Experience in Manresa, the Spain of Cristina

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

Manresa is a small city so you can't expect much from it. It is the nerve centre of Catalonia, right in the centre. The city has around 80, 000 inhabitants, like I said it is really small, but it is surrounded by villages so it seems that there are more people. Manresa is located in a valley which is why it is quite uneven and between here and Montserrat, the temperature vary a lot. Here we make the joke that in summer it is like Morocco and in winter it is like Manrusia, so do not expect the same temperatures as in Barcelona. Even being so close there is normally 10 degrees of a different. Except in spring and autumn which feels very similar. If you you come to study and it falls over winter, bring a good coat. There are 2 universities UPC and FUB and on the side there is a library which opens during the day. For those who always have to study the day before, the BUNKER, is a place in the cellar of the UPC (I know it sounds like a horror movie but don't be afraid) where you can study at any time.

What is the student lifestyle like in Manresa?

There is not much student life in Manresa unless you look for it and get on it. What me and my friends usually do is go to Itaca (a bar) and then Stroika, if you feel like it. Sometimes the university holds parties on a Thursday once per semester, but this can add up to a lot.

How much does it cost to live in Manresa?

Living in Manresa doesn't cost more than €500, I am from here so I can't speak for myself but my classmates pay about €200 for accommodation and €50 for bills per month. Also you have to count for food of course, which could be €25-€75 per week, depending on where you go. Another thing to mention is transport, if you move to Manresa city, you can walk, you can also travel by bus. I recommend buying a T-10 ticket because it costs a lot less than paying for each journey. If you have to leave Manresa it is often better to look at the offers because it is also very expensive.

How do you get to Manresa by public transport? And by car?

There are two metro stations and 1 bus station. Here are the websites for the train: www.renfe.com/viajeros/cercanias/barcelona/, http://www.fgc.cat/. There is also the bus but in this case I can only leave the link to the timetables: http://www.autocaresjulia.es/public/media/file/bcn_olesa_monts.pdf .

You can get there by car from l'eix del Llobregat (dual carriageway c-16) and l'eix transversal (c- 25). Although it is well signposted, the GPS never misses it.

And if you want to know, there are buses that are connected to the surrounding towns, but this varies a lot so all I can recommend is that you go to the bus station and ask.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Manresa? Do you have any advice?

It doesn't cost a lot to find accommodation at the minute, it more or less depends on what the area that you want to live in is worth. Try not to go through an agency because they will charge you more. Apart from that, flats are usually spacious, that is if you come here to view them before confirming that you want to move in. There are also halls for students. There are shared rooms that have a kitchen, bathroom and two rooms with a bed, a table and a bookcase that divides the room in half for more privacy. I think that it costs around €300 with everything including, except food obviously.

What is the food like there? What are some of your favourite dishes?

Spanish food in general is great. In Manresa we also have sustainable food, although it is a little more expensive. My favourite dishes are tapas in general like patatas bravas or iberian ham. A salad always goes well and it is never very expensive. One of my favourite dishes is french toast.

Recipe for French toast

Ingredients:

- A loaf of bread

- Eggs

- Milk

- Cinnamon

- Sugar

- Oil

First, cut the bread into thick slices (but not too thick), then dip them in milk (don't soak them), then dip them in egg and fry them until they are golden on both sides. When you take them out, sprinkle the cinnamon on both sides and then the sugar.

What places would you recommend visiting in Manresa?

La Seu, Monsterrat, el Coll baix. It is close to Barcelona (one hour by car and an hour and a half by train or bus, more or less) and there there are a lot of things to visit. El parc de l'agulla is the biggest park there is, you can walk because it is not in the same city and it is a very nice place and a lot of people use it to practice sports or go for a walk when the weather is nice. If you are sporty, you can go skiing, the nearest pistes are 1 hours from here and they have a student discount, so ask them! In each ski resort it is different but you only have to carry your student card (the secondary school card works sometimes). If you are mad about movies, there is a cinema with 12 rooms. On the website there are offers for food plus cinema, www.cinesbagescentre.com If what you like is the beach, you know that is also one hour from here! Although there is a beach in Barcelona, there are other beaches that are closer and better (there is no way I would swim in Barcelona, it is dirty).

Is it good to eat out in Manresa? What are some of your favourite places to go?

One of my favourite places to go is Tagliatella but it is a little expensive. Beside the university there is Nostrum, which is good value for money. If you like sandwiches, we have Abat which is also near the university. Other places that can be interesting are Grifitich (but only to eat), Pizza steak, Sakura and other Japanese places that have opened near FUB. For fast food there is: Telepizza, Domino's, McDonalds. There are also a lot of Chinese restaurants but the best is Chinito on carretera de vic. Finally, although it is a little expensive, you have to go to la Creperia, on Passeig Pere III.

Where would you recommend for a night out in Manresa?

In Manresa, there are only 3 places to go on a night out: Silenci, Stroika and Sielu. In summer they open Carpas del Riu. There are also some bars like Itaka, la Gramola, Vysness, Taberna and Rentre. The last bar has billiards, darts and foosball.

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

It is not a bad place to come to study, although you have options to go to like Barcelona which is a much better choice than here, but also more expensive.

In the photos you can see Seu iluminada and Montserrat, and there in the distance, the football pitch is from the university UPC and what is missing is the view from one of the high places of Manresa..

Photo gallery