On Wednesday, March 22nd, we, the students taking The European Union Politics and Institutions course, went on a day trip to Brussels, where the major EU institutions are located. We started the day early by taking a train from Amsterdam to Brussels and arrived around 9:15 AM. We then spent some time walking around the city and the European neighbourhood and taking in the sights before heading to the Parliament and Hemicycle for a visit. This tour through the Parliament building was informative and we finally could see the inner workings of the EU and what we studied in the course in person. We went on a multimedia guide, through which we could look at the point of view of multiple people working for the EU, like MEPs and the president of the parliament.
Our next stop was Experience Europe by the European Commission, where we learnt about the EU’s plans and had the chance to use VR glasses. We then headed to the House of European History to learn, not only about the continent’s rich history and culture, but also about the formation of the Union and the multiple challenges it endured. This was very insightful and interesting and we got to see the workings of the EU beyond the institutions like the parliament.
In the evening, we spent some time relaxing in the city centre and indulging in some of the best traditional Belgian fries and beer. Finally, we ended our day trip by taking a train back home to Amsterdam. Overall, we had an insightful day in Brussels and learnt about the EU and each other. This trip made us appreciate the European Union and its inner workings more and gave some of us a future perspective of what it would be like working for the EU.