My cousin(Neef) went there for a different subject and I have visited the city often, very nice place. I would be interested to learn more about the Architecture program their as well.

a belgian i worked with for a month said a lot of students would travel north to the NL for school

The Flemish region in Belgium speaks Dutch, so they certainly have no language problem and judging from my trips to Flanders I can say that it's like being in Holland there. Same lifestyle and same social system.
I really admire them: Flemish is VERY hard to learn but not impossible! :)

I also think that nowdays Belgium is producing very creative and valid architects and designers. Belgium is Europe's best kept secret, expecially the Flemish part in terms of creativity, diligence and skills. Have a look at some of the new stuff there, it's pretty good.

since the Renaissance

You should definitely also look into the St. Luc in Gent. A bit smaller, a bit less international orientated, but the school definitely delivers skilled students. I wouldn't say better or worse than the St. Luc in Brussels, but it definitely has a different atmosphere.

Oh, and if the language barrier could be too big of a problem (since Dutch/Flemish) can be a bitch, Leuven University also has an English-language program (Master of Human Settlements) that is rather research-driven (but also with a design track). But you've probably already read that on their website...

hey don't bag on my wallonia

Hey holz.box Belgium is a great country as a whole! :) as a matter of fact I'll be settling in Namur most likely at least for the first 6 months!
You Belgians really rock! :)

Imagine if wallonians started speaking wallonian again.

Wow, you guys are pretty postitive about Belgians. The country is pretty nice but the people here are mostly douchebags, (of course I live in Antwerp, where everyone hates everyone).
How would you guys rank the Van de Velde institute in Antwerp, in comparison to the rest of the Belgian schools?

I saw 'Cops from Antwerp, they needed subtitles so other dutchophilles could make out what they were saying ;)

what about the Maastricht / Leiden area ? the architecture of the courts etc there is very nice. boat mississippi too

I still think Belgium rocks! And Flanders are my fav part! LOL :)
One of my teachers (the God I call him, Bernardo Secchi, the urbanist) has done the urban plan of Antwerpen and always speaks highly of the way Belgians authorities and how quickly they passed from proposal to implementing his work!

I have no idea about VAn de Velde Inst, I will have a look :)

Yeah, they are pretty fast & organized, sometimes a bit much, they try to replace most of the 'antique' buildings with modern stuff but the people start protesting everytime they do (more often than not succesfully). But regardless, our 'french' fries are so awesome they'd make any country jeaulous.

The only difference I know between Bruxelles and Leuven, is that Bruxelles is a college, and Leuven is a university, so if you're changing from a college to a university, you may have to do a link year, or whatever it's called.

BTW you don't have to check the Van de Velde instute out, I was just curious whether anyone had ever heard of it..