Louvain-la-Neuve: the university campus has become a major socio-cultural commercial and technological centre.
The city of Louvain-la-Neuve owes its creation to the linguistic crisis that broke out in the late 1960s at the University of Louvain. Following a split between the French-speaking and Dutch-speaking communities, the decision was made to create a new campus that would accommodate the principal site of the Francophone university. The first residents moved there in the early 1970s. Since then, the city has never stopped developing, and the beet fields have gradually given way to a unique urban environment.
With nearly 30,000 students, the Catholic University of Louvain, the premiere university of the French Community, is a true centre of knowledge and a considerable driving force for the region, especially for the many companies in the four neighbouring science and technology parks.

Much more than a reference for town planners around the world, Louvain-la-Neuve, a pedestrian city on a human scale, astonishes its visitors and delights its inhabitants. It provides a stimulating balance among the excitement of a cultural centre, a varied sports and leisure offering, a multitude of shops and services for the residents, and an overall spirit of enterprise and conviviality.
And with the shores of the lake, the parks and the 265 hectares of surrounding woods, Louvain-la-Neuve remains, above all, a very satisfying place to live.
Close to the cities of Wavre, Waterloo, Leuven, Namur and Brussels, Louvain-la-Neuve’s extensive public transport network and immediate proximity to motorways make the city especially accessible.
Moreover, thanks to its commitment to accessibility, in 2013 the city of Louvain-la-Neuve obtained the European EDEN label which awards Tourist Destinations of Excellence.