11Xbest of Belgium
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Vlerick kindly calls your attention to www.vlerick.com this special feature on Belgium! The articles have originally been published in 1X Live for next to nothing 2X Fine and copious dining 3X Small player, international role 4X No problems with bureaucracy 5X The ultimate language supermarket 6X Even the partner has work in no time 7X The land of teasing taxes 11X 8X To London today, BEST OF Paris tomorrow 9X Home in the world, at an international BELGIUM school Dear reader, 10X Patient-friendly healthcare Admittedly, people do not come to Brussels for the wonderful climate. And yet, many foreigners who come here to 11X The Eldorado of culture live and work often never want to leave. We explain why in this magazine. Our journalists sought and found 11 good reasons to move to Belgium. Because, yes it’s true, this country has a lot more to offer than just beer, waffles and cho- colate…Belgium is located in the heart of Europe, unemployment in Flanders is currently at an all-time low and many companies are waiting impatiently for your talent. This English edition of Vacature was created especially for you, with information about our labour market and, of course, Belgian job openings for international talent. See you soon in Belgium? Marian Kin Editor in chief Vacature 2 Vacature Brussels is a relatively cheap city for most expensive city in Europe is London expats, such is the conclusion of a study (2508 euro per month) followed by conducted by ECA International consul- Moscow (2383 euro per month). Rental tants. Last year, the monthly rent for an properties in both cities are 2.5 times as 80m2 two bedroom apartment was 990 expensive as in Brussels. The average ren- euro including taxes. Brussels ended up tal price for a similar apartment in Paris sharing 20th place with Helsinki in the costs 1650 euro (third most expensive in Europe) and in Amsterdam Buying a house in Brussels is also 1500 euro a good and reliable investment. (sixth most expensive in Europe). The list of Europe’s 36 most expensive cities Belgian capital is at approximately the compiled by ECA International. same level, in terms of cost price for a ren- Worldwide, the capital came in at 48th tal apartment, as Zürich, Rotterdam, out of 92. Brussels is therefore somewhe- Barcelona and Frankfurt. The most re in the middle of the rankings. The aver- expensive city in the world for renting an age rental price in Europe, according to apartment is Tokyo (2707 euro per COST OF LIVING the study, is 1150 euro per month, 15% month). 1. higher than in the Belgian capital. The Brussels and Belgium are also below the Vacature 3 11 X BEST OF BELGIUM Living in Brussels, half as cheap as London text Dominique Soenenes photos Tom Daenens, Michel Wiegandt, Corbis, Ultima Vez Rental and real estate prices in Belgium are low compared with other countries. Belgium is also one of the cheaper countries for buying real estate. © vzw Atomium - sabam Belgium 2008 © vzw Atomium - sabam Belgium 2008 European average when it comes to figures from international real estate expensive it would seem. In the list of (115.8), Paris (109.4), Dublin (103.9), buying a house or apartment, as demon- agents Knight Frank, is causing price cities with the highest cost of living Amsterdam (97) and Madrid (96.7). strated by a study conducted by real esta- drops in Denmark (-9.6%), Great Britain compiled by Mercer consultants in te agents, ERA Europe in 2006. In (-3.9%), Germany (-2.5%) and Ireland March this year, Brussels comes in at Yvonne Traber from Mercer, about the Europe, Belgium is one of the cheaper (-8.1%). Those who regard buying a just 39th overall. Brussels did, howe- study: “The traditionally expensive cities countries for buying real estate. Countries house as an investment consider the ver, climb five places on Mercer’s list are still to be found in Western Europe such as France, Great Britain, the Brussels real estate market to be a good compared with the same time last and Asia. It is mainly the low exchange Netherlands, Spain and Ireland are all investment. According to the study year. One of the reasons for this was rate of the dollar and the strength of the more expensive than Belgium. Even on ‘Emerging Trends in Real-Estate–Europe the weak US dollar and the strong euro that are behind the shifts in relation comparison with the capitals, Belgium 2008’ by PricewaterhouseCoopers, real euro. Cities are ranked against New to last year. The study confirms that the scores well: only Berlin is cheaper than estate in Brussels is a safe investment York as the standard with an index of cost of living is going up, predominantly Brussels. Worth noting: house prices in that is not prone to heavy fluctuations. 