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Small City, Big Heart, part 1

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8 small cities that would change your Erasmus experience forever
girl riding a bicycle
ESN

When applying for Erasmus, students use up most of their brain power on deciding where to go. A semester or year abroad is a perfect opportunity to live and study in a city of your dreams, and we all have different expectations from places where we would like put down our roots. Students usually lean towards big cities because of their many advantages such as better connectivity, a big number of universities to choose from, amazing nightlife, and similar preferences. However, not everyone can afford to move to a big city because of one reason or another, and not everyone would like to. So here is a list of breathtaking small Erasmus cities just as wonderful and as attractive as the big ones.

Ancona

Ancona
Ancona

Venice, Rome, Verona, Florence and other italian beauties are definitely worth seeing, but so is this modern port city. Ancona is a historical city on a hill decorated with beautiful architecture, a heart-stopping view and delicious food.

University in Ancona: Marche Polytechnic University

ESN section: ESN Ancona

Aveiro

Aveiro
Aveiro

Aveiro, also known under the nickname “The Venice of Portugal”, is located along the shore of Atlantic Ocean. This charming little city in Portugal has a rich history, and is famous for its canals and gondola-like boats, and traditional sweets made out of eggs. University of Aveiro hosts a weekly national public television program, which sounds pretty kick ass.

University in Aveiro: University of Aveiro

ESN section: ESN Aveiro

Bamberg

Bamberg
Bamberg

Bamberg is located in Franconia, Germany, and while it may be tiny, it extends over seven hills, each hill crowned by a beautiful church. This has led to this picturesque city being called the “Franconian Rome”. It is famous for smoked beer and is home to nine breweries. University of Bamberg is housed in historical buildings in the Old Town, which means you have a chance to attend classes in a former slaughterhouse or a fire station.

University in Bamberg: Otto-Friedrich University

ESN section: None. Maybe someone should get on that?

Huelva

Huelva
Huelva

Spanish city with a longstanding history full of festivals, carnivals and fiestas. You can take a dip on one of many nearby beaches, find out why Christopher Columbus is their local hero, and try some of the best seafood in your life.

University in Huelva: University of Huelva

ESN section: ESN Huelva

Innsbruck

Innsbruck
Innsbruck

This Austrian gem is situated halfway between Munich in Germany and Verona in Italy. It is a university city, which means it is perfect for social people hungry for new acquaintances. You should consider University of Innsbruck if you are a chemistry student―it has produced several Nobel prize winners, so they must be doing something right!

ESN section: ESN Innsbruck

Liberec

Liberec
Liberec

This small city in Chez Republic rocks all year around, which means it is a perfect choice for both winter and summer semester of the academic years. Overflowing with various events, it will keep you busy every second of every day!

University in Liberec: Technical University of Liberec

ESN section: ESN Liberec

Luleå

Luleå
Luleå

This city of northern Sweeden pioneers in several areas―its computer center was Facebook’s first investment outside of the US, and where the world’s first shopping mall was built. The city is full of versatile cultural and sporting events, so it seems it can cater to everyone's needs. Hey, business students, check out their list of alumni―they have a pretty envious number of successful CEOs.

University in Luleå: Luleå University of Technology

ESN section: ESN Luleå

Maribor

Maribor
Maribor

Maribor is a small city on the rise! It is very lively, very colorful and has a lot of green spaces for you to enjoy. It will give you a warm welcome with its alternative scene, rising cultural scene and delicious eastern european dishes. If you are a physics student then studying in Maribor should be a real treat for you since the University of Maribor has entered the top 1% of institutions in physics.

University in Maribor: University of Maribor

ESN section: ESN Maribor

This is just the first half of the list of small city, big heart. Another awesome list will be revealed in future ESNblog posts, so be sure to stay tuned.

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