Experience in Oviedo, Spain by Claudia

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

Oviedo is a small and welcoming city. You can find lots of interesting things to do without feeling the stress of living in a big city like Madrid. There are a few museums which are really good and also some monuments that everyone should see. The historic centre is small as well but you will be surprised by its beauty and its hidden corners. I would recommend coming here to study for some time. As Foreign students we are well treated and you can feel a good atmosphere when you walk around its streets.

What is the student lifestyle like in Oviedo?

Students have usually classes in the morning, from 9.00 to 13.00 approx. After that, in the afternoon, many of them go to bars to talk with friends for a while. There are 4 campuses in Oviedo: campus de Llamaquique, campus de los Catalanes, campus del Milán and campus del Cristo. The 2 last ones are the biggest ones. In case you study psychology or speech therapy, the building is close to the cathedral.

Some of the students are from other cities of Asturias but, in general, you will always find young people in the streets even at the weekends.

How much does it cost to live in Oviedo?

It's quite cheap compared to other cities in Spain. A student needs around 400€ to pay for the accommodation and the food. In a restaurant, the average price for one menu is 15€ per person.

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

There are many typical dishes like "cachopo" and "fabada". It can be a bit expensive to eat them when going out but it's worth trying them at least once. One typical drink is sidra, which is basically apple juice with alcohol. Don't forget to try the "jamón", you can find it in the supermarkets.

What places would you recommend visiting in Oviedo?

I'd recommend visiting:

1. Arquitecture:
   • The cathedral
   • The town hall
   • Plaza Feijoo
   • Santa María del Naranco
   • San Miguel de Lillo
   • Sagrado Corazón
   • Plaza del Fontán
2. Landscape:
   • Monte Naranco
   • Parque San Francisco
   • Parque de Invierno
3. Bars:
   • Per Se Café
   • La sureña
   • Ruta de los Vinos
   • El Manglar

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

Oviedo it's a good city to party. There's a large street (Calle Mon) in the city centre where there are lots of different pubs with different music (techno, rock, indie, pop... ). Except for 2 pubs, all of them are free. They open at 23.00 and close around 6.00. They aren't crowded normally but not empty either, and you can buy cheap drinks.

There's also another street (Calle Rosal) near the other one where there are some bars to drink and talk with your friends before going dancing. They open earlier than the pubs and close earlier too. As everything is close, you can go from one street to the other in 5 minutes.

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What advice would you give future students heading to Oviedo?

Don't be shy to talk to people and try to mix with your classmates. Oviedo has many steep slopes so using a bike is rather impossible, but the public transport costs 1,20€ and the bus passes every 10 minutes. And bring an umbrella!