Living in Etterbeek, near the VUB or the European quarter

Between the European institutions and the VUB and Plaine campuses: Etterbeek, a residential and cosmopolitan municipality, with place Jourdan, La Chasse and the metro close by. The practical choice for the VUB, the Plaine, or the Solbosch by tram 25.

The neighbourhood

Etterbeek is a mostly residential, cosmopolitan municipality, organised around two hearts: place Jourdan, the old centre, renovated and largely pedestrian, with its Sunday market and its famous chip shop, and place Saint-Pierre. Between the two, avenue de la Chasse and chaussée de Wavre form the shopping street of the La Chasse neighbourhood. For going out, the Le Senghor cultural centre and Atelier 210 put on music and theatre.

To the north-west begins the European quarter: Schuman, place du Luxembourg and its organic market on Tuesdays, the Léopold park with the House of European History and the Parlamentarium, both free, and, on the edge of the municipality, the Cinquantenaire park. To the south, the VUB and Plaine campuses and Etterbeek station are in fact just on the other side of the boundary, in Ixelles.

Getting around

• Metro lines 1 and 5 run through Schuman and Merode: line 1 heads for Montgomery and the Woluwe campus, line 5 for Thieffry, Pétillon and Delta, and on to Erasme without a change. Both go straight to Gare Centrale.
• Trams 7 and 25 follow the middle ring road: Montgomery, Boileau, Pétillon, Arsenal, VUB, Etterbeek station. The 25 continues to the ULB at the Solbosch, eight minutes from Etterbeek station, and the 7 to Buyl.
• Tram 81 links Montgomery to La Chasse and Flagey, as far as Trinité during the works, until spring 2027. Buses 34, 36, 59, 60 and 95 round off the network.
• The train stops at Etterbeek station, at the foot of the VUB, and at the Merode, Germoir, Schuman and Luxembourg halts.
• The Schuman roundabout is under works until the end of 2026, and buses now stop at Maelbeek.
• At night, the Noctis N06 (Jourdan, Merode, Montgomery) and N09 (Etterbeek station, Arsenal) run on Fridays and Saturdays.

Schools nearby

The VUB's main campus, Pleinlaan, and the ULB's Plaine campus, with the sciences and pharmacy, are on the edge of the municipality, as is Usquare, the site shared by the two universities opposite Etterbeek station. In Etterbeek itself, the Haute École Bruxelles-Brabant has its IESSID campus on boulevard Louis Schmidt, and EPHEC its Schuman-Europe campus on avenue d'Auderghem. Right next door, ICHEC is at Montgomery, and the Haute École Léonard de Vinci has its Marie Haps campus near place du Luxembourg.

Everyday life

On place Jourdan, the Sunday market; on place du Luxembourg, the organic market on Tuesdays. The municipal swimming pool L'Espadon, on rue des Champs, and four libraries, including the Hergé library, on avenue de la Chasse.

Housing

Kots and flatshares make up most of the offer, and flatshares here are often large, for four or more. Rooms in the owner's home are also more common than in the student neighbourhoods of the centre. The Xior Etterbeek residence is in La Chasse, about fifteen minutes on foot from the VUB, or a few bus stops.

For whom?

A good choice if you study at the VUB, the Plaine, IESSID or EPHEC, or at the Solbosch with tram 25, and if you want a lively municipality that is quieter than the Cimetière d'Ixelles.

Less suited if you want student life on your doorstep, which happens rather at the Cimetière, on the other side of the campuses.

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