Erasmus Experience in Trieste, Italy by Miriaam

Why did you choose to go to Trieste, Italy?

I choose it because It's in a really good situation for travel around east europe. On my ERASMUS I have trip to so many countries, all balkan countries and Prague, Budapest and Vienna

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I have been for 10 month and I have only recieved money for the firsts 8 month like, 100/month euros from European government and 100/month euros froms Spanish government.

What is the student lifestyle like in Trieste?

The Trieste's university is known in all Italy for beeing a good university that's the reason there are students of all Italy living in Trieste, but Trieste's popolation is mostly old, then there is not a lot of good discos, but you can find a lot of university events and the ESN make a really good job

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

I will recommend it as a small city if you are searching more much party in huge discos I would recommend cities as Bologna, Milano, Roma...

What is the food like?

The food of trieste is of couse a lot of pizza like the rest of Italy, but because of the history of Trieste the tipical food it's more like Austrian one, like a lot of pork meat, potatoes, and sausages.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Trieste?

No because I find my appartment on Internet thanks to erasmus students that were living there the year before. But other erasmus had a lot of problems to fins accommodations because it's so difficoult to find owners that want a contract of only 5 or 10 month, they always want 1 year mostly.

How much does it cost to live in Trieste?

the normal thing it's like 200-250 the room and 30-50 euros of water, gas and light.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The language courses are completely free for all ERASMUS and if you make more than 40 hours of the course you can take 5 credits of the university. The language for people that speaks latins languages it's easy to understand but for the other language families it's more difficult.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Trieste from your city?

By plane and train. I always take a place Barcelona-Venice and then I go with train that costs 12 euros, from Venice to Trieste. It's only 2 hours

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Trieste?

Well, Ausonia it's a disco that is cover but have like a part that it's on the open air, it's not so expensive it's like 8 euros and it's on the sea. But discos in trieste are not so much better because they are not so big.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Trieste?

Well there are a lot of good pizza restaurants on Trieste, mostly on the Viale, that is like a big walking street full of good restaurants and ice cream places. On borsa that it's the center there is a triestin food restaurant that it's tipic pork dishes called Buffet da Pepi, but meat in trieste is a bit expensive in comparisson with some countries.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

You must visit Castello di Miramare that is an austrian castle on the sea that it's so beautifull, and entry inside and see all the furniture and things only costs 2 euros. The Risiera di San Sabba is interesting too, is the exterminion camp of trieste, it's free the entry and you can take the audio visit for only 2 euros in your language. Piazza unità and the canale is the center and are beautifull buildings of the ages when Trieste was the great port of Austrian empire. There are other castles that are nice to visit too.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Trieste in the future?

Only to try to find and appartment first to arrive trieste on internet or something because last year a lot of people spend a lot of money in hostels and they were having a really bad time.