Posted April 7, 2015 by UTS Think Global Belgium

Ghent: Europe’s hidden treasure

Beer is love. Beer is life. Beer is breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you haven’t guessed already, I’m currently studying in Belgium, in the beautiful city of Ghent. Filled with thousands of students, and heaps of great cafes and bars, Ghent is really known as a progressive student city chocked full of culture and arts. The students work really hard, and party even harder. Even though you’ll find that you’re probably taking on more subjects here than you would back in Aus, don’t let that deter you from studying here, trying a variety of different subjects and having the adventure of a lifetime. Belgian people are extremely friendly and everyone here speaks English.

Ghent is wonderfully picturesque:

Literally the view from my window — The view from my bedroom window

Gravensteen castle just casually in the middle of the city centre — Gravensteen castle just casually smack bang in the middle of the city centre

Crazy Belgian beer culture: All of the bars have hundreds of different kinds of beers to choose from, be sure to try a new one each time! Also, 5-11% beers are standard here. Brace yourself.

Riding a bike everywhere: I really do mean everywhere. Whether it’s to the supermarket, or to the city nightclub, cycling will be your no. 1 mode of transport as a local. It’s just a 5-10 minute bike ride from the Ghent University student dorms to the city centre, and although Ghent isn’t a large city, having a bike will make exploring it and discovering its secrets that much better.

Travelling: Belgium is really central to Europe, making weekend trips a total breeze. In just two months, I’ve already visited all three of Belgium’s other major cities: Brussels (the capital city), Antwerp and Bruges. Plus daytrips to France (Paris and Lille) and to the Netherlands (Amsterdam). Mind you, France is just a one hour train ride away.