Kosice - The Best Erasmus I could dream of!

Why did you choose to go to Kosice, Slovakia?

To be honest, Kosice was my last option to go on Erasmus. But now that I’m in the end of my Erasmus Experience, I have to admit that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Anyway, like any of my other options, it has a great location, making it really easy to travel anywhere in Europe.

What is the student lifestyle like in Kosice?

I guess it depends on which faculty you are studying at and even the year you are attending. For me, in the 5th year of Med School, it was pretty relaxed. I didn’t have many classes (2h a day, and every two weeks I had two weeks of vacation – a happy coincidence! ). Thus, I had plenty of time to enjoy the city, go shopping, go to the theatre/opera, travelling, etc. There are lot’s of activities in Kosice that can make your day completely full! And also the nightlife is also pretty good!

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

Like I said, I had plenty of free time so I could do a lot of travelling. The classes were pretty easy and the teachers/doctors were very nice. The degree of difficulty isn’t so high so one can go on without having too much to study.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Kosice?

Slovak food is totally different from the food in my country. However, I really enjoyed it – I have to say that I don’t know how I will live without Pirohys from now on! Slovak food has a lot of potatoes, flour, meat, cheese and cabbage. For Slovak food I would definitely recommend Med Malina, in Hlavna.

Kosice has a lot of nice places to eat, not only Slovak! If I didn’t know pizza had been invented in Italy, I would say Kosice was responsible for it’s invention! I must say I tried food from almost every continent – Indian (Little India), Ukrainian (in Alzbetina), Japanese (Bamboo, in Hlavna), Chinese, Vietnamese, French, Italian, … Just go to Hlavna and you’ll find everything there!

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Kosice? How was the accommodation?

I applied for accommodation through the university. I was sharing a room at MEI HOSTEL (Kysucka 16). The rooms are really cheap (106€ a month for a shared room – 180€ if you want the room only for yourself PLUS 20, 3€/month for the internet).

The rooms are quite nice, with a lot of storage space, a balcony and a private bathroom. The only problem about this dorm is the kitchen. There is only one kitchen in each floor, so it has to be shared between 31 bedrooms. Also, there is only one mini fridge. After the winter started, we started using our own balconies to store the food!

How much does it cost to live in Kosice?

I think it depends on your lifestyle. I wanted to spare some money for travelling, so I didn’t go out at night as much as the others. However, I enjoyed every cultural experience the city had to offer (theatre/cinema/sports/gastronomy/…) and still managed to travel all around Europe with aproximatelly 600€ a month (including the accommodation).

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

Slovak is completely different from my language, but in Kosice you can find people trying to understand your English everywhere. Also, there are some key-words you can learn and it will be enough ("Pivo", "Voda", …). There is a free course offered by the immigration office in Postova Ulica that you can attend every Tuesday at 17h.

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

Kosice has an airport with lowcost flights to Milan, London, etc.

From Portugal, I took the plane from Lisbon to Budapest and then took the train from Budapest to Kosice, that leaves twice a day (at 6. 30 am and 6. 30 pm) and costs around 14€.

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

There are a lot of night clubs like Jazz, Retro, Noise and Ibiza. But there are also a lot of nice pubs where you can enjoy a locally brewed beer while having a nice conversation (Gollem, Bernard, Dobre Casy, …)

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

You can go to the Opera House. They have events almost every night and for very cheap prices (Philarmonica for 4€ and Ballet for 2€).

I would say that the High Tatras (Mountains) are also a must do while in Slovakia, so please don’t miss the opportunity to go there. I have been there during the Summer, Autumn and Winter, and every time I had a completely different experience!

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

Kosice is a hidden and underestimated beauty in Europe. There are not a lot of tourists here, so if you come here I would say that you’re going to get a true Slovak experience and it will be one of the best experiences in your life!

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