Erasmus Experience in Bergamo, Italy by Natalia

Why did you choose to go to Bergamo, Italy?

I wanted to have my Erasmus experience in a city that wasn't too big, quite the opposite, I looked for somewhere more welcoming, where you could get to know the whole Erasmus group. I also chose Bergamo of it's proximity to other cities, like Milan and Verona; they had airports with cheap flights, that companies like Ryanair and EasyJet operated at, they have direct flights to my home city. It's a bit complicated as I live in Tenerife and I could also travel a lot for cheap.

How long did the grant last? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

The grant, in my case, lasted 10 months. I got almost €4, 000 in total, in 3 payments. One in December from my region's administration, one in April from the grant I was awarded from the Ministry of Education and Science and the European Commission and the last one I received the remaining 20% about four months after that.

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What is the student lifestyle like in Bérgamo?

The univeristy area in Bergamo is divided into three departments. There's the area for humanities, located in the Città Alta, an historic area of the city, it's also where they put on language courses.

The Cittá Bassa area is where the law and economics faculties are located. They're faculties that had been newly built. I studied here and it's just next to the Bergamo Public Library.

And the Dalmine area, which is about 30 minutes by Bus outside of Bergamo. The Science and Engineering courses are taught here.

In general, the students from Bergamo are great with Erasmus students, I made some friends who helped us out with everything they could, recommending us books and notes. But they do tend to do their own thing outside of the classroom.

Erasmus life there was the best part of the experience for me, we were like one big multinational family. We were mostly Spanish but we knew how to be good as a group and we had the backing of two Erasmus associations, the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and AEGEE (Association des États Généraux des Étudiants de l'Europe) Bergamo. They both put on cultural activities, Happy Hours, trips, visits, parties, all for us.

Although I don't want to mislead anyone by saying that Bergamo is an excellent city for partying, given that it's actually pretty conservative. But for us, it wasn't an issue. Milan was only 45 minutes away by train and we would go there on Friday or Saturday for nights out.

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Would you recommend the city and the University of Bergamo to other students?

I would recommend it for the city's charm, because obviously with a group of Erasmus students that isn't usually larger than 120 people, you get together a lot and you'll form a lot of bonds.

I'd recommend it for it's architecture and for it's gastronomy, too. Also for it's proximity to other attractive cities, flight connections and interesting places to visit.

As for the academic aspect, depending on what you study, it can be easier or more difficult to get off the ground. Normally those studying humanities had no issues (languages, journalism, psychology).

The law or economics students, like me, had to study a lot more. The engineering students had to put in a bit more work, too.

What is the food like?

Food is one of the most iconic things about Italy. I have little more to say than that it was exquisite. Truthfully, it was a bit expensive, but the food is just so amazing wherever you go.

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Was it difficult to find acommodation in Bergamo?

The University of Bergamo provided Erasmus students a grant for their rent. The flats varied but they were usually in old buildings that the landlords had adapted them for students inside, with furniture, etc. The price ranged from €280 to €350.

I rented a place with some other students independently, with help from the university we took a risk using a local agency to find a flat from Spain. We had to pay a lot of administration fees, but the flat was great, really big, new, comfortable and only 10 minutes walk from my department at university. We paid €330 a month, not including the heating or internet.

How much does it cost to live in Bergamo?

Due to my passion for administration, I kept an account of my spending, including rent, food, internet, phone and various expenses. Each month I spent on average around €800, including partying, trips and other impulsive spends. You can spend less, I promise.

The biggest expense is the food without a doubt, meat, canned goods like tuna, etc.

Transport wasn't excessively expensive, it's €11 for a bus pass with 10 journeys, or the month pass is €43 (prices from 2011-2012).

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Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The language, for me, wasn't difficult at all. Before I applied for my grant, I took an introductory course in Italian at my university. When I got there we had to do an Italian test to determine our level of ability and I started the course at B1 level, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. I didn't find it hard, but the best thing to do it to practice with other international students and with Italians, of course, and to watch Italian TV or read the newspapers there. In everyday situations you'll pick up everyday vocabulary and the expressions people use, things you won't really get from a language course, as they focus more on things like grammar.

For example, by November, everyone could speak fluent Italian.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Bergamo from your city?

The most economical way, and the only way for me, was by plane, with a Ryanair flight from Tenerife, it's around €90 for flight with a 15kg suitcase. (Tenerife is one of the most expensive destinations, flights to the mainland were much cheaper).

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Bergamo?

To go out in Bergamo, we almost always followed the same formula, on Tuesday Velvet Pub, on Thursdays the local bars had an arrangement with Erasmus. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, in Bergamo: Setai Club, Edonè, Cappogiro, Hangover, Hangar 47, Ego.

There were parties every day of the week in Milan for Erasmus students, entry cost €10 and you got two drinks with that and a return ticket on the train was €11. It was worth the trip, clubs in Bergamo are a bit pricey.

In Milan, I recommend Alcatraz on Fridays and Le Banque on Saturdays. The Old Fashion, Hollywood and Black Hole are good, too.

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And to eat in Bergamo? What were your favourite places?

The best ice cream place in the world, Gelateria La Marianna, in the Cittá Alta, it's where stracciatella was made for the first time. Also in Cittá Alta, there's the la Pizzeria El Circolino and Ristorante Da Franco (Lasagna! ). There's an a la carte place, it's a bit pricey, that I went to with my parents when they came to visit, as there was a food festival on Ristorante Da Mimmo. Il Fornaio is the best bakery- pizzeria- piadineria in Città Alta, it's been going for a long time and you can get pizza by the slice.

In Città Bassa, there's La Bruschetta, it's very central. Osteria della Birra. Wine bar Savoy, I lived just above it, it has great aperitivos. The Gelateria Surya in Porta Nuova, in the centre or Geletaria GROM, also in the centre. Ristorante Al vechio tagliere. Pasteleria Tresoldi. Trattoria Caprese. Giropizza is a bottomless pizza place, a help-yourself pizza bar for €10 (with a drink).

You can't leave Bergamo without trying the casoncelli ( a traditional filled pasta) or the polenta bergamasca. It's quite a complicated thing, you'll either love it or hate it depending on who cooks it. It's an accompaniment served with meat made from polenta (a type of wheat flour) with butter, cheese, etc.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

As I said before, the Bergamo architecture is a big attraction, visit the Città Alta, it's beautiful in any season, but even more so in the snow.

There's a theatre, the Teatro Donizzeti. There are quite a lot of fairs in the city centre on the weekends, especially for international foods.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to in the future Bergamo?

Only that they make the most of the experience, I think that covers everything. Good luck!