Erasmus Experience in Vienna, Austria by Hannah

Why did you choose to go to Vienna, Austria?

I chose to go to Vienna as I had visited it the year before whilst travelling around Central Europe and I absolutely fell in love. The architecture is absolutely stunning and you can't walk anywhere without stumbling across a beautiful old church or statue!

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

I am currently on receiving an Erasmus Grant for the year that I am spending here.

What is the student lifestyle like in Vienna?

There are some great international student associations (such as Erasmus Student Network and Erasmus Buddy Network), but student life is very different to the UK where I'm from as there aren't societies like I am used to. But if you're an Erasmus student you will definitely have plenty of things to keep you busy!

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

Without a doubt! The city has all the perks of being a capital whilst feeling a lot more relaxed and there are definitely fewer people than say London or Berlin. There are always loads of things going on all over the city (a lot of them for free! ) so there's always lots to see and do.

What is the food like?

Vienna is a very international city so although the traditional Wiener Schnitzel (which is amazing) is available at most restaurants, there's also a huge choice of foreign cuisine, particularly Asian food.

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Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Vienna?

I personally didn't pay anything with the association that I went through, but I know that there are companies that charge around 35 Euros for you to be registered with them before they will find you accommodation.

How much does it cost to live in Vienna?

It's definitely not the cheapest city but if you know where to shop (avoiding tourist areas for example) then it's really not too pricey. The University of Vienna is huge which means that the choice of subjects is massive and of course the building itself is very lovely!

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

The German spoken in Austria is different to the 'standard German' spoken in Germany and the dialects do take a little bit of getting used to. That said, as Vienna is such an international city, most people will speak 'standard German' if they realise that you're not Austrian. There are language courses at the university but sadly you do have to pay for them (even as a uni student) and they are quite expensive, even with the student discount.

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

I have to fly to Vienna from Southampton which is where I study in England, but getting from Vienna Airport to the city centre only takes about 40 minutes and is cheap if you use the normal train instead of taking the 'City Airport Train'.

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

There's a bar I really like that's called 'Travel Shack', as it's always full of lots of international people and it's fairly cheap. ESN do lots of nights out there!

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

There are so many! There are a lot of chains here (TGI Fridays, Vapiano, L'Osteria) so chances are you won't miss too much food from home, but the small traditional Austrian restaurants are definitely worth a visit!

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Vienna is a huge melting pot of cultural sites to visit, but I would recommend starting off in the Museums Quartier and wandering around there, as that's where the most impressive architecture is.

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

Find native tandem partners, you can help each other with your language skills and gain a native friend at the same time!