Experience in Olsztyn, Poland by P

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

Olsztyn is a small city in northern Poland. I think it's a great place to practise sports and do sight-seeing (there are amazing landscapes, lakes, forests, etc. ). However, In my opinion it can be a boring destination for an Erasmus. It's a small city and after 3-4 months living there you start to feel a bit empty. Unless you like small and quiet cities, or you are a sport lover and you enjoy wild nature and so on, I wouldn't recommend you to spend your Erasmus there. That depends on your tastes.

What is the student lifestyle like in Olsztyn?

Student lifestyle in Olsztyn is very quiet and easy-going. There are some bars for students, but party is not the best thing there. Because of the wild nature and nice lakes you feel like living in a peaceful place and you can never get stressed. It's a good place to get relaxed and enjoy nature. That's great in some way, but it's limited anyway. As I said before, that depends on what do you want to do in your Erasmus year and how much time you want to spend there. Maybe for 1 semester it's great. But for 2 semesters it may be really tiring.

How much does it cost to live in Olsztyn?

I think prices are the best thing in Olsztyn, and in Poland in general. Everything is incredibly cheap and you will never have problems of money. Don't worry about this topic!

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

There are a lot of student residences around the campus and you can almost live inside it without even going to the city, and they are very cheap.

If you wanna live in a flat in the city centre, finding something can be a bit hard but it's not impossible. In my opinion it's worth living in the campus, because it's the best way to know people (at least the first months).

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

Food is pretty cool. I used to love Polish soups and coleslaw salad. There are a lot of restaurants in Olsztyn so you can eat whatever you want.

What places would you recommend visiting in Olsztyn?

• For sight-seeing: all the amazing lakes and landscapes you can find around. Also the ancient castle and the old town are nice to see.
• For eating: Pierogarnia (typical Polish food) and Grecko (Greek restaurant).
• For having a coffee or tea: House Café (definitely the best place in town).
• For drinking something or going on party: QSC (city centre).

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

It's okay, but it gets boring with time. Some bars are nice and fun but they are generally small and there is not much variety. We always used to go to the same places every time because there are not so many spots to choose...

What advice would you give future students headed to Olsztyn?

There are 2 main different advises according to 2 different kind of people:

1. You love big cities, dynamic places, crowded spots and multicultural and cosmopolitan atmospheres where every day it's a new and different adventure? You should never go to Olsztyn.
2. You love quiet places, you don't care about party and knowing people everywhere and every time, you love sports, you love wild nature, you like ice and freezing weather, and you don't care about living in a small place because you feel more comfortable? You should definitely go to Olsztyn and you will enjoy it a lot because you'll feel very lucky of living there. There are not so many destinations like that!

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