AFS Intercultural Programs: High School Abroad in Belgium

As one of the multicultural microcosms in the heart of Europe, mixing contemporary society with a rich history, Belgium provides an enjoyable and exciting study abroad experience. You'll walk through medieval town squares and streets in the midst of a thoroughly modern country with influences in its culture from the French, Dutch, Austrians, and Spanish. Belgium's cuisine reflects its varied people and history, boasting one of the best experiences for your palate imaginable. And, of course, there's chocolate!

Belgium consists of three regions: Flanders in the north where most of the people speak Dutch; Wallonia in the south, where the majority is French-speaking; and Brussels, the bilingual capital in the center of the country. Both the AFS Flanders and Wallonia programs host students in Brussels and their own areas. In the north, Dutch-speaking Flemings live in a flatland crisscrossed by canals. Being hosted in the French-speaking Community of Belgium, you'll get to know the Walloons who live among the rolling hills of the Ardennes sprinkled with castles and the capital city of Brussels—home to both the European Union and NATO.