100. Compared with that point of in response to rising food and petrol Belgium rose in 2006 and the first half of 500 real estate experts from 27 countries reference, Brussels’ cost index weig- prices, although the increase is not 2007 by some 18.7%. Nonetheless, it is ranked Brussels as the 14th most advan- hed in at just 92.9. The most expensi- uniformly felt everywhere you go. That’s expected that housing prices will not go tageous place for investing in real estate. ve city in the world is Moscow (142.4), because there have also been decreases up as quickly in 2008. For the first half of followed by Tokyo (127), London in the price of electricals and other this year, the growth rate was a mere CHEAP COST OF LIVING (125) and Oslo (118.3). A host of consumer goods.” The study takes into 8.1% (as per the Federal Department of Although Brussels is smack in the other, similar European cities are account the cost price of more than 200 Finance, Small Business, Commerce and middle of Western Europe, a region more expensive to live in than products and services (housing, Energy). In addition, there is also a certain that rates pretty highly when it comes Brussels, including Rome (103.9), transport, food, clothing, entertain- real estate bubble which, according to to cost of living, life here is not all as Milan (111.3), Zürich (112.7), Geneva ment, etc.). 4 Vacature “Belgians put plenty of time, effort and money in cooking and eating” He describes the Belgian cuisine as rich and modest. Indian expat Nirman Arora, academic assistant at the university of Ghent, is a food lover with a special text Nirman Arora weakness for Belgian chocolate, beers and sprout. As an expat, while deciding to come What I like about Belgians is that they chocolates are controlled by government to Belgium, we envisage a small like cooking and eating and they tend to to see if enough pure cacao and butter are country in the west of Europe with a put plenty of time, effort and also money used for making it. Belgians distinguish population of approximately 10 in it. People are invited at home for a melkchocolade (with fewer cacaos and million that has a short history dinner evening or they go together to a more cream) and fondant or volle choco- starting as a kingdom in 1830. restaurant to spend the evening there. lade (with more cacaos and less cream). Before that, this country has been Of course as Belgians like cooking and Overall, I would say I find Belgian cuisine a part of the Roman Empire, eating, I found plenty of very typical rich and modest which has the capacity Germany, France, Spain and also dishes and recipes. Remembering their to assimilate and accommodate the food Holland. We can trace the names has always been a tough task for lovers from across the globe. impressions of all these cultures me but one cannot forget to relish their invading Belgium. Belgian food taste. These are some of the most popu- and cuisine is not an exception lar ones I could find in almost every res- Belgium also excels to that which has started taurant: stoofvlees met frieten (pork meat in gastronomy developing its own style only in cooked in dark beer, served with a brown the 19th century. And still, for sauce and french fries), hesperolletjes That Belgian food is more big cui- me it is difficult to define the (warm ham rolls with cooked chicory and sine than fine cuisine, as the real Belgian cuisine because all cheese sauce), waterzooi (pieces of Indian expat Nirman Arora puts it regions in Belgium have their chicken meat cooked together with above, applies first and foremost own traditions and recipes. One vegetables and potatoes in a white to the country’s traditional fare. thing distinguishing Belgium is sauce), hutsepot (vegetables and pota- Fine cuisine, however, abounds in that it is a country of big cuisine toes cooked together, served with saus- the country’s many gastronomic rather than fine cuisine. ages or pork meat). Brussels sprout is my restaurants. Belgium offers a While talking of Belgian cuisine, I favorite which is also typical for Belgium. huge range of eating experiences cannot start from any other food These are a kind of small green cabbages, with a dominant emphasis on item than the ‘French’ fries, which first cooked in water and afterwards in very good French, Italian and the Belgians invented and which butter or margarine. local cuisine. It enjoys an interna- are extremely popular and tasty. Not to forget the real Belgian artillery tional culinary reputation and They are called frieten in Flemish or meant to conquer peoples’ hearts.