Erasmus Experience in Krakow, Poland by Vladimir

Why did you choose to go to Kraków, Poland?

I choose it for a few reasons. First of all, I was here during the summer for my internship, so, I decided just to stay here a little bit longer. Also, I always wanted to visit Poland and especially Krakow, and this was a perfect opportunity.

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

It's a 5 month scholarship (with possibility of prolongation) and for every month I was scheduled to receive 560 euros. Anyway, I received 80% of it before coming here, and I'll receive the rest of it when I come home.

What is the student lifestyle like in Kraków?

There is a little bit for everyone. If you like to party, this is a perfect place for you (so I heard :D). One of the reasons for my coming here was, among all, my wish to dedicate myself to sport even more, so, most of the time I was in my gym, doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. :D

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But, really, as a student, one should enjoy Krakow very much. This city offers so much, so, it's up to you to use it.

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

I wanted to answer on this one with strong and simple "YES! ", just to make it clear. :D

To cut a long story short, if you have the opportunity to come here and study, you shouldn't miss it (Jagiellonian University).

What is the food like?

The food is good, but, totally different from Croatian stuff. I had some kind of adaptation period, but after that everything was OK. There is a lot of restaurants all over the city, you can eat everything from Asian, Mediterranean, polish, etc. And the best part is that eating in restaurants here isn't so expensive at all.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Kraków?

I got a place in a dorm, so, no. During the summer and my internship I lived in a flat. Huge flat, fair price.

How much does it cost to live in Kraków?

It depends, really. If you like to go out every night or eat at the restaurants every day, it might be expensive, but, if you cook for yourself from time to time, and live a good and little bit more peaceful life, it's not expensive at all. Of course, you can go to museums, galleries, movies, wherever you want, and this kind of lifestyle will be doable, let's say. :D

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I don't like to discuss numbers, but let's just say that my scholarship was more than enough.

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

Polish language is kinda difficult. I found out that I understand Russian or Ukrainian more than Polish. Of course, there are language courses, and those might be helpful. But, everyone here speaks English, so, there's no need to be afraid. But if you really want to learn Polish, try to spend more time with Polish people and try to speak polish. I guess that's the only way to do it.

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

I came here by plane. Found a ticket from Split to Krakow (less than 2 hours) for something like 150 euros. I know it's not the cheapest ticket, but it took me from point A to point B in shortest possible time, so, I'm ok with that.

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

This is not my strongest area of expertise, but, there are a lot of clubs and pubs around city center. Also, on Wisła, near Centrum Kongresowe, is hotel Forum, great place also.

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

I have a few favorite places here: Momo bar (indian food), Nova Krova (best vegan burgers in the world, probably, burgers in general :D), Pod Norenami (asian food, great sushi). Great, healthy food and good prices.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Everything here have some kind of cultural or historical background. When my friends from Croatia visited me, I wanted to show them as much as possible, but those 6 days weren't long enough.

The whole city center, Kazimierz, more than few places in Podgorze district also, etc. Really, there is no point in writing it all now, because there is just so much.

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

Krakow is great place, if you have opportunity to come here, use it!

Try to have some activities outside faculty, some sport, art, language, dance or whatever class. Don't let your staying here become trying to create a future alcoholics. Try to use this short period of your life to become a better person. Also, bring a lot of warm clothes with you, you might need it. :D