Living in Les Bruyères

South of the lake of Louvain-la-Neuve, a neighbourhood built to meet student demand, which has become more mixed over the years: collective housing, houses around it, EPHEC, and the centre about ten minutes away on foot.

The neighbourhood

Les Bruyères owes its name to the heathland cleared to build the neighbourhood, by the lake. It was launched to meet strong student demand, with many collective buildings, kots and shared flats. Around it and further south, houses and more recent blocks have given the neighbourhood a more mixed face, with families and less noise than in the centre.

The streets are named after Belgian artists and tools, such as avenue du Ciseau or place de l'Équerre, which serves as a landmark. The lake and its banks are at the end of the street.

Getting around

• On foot, the centre and the station are about ten minutes away, and EPHEC a stone's throw.
• Bus 31 links place de l'Équerre to the centre and Ottignies, until about 8 pm on weekdays. The train leaves from the urban centre.
• By bike, the university offers free shelters with your student card.
• A Cambio shared car is parked on place de l'Équerre, handy for a one-off trip.

Schools nearby

EPHEC has its campus on avenue du Ciseau, with bachelor's degrees in management and technology. The urban centre and its faculties of humanities, law and management are barely a quarter of an hour away on foot.

Everyday life

The lake is the neighbourhood's great asset, for walking, running or revising outdoors as soon as the weather turns fine. For the rest, the shops, the cinema and going out are in the centre. UCLouvain is planning new kots on avenue du Ciseau: the neighbourhood is set to keep changing.

Housing

The choice is varied: kots, shared flats, studios and rooms in the owner's home, which makes it one of the most diverse neighbourhoods in town. On place de l'Équerre, the Neussart residence, for female students only, offers half-board rooms with personalised support.

For whom?

A good choice if you study at EPHEC, if you want quiet close to the centre, or if a room in the owner's home appeals to you.

Less suited if you want to live among the cafés, and be mindful of the neighbours: part of the neighbourhood is family-oriented.

Torn between this and another neighbourhood? Compare them in Where to search.