Erasmus Experience in Vienna, Austria by Marina

Why did you choose to go to Vienna, Austria?

I chose it because it is not too far away from Zagreb, where I live and because it is a beautiful City and the University is very good and is conducting interesting research, so I decided to do my internship here.

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

I applied for 4 month long internship through Erasmus + and I got the fellowship for that long and I recieve 560€ a month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Vienna?

Since I'm on an internship and not on exchange, it is a bit different for me because I don't have the usual classes but only work in the lab. But here I find many friends who are also on Erasmus through ESN group here in Vienna. They organize an event every Thursday called Stammtisch where everyone is welcome to come and just meet people. That is how I met my Erasmus friends and now we go together to different places in Vienna and also travel to nearby cities almost every weekend.

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

Yes, definitely I would. The city is beautiful and the people at the Uni (at least the ones in my Lab) are very friendly and always there to help.

What is the food like?

In my opinion it is fine, but nothing very special and maybe a little bit expensive.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Vienna?

No, I live in a dorm so I found it via their web site and applied on there.

How much does it cost to live in Vienna?

It is quite expensive, at least for me because I come from a country where income is much lower than it is in Austria. But if you find a place in a dorm or a very affordable wg then it is ok.

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

For me it is easy because I learned it at school back home in Croatia for 8 years alltogether so I'm not really an objective judge to say if it is easy, but yes there are language courses available and I think that if you're determined to get a grip on the language you can succeed.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel in Vienna?

The easiest definitely is the public transport which is here really great, clean, on time and just awsome and you can combine the metro, trams, busses and fast trains all with the same ticket. For students there is a Semester ticket that costs 75€ and with that ticket you can use all the transport options I wrote above as much as you want. But the most economical way I think are the City bikes. They are really cheap, there are a lot of City bike stations all around the city and also the bike tracks are everywhere so it is easy to get around with one.

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

Now in the Christmas time, first I would visit one of the many Christmas markets, get something to eat and drink and then go to a bar or a pub. There are really many of those in Vienna and I think whichever you choose you won't get it wrong. The most popular bar among Erasmus people is the Travel shack, another one I like is the Polkadot because it has live music sometimes but there are really loads of places you can choose. Just Google it a little and you'll have plenty to choose from.

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

I haven't really been to restaurants in Vienna but I've heard that if you want to eat a good schnitzel you should go to Figlmuller. Another good place for a juicy schnitzel and a nice coffee if you wish is Einstein caffee near Rathaus.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

There are really too many. The absolute "must visit" in my opinion are the Schonbrunn schloss, Belvedere schloss, Karlsplatz, Stephan's Dom, the Parliament, the entire Universitatsring, Rathaus, the library, Museums Quartier, State opera, State theater, Klimt villa, Hundertswasser haus, and many many different museums.

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

If you're going in the winter pack some warm clothes and socks, prepare yourself for the fact that all stores are closed on Sunday so buy your food for the weekend ahead, take your hiking shoes with you because when the weather is nice everyone goes to the hills around Vienna and hikes (the view of Vienna from over there is amazing) and if you're going there in December, visit all the Christmas markets, they are beautiful!

There is also a thing you can find on vivent.at web site abot museums. Every first Sunday in the month one of the museums has free entry so if you're interested in something like that it is good to be informed. Also, don't be shy to attend the ESN events by yourself. Go and you will for shure meet a lot of nice people and make friends for life, just as I did.