There are also many Belgian cities and communes where expatriates can settle when moving to Belgium.
Brussels
Brussels is where the European Commission and European Parliament are both located. In Brussels, you can find crowded city areas and quieter neighbourhoods in the suburbs. Apart from being a city, Brussels is also a region which consists of 19 municipalities, including one known as the City of Brussels.
Antwerp
Antwerp (Antwerpen) offers a truly multicultural environment with an ingrained mix of nationalities. There is a well-sized population of British and American families and a good choice of English-speaking clubs and societies, plus several international schools.
Antwerp’s focus on fashion and cultural tourism often earns it the title of the country’s trendiest city in travel articles. There are also numerous business establishments owing to the port and industrial development, plus a young population drawn to the university facilities and rising job opportunities. Most families tend to live in the north of the city with its residential flavour and gardened houses. Single expats often live closer to the centre in beautiful, albeit expensive, apartments. Up-and-coming areas include Berchem with grand Art Nouveau houses and a slightly bohemian feel. Other rising neighbourhoods are Het Eilandje, surrounded by the docklands in the north and close to Antwerp’s giant contemporary museum, MAS, and Sint-Andries, which has the feel of a village within the city.
Bruges
Popularly known as the northern Venice, Bruges (Brugge) is one of Belgium’s most attractive cities with its cobbled lanes, medieval canals, and imposing buildings. Living in this little UNESCO World Heritage city takes you to Belgium’s historic past while still enjoying the comfort of a lively and modern atmosphere.
Rozenhoedkaai in Bruges
Those seeking more action will find it in the Markt and eastern Burg neighbourhoods. If you have children or prefer to stay away from the centre bustle, the districts in the outer ring beyond the canals are a good option. Sint-Jozef, Sint-Pieters, Sint-Andries, and Sint-Michiels are four of the most popular residential neighbourhoods outside Bruges’ centre.
Gent
Often called Belgium’s most beautiful city, Ghent is growing in popularity with its dynamic mix of cosmopolitan and provincial town feel. Gent is a prominent student town, but there is also a good mix of locals, students, and expats who call it home. The blossoming University of Ghent is influencing the city to become a strong research and development centre, retaining more young professionals. With plenty of canals, there are plenty of river-view apartments.
The most popular locations for expats in Gent’s city centre are Muinparkwijk, with its affordable houses and gardens, and Coupure, full of old houses and a delightful river running through it. Patershol and Prinsenhof are lively central areas of winding cobbled streets, restaurants, and museums, but for a quieter central neighbourhood, southeast Visserij offers leafy paths along a waterfront and rows of terraced housing that adjoin grand manor houses and industrial lofts.
Tervuren
In this officially Dutch-speaking area, you’ll hear French and English on the streets among several other languages. A large population of expats love the lush country living at the edge of Brussels, with its great park surrounding the Africa Museum and the British School of Brussels at its heart.
Park van Tervuren
As Tervuren is one of the richer areas of Belgium, houses are expensive but big, with acres of land and a real sense of owning your patch. Public transportation options are certainly adequate, with a handful of bus routes. It’s also at the end of one of the world’s most beautiful tramlines: Line 44, which connects Tervuren with the Montgomery metro station in the Bruxelloise municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Tervuren is best suited to families, as life here is rather quiet. The south-bordering municipality, Overijse, is a scenic area also popular with expats.
Waterloo
Waterloo is a small French-speaking municipality popular for its self-containment, meaning there is no need to take the train in and out of Brussels when you need something. It consists of six districts: Faubourg Ouest, Faubourg Est, Chenois, Joli-Bois, Mont-Saint-Jean, and the city centre. It’s a popular area for expats with a raft of international schools and cheaper housing options than Brussels. Around 20% of the population is non-Belgian. Housing tends to be big with ample land, plus there’s a good high street of shops and clusters of big out-of-town shopping centres. It has become particularly popular with Americans and Scandinavians.
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