After watching all those American teenage movies where students go to parties and enjoy a dream life, you were expecting the same things as a student. All these stories you heard about the student life being one of the best periods in your life… and then a pandemic gets in your way. If you chose Belgium as your destiny to study abroad, you come across closed bars, restrictions for parties, and a curfew. Just right the opposite of what you have heard (or even lived) until now. Well, don´t panic! It´s going to be a little different from what you imagined but still fun. Here you have our proposals on how best to live student life along with COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels, combined with some statements of current students.
1. Parks - the eldest and reliable option
As we mentioned in another blog Brussels is full of parks to go with some friends and enjoy some beers or play some sports. Furthermore, many open space bars are still open for take-away food and drinks. The most frequented ones by students are: Bois de la Cambre and Parc du Cinquentenaire.
2. Riding rented bikes
Sunny days by bike sound better! Brussels counts with a lot of different bike rental services like Villo, Billy Bike, Lime, Cyclo, … Villo, for instance, is very affordable, it does not charge you anything, but a fee of 1.65€, if your ride takes less than half an hour. Exploring the city by bike allows you to see many things in a shorter period, which means you can easily get from one point to another. What’s more, it even makes you exercise a little ;)
3. Visiting museums
Not everyone is into museums, however, in this city, you will most probably find a museum that suits your preferences since there is everything for everyone. For instance Automuseum, Military museum, Fine Arts museum, Museum of Instruments, National comic museum and… even a one dedicated to chocolate! So, don´t hesitate to buy a ticket, gather your friends and enjoy the art! This is also an awesome idea for a rainy day. But in case it’s sunny, after the closing of the museum (usually around 17:00-18:00) you and your friends can go to a park and enjoy again some Belgian beers (you will see they are present in most of the plans).
4. Sunset at Palais de la Justice
This place´s environment is just magical. Seeing the sun hiding in the last hours of the day behind our beloved Brussels with some fries and a bottle of wine. Or maybe beers and a waffle, depending on your tastes. There is nothing more typical. This is where you can find people each day gathering to watch the sunset together. Usually, there is always some background music played on speakers, or if you are lucky, there will be a street musician performing!
All these plans are outdoors, restrictions-friendly and also very cheap! So looking at the bright side (or at least trying to do it), the cost of studying in Belgium gets reduces, since bars and restaurants in this country can be a bit expensive.
Do you want to get some ideas about what your ideal addresses might be in Brussels? Here is a little game for you:
Play our interactive game to find out your ideal addresses.
Testimonials from students - studying during pandemic
Here we are bringing you stories from real students that are experiencing student life with COVID-19 restrictions in Brussels. Some of them are locals, but most came from another country despite the current situation. Read their statements in the pictures below!
