Kessel-Lo (population 26,000) is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. It is a
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
of
Leuven, situated to the east and north of Leuven proper. Kessel-Lo is bordered by
Holsbeek
Holsbeek () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Holsbeek proper, , and . On January 1, 2006, Holsbeek had a total population of 9,205. The total area is 38.50 km2 whic ...
,
Lubbeek
Lubbeek () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns of Binkom, Linden, Lubbeek proper and Pellenberg. On January 1, 2006, Lubbeek had a total population of 13,660. The total area ...
, and several other sub-municipalities that are part of Leuven (Leuven municipality comprises the historic sub-municipalities of
Heverlee
Heverlee () is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of the city of Leuven. Heverlee is bordered by Herent, Bertem, Oud Heverlee and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven (including Leuven proper and Kessel-Lo).
The town is the loca ...
,
Wilsele, Wijgmaal, Leuven proper and Kessel-Lo). Though Kessel-Lo is a part of Leuven municipality, it has its own postal code: 3010.
Its name is derived from "Kessel" (from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
"Castellum" for ''fortress'', referring to a fortress that once stood on the Kessel mountain) and "Lo" (''forest clearing'').
Kessel-Lo is home to the
Provinciaal Domein Kessel-Lo, a large provincial park with ponds, playgrounds, soccer fields, and other areas for recreational activities. The town has nice smaller public parks such as Park Bellevue and Park Michotte and is also known for
Vlierbeek Abbey, an old
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
abbey built in 1125.
Several youth organisations are present in Kessel-Lo, such as Chiro Don Bosco, Chiro Vlierbeek, Scouts Vlierbeek, Chiro Blauwput, Chiro Hekeko, Scouts De Vlievleger and Scouts Boven-lo.
A local brewery has recently been founded called "De Vlier". They brew a blond beer called "Kessel's Blond".
Kessel-Lo is also the proud home of the
Rugby Club Leuven and
Thijs Vandebon.
Sub-municipalities of Leuven
Populated places in Flemish Brabant
{{FlemishBrabant-geo-stub