Leuven is a city east of Brussels, Belgium, known for its breweries. On a central square is the 15th-century town hall, with its tall spires. The building is decorated with hundreds of statues of local figures, biblical characters and saints. Opposite, the late Gothic St. Peter’s Church houses a “Last Supper” by the Flemish Primitive painter Dieric Bouts. Nearby, Oude Markt is a long square lined with bars and cafes.
Mechelen is a city between Brussels and Antwerp in northern Belgium. Inside the 13th-century St. Rumbold’s Cathedral is an imposing altar and a work by Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck. The attached St. Rumbold’s Tower offers 360-degree views of the city. Deportees to WWII concentration camps were held at Kazerne Dossin military barracks, where a museum and memorial commemorate the Jews and Gypsies who passed through.