Top 6 Caves around Leuven

Lourdes grotto at the foot of the Eikelberg.

The Lourdes Grotto was built by the late Jef Van Dessel, a former Aarschot police officer. He cycled from Aarschot to Lourdes several times. From the book "The Little Houses of Aarschot": This collection of grottoes and chapels is located on the property adjacent to Grotstraat and Kleine Grotstraat... This busy pilgrimage site, which dates back to 1954, can be entered through an iron gate... The plot is demarcated with gray-painted concrete slabs and a wire fence at the rear. Within this fence, trees and shrubs are scattered throughout. Pilgrims can use the numerous seating areas arranged in a theater-like fashion. At the front right of the property is the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. A Calvary, also arranged in the form of a grotto, stands centrally on the property. To the left of the Calvary is the chapel of the Brustem Sisters, and to the right is the semi-open chapel of St. Rita. This and more can be found at https://lourdesgrotten.com/2008/11/20/aarschot-grotstraat-20-11-8/

Park Cerckel, in the Michel Theysstraat, breathes almost 800 years of history. In 1228, the order of the Friars Minor, one of the oldest monastic communities in Diest, established itself on the banks of the Demer. A large part of Diest was destroyed in 1580 by the troops of William of Orange, including the Friars Minor monastery. Soldiers robbed the tomb of Anna van Lotharingen (wife of René van Chalon). She was later reburied by the city council in the Sint-Sulpitius church. After 3 years of exile, the Friars Minor returned and started rebuilding. At the end of the 18th century, the monastery was sold publicly by the French, which meant the end for the Friars Minor in Diest. Only the infirmary and the round-arched gate were preserved. During the 19th century, the beer industry in Diest experienced strong growth. Brewery family Pieck - later Cerckel - bought about half of the monastery domain and transformed it into a beautiful pleasure garden. The vegetable gardens became a pond with a beautiful wrought iron bridge, the former monastery infirmary was converted into a garden pavilion with an orangery in its extension. When Brewery Cerckel disappeared, the beautiful city garden also fell into disrepair. In 1990, the city of Diest bought the park. With the renovation of the pond, bridge, cave and round arch gate, the park has welcomed the public again since April 2011. The infirmary and orangery are also being restored to their former glory. Source: https://www.diest.be/vrije-tijd/sport/wandelen/park-cerckel

On the Oude Velmseweg (opposite house no. 26 and to the right of house no. 21) there is a Lourdes chapel, with a Lourdes grotto inside. Source: https://lourdesgrotten.com/2009/08/10/landen-attenhoven-oude-velmseweg-10-8-9/

The park needs a bit of maintenance after the long works in the area, including the adjacent hospital. But that is coming. Some things have already been restored. And something beautiful is coming: they are busy renovating the old infirmary, conservatory and orangery. That will be beautiful.

The Heldensquare is more of a memorial than a monument. As a monument, it commemorates the victims of Belgian independence, the First World War and the Second World War. The place where the Heldensquare is located used to be a pond, a fact that was included in the concept. The square is sunken and surrounded by benches, planters, trees, a broken stone wall and various works of art. The monument itself consists of a sculptural ensemble in bronze and bluestone with a brick wall next to it with the names of the fallen and the text "VOOR UW VRIJHEID ZIJN MENSEN GESDIVEN". Around the bronze dome with the statues you will find the names of four places from which soil was brought to Tienen in urns: Dachau, Zwickau, Stalag IA and Breendonk. The whole was created by local architect Jacques Piron and sculptor Georges Van de Voorde. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: War Memorial Heldensquare, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/214961

You enter and exit the cave via rather large stairs and see all kinds of thank-you notes from believers who once came here. At the entrance of the cave (on the right) there is also a frame with some explanation about Our Lady of the Pool. According to that sign, the remains of a pious man named Thierry were found around 1050. He came from Campen and was a lecturer at the University of Paris. He had also made a promise of eternal chastity to the Virgin Mary. A chapel was built at the site of the murder with the permission of Jan I, Duke of Brabant. And he was baptized, you guessed it, Our Lady of the Pool. Hundreds of pilgrims would come to Tienen and the chapel every year to venerate the Virgin Mary, who was soon regarded as the Queen of the city and its surroundings. And you can read and experience the rest here, in the immediate vicinity of the church and – literally – in the depths when you go down the stairs.

Mary's cave located on the southern slope of the Eikelberg surrounded by trees in the protected nature reserve "De Eikelberg". The cave was founded in 1954 (see date on the altar: "KWB/ 1954") by the "Christian Workers Movement". The construction of the Marian Grotto took place during the last revival of the construction of Lourdes Grottoes in the 1950s-1960s. The placement took place at the insistence of Pastor Bax in consultation with the board of the workers' union. The then mayor of den Eynde de Rivieren made land available. According to the literature, the material for the construction would come from the broken up road in Putkapel (Wilsele), possibly cheap demolition material was used in the core of the cave. The dedication took place on August 15, 1954. The cave is made of irregular Walloon natural stone blocks and is 5 meters high and 13 meters wide. Top right Marianis with simple statue of Mary. The altar in the niche consists of a bluestone slab on white natural stone supported by two white natural stone pedestals. Triangular bluestone shield under altar with inscription: "KWB/ 1954". On an old postcard there is an image of Bernadette Soubirou to the left in front of the cave as well as some simple benches, image disappeared today. Immovable Heritage Inventory: Marian Caves, https://id.erfgoed.net/themas/17293