Erasmus Experience in Brasov, Romania by Juanen

Why did you choose to go to Brasov, Romania?

Due to price of the destination and good reviews of the place from my friends

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I'll be one semester and I received aprox. 200€.

What is the student lifestyle like in Brasov?

Quite nice. You can find students out almost every day of the week, and Erasmus students go out a lot.

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

Definitely, if you want to go to romania, try brasov. It's quite better than the rest of the cities here, maybe with the exception of Cluj. Bucharest has more parties and students, but people and the city itself sucks. And it’s not that far from brasov by train. (train is free for students)

What is the food like?

Almost everything has pig, chicken, potatoes, or cheese, but in brasov you will find a bit more of diversity due to its German and Hungarian influences.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Brasov?

I applied for the student residence. There are sharing rooms for 2 and for 4. So if you don't want to share a room you will have to find a flat, but there are many to choose.

How much does it cost to live in Brasov?

If you stay in the residence, it's 70€, if you decide to take a flat, prices start from 200€ aprox.
Food is quite cheap. You won't need to pay more than 200€, even going out.
Alcohol is quite cheep, and club entrance is normally free. But how much you expend will depend on how much you drink and go out.
So for the basics, 300-350€.

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

If you speak a Latin based language, you will find that they have lots of words in common. So with some effort you will get a basic level. If not, it will be harder but doable. The University gives for free a course of basic Romanian but it's really just the basics.

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

Plane. From Spain to Bucharest there are lots of flights for less than 50€.

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

You can start with pubs and then move to the club around 1. I would recommend ciucas for the cheapest beer, Dean's for a chilly place (and on Tuesday it's great karaoke parties) and then about clubs I would recommend Temple or Square.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Brasov?

Close to Kaufland there are a Greek and a Turkish restaurant. In the center I would try to find Italian or German restaurants as they are normally quite good.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The black church, the citadel, the castles around the city, and the medieval walls.

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

If you don't get well with your roommates of the residence talk with the manager of your residence and try to change to another room. Try to enjoy you stay here and visit romania and the countries next to it, be open minded, and don't mess with the police.