If you love discovering different cultures and costumes and are looking for the ultimate multicultural experience within Europe, these four cities are for you! If you move to one of these places even just for a few months, we can assure you that you will make a bunch of international friends, try different and delicious food from all around the world and have the chance to listen to many different languages!
1. London
The beautiful city of London hosts one of the most multicultural communities in Europe as well as in the world. Almost all nationalities of the world are represented in the population and around 1/3 of Londoners are foreigners. If you go there, you’ll hear more than 200 different languages, and this number keeps growing. Obviously, in London there are many restaurants from all around the world and international festivals. For example, the LIFT Festival is London’s international biennial festival on theater. The festival is full of relevant culture and international perspectives to make the audience feel more global.
2. Paris
Paris, the French capital, also hosts a very diverse population. The capital merges global cultures, the majority of which are represented by people coming from outside the European Union. Indeed, around 20% of people living here do not belong to France nor to the EU. The city is home of vibrant multicultural neighborhoods, such as the Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement, which hosts several Asian cultures. Belleville must also be mentioned; it is a dynamic neighborhood where artists, migrants and revolutionaries live, creating an incredibly diverse environment.
3. Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the largest city in the Netherlands, is known as being a very tolerant and welcoming place for immigrants and asylum seekers. The city is home of a very diverse population, with almost 180 different cultural backgrounds. This cosmopolitan city has a multilingual population. To help new expats learn Dutch, the city offers Dutch language classes… And many of them are free of charge! Amsterdam also hosts numerous multicultural events, such as the DRONGO Language Festival, an annual festival about the impact of languages that celebrates multilingualism. The festival includes lectures, debates, labs, escape rooms, and even food and music.
4. Brussels
Being the heart and the capital of the European Union, Brussels is absolutely a very cosmopolitan city with more than 180 nationalities and 100 languages spoken. The number of foreign-born citizens in Brussels is over 60%; many of them are expats coming from other EU countries to work in the European Institutions, but there is also a large number of non-EU migrants. This merge of cultures has resulted in a very dynamic city, where diversity can be spot in every corner, thanks to its restaurants serving international food, its multilingual citizens, and its neighborhoods that are home of specific cultures, such as Matongé: the buzzing African neighborhood.
