A UNESCO World Heritage site: The Grand Béguinage of Leuven

Today, the Grand Béguinage of Leuven is the residence of visiting academicians and students of the University of Leuven. The earliest béguinages were set up in the 12th century to house poor and elderly beguines (a religious movement of women) whose numbers owing to the death of men to violence, war, and the military operations of that era.

A béguinage includes a courtyard and several dwellings and is often surrounded by a wall and gates and is secluded from the town where it is located.

Today this old area of Leuven is sometimes used as a set for films depicting an older history of Europe.

This area was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998.