My Erasmus in Brno (Autumn 2008)
Translated by 
Elizabet Alarcón Martínez
— 14 years ago
25 1
Tags: Erasmus experiences Brno,
Brno,
Czech Republic
If you do not know The Czeck Republic, you may not know its food, drinks, customs, prices, or climate. But do not be worried because you will love what you will find there.
The Czeck Republic is a country economically less developed than Spain, so you will not find any kind of luxury in the student residence where you will be hosted. If you cannot decide between a student residence or a flat, I strongly recommend you a residence, thus you will have the opportunity to meet much more people from everywhere in the world, and you will live an “Erasmus life”, what it is possible to happen if you live in a flat. In a residence, you may share your room with a stranger, there are two different possibilities: you both stand up to each other or you fight like cats and dogs. The first option is the most likely to happen, but it depends on each person.
In the daily life, it will be useful to know: the pork bellies, such as food, are especially cheap. You will decide whether cooking in your room or have lunch in the “menza” (lunch room). If you choose the first one, you will spend much time at supermarket. In Brno there are three big supermarket chains: Tesco (the cheapest), Albert and Billa. The great majority of students buy at Tesco, Albert is used for “emergencies” (it is everywhere) and Billa is the most expensive, but its tin loaf is the best one. If you choose the second option, you could have a “traditional” lunch or dinner for 1 euro. If you need to cook your own food, do not go to “menza”.
If you go to a restaurant, you could have lunch for 3 euro with two plates and the best soups in the world. For dinner, you can eat a delicacy that in Spain will cost 20 euro for only 8.
I recommend two plates: “smazeny syr”, that you can eat it at menza and “kureci s broskvi a syrem”, that you can eat in a restaurant. It goes without saying that the check beers are the best in the world, there is not comparison. In Brno, there is one typical: “Starobrno”, but “Staropramen”, from Prague, is also fucking great.
As for the transport, in Brno you will find mainly four ways of moving: by walk, by bus, by trolley bus and by tramway. There is a three-monthly transport pass that costs about 25 euro and you can take any means of transport. The public transport works 24 hours a day and, differently from Spain, it is very punctual, you will be gobsmacked. There is a web page to make routes and to know when the means of transport stop in a station.
The day for the student parties is Wednesday. When I was there, the parties were organised in the Mandarin Club, if you show your Erasmus student card (ESNCARD), the admission will be free. The parties are truly great but you can get bored by monotony, although they try to make theme parties with fancy dresses. This is a secret that few people know: the place where the non-Erasmus parties are and it is called (also the tramway stop) “Semilasso”, if you want something knew, remember that.
At last but no at least, the climate. If you are from the north of Spain, I have nothing to say, but if your are from the south, as me, you had better buy three essential items when the cold starts: a good coat from there (~1900 czk), hat, gloves and boots (~1200 czk), and if you will stay there in January and February: thermic pants. If you go wrapped up, you will not be extremely cold; you will survive and even like the -3 or -4 ºC climate. Inside everywhere it is hot, so if you go out in January, you will wear a t-shirt and a coat. Fortunately, it does not rain a lot, and when it does, people do not use an umbrella, but hat.
That is all, if you need more useful information that I have compiled, this is my blog: http://erasmusdecyber.blogspot.com/
The Czeck Republic is a country economically less developed than Spain, so you will not find any kind of luxury in the student residence where you will be hosted. If you cannot decide between a student residence or a flat, I strongly recommend you a residence, thus you will have the opportunity to meet much more people from everywhere in the world, and you will live an “Erasmus life”, what it is possible to happen if you live in a flat. In a residence, you may share your room with a stranger, there are two different possibilities: you both stand up to each other or you fight like cats and dogs. The first option is the most likely to happen, but it depends on each person.
In the daily life, it will be useful to know: the pork bellies, such as food, are especially cheap. You will decide whether cooking in your room or have lunch in the “menza” (lunch room). If you choose the first one, you will spend much time at supermarket. In Brno there are three big supermarket chains: Tesco (the cheapest), Albert and Billa. The great majority of students buy at Tesco, Albert is used for “emergencies” (it is everywhere) and Billa is the most expensive, but its tin loaf is the best one. If you choose the second option, you could have a “traditional” lunch or dinner for 1 euro. If you need to cook your own food, do not go to “menza”.
If you go to a restaurant, you could have lunch for 3 euro with two plates and the best soups in the world. For dinner, you can eat a delicacy that in Spain will cost 20 euro for only 8.
I recommend two plates: “smazeny syr”, that you can eat it at menza and “kureci s broskvi a syrem”, that you can eat in a restaurant. It goes without saying that the check beers are the best in the world, there is not comparison. In Brno, there is one typical: “Starobrno”, but “Staropramen”, from Prague, is also fucking great.
As for the transport, in Brno you will find mainly four ways of moving: by walk, by bus, by trolley bus and by tramway. There is a three-monthly transport pass that costs about 25 euro and you can take any means of transport. The public transport works 24 hours a day and, differently from Spain, it is very punctual, you will be gobsmacked. There is a web page to make routes and to know when the means of transport stop in a station.
The day for the student parties is Wednesday. When I was there, the parties were organised in the Mandarin Club, if you show your Erasmus student card (ESNCARD), the admission will be free. The parties are truly great but you can get bored by monotony, although they try to make theme parties with fancy dresses. This is a secret that few people know: the place where the non-Erasmus parties are and it is called (also the tramway stop) “Semilasso”, if you want something knew, remember that.
At last but no at least, the climate. If you are from the north of Spain, I have nothing to say, but if your are from the south, as me, you had better buy three essential items when the cold starts: a good coat from there (~1900 czk), hat, gloves and boots (~1200 czk), and if you will stay there in January and February: thermic pants. If you go wrapped up, you will not be extremely cold; you will survive and even like the -3 or -4 ºC climate. Inside everywhere it is hot, so if you go out in January, you will wear a t-shirt and a coat. Fortunately, it does not rain a lot, and when it does, people do not use an umbrella, but hat.
That is all, if you need more useful information that I have compiled, this is my blog: http://erasmusdecyber.blogspot.com/
Content available in other languages
- Español: Mi Erasmus en Brno (Autumn 2008)
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Comments (1 comments)
Hey Elizabet !! very useful thank u very much Could you mention the transportation web page ? Do you remember the names of heavy clothes' stores ?