Erasmus experience in Liege, Belgium by Daniele

Why did you decide to go to Liege, Belgium?

My professor suggested me this city since it is a university city known for hosting Erasmus students, and actually it is exactly like that. In addition it has a famous Buisness School which is one of the best in the country.

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

From my University, University "Federico II" of Naples, I get 1150€ as scholarship during 5 months.

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How is the student lifestyle in Liege?

Very stimulating and diverse. There are many student parties and events, and each faculty has its own "group" which organises parties or shows. In addition, students of a certain faculty are very cohesive and they help each others sharing teaching materials and other things.

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

No doubt: it is a small and viable city, if you rent a room in the centre, everything becomes very convenient and accessible. It is served by a very efficient bus network.

Belgian nightlife is a bit hopping, although in Liège it is concentrated in an area of the city called Carré.

Ulg, the University of Liege, is the only full-fledged university in Belgium, counting on the vast surface of a campus just outside the city (Sart Tilman) for its buildings. Teachers are prepared and willing to help, and everything is made for students.

How is the food in the country?

There is no real Belgian cuisine, but there are more gastronomic traditions that have been elaborated subsequently: it takes a lot of French and Dutch cuisine, and the result is very good. The beer is delicious and ubiquitous, but the best way to satisfy low-cost is to take a huge portion of fried potatoes, on average 2-3 euros.

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Was it difficult to find an accomodation in Liege?

Not at all. Being a student city, there are web pages where you can look for advertisements. The most famous is Kot à Liège (kot is the term to indicate the room to rent).

I managed to get home without even going there in advance, and fortunately I was fine; But in any case I would recommend future Erasmus to visit the apartment before signing the contract. The price range for a good place ranges from 300 to 400, but obviously the price goes down in the suburbs. Nevertheless, I should not go too far away from the city centre, or stay at Sart Tilman's university residence, which has been described as quite poorly. The best neighburghoods for students are in the order: Avroy, Center, Sainte-Marguerite. The Outremeuse area offers good cheap houses, but it is the most popular neighburghood and I would not recommend it to girls.

How much does it cost to live in Liege?

It costs on average 300 euros per month, being a bit careful managing the budget. For shopping, do not do it regularly at Carrefour, which is among the most expensive supermarkets, and rather go to a Delhaize or Colruyt.

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

I'm a language student, and I knew French already. However, the guys I met when I arrived, who did not speak French, showed great progress in a few months. The secret lies in being surrounded by native speakers. Anyway, the University offers free French courses at every level.

What is the cheapest way to get to Liege from your city?

From my city, Naples, Easy Jet has recently activated low-cost flights there. However, this has obvious problems with luggage. My solution was to rely on Lufthansa, spending an average of 170 euros for a round trip.

For those who can fly to Rome, there is a very good Alitalia-young flight.

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

I recommend 3 places: the first is the Carré, a crossroads of streets that hosts bar-discos, suitable for those who really want to live the youthful Liege action.

But if you want to spend a quiet evening chatting with friends, I recommend the bars in Place du Marché, but keep in mind that they close before other places.

Finally, rue Roture, in the Outremeuse area, houses traditional restaurants and brasseries, not very popular among young people, but where you can enjoy a Belgian DOC evening.

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

Pollux for waffles, Le Perron for fried potatoes!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The Royal Opera of Wallonia, Des Chiroux Library, the Princes-Bishop's Palace and various art museums such as the Grand Curtius Museum.

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