Erasmus Experience in Zagreb, Croatia by Valli

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Why did you choose to go to Zagreb, Croatia?

Zagreb is really close to my hometown (Vienna/Austria, about 4h30 by bus). Also, I wanted to learn Croatian and the country has a lot of interesting places to explore.

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

My scholarship is for four months and twenty days, I receive around 280 € per month.

What is the student lifestyle like in Zagreb?

There are parties and activities for Erasmus students nearly every day, from salsa lessons to hikes, cooking together, pub quiz, etc. There are also a lot of trips to other cities and national parks you can participate in. It is also not very expensive to organise trips by yourself.

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

I would recommend the city to anyone. It is really nice in the center, also the people living here are friendly and if you buy a cheap bike on the market, it gets even nicer. Unfortunately, my faculty (Forestry) is not very well organized, lessons that were said to be in English don't exist and I have to write seminars instead. On other faculties with more Erasmus students, like law or economics, they are better organized I think.

What is the food like?

Traditional food is with a lot of meat, side dishes like vegetables are to be ordered separately. But if you go to one of the student mensas, it is really cheap and most of the time very good food.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Zagreb?

No, I found my accommodation through Facebook, so it was for free. But you have to watch out for fake-apartments! Don't pay anything in advance as long as you haven't seen the apartment yourself.

How much does it cost to live in Zagreb?

Without the extra money for Erasmus activities I spend about 500 € per month, including my rent, food and the tram ticket.

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

The university offers a Croatian course, but I took private lessons at a language school, because the course of the university is about three times a week, which is too much for me. Croatian is not easy for me as a German speaking person, the grammar is really complex and you cannot relate it to other languages. If you are already speaking a Slavic language, it will be much easier I think.

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

Flix Bus offers two or 3 buses daily from Vienna to Zagreb and back for about 25 € per ride. Don't think of taking the train, it is ridiculously slowly and expensive.

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

If it has to be cheap, Ziraffa is the place to go for predrinks! There is a large number of clubs everywhere in the city, you don't even have to look for them.

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

Nocturno in the city center has a huge offer of various meals and is really cheap.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

The cathedral is quite impressive. Also, there are lots of museums, like the Museum of Broken Relationships, which is very special. The whole city centre is really nice for just walking around and having coffee outside.

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

Erasmus in Zagreb is not really about studying or hard work at the university. You will probably loose time in your studies and have to do a lot of work in organizing the whole thing, but it is worth it. If you like meeting nice people from all over the world, and to experience the whole Balkan, Zagreb is the place to go!

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