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Bamberg
22 de September de 2021
That’s correct! We’re in Bamberg and we’ve come to visit Enrique! He will tell us all about his Erasmus experience here!
Let’s Get Started with a Brief Introduction so We Can All Get to Know You a Bit.
Hello! My name is Enrique Jiménez Ramos. I’m from Lleida but I’m studying in Barcelona at EAE Business School. I’m doing a Bachelor in Business Administration. Currently I’m on Erasmus in the German city of Bamberg, taking courses on Economy and Business Administration. All of them in English.
Enrique and his friends at Seehof Schloß
Why did you choose this destination? What caught your attention?
I was interested in coming to Germany since it’s one of the most powerful countries, both politically and economically, not just in Europe but on a global level. I also loved the idea of learning German and practicing on day to day situations. Although what helped me make up my mind was the reputation of Bamberg’s economy and business universities.
What is it that surprised you the most?
The city is small but beautiful — they say it’s one of the most beautiful out of all of Bayern’s cities. COVID took from us many months in which we could have enjoyed the “Biergartens” or cultural and leisure events... Germany went for a general lockdown in December/January. One of the things that really surprised me is that, even if it’s a really small city, it’s really well connected. You can travel directly to Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Nuremberg… If you enjoy traveling and you want to discover Germany, I recommend getting a BahnCard. It’s a loyalty programme card that gets you discounts on every route.
Rathaus, old Bamberg council.
Tell us about those sights we shouldn’t miss if we visit the city!
If you come to Bamberg, you can’t miss the old town. It’s the only city to be considered a World Heritage Site in its entirety. I recommend walking its streets and running into many of its great sights, like the Rathaus —the old council— and the many breweries it has, since Bamberg has one of Germany’s most famous beers (I didn’t like it, but Germans love it). You should also definitely visit the Alte Hofhaltung and the Domplatz, which are also in the city centre.
If you go a little bit further, you can take the intercity bus to Seehof Schloß, another of Bamberg’s touristic sights located 20 or 30 minutes away from the city centre. It’s a beautiful palace with amazing gardens. Lastly, I’d recommend visiting Hain Park — the city’s biggest park. Germans love organising plans on the park, like picnics, beers, chatting or swimming in the Regnitz river.
Seehof Schloß.
I’m sure you move like a fish in the water over there… Could you give us some tips for visiting or even living there?
The university really made things easy for me. In fact, they took care of finding me accomodation at a residence hall for students. Currently I’m at one called COE, but there are several and they cost around 250€ and 350€ monthly — quite cheap. Supermarkets are very close by and there are many options. I recommend going to Lidl, ALDI or Netto since they are the cheapest. Don’t drink coffee. It’s awful. And, last but not least, if you’re going out for lunch or dinner, beware of the opening and closing hours — they are very different from Spain. Some places stop serving at 9.30pm.
On a different note, I would recommend leaving your shyness behind. Germans are a bit withdrawn but at the same time they are very sociable and they love listening to people who speak in their own language — they will even try to socialise with you in your own language!
What’s a normal day like for you in Bamberg?
A normal day with no study would consist of going to the city centre for some beers and some music. Due to COVID, we’ve been lacking in variety, although on the weekends we would visit nearby villages like Würzburg or Bayreuth. We would usually get together in our rooms and listen to music, play games… Although these last months we were able to do some more activities since, finally, everything stopped being closed in Bamberg, and that includes the Biergartens.
Life on Erasmus is full of fascinating stories. Can you tell us some of yours?
There’s been so many that it’s difficult for me to choose one. Although, if I have to choose, I would say that time when we lost every connection to Berlin due to a storm — the longest train trip of my life. We were stuck inside for 10 hours, but it was all worth it. It became one of my favourite trips of the whole Erasmus experience.
Time for your Top 3: a place, a food and a plan
Rathaus and the river for the place. For the food, Würstchen with Kartoffelbrei (which is sausages with mashed potatoes), although Knödel was really good too (it’s a sort of meatball with a bread and potato dough). And my favourite plan, drinking beers, “Helles” or “Keller”, at the Ahörnla and having some Krustenbratenbrödla.
What word should we learn before going?
Many words and phrases. But, in my group of friends, the one we used the most was either “Mit Karte Bitte” (“with card, please”) or “Zusammen bezahlen, Bitte” (“everything together, please”).
Statue of Neptune in a city square..
How would you value your experience?
I would do this Erasmus over and over again. It’s been an unforgettable experience. I would, though, eliminate from it the whole COVID situation. But, all in all, I give it a 10/10.