Dutch is the most commonly spoken language in my town of Hasselt; however many people here speak English, also! For example, when I buy food, I always order in English (I haven't learned enough Dutch yet, unfortunately) and the waiter understands perfectly.
Hasselt is in Limburg, which is a county in the region of Flanders. Flanders is the Dutch speaking region of Belgium. The other regions are Wallonia, the French speaking region, and a small German speaking region on the border with Germany. Here in Flanders, very little French is spoken, and I hear from the locals that there is quite a bit of political tension between the different regions. I am only just starting to understand the history between these regions. It may not be surprising to learn, therefore, that you had best not speak French in Flanders; and, for that matter, do not to speak Dutch in Wallonia! This is because by using the "wrong" language, you may come across as sounding disrespectful.
Belgium is part of the European (euro) currency region. Euros, which come in 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro bills (and likely higher but I have never carried that much cash on me!). Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 50 cent denominations, and there is also a 1 and 2 euro coin, which I use the most. I was surprised that here in Europe, the coins are much more valuable.
