Erasmus Experience in Guimarães, Portugal by Adriana

Why did you choose to go to Guimarães, Portugal?

During my studies, Guimarães was a compulsory city to live during a period of 4 months of my scholarship. However, I found this place really beautiful. It is approximately 1 hour by train to Porto... That is an amazing place to visit too. Night life is very active in Porto too. I found people very gentle and kind in Guimarães and in Portugal in general.

Source

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

In Guimarães the cost of life is very cheap. Definitively anyone can safe a lot of money from the scholarship living in this city.

What is the student lifestyle like in Guimarães?

Every Wednesday and Thursday there is a lot of night life in this city. Many Erasmus students live in this city and keep a charming environment in this city.

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

I definitively recommend this city for any student tented to live in this city.

What is the food like?

The food is kind of heavy in my opinion. There is always so much food with a very low price.

Source

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Guimarães?

Not at all! But the organization of my scholarship took care of it.

How much does it cost to live in Guimarães?

I did pay a rent of approximately 250 euros (I guess).

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

There are courses of Portuguese at the University of Minho. For Spanish speaker it could be more easy to understand Portuguese. I do speak Spanish and I did not have any problem with the language.

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

I think the most cheapest way to travel is Ryanair from any place in the world.

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

Tasquilhado is one of the most famous bars in Guimarães.

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

I can not remember any name at the moment. But in the city center there are a couple of options to try!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There is a tour around the city center of Guimarães that is worth it. I found the city really attractive!

Source

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

Whenever you start to feel the town is too small for you, there are many cities nearby that are worth it to visit (Aveiro, Vigo, Lisbon, among others).