last updated on: 9 July 2024