Experience in Lleida, Spain by Pau

What is it like to live in Lleida? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Lleida is not one of the most touristic cities in Catalonia and neither is one of the biggest, but that's what makes it a special place to study. Everything is close and you can go walking or by bike everywhere. I really recommend Lleida as a city to spend a semester or an academic year.

What is the student lifestyle like in Lleida?

The gets city full of students during the academic year and this creates a great atmosphere to live and study.

How much does it cost to live in Lleida?

One of the reasons why Lleida is a popular city for students is because it's cheap, especially housing.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Lleida? Is there any advice you can give?

It's easy to find accommodation and it's not expensive. I think that the best option is to live in an apartment rather than in a residence. Apartments use to be old but big and comfortable.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

The food is like everywhere in the Mediterranean, tasty and healthy. The typical dish of Lleida is Snails. Yes, it can sound disgusting, and I particularly don't like them; but you should give it a try.

What places would you recommend visiting in Lleida?

As Lleida is not a touristic city there's not much to see. But still, there is a gorgeous castle: la Seu Vella. A good plan is to grab some beers something to eat and have dinner at the castle's hill. There's also the Carrer Major which is the longest commercial street in Europe and it's a good place to go shopping.

Is it good to eat out in Lleida? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

It's not expensive to eat out in Lleida and there is a wide variety of restaurants. One of my favourites is "Cañas y Tapas". You can eat the best bravas at "Roma" and the best pizza at "O Sole Mio". Anyway, you can find plenty of restaurants and bars in the "Ricard Vinyes" area.

Is the nightlife good in Lleida? Where is good to go?

Parties in Lleida are really good, especially on Thursdays which is the day that the college students use to go out. There is an area full of bars and pubs called Els Vins but there are only two nightclubs: Biloba (closes during winter) and La Nuit. I recommend the parties held by the university campuses, the best ones are in the Agronomy campus (ETSEA). One of my favourites is Agrònoms de Ferro, where after eating paella and playing games you can have a bath in a pool full of mud!

What advice would you give future students heading to Lleida?

During summer it's super hot and during wintertime, it's very cold and there are weeks where you won't see the sun because of the fog. If you can handle this, then Lleida is your perfect match!