Erasmus Experience in Girona, Spain by Lucia

Why did you choose to go to Girona, Spain?

I had 2 options, either Ljubljana or Girona, as I am a person who loves the sun, I chose Girona, but still these 2 places are perfect to spend some lifetime in.

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

I got exactly 360 euros from my university for 5 months, the costs were 700 euros to live there, travel a bit, buy fine food and go to the restaurants sometimes.

What is the student lifestyle like in Girona?

We worked hard at school but I found field trips and resolving current problems much more interesting than reading books and memorizing things.

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

Definitely. Especially European Master of Tourism Management because of the high quality of this program.

What is the food like?

Catalonia gastronomy is one of the best things out there.

Was it difficult for you to find accommodation in Girona?

No, because I got a contact from the person that lived there last year. But I saw a big barrier in Girona, which was that all landlords spoke just Catalan, and some of them Spanish. But English there is very rarely spoken.

How much does it cost to live in Girona?

220 euros per month.

Is the language easy to get a grip on? Are there language courses available at the university?

The Tourism Faculty pays for the Spanish course, so for Tourism students it is free, luckily. However, I have heard that it normally costs around 300 euros for a beginners course.

What is the easiest or most economical way to travel to Girona from your city?

I flew there, if you are lucky, you can find cheap flights. Mainly with Ryanair. But they cut them from November until May. Out of those dates, it is possible to get to Girona from Slovakia.

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

La Sala - Salsa. Erasmus people often pick one club where they usually go often so they can negotiate the prices and some get discounts, as they plan there each party and spend a lot of money as a group. It depends, our club was Michigan, it is quite small but we didn't really mind and it was always fun.

There is a possibility to go to La bodega, it is in Barri Vell, it is open at very specific times. Everyone can drink wine and beer and talk on the street. There are a lot of people but it is not open for a long time, so it is very easy to miss it.

And to eat? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Girona?

I remember that Placa Independencia was a nice place to eat, and also one Chinese restaurant close to cinema and Barri Vell area for sure, there is one bar you can tap the beer right on your table, close to the cathedral, etc.

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What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The wall around the city, the gardens behind the cathedral, Parc Devesa was beautiful, and also we went to visit Dalí's houses, Museum in Figueres, Besalu - an old medieval city which can be entered just by one bridge... On the way there a maze called "The magic labyrinth of Garrel", made of wooden sticks, we almost got lost there. There is a beautiful view from the a hill called "angels" or something like that, it is possible cycle there as well as drive. It is a long trip walking, though.

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Is there any other advice that you could give to future students who are going to Girona?

Use Girocletas, don't be just in Girona, travel around, there are many places which are close by, as well as beaches, Santa Cristina has big waves and it is an almost empty beach.

Talk to locals - they are Catalan, proud of their culture, they appreciate so much if you learn some basic phrases in their language, then they are more open to speak in other languages, also you can get priceless information.

If you like Girona and want to come back, there is a tradition that you should kiss the small lion's ass. The lion is on a street lamp, close to the cathedral and you will come back for sure to this city. Tourists are doing this everyday, so you will find the place easily.

You should be part of these events:

Firatast - you can buy coupons with money and you can exchange them for tapas or a small typical meal.

Temps de flor- festival of flours - Flowers are all around Girona. We came to Girona after our Erasmus and found this festival very nice.