I found my apartment through the Spanish website idealista.com, but there are also other recommended portals, e.g. easypiso.es. The university also offers good help with finding accommodation, although the university’s own hall of residence is not highly recommended for students, as although it offers meals included, according to some of my friends it has more of a youth hostel character and is a bit expensive at almost 1,000 euros a month. It is then cheaper to find an apartment through the portals mentioned above. My shared flat was in the Castaños district and was ideally located, as it took me about ten minutes to walk to the university and just five minutes to Casco Viejo (the old town). In general, I can say that I was able to do most things on foot during my time there and mainly had to take the metro to the beach, as it is about 40 minutes outside the city.

Shortly after arriving, all Erasmus students were introduced to the “Happy Erasmus” organization, which was particularly well known for organizing parties and trips, but also took care of other things such as bank accounts and so on. There was also another organization – the Erasmus Student Network – which was not as well known due to less advertising, but also offered a lot of cool activities. It is definitely recommended to check out these two organizations (events on Facebook), as they also allow you to quickly get to know many different people.

The university in Bilbao is certainly one of the most beautiful universities I have ever seen. Housed in a kind of villa, the old yet modern building diagonally opposite the Guggenheim Museum is a real eye-catcher. Studying at Deusto is very different from studying at the FHDW. Due to many mid-term exams, presentations or case studies, it is more of a constant learning process and can certainly lead to many submission/exam deadlines. This was the case for me, as the two subjects that were only offered in Spanish (Investment & Finance and Controlling) required a lot of work. As a result, I had at least one exam or deadline every week for more than two months and had to study at the weekends. This was of course a great pity, as my friends, who had significantly fewer courses or for whom the grades didn’t count, traveled at the weekends and went on various trips.

This time was definitely very stressful and also more stressful than at the FHDW, as you could never really relax, but constantly had a new task. In addition, you should definitely be prepared for exams at Deusto in January. Due to the system at the university, most English courses end with an exam before Christmas, but in principle all exams in Spanish only take place in January, while the lectures at the FHDW have already started again. Fortunately, the FHDW makes it possible for these exams to be sent to Germany and then also written here, so that another flight to Bilbao is not necessary.

The city in the Basque Country is particularly characterized by its unique culture, which I was able to experience right after my arrival during the “Semana Grande” (or “Aste Nagusia” in Basque). During this time, the entire city is practically in a state of emergency for a week. There are stalls and stages everywhere and many events, e.g. in traditional sports, take place. Each day is crowned with a firework display that is as impressive as it is incredibly loud. Even if you are not familiar with the culture, this festival is certainly a highlight and well worth a visit.

But Bilbao also has a lot to offer outside of this week. The city’s two famous museums, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts – both in the heart of the city – are particularly worthy of mention. However, the most important thing about Bilbao is probably the food. With countless bars and restaurants on every corner, the city is particularly known for its world-famous “pintxos”. These are small snacks, usually served on bread, which usually cost between one and two euros and therefore offer a wide variety of food. Of course, wine and beer are not to be missed out in Bilbao and you are sure to drink the odd “kalimotxo” (red wine with cola, a traditional Basque drink).

The surrounding mountains in Bilbao also have a special charm, with beautiful hiking trails. The Way of St. James is also very close to the city.