Erasmus Experience in Gdansk, Poland by José Pablo

Why did you choose to go to Gdansk, Poland?

A lot of my friends had been on their Erasmus in Poland, so I knew that I wanted to come to Poland for sure. I had three possible destinations: Krakow, Gdansk and another small city in the south, I don't remember what it was called. Krakow was very oversubscribed, so I decided not to risk it and to go for the safe option.

Source

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

I didn't get very much money, I still don't know how much, but I hardly got €1, 000, although it doesn't have much to do with being here, but rather with the current state of the economy...

What is the student lifestyle like in Gdansk?

Gdansk is full of students and young people, there's always some party going on...

Would you recommend the city and the university of Gdansk to other students?

I'd recommend the city without a doubt. Gdansk's situation is a bit special because it's known as the tri-city: "Gdansk-Sopot-Gdynia". Gdansk is the biggest and prettiest of the three, then there's Sopot, it has an amazing beach and is full of students, it's very much a party city and then there's Gdynia, which is very nice, but it doesn't have the spark that the other two cities have. The three cities are connected by buses and a very cheap commuter train. Regarding the university, nobody has any complaints, I haven't heard of anyone having to study too much.

Source

What is the food like there?

The food is not as good as Spanish food, in my opinion, but it's not too bad, they have a lot of soups and they usually cook with quite a bit of spice. There's also the dish, called tartare, which will be a bit of a shock to Spanish people, because it's raw beef mince meat, mixed with an egg yolk, chopped onion, pickles, pepper and salt, it's delicious.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Gdansk?

Not especially, a week is plenty of time to find a flat in.

How much does it cost to live in Gdansk?

It's quite a cheap city, as is the rest of Poland, there is nothing that stands out. Leisure activities here are very cheap and so is the transport. The average price of a flat in normally €250, including bills, but the residences cost about €80 a month... And the food in the supermarket is cheaper than it is here in Spain.

Source

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

Personally, I went to a kind of private university and I was the only Erasmus student there, so they didn't have a Polish course for foreigners, but everyone speaks English here.

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

Flying from Madrid to Gdansk, without fail. If you buy the tickets in advance, you can get a return ticket for 100 euros.

Source

Where would you recommend for a night out in Gdansk?

Well, there are a lot of places to go. There are more than 30 clubs and pubs in Gdansk and Sopot combined.

And to eat in Gdansk? What are some of your favourite places to go?

There are a lot of restaurants serving Polish food in the city centre, they're cheap for people coming from Spain and they're pretty fancy places.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Gdansk is beautiful, it's a typical northern European city, it has a lot of monuments and a park, call the Oliwa, which is an incredible place... google it and look at the photos!

Source

Do you have any advice for students coming to Gdansk in the future?

Take warm clothing.