Now that I've spent four months here in Belgium, studying not only marketing but also the local people and culture, it's time for a first résumé. Today's blog post is the start of a three-part series in which I present different aspects, curiousities and specialties of Belgium and Leuven. Watch out for one or the other hot tip as well!

What does Belgium and especially Leuven have to offer, what you have to watch out for, where the differences to Germany are and what absolutely belongs on your bucket list.

Expenditure

Well, we have to start with the sore point, but let's look at it positively, then it is already ticked off. Compared to Germany, the cost of living in Belgium is higher. This is especially noticeable in rent, food and restaurants. However, since all destination countries of the Erasmus+ program are divided into level groups, you will be financially supported proportionally to the cost of living. Still, when you see pizzas on the menu for 20€, your jaw may drop, which doesn’t mean that you can't find pizza in Leuven for under 20€. If you keep your eyes open, you'll find plenty of restaurants in the lower price range, and you won't have to miss out on delicious food.

Baguettes

Baguettes are simply a big hit here. I really noticed this for the first time at the cafeteria. In addition to the hot main courses, there is a kind of sandwich bar where you can have your baguette topped individually. When you see the queue during the lunch break, you could almost think that the baguettes are free or that the warm main dishes are inedible. But from experience I can say: neither is the case. So we come to the conclusion that the baguettes are simply the market leaders. Even in the city, you can find sandwich bars on every corner. My sandwich bar of trust: Lunchroom De Pandora. The absolute classic in Belgium: Kip-Curry Baguette (Kip = chicken)

Cantus

A Cantus is a traditional event here in Leuven. Essentially, it's where people sing together while the alcohol flows. When to reach for the glass is determined by a wide variety of rules. It is rumored that the Belgian Cantus is even stricter than the Cantus for the Internationals, which is organized by the ESN. In the international Cantus, the song selection often follows certain musical groups, which is why there is a Queen Cantus, for example. In the Belgian variant, traditional Flemish songs are sung... sometimes including German ones.

Donatuspark

The Sint-Donatuspark is located in the heart of the city and is always worth a visit during summer! Picnics, sunbathing, playing spikeball and drinking beer... that also explains why I call the park “Belgian Main meadows” ;-)

Residents

Leuven is a student city. The relation between the number of inhabitants and the number of students in Leuven shows that this is more than true. About 102,000 inhabitants meet about 50,000 to 60,000 enrolled students at the University of Leuven. It quickly becomes clear that students play an important role to the city.

Bicycle culture

I have to agree on the clichés that are already familiar from the BeNeLux region. In Leuven, too, you're surrounded by bikes everywhere. Watch out for racing cyclists zooming around the corner and don't get the naive idea that even one of the many bikes will stop for you at a crosswalk to let you cross the street. If you are on a bike yourself, you should be the most careful - rules and laws regarding cycling are taken very seriously here. There is also a parking ban for bicycles... unfortunately this rule is not really well followed. So if you miss a sign, it can easily happen that your bike will be bagged by the police and you have to pay a lot of money for it. 10€ to have the good thing back in your possession and if it goes bad you have to pay a fine to the city. Attention! Hold on! 60€! I would say that not only students hearts and wallets are bleeding at this price. You might ask yourself, why do I know so much about the parking ban issue? Let’s not talk about it.

Grasshopper Shot

Fans of exotic delights definitely have to stop by the Bar De Giraf on the Oude Markt to try out the craziest shots. Behind the bar, a shot menu awaits you that stretches not only across the entire wall, but all the way to the ceiling. Among them are insect shots! The choices are grasshopper and worm. What can I say, it was on one of the ESN Bucket Lists, it had to be checked off, something crazy had to happen - my choice was the grasshopper....

Het Depot

Already announced big time in the 24h of Leuven blog post, but always worth another recommendation. Het Depot as a concert and event venue has enough potential with its program to make your stay even more memorable. Always check out the upcoming events. Concerts by cool artists and free admission for newcomer performances are awaiting you!

In the next article we will continue with the "I". In this sense stay curious and... ...Tschöwen from Löwen.