When a family member or friend is admitted to a Belgian hospital or rehabilitation centre — sometimes for weeks or months — regular visits become a routine you hadn't planned for. For those who travel by wheelchair themselves and go daily or weekly, there are many practical questions that no hospital website answers: where is the right accessible-parking, which entrance is step-free, how do I get to the patient room with a lift that actually works, and is there somewhere a decent meal for me during the hours of waiting?
This guide lays out the practical visitor info for the largest University Hospitals (UZ) and rehabilitation centres in Belgium, plus general tips for those with a loved one in care.
The basics: how to approach a first visit?
Call the visitor desk in advance (not 1 day before but 2-3 days ahead) and ask specifically:
- Which accessible-parking is closest to the ward where the patient is staying? (Not always the main entrance — for rehabilitation wards often a separate entrance.)
- Which lift works most reliably to reach the patient-room floor? (University Hospitals often have 4-6 lifts, some are internal for staff.)
- Does the patient room have space for you with a wheelchair + 2 chairs for other visitors? (Some older rooms are TOO cramped for a wheelchair + multiple visitors.)
- What are the visiting hours for visitors with a disability? (Some institutions have more flexible hours if you have limited mobility.)
- Is there an accessible toilet on the visitor floor, and how do you get there?
🏥 Major university hospitals (UZ)
UZ Leuven (Gasthuisberg)
Address: Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven. One of Europe's largest University Hospitals with 15,000 staff members.
- Accessible-parking: Car park P1 (main parking) has 25+ adapted spaces on level -1 with lift. For the rehabilitation ward: use P3 (rear entrance) which is closer. Rate for accessible-parking holders = standard, no reduction.
- Accessible entrance: Main entrance Herestraat is step-free with automatic doors. Separate accessible entrance on the Gasthuisberg side for rehabilitation (ask at the visitor desk).
- Lifts: 4 main lifts in the central atrium, all wide enough for wheelchair + companion. Some weekends 1 lift is under maintenance.
- Accessible toilet: several on each floor, ask at reception for the closest one for your visiting floor.
- Cafeteria: Brasserie 'Gasthuisberg' at the entrance, step-free, with adapted tables. Open 7am-10pm.
- Hotel nearby for distant family: Martin's Klooster Leuven (10 min) or Park Inn Leuven (5 min, both with adapted rooms).
UZ Gent
Address: Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent.
- Accessible-parking: Parking P1 main building with 20+ adapted spaces. Separate parking bay for long-term visitors (rehabilitation context) at the outpatient clinic entrance.
- Accessible entrance: Main entrance fully step-free. Separate entrance K1 for those going to rehabilitation ward K12.
- Lifts: Central lift bank at the atrium, all adapted.
- Accessible toilet: at every junction zone (ask for a floor plan at the desk).
- Cafeteria: The Atrium restaurant, step-free, spacious tables. Breakfast 7am, lunch until 2pm.
- Hotel nearby: Holiday Inn Gent Expo (5 min) has an accessible room with roll-in shower.
UZ Antwerpen (UZA Edegem)
Address: Drie Eikenstraat 655, 2650 Edegem.
- Accessible-parking: Car park with 15+ adapted spaces on level -1. For the rehabilitation centre a separate entrance on the north side.
- Accessible entrance: Main entrance step-free. Separate rehabilitation entrance K-block.
- Lifts: 6 lifts in total, 4 in the atrium reliable. Avoid the lift at building C during weekends.
- Cafeteria: Brasserie on the ground floor, spaciously set up, with adapted tables.
- Hotel nearby: Hotel Indigo Antwerp City Centre (15 min), or Park Inn Antwerpen (10 min).
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc (UCLouvain, Brussels)
Address: Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200 Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe.
- Accessible-parking: Parking Hippocrate main building, 30+ adapted spaces.
- Accessible entrance: Main entrance fully step-free. Separate entrance for the rehabilitation pavilion.
- Lifts: Central atrium with multiple lifts — ask for a floor plan at the desk.
