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About the Venue

The symposium will be held at the Thermotechnisch Institute on the grounds of the Arenberg Castle in the science campus of KU Leuven in Belgium.

 

KU Leuven is Belgium's largest and highest-ranked university. We are home over 200 plant scientists, collectively forming the Leuven Plant Institute. KU Leuven also celebrates its 600th anniversary in 2025 and the city will feature many fun activities for all ages to celebrate this historic event.

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Leuven is easily and conveniently reachable from major cities all over the world, located only a short 15 min train journey from Brussels International Airport (Zaventem).

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Getting here

Leuven City is 15 minute train ride from Brussels Airport Zaventem (BRU) with direct flights from many major destinations.

Leuven City is a short train ride from Brussels South station (30 min), which has direct train connections to major nearby cities, including Paris, London, Amsterdam, Cologne etc.

The city of Leuven and the Arenberg campus are short drives from Brussels airport or train stations. Parking is available on campus upon request

Train tickets within Belgium can be booked via https://www.belgiantrain.be/en

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The Arenberg campus is accessible from Leuven train station via a direct bus connection:

Bus 2 from Leuven Station Bus-stop 6 to Heverlee Kasteel Arenberg. Bus tickets can be paid for on the bus using a tap-enabled credit card or Apple/Google Pay. Alternatively, purchase tickets/passes via https://www.delijn.be/en/. Passes are valid in all cities in Flanders (including Ghent). 

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Leuven is a bike-friendly city and bikes (including e-bikes) are available for rental at Leuven train station and are a convenient way to reach campus as well.

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Taxis and Uber are also available for local commuting between hotels and the campus.

Accommodation Options

There are several hotels, hostels as well as AirBnBs available in Leuven. Some are listed below in order of distance from campus (nearest to furthest by public transport). This list is not exhaustive and we recommend using travel sites like Hotels.com or Booking.com for more options.

​Hotels:

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  1. Hotel The Lodge-Heverlee: This hotel is located right next to campus and is highly convenient. They have a limited supply of rooms and hence early booking is recommended.​​
     

  2. Begijnhof Hotel: This slightly upscale hotel is conveniently located a 15 min walk to both campus and the city centre in a historic UNESCO World Heritage site.
     

  3. Ibis Budget Hotel: This budget option is located at Leuven Train Station. 
     

  4. Park Inn by Radisson: This hotel is located at Leuven Train Station.
     

  5. Novotel Leuven Centrum: Located a short walk to Leuven Bus Station and Train Station.
     

  6. Ibis Leuven Centrum: Located in the heart of the city, convenient to commute to campus by bike or bus.

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Hostels:

Hostels are a popular budget accommodation choice for students, especially those travelling in groups. Some options include:

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  1. https://www.jeugdherbergen.be/en/leuven

  2. https://www.leuvencityhostel.com/home/

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In addition to these options, we encourage you to search for options on AirBnB and other BnB sites.

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