Erasmus in Ostrava

Why did you choose to go to Ostrava, Czech Republic?

I mainly wanted to go to a country in Central or Eastern Europe, and one of the destinations on my list was Ostrava. So I picked this city because it's in the centre of Europe and right on the border with Poland.

And it was absolutely the right decision!

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How long are you there for? How much money are you given as financial aid?

I'll be in Ostrava for the whole year, and I've been here for 4 months so far. I get €450 a month and in all truth that's enough to live on around here.

What's the student life like?

It's the best thing about Ostrava. Party lovers will love the residence in Poruba, just outside the city centre. There are 3 disco bars there, so if you like to party, you'll find all you're looking for.

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

Absolutely, the student residence is actually the best part of the city. So I'd absolutely recommend it, and also because the city is a great place to travel from. Nearby, there's Krakow and Prague, and from those cities you can find cheap connections onto the rest of Europe.

The city... well, it depends on your perspective. Personally, I think Ostrava a rather nice city with its industrial heritage, and it's also nicer than my hometown. But if you're coming from somewhere really nice, then Ostrava might not seem quite as lovely for you.

One thing to bear in mind, though, is that lots of things in this country are legal that aren't in others. Weed is "legal" here, and you can smoke inside at a lot of bars and nightclubs.

But the best thing about Erasmus in Ostrava isn't the city or the parties, but the people you meet and with whom you share your time there.

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What's the food like there?

Well... there's pretty much everything. And there's fast food on every corner and for very cheap prices.

At the University we have meals during the week for €2-3 (sometimes even less than €2). The food isn't amazing, but it fills you up and given the price of the meals it's absolutely worth eating there.

In the residence there's a really cheap pizzeria where you can get a pizza for €2.50-3.00. There's also a restaurant/pub/disco/brasserie/café called T2 where you can also eat for good prices.

Then there are also lots of cheap Czech restaurants across the city.

Was it difficult to find accommodation in Ostrava?

Not at all, the university found me a place at the VSB Residence in Poruba.

There's another student residence in the city centre. If you're Spanish and don't want to be around more Spanish people, I'd recommend that one, because the only 'bad' thing about the Poruba residence is that there are lots of other Spanish students.

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How much does it cost to live in Ostrava?

The residence costs about €100 a week depending on your room and whether you're living on your own or with someone else. If you share a room it's cheaper.

Living in Ostrava is pretty cheap, depending on what you spend money on and when and where you go out.

I for example spend about €450 per month. I go on nights out about 4 or 5 times a week and I go on trips about 2 or 3 times a month. Every two weeks or so me and my friends like to travel to another city.

What's the language like? Did you go to any classes at the University?

Czech is a very difficult language, so life is a little too short to learn it xD.

With English, you'll be able to get by with young people, but older people tend not to know much English. I've often found myself in a muddle because many Czech people don't speak English and as such it's difficult to communicate.

There are Czech courses, but not many people go.

What's the cheapest way of getting to Ostrava from your city?

It depends on where you live. There is an airport in Ostrava but flights there tend to be expensive.

I recommend you fly to a nearby airport like Prague, Katowice, Krakow or Wroclaw. From there, you can get a train or coach to Ostrava.

I use a coach company out of Krakow called Tiger Express/Leo Express. You can get to Ostrava from there for €10 or less.

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What places do you recommend for a night out in Ostrava?

Well... this is the best part of the city. If you like partying, you're going to love Ostrava. There's a great nightlife around the residence in Poruba. We normally go out during the week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays if there's a reggaeton party on or something. Then on Fridays we go into the centre of Ostrava to Stodolni Street, which has an amazing atmosphere. There are bars and clubs everywhere there. All the bars have a charm of their own, though the majority of us on Erasmus go to Desperado at the end of the street. But there are loads of interesting bars there, so don't always go to the same one!

And on Saturdays we go to a club called Alexandria which is great, although that depends on what kind of music you like. There, and in fact all around the Czech Republic, electronic music is what most people listen to. I love it although there are certainly people who don't.

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