St Pieterskerk & Museum voor Religieuze Kunst

The oldest church in Leuven, the current Gothic building was built in the 15th century, on the site of the old church, although it took many years to complete properly due to lack of funds and the fact that the foundations were not stable enough to support the tall towers. As a result of having to shorten the towers, the church now has a slightly truncated look about it. Housed in the church is the Museum of Religious Art which contains three paintings by Dieric Bouts (1415-75) who was the town’s official artist; of particular interest is his painting of The Last Supper showing Christ and his disciples in a Flemish dining room with the half-built Stadhuis just visible through one of the windows. Also contained within the Museum is the shrine of St Margaret of Leuven, otherwise known as Proud Margaret, the patron saint of serving girls whose story is illustrated in a series of paintings.

M Museum

Designed by Stéphane Beel and opened in 2009, the building integrates existing historical buildings with contemporary architecture and from the roof of the museum there is a splendid view across the city. The permanent collection consists of two major groups - the first being a unique collection of late-gothic paintings and sculptures, the second consisting of 19th-century paintings and sculptures by various Flemish masters including Constantin Meunier, Jef Lambeaux and Georges Minne. There are also temporary exhibitions where contemporary art is showcased. www.mleuven.be