Justine Vandendorpe
About me
I am a Belgian woman living in Cologne since 2018. I studied ecology in Belgium and Norway and, after graduating, I moved to Germany. I first lived in Gießen, then in Wiesbaden, and eventually moved to Cologne. I am currently working as a Data Steward in an infrastructure and research center in the context of a project in microbiota research. Besides my job, I enjoy cooking traditional Belgian dishes, reading classics, hiking in the forest, and, of course, exploring Cologne.
Why Cologne?
What I love about Cologne is that, in my Belgian opinion, it is a large city where every neighborhood feels like a different town. In fact, I like this diversity so much that I regularly go on day trips to explore a specific neighborhood. My favorite one being, of course, the Belgian Quarter. I also find people living in Cologne easygoing and friendly, and I very much enjoy the Kölsch culture (to be experienced in one of the many brewery restaurants such as Brauhaus Pütz). Finally, I also love nature in and outside of Cologne. Within the city, there are beautiful parks and gardens such as the Forstbotanische Garten. Outside of the city, there are two low mountain range regions to explore: the Bergisches Land and the Eifel.
