Split the bill?

"Shared bill or separate?" A sentence that is normal procedure for us in Germany when it comes to paying in restaurants or bars. Not in Leuven and the surrounding area. In most cases, you cannot pay separately in restaurants and bars. This means that the waiters make it quite easy for themselves here and leave you with the disentangling. Sometimes it can be a bit annoying when you are out with a group of 10 to 15 people. Well, at some point we got used to the big back and forth calculations. Who pays in cash, who uses PayPal or someone uses another app... But if you want to avoid that, you can also look for bars that charge individually. There aren't many, but they do exist.

Stella Artois

If you're visiting Leuven, you can't miss Stella Artois. The beer was first produced in Leuven in 1926 and has been an integral part of the city ever since. In the supermarket, on the beverage menus, metal letters on the facades of old factory buildings or the new production facility. You are surrounded by Stella everywhere. One of the city's special characteristics for me is therefore its smell. Over and over, you walk through the streets of Leuven and the special scent of beer production floats in the air. Some like it, some don't. For me, it is and always will be something that I associate with the city.

Tripadvisor

If you are interested in the best sights of Leuven, Tripadvisor suggests the City Hall at number 1, and the platform is spot on with that. The City Hall is located on the Grote Markt and is famous for its ornate architecture. It's hard to decide whether the building is most beautiful in daylight, when the details are at their best, or at night, with its beautiful lighting. In the end, the city hall remains a real eye-catcher, no matter what time of day it is. I must honestly admit that I often choose the path along the town hall and accept the few meters more to enjoy this great view. What can I say, you just can't get enough of it.

University Library

After the town hall, it's straight on with the architectural highlights. The University Library is another gem in the heart of the students’ city. It is not only beautiful to look at from the outside, but also gives off a very impressive charm from the inside. You can also climb the bell tower, which offers a unique view over Leuven. Absolutely recommend!

Vuurwerk

The song of the Belgian singer Camille was definitely a close companion during my semester abroad in Leuven. First the hit was played up and down in all the clubs and later in our kitchen. The danceable song was the first Belgian song to make it into the ears and hearts of us internationals.

Why Belgium?

Once you get into a conversation with the Belgians here, it wouldn’t take long before the conversation would lead to the following question: "Why Belgium?!" Precisely because this question came up so much, I was a bit surprised, as it seemed like the locals couldn't quite comprehend why, between all the destinations you could choose from, you would end up choosing Belgium.

Since the Europe diary entries come to an end with this post, I'd like to finish by saying a few words about it and answer the question "Why Belgium?" for myself and for you. Before my semester abroad, I had already been to Belgium (Brussels) once before and even then, the city radiated a certain charm for me. One of the main reasons for me was the architecture. First and foremost, the market square (Grote Markt) with its charming backdrop. In addition, Belgium is an optimal choice for those who want to travel a lot. Since the country is quite small, you can quickly get to neighbouring countries and make short trips to the Netherlands, France, Luxembourg or even Great Britain. For me, especially speaking in favour for Leuven was the size. You feel very safe, and the city becomes familiar super fast. But you don't have to miss out on the big city, because you can get to Brussels or Antwerp by train easily. For me, this turned out to be the perfect package for my semester abroad. Leuven itself is ideal for those who want to live the student life with all its advantages and obligations. ESN, Oude Markt, but also the university offers such as Welcome Weeks play a major role. Due to the high density of international students, you will always meet open and sociable people with whom real friendships can develop. Therefore, my conclusion is: Leuven gets the "Erasmus-Semester-Approval " stamp from me.

Now it's time to pack my bags... and this time according to the motto that the most important things are packed first: friendships made, intercultural experiences, personal and professional development, and the list goes on…

With this in mind, I am looking back on this wonderful time and say: Goodbye Leuven.