- Cafeteria: 'Le Forum' on the ground floor, step-free.
- Hotel nearby: NH Brussels Bloom (5 min) with accessible room.
Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB - Erasme + Bordet)
Address: Route de Lennik 808, 1070 Anderlecht (Erasme).
- Accessible-parking: P1 with 30+ adapted spaces right next to the main entrance.
- Accessible entrance: Fully step-free. For oncology/rehabilitation: separate Bordet entrance on the south side.
- Lifts: 8+ lifts in total, main bank in atrium always reliable.
- Cafeteria: 'Le Patio' with terrace, step-free, spacious tables.
- Hotel nearby: Best Western Brussels South (15 min).
CHU de Liège (Sart Tilman)
Address: Avenue de l'Hôpital 1, 4000 Liège.
- Accessible-parking: P1 main building with 25+ adapted spaces.
- Accessible entrance: Step-free. Separate rehabilitation entrance at B-block.
- Cafeteria: Brasserie on the ground floor, step-free.
- Hotel nearby: Mercure Liège City Centre (15 min) or Hotel Amosa Liège (centre, 20 min).
🛌 Specific rehabilitation centres
Revalidatiecentrum Inkendaal (Vlezenbeek)
Specialist rehabilitation centre for acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury — both patient groups with significant family-visit needs.
- Accessible-parking: Directly at the entrance, 15 adapted spaces.
- Visitor environment: Fully step-free building, spacious patient rooms with room for a wheelchair + 2 visitors.
- Cafeteria: Present + garden terrace (step-free).
- Stay for distant family: Inkendaal has guest rooms for family (ask the social service internally).
Vivalia Marche-en-Famenne
Rehabilitation in Wallonia for patients from Hainaut/Luxembourg.
- Accessible-parking: Directly at the entrance.
- Visitor environment: Step-free.
- Hotel nearby: Quartier Latin Marche (5 min).
National Multiple Sclerosis Centre Melsbroek (Steenokkerzeel)
Internationally recognised MS rehabilitation centre.
- Accessible-parking: Own car park with 20+ adapted spaces.
- Fully adapted visitor environment — self-evident given the patient population.
- Hotel nearby: Hotel around Brussels Airport (10 min away) such as Sheraton Brussels Airport (adapted room).
Practical tips for long visiting days
Plan your day in blocks of 2-3 hours. Sitting by a hospital bed all day is exhausting. Alternate between room visits, cafeteria breaks, and a walk outside (e.g. on the hospital grounds).
Bring your own relaxation materials. A magazine, book, or laptop for when the patient is sleeping. Long periods of silence are normal in care — be prepared to bridge them.
Don't eat only in the cafeteria. On long visiting days, you're better off having lunch outside the hospital to get some mental distance. Ask at reception for the nearest step-free restaurant within 5-10 minutes' drive.
Talk to the social service. For distant family wanting a longer visit: almost every University Hospital has a social service that can negotiate hotel rates, or that helps you with accommodation at a preferential rate. Ask specifically for "accommodation for family of patients".
Coordinate with other family members. Make a calendar so the patient has visits every day but isn't overburdened. For those who travel a lot themselves: 2-3 fixed visiting days per week is better than irregular short visits.
Before discharge: arrange transfer help. When a patient comes home, ask the social service for health insurance fund support for the first days (cleaning help, family care, adapted wheelchair rental via the health insurance fund). See also our health insurance fund pillar.
Finally
As a wheelchair user, visiting a family member in a Belgian University Hospital or rehabilitation centre requires more planning than for other visitors — not because of the care institution, which is usually well adapted, but because of your own logistics (parking, rest, lunch, social capacity). With the right preparation and the right questions at the visitor desk, you can build up a regular presence that makes the difference for the patient without exhausting yourself.
Do you have experience with a specific University Hospital or rehabilitation centre that is not mentioned here? Let us know — first-hand info about accessible-parking, adapted entrances and social service contacts helps the next family enormously.