Erasmus Experience in Antwerp, Belgium by Agnès

Why did you choose to go to Antwerp, Belgium?

I chose Antwerp because I wanted to go to an english speaking country in order to improve my english.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The scholarship begins in mid September and ends up in June. I receive money from two different grants (Erasmus one and another one from the region where I study in France) and from the CROUS so it's kind of helpful.

What is the student lifestyle like in Antwerp?

I mostly went out with erasmus students and not that much with Belgian students but I would say that student lifestyle in Antwerp is very nice and you have many parties to go to.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Antwerp to other students?

Yes, definitely.

What is the food like?

The food isn't that good in my opinion... It's very greasy. Nevertheless, Belgian fries and waffles are good and you definitely should try them !

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Antwerp?

It was a little bit complicated because I was looking for a colocation with a few students sharing one appartment but I wasn't able to find that kind of thing. Here the most easy thing to find is a student house where you have your own room and bathroom and where you share the kitchen with others students. That kind of thing is quite easy to find.

How much does it cost to live in Antwerp?

I would say not less than 200 per month, not counting your rent. As an erasmus student, you have to discover many things so you go out a lot and travel a lot across the country so all that things are costly but they worth it !

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

Dutch is a very difficult language, except maybe for german people ! We had some crash course of Dutch when we arrived but it was very fast and I don't remember much of it. But everyone speak english fluently so it's not a problem.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Antwerp from your city?

I would say going by car if you share the car with someone else.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Antwerp?

Concerning bars, I recommend Kassa, Chat le roi and Hopper. If you want to dance you can go to Zappa where there is a party called Ecstatic organised each two month and which is very good.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Antwerp?

If you like burgers you can go to Ellis Gourmet Burgers and De Burgerij. De Groote Witte Arend is also a very nice place where you can eat belgian food and they also have a very large choice of beers. If you like Greek food, you can go to Apollon.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The best museum I visited in Antwerp is the museum Plantin Moretus. It's about old printing work and the museum is situated in a very ancient and beautiful house. If you love books you definitely should go there.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Antwerp in the future?

I would suggest them not to stay in Antwerp but to travel and visit others cities like Brussels, Bruges, Gent... and also to go in the Netherlands visiting Amsterdam, and why not Germany ! Belgium is near a lot of things, so you should make the most of it !