Experience in Gent, Belgium by Francesca

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

Gent is really a beautiful city and in my opinion, it's the most traditional and particular city in Belgium, the architecture and the views on the canals are amazing. I would totally recommend to come here for your Erasmus period.

What is the student lifestyle like in Gent?

I'm in Gent for my master thesis and I work as a reseacher at the KU Leuven Technology Campus, so I'm not a "normal" Erasmus student, but the laboratories and the facilities are really amazing.

How much does it cost to live in Gent?

The rent for erasmus student are 350-450€ for a room with shared bathroom and kitchen and at least 500€ for a studio. Food is not so cheap, but I thinks everything is affordable for a short period if you have a scholarship.

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

It's not so easy to find accommodation. I rented one of the rooms at the student residence of KU Leuven, my building is really nice but I know that the other buildings have really small rooms and kitchen, so I was lucky to end up in the nice one.

If you want to rent other rooms, you have to come early in september to have a proper choice (by october all the best accommodation are already rented! ) or at the end of january if you come for the second semester.

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

I'm italian so I'm used to really good food and Belgium is not known for it's cuisine! So, don't expect to eat especially well, the only traditional dishes are fries and woofles, but you can find really good chocolate!

What places would you recommend visiting in Gent?

All the city center is really beautiful! I would reccommend to visit the Belf Tower, it has a wonderful view at the top, and the museums which are really good! And if you get tired of the city, it takes only 30 minutes by train to go to Bruges of Brussels.

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

The best place to eat in Gent is "Amadeus", they made really good "all you can eat" ribs and if you miss italian pizza there is "Il Cortile", both in the city center.

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

If you want to party you can follow ESN group, the organize nights out and parties all the time! If you like something more quiet, there are plenty of pubs with good belgian beers.

What advice would you give future students heading to Gent?

The weather in Gent is really bad during winter, it rains all the time and it's very cold, so I would suggest to come in the second semester, in order to enjoy in the best way the city and the erasmus life!

Everybody speaks perfectly english so don't worry if you can't speak dutch!