Belgium – home of surreal art, great food and the European institutions. For almost 6 years, it was my home too and I loved living in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Belgium has a bad reputation which is undeserved. Perhaps it’s because of the suspicion that sometimes surrounds the European project. I admit it is a reputation that is difficult to penetrate from the outside; I only fell in love with the country while living there.

First of all, Belgium is a foodie paradise. With more Michelin stars than France, you are spoilt for choice. Local cuisine is of incredibly high quality. Belgium also has an incredible variety of beers and has more chocolate shops per square metre than anywhere else I’ve been to.

Belgium is the site of so many battles in European history that the entire country is a huge outdoors museum. Being able to explore these places so easily and to walk in the paths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers is a great experience.

Lastly, it is well-connected to every region in Europe and every major country in the world. This is a side effect of being the centre of the European Union; if you live there, you can find a flight or connection to wherever you want to go. My personal favourite is the train network that can have you in Paris, London, Amsterdam or Cologne within 2 hours. Who wouldn’t want to live in that sort of place?

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