4 Reasons Why You Should Study Abroad in Brussels

Savannah Lee is a student at Point Loma Nazarene University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She is currently studying abroad with ISA in Brussels, Belgium.

1.The Food

Brussels, Belgium is a city of food. I saw a local casually snacking on a waffle as he waited for his bus to arrive. Imagine waffle trucks parked outside of the Royal Palace and hot french fries served in cones, smothered in mayonnaise. These yummy eats are not only popular in Belgium, but also honor a college student’s budget. Waffles and fries are just a few euros! Now it just comes down to my self control…

The waffle truck outside of the Royal Palace. You can dine like royalty!
The waffle truck outside of the Royal Palace. You can dine like royalty!

2.The Eclectic Vibe

Brussels is a city that cannot be defined by a word. These past few weeks I have tried to pinpoint an accurate term but have failed. So instead, here is my recipe of Brussels. It’s a colorful city made up of a splash of unique, a dash of eclectic, a quart of quirky, a dose of artsy, and a handful of hip. It’s like the rebel child of Europe. Need some examples to back up this observation? Brussels has an underwear museum, a bookstore featured on Buzzfeed’s “16 Bookstores You Have To See Before You Die”, two official languages (French and Dutch), and tons of funky graffiti/street art.

In Brussels…books fall from the sky. Do I prove my point about Brussels being a city of quirks?
In Brussels…books fall from the sky. Do I prove my point about Brussels being a city of quirks?

3. The Central Location

Most of the students on my program admitted that one reason we chose to study abroad in Brussels was because of its central location. Being in the heart of central Europe, we can easily hop on a train, bus, or find cheap flights (like $45 for a round-trip flight to Budapest) to other destinations. What’s not to love?!

Last Saturday, a few friends and I went on a day trip to Luxembourg via train.
Last Saturday, a few friends and I went on a day trip to Luxembourg via train.

4. The Chocolate

Yes, I know I already talked about food but I deem chocolate as an important food group. Chocolate shops seem to reside around every corner in the City Centre near the Grand Place (greet them with a polite “bonjour” and you may experience what free Belgian chocolate tastes like). My favorites are the caramel truffles and almond/honey/orange chocolates. All delicious!

Want to read more posts about Belgium? Check out “4 Places to Visit While in Brussels, Belgium