How popular is my audio guide to Leuven?

Two years ago I launched my audio guide to Leuven. It’s time to review if it’s been a success, and whether to produce another one elsewhere.

In May 2022 I created “600 Years of History and Heritage: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Leuven.” It’s a 60-90 minute walk through the centre of Leuven that you use via the VoiceMap app.

What’s VoiceMap?

I chose VoiceMap because of its ease of use with a smartphone. You simply put on your headphones, tap Start, and let VoiceMap (i.e. my commentary) guide you. You can follow the map to the next location. If you do wander off in the wrong direction, VoiceMap will play an audio alert. What I particularly like about it is that you can go at your own pace. So you can put the tour on pause, sit on a bench, buy an ice-cream, look round a museum, have lunch, and then just restart the commentary from where you left off.

What’s on the audio guide to Leuven?

My audio walking tour of Leuven starts in the Grote Markt, where you’ll see some of the most gorgeous and impressive buildings in Belgium. Among them is Saint Peter’s Church, which was very nearly the world’s tallest building, and the historical Leuven Town Hall with its 236 statuettes. While you walk through the city centre, I’ll show you parts of the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium, KU Leuven University Hall, Saint Anthony’s Chapel where Father Damien (one of the ten best-known Belgians of all time) is buried, and the impressive Saint Michael’s Church.

But it’s not only the city’s medieval wonders that I’ll show you! On this tour, you will also:

• Hear about the woman who keeps a strict but loving eye on student houses
• Say hello to Fonske, a young man who pours water into a hole in his head
• Walk down the “longest bar in Europe,” Leuven Oude Markt
• Pass by Domus Brewery, where authentic Belgian beer is traditionally brewed
• Take in M Leuven, an art museum that houses a collection of Gothic sculptures and 15th and 19th-century paintings by various artists
• See a giant bug impaled by a 25-meter pole
• Learn about the university library that was burnt down and rebuilt twice.

Is anyone using it?

I am delighted to wholeheartedly say “Yes!” Here is a chart of downloads of the tour over the last two years. The current total is 305, and last month it reached one per day for the first time.

What do people think of it?

I am also delighted to be getting highly positive reviews. Here are a few from Trip Advisor (where, incidentally, it is ranked as the number one audio guide to Leuven!):

And here are some reviews on the VoiceMap website:

Where and how to download the tour

There are many possibilities to find the tour, such as Trip Advisor and Expedia, but I would recommend going direct to VoiceMap.

What’s next? Another VoiceMap tour?

I am so pleased that the Leuven tour is proving popular and successful. So I am going to make another audio walking tour. Currently I am considering one of these options:

• A second walk around Leuven, perhaps The Street Art of Leuven?
• A tour around the historical city of Mechelen?
• Converting my popular blog post “In Bruges: The Movie Walk” into an audio guide
• Exploring the Brussels European Quarter on foot.

I would love to know what your preference might be: let me know below. Or maybe you have another suggestion?

Denzil Walton

I created Discovering Belgium in 2011 to share the country’s hidden stories, fascinating places, and remarkable people. Through articles, photography, and audio walks, I share discoveries that reveal Belgium beyond the obvious. Hope you enjoy this site.