Grote Markt (Leuven)

The Grote Markt (Dutch for Big Square) of Leuven is situated between the Oude Markt ("Old Square") and the Fochplein (Foch's Place, named for French field-marshal Ferdinand Foch) and near both the Bondgenotenlaan ("Avenue of the Allied Forces") and the Muntstraat ("Coin/Currency Street").

Its location on the crossing of some of Leuven's most famous and most touristic spots makes de Grote Markt one of the city's busiest squares. However, it has been pedestrian-friendly for some years; only public transportation busses from De Lijn are allowed to use the square.

Buildings

This location is one of the oldest en most historical in the whole of Leuven and the square has existed in its present form since the 14th Century, when the Catholic University Leuven or KUleuven, was established. Most of the square's building are built in the gothic style, of which the town hall is a prime example.

Other remarkable buildings on the Grote Markt are the Church of S.-Peter and some beautiful guild houses. As throughout Leuven, there is nolack on the Grote Markt of pubs, taverns and eateries. Though there is a stark contrast between the more formal and traditional establishments on the Grote Markt and the more trendy, youth-oriented entertainment spots on the nearby Oude Markt.

Events

As is the case on Leuven's other big squares, such as the Oude Markt and the Ladeuzeplein ("Ladeuze Square"), the Grote Markt often is used for cultural and other events.

Flower Carpet

One yearly event is the temporary transformation of the Grote Markt into one big flower carpet, each year with some theme, such as 2007's theme "200th anniversary of the fire department".

In 2005 an embarrassing administrative oversight caused the yearly flower carpet, completely made out of [begonia|begonias] that year, to coincide with the opening and start of thelocal cycling contest Jef Scherens. To avoid the cyclists having to start their contest out of the carpet of flowers, mayor Louis Tobback proposed a compromise: the cyclists would start their race from the outskirts of the square instead of the center and as compensation the theme of that year's flower carpet became a "tribute to cycling".

Summer Events

Since 20 odd years, the city of Leuven tries to compensate the lack in summer of students and their associated social activities by organizing a number of summer events. Some of these take place on, among other places, the Grote Markt, such as:

* Beleuvenissen - weekly concerts on July Friday nights, with fitting themes such as salsa, tropical, jazz, blues
* Hapje-Tapje (literally: "a little snack - a small drink") - a gastronomical "market" during which participating restaurants set up stalls on the streets and squares of Leuven and offer small plates of their best food for a bargain price.

Planting of the Maypole

One of the oldest events is the planting of the Maypole which, in contrast with the British version, is not a pole as such but an actual tree, in Leuven usually a large birch tree. The origin of the Maypole celebration in Leuven is a century old dispute between the neighboring cities of Leuven and Brussels:

The tradition goes back seven centuries and according to the local folklore commemorates a victory of Brussels over Leuven, although others claim the originwas a wedding ceremony during which a nobleman from Leuven married a lower class girl from Brussels. The nobleman gave money to celebrate the patron saint of Lawrence of Rome en plant a Maypole in his honor.

However, the legend is told slightly differently in Brussels then in Leuven. One day in the year 1213 a wedding was held in a pub in Brussels. During the festivities, the guests noticed a gang of troublemakers from Leuven. A fight broke out and just when the wedding guests from Brussels were losing the fight, some guild members of the guild of St.-Lawrencecame to their rescue. The Leuven gang lost and John III, duke of Brabant gave the guild members permission to plant a Maypole., each year on August 9th. But this privilege would be lost should ever the people of Leuven manage to capture the tree before 5 pm."