After a unanimous vote in parliament the compulsory school age for Belgian children will be cut from six to five in 2020. Proposals to lower the starting age have been debated for at least the past 15 years. The age reduction aims to better guarantee equality of opportunities and promote language learning, especially […]

  Belgium has got 8th place at the prestigious culinary competition Bocuse d’Or also known as the gastronomic Olympics. In the overall judging, Denmark took first place, followed by Sweden and Norway. Belgium was represented at the final in Lyon, France by chef Lode De Roover of Fleur de Lin restaurant in Zele, East Flanders, […]

  New Stib Vice-President Lofti Mostefa has recommended to make public transport in Brussels free evening and weekend travel. He added it will help to “allow the inhabitants of Brussels to abandon their car and take public transport”. “We could imagine making public transport free in the evening or at weekends. We are in a […]

Prices for houses in Brussels are up more than 5%. In 2018, the average price of a house in the capital-region was €452,700. That’s close to twice the average house price for all of Belgium, which was €251,600 in 2018, an increase on 2017 of 4.7%. Five years ago, house prices in Brussels were nearly […]

  The Belgian healthcare system provides a high degree of support during and after pregnancy, regardless of your health insurance policy or provider. Partena, a Belgian company offering health and social security coverage and advice to expats, expands on what to expect when having a baby in Belgium. Here are some details: In Belgium, gynaecologists […]

  New tourist attraction Historium tower officially opened its doors in Bruges on Sunday. Previously, the tower was closed for the renovation. The tower’s height is nearly 35 metres. Visitors can climb the 145 steps to the 26-metre observation point of the tower for stunning views of the Markt and far across the city. Visitors […]

  Public holidays: 1 January: New Year’s Day 22 April: Easter Monday 1 May: Labour Day 30 May: Ascension 10 June: Whit Monday (Pentecost) 21 July: National day 15 August: Assumption 1 November: All Saint’s Day 11 November: Armistice Day 25 December: Christmas Day   Governmental Holidays: 11 July: Day of the Flemish-Speaking Community 27 […]

  Brussels Transport Company Stib will offer public transport services in Brussels for free on New Year’s Eve from midnight until 5.00 in the morning. Extra trams and metros will help partygoers to come and see the Atomium fireworks. Roi Baudouin station will be closed,so if you want to go out at the Atomium – […]

  After facing a motion of no-confidence in the federal parliament, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel has resigned. King Philippe has yet to decide whether to accept Michel’s resignation offer. Michel said: “The political realities of our country mean it will be very complex, perhaps impossible, to form a government until the formation of regional […]