The conference is located in the University Hall (AD 1317), right in the centre of Leuven. All facilities, hotels and train station are at walking distance. A map of area can be found on the Travel page.

The university hall was built in 1317 and its original function was that of Cloth Hall. At that time, it only comprised the gothic style ground floor. In 1432, the newly founded university moved into one of the wings. After the entire building was sold to the university in 1679, the baroque style first floor was added.  The hall was used as a lecture hall until the First World War.

The city of Leuven

Located at a stone’s throw from Brussels and connected conveniently to the Brussels International Airport, the old Burgundian university town of Leuven lies at the very heart of Europe. Few towns in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium, appeal to the imagination more than this heaven for students, where history, culture, art, architecture, gastronomy and modern science converge together to form a compelling cocktail. From the dazzling Gothic Town Hall to the magnificent Saint-Peter’s church, from a delicious locally-brewed pint to the lively student atmosphere of the Old Market Square, from the oldest university in the Low Countries to the world-renowned micro and nanoelectronics research centre imec, Leuven offers to you never-ending possibilities more than what you have expected. As the slogan goes, this town is “centuries old but alive and kicking” (originally in Dutch: Eeuwenoud, springlevend). You are cordially invited to experience this city and moreover guaranteed to come back again.

You are advised to visit the official website of stad Leuven at http://www.leuven.be/en for more information. More specifically, you can contact Tourism Office Leuven In&Uit, which is located just opposite to the university hall where the PowerMEMS conference will be held. The contact details of In&Uit are as following:

Tel. : + 32 (0)16 20 30 20
Fax : + 32 (0)16 20 30 03
E-mail : tourism@leuven.be
Opening hours : Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. all year.
Address : Townhall, Naamsestraat 1, 3000 Leuven

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, or Catholic University of Leuven

For almost six centuries, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (K.U.Leuven) has been a centre of learning. Founded in 1425 by Pope Martin V, K.U.Leuven bears the double honor of being the oldest existing Catholic university in the world and the oldest university in the Low Countries. Its history is linked to a long list of glorious names: the humanist Desiderius Erasmus, the Pope Adrian VI (Adriaan Cardinal Florensz of Utrecht), the philologist, legal scholar and historian Justus Lipsius, the mathematician Gemma Frisius, the cartographer Gerard Mercator, the botanist Rembert Dodoens, the father of modern anatomy Andreas Vesalius……

Today, K.U.Leuven is widely recognized for its high quality teaching and research. It is a charter member of the League of European Research Universities and European surveys consistently ranks K.U.Leuven among the top ten European universities in terms of its scholarly output. Likewise with regard to teaching, several quality surveys demonstrate that K.U.Leuven stands on par with the internationally respected institutions in a large number of fields.

This academic excellence attracts students and researcher from not only Belgium but also Europe and all over the world. Multiple international exchange and cooperation programs, such as the Erasmus program, the Socrates program and alike, have established a close link between K.U.Leuven and many other universities throughout the world. A dynamic international dimension has become a distinct feature of K.U.Leuven.

At present, K.U.Leuven caters to more than 31,000 students, around 12% of whom are international students from more than 120 nations. In terms of personnel, there are 5,287 academic staff, 2,730 administrative and technical staff, and 8,172 university hospital staff members. The university is composed of 14 faculties, 50 departments and about 240 sub-departments. Further, its network of 30 auxiliary libraries now houses a total of 4.3 million volumes, 14,500 magazines and journals, and 7,492 full text electronic magazines.

Hopefully, this brief introduction can give you a vivid picture of K.U.Leuven. For further information about yesterday, today and tomorrow of this renowned university, you are advised to explore its official website at http://www.kuleuven.be/english/.

Banquet venue

Conference banquet will take place in Faculty Club located at the historical site of the Grand Beguinage (in Dutch: Groot Begijnhof), which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in March 2000. The Faculty Club offers a unique mix of the very best circumstances and all the modern comforts. Even the most demanding customers will be guaranteed with a delightful culinary experience. For further information, please visit the official website http://www.facultyclub.be/en.

The Grand Beguinage of Leuven is a well preserved and completely restored historical quarter originally for a community of unmarried, semi-religious women as of the early 13^th century. A Latin description on the church mentions 1234 as the founding date. The Grand Beguinage of Leuven has the appearance of a small town in its own, with houses planned along a network of narrow streets and small squares. The majority of the houses on site today date back from the period 1630-1670. They were constructed in the local, traditional architecture with some sober, baroque elements. After restorations carried out in the 1960s and 1970s, the Grand Beguinage is now owned by the K.U.Leuven and used as the residential area for international visiting professors and scholars.

Lunch possibilities

Leuven offers a wide variety of places to eat from simple sandwich bars to refined dining restaurants.

The Muntstraat, with a lot of cosy restaurants.

• There are many good eateries and a great atmosphere in the Muntstraat, very different styles from classical French Belgian cuisine to Mexican, Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese. Consult the brand new website for more information.
• More common, bigger restaurants can be found right next to City Hall on the Grand Place.
• The area around the Oude Markt (Old Market) and Parijsstraat has many smaller restaurants and bars, the Old Market is sometimes jokingly called the longest bar in Europe.
• The Martelarenplein houses a lot of restaurants and bars just a stone’s throw away from the railway station.
• Try fresh North Sea Mussels, during their season (roughly August-March). Every year, you’ll see the big signs announcing their arrival in front of many restaurants.
• Many Belgians enjoy french fries and snacks in a Frietkot if they’re looking for a quick and cheap bite. Don’t leave Belgium until you’ve tried it!

Please note that smoking is not allowed in restaurants.