Experience in Brugge, Belgium by Frederik

What is it like to live in Brugge? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Bruges is an amazing city. It is reasonably pricey, however if you know where to go you don't have to spend much. The center of the city is old, pittoresque and so worth seeing. If it's summer temperatures you're interested in, I'd advise you to go somewhere else, but if you want a nice, clean, green and beautiful city, Bruges is the place to go!

What is the student lifestyle like in Brugge?

The student life in Bruges is "okay". There are enough students here to make Thursday, Friday and Saturday night worth it. A beer will usually cost you €1. 80 - €2. 30 and longdrinks start at €7 (some places have it cheaper for students).

It's not all about going out however. Gyms are very cheap (€16/month), there are a lot of swimming pools, lots of gardens and forests to relax in, cool outside bars...

There is always something to do in Bruges, that's for sure.

How much does it cost to live in Brugge?

If you are just renting one room, you'll pay €275 including utilities for the most basic accommodations. If you, however, can afford rooms closer to €400, you'll have your private bathroom, fully furnished...

There are a lot of good - and expensive- restaurants in Bruges, but there are many places to take away good food, ranging from €3 - €6 euros. A large menu at McDonald's will usually set you back €8. Grocery stores, however, are cheap! So if you want to save some money, start cooking yourself! It's part of the Erasmus experience; )

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Is it difficult to find accommodation in Brugge? Is there any advice you can give?

It's not that hard to find. Unlike in other countries, when people are renting rooms, they will have signs outside, or a piece of paper on their windows, with the contact information and "Call us, we'll come within 10 minutes". So to find a room, I advise you to just walk around in the area you want to live, and soon enough, you will find accommodations!

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is great. In Bruges you have tons of places that sell delicious sandwiches (€2. 5 - €4) that will satisfy you for lunch. "Bocca", is one of the most visited pasta stores by students, because of the price and insanely delicious dishes. You also have "Quick", which is a Belgian competitor of McDonald's (much better I assure you), so make sure you try it.

Just walking around in Bruges will be enough to discover all the places you can eat, drink... If anything, just ask, people are very nice and 99% speaks English very well.

What places would you recommend visiting in Brugge?

• The Belfort Tower, obviously! (payed entrance)
• "De Vesten", lovely green area to walk/relax/bike/jog (free)
• If you are into culture and stuff, I'm sure Google will be of more help to you

Is it good to eat out in Brugge? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

See 2 questions above.

Is the nightlife good in Brugge? Where is good to go?

L'amaral is a very small but cosy place. It's filled with people younger than 25 and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday all longdrinks are priced €5! In this area you have many more bars so feel free to check them out.

"Charlie Rockets" is a café known for the presence of many tourists and Erasmus students. The drinks are a bit more expensive but it is a must go-to place. You can also play pool (biljart) there for €7/hour (regardless of the amount of people). There are some more cosy bars as well, like Cocktail bars. You'll get to know them quite fast as Bruges isn't that big.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Brugge?

• Money: If you want to go out a lot, I advise you to save up some money before you arrive. Just going out and drinking beer (until you're drunk) will cost you at least €20. If you cook yourself and don't smoke (much), you will easily get by with €10/day.
• Accommodation: You can check for some addresses online, but I would recommend visiting the place before renting it, and just walking around to see what else is available.
• Meeting people: If you're studying, it's easy to meet people since there will be many more other Erasmus students. If you're on an intern however, it might be harder. Then I recommend you search for accommodations with other students to get you settled in.
• Language: Make sure you practise your English before coming to Belgium. It is quite useless to learn Dutch since only 25 million people in the world speak it. However, all classes will be in English and everyone here knows how to speak it well; The better your English, the easier it'll be.

But the most important advice is: have fun! It's Erasmus, do it now, before it's too late and you regret not doing it. Like they say it in Lisbon: "Erasmus, no regrets"