Choosing a university is one of those decisions that will mark the rest of your life. For this reason, the university you choose is as important as the city where you are going to study, as it is necessary not only to be clear about what you want to study, but also to know where you are going to study in order for everything to be perfect.
What is it like to live in Barcelona as a student?
Barcelona meets all the conditions that a top-level university city should have, as it has universities of great international prestige, a powerful cultural and leisure offer, an enviable gastronomy and a youthful and cosmopolitan atmosphere that you will remember forever. Barcelona’s universities offer a great university tradition from all over Europe, such as the University of Barcelona (UB), founded in 1450 and ranked as one of the top 100 universities in the world. Not only with the UB, Barcelona offers a great list of universities with a great reputation and prestige as the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Ramon Llull University, Pompeu Fabra University, etc. Did you know that the student services department of the universities of Barcelona is considered one of the best in Europe by university associations?
In addition to its large list of universities, the city also has different adult education schools, master’s degrees, courses, language courses, etc. On the other hand, Barcelona is a city that offers a multitude of companies in which to carry out professional internships in all sectors, as well as university hospitals, state law firms, museums, internationally recognised cultural institutions of international prestige. Barcelona will open the doors to your professional career!
University life in Barcelona How to enjoy the city as a student?
As we have already mentioned, Barcelona has all the conditions to be one of the top university cities, not only because of its large list of prestigious universities and its wide range of job opportunities. But Barcelona also offers an infinity of plans to enjoy university life in Barcelona on weekends, holidays or holidays.
The Catalan capital offers different festivities that reflect the rich culture and traditions of Catalonia. The most outstanding and important events that you should know about are:
- San Juan: The night of 23 June marks the summer solstice and the city’s beaches are filled with bonfires, fireworks, parties with music and dancing, etc. to celebrate the shortest night of the year.
- La Mercè: This is Barcelona’s main festival, held in honour of the city’s patron saint, the Virgin of La Mercè. The event is held at the end of September every year for several days filling the city with concerts, fireworks, traditions such as ‘els castellers’ or ‘correfocs’.
- Carnival: Not one of the city’s most famous festivities, this celebration nevertheless fills the city with colour and joy with parades, costumes and festive activities.
- Holy Week: This is the best time to enjoy religious processions accompanied by solemn music, especially in the city’s Gothic Quarter.
- Sant Jordi: Probably one of the most beautiful and favourite celebrations in Catalonia. Every April 23rd, Sant Jordi (Saint George), patron saint of Catalonia, is celebrated. As tradition dictates, men must give a rose to women and women must give a book to men.
- Calçotada season: During the winter months and early spring, Catalonia celebrates the calçotadas, a gastronomic festival in which the famous grilled ‘calçots’ are eaten, accompanied by romesco sauce and grilled meat or others. This is a Catalan tradition that began in the town of Valls and gradually spread to the rest of Catalonia and even to some parts of Spain.
- Christmas: Barcelona becomes a magical city when Christmas comes, full of lights that decorate the streets, Christmas craft markets and local traditions such as the ‘Tió de Nadal’ a trunk that ‘shits’ gifts or the famous parade of kings where the kings parade through the city handing out gifts and candy to children.
- National Day of Catalonia: Every 11 September, the Diada, Catalonia’s national day, is celebrated. Barcelona commemorates its fall during the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.
- Festa Major de Gràcia: During the month of August, Barcelona’s Gràcia neighbourhood celebrates with colourful street decorations the neighbourhood’s main festival along with music, dance, and different cultural activities.In addition, several neighbours compete to win the prize for the best decoration.
On the other hand, with the arrival of the good weather, the city offers different events that you can enjoy during your university life, such as the different and well-known music festivals:
- Primavera Sound. This festival is one of the best known in the city for its mix of rock, pop and electronic music. It is held in the city’s Parc del Fòrum in June.
- Sónar. This is Barcelona’s electronic music and digital art festival par excellence, held in June. During the day, the festival is held at the Fira de Montjuïc and at night at the Fira Gran Via L’Hospitalet.
- Cruïlla. In July, the Parc del Fòrum hosts another of the city’s best-known festivals thanks to its relaxed atmosphere and musical variety.
Enjoy university life and sport in Barcelona
If you love sport, Barcelona offers you an infinite number of activities and opportunities to enjoy the city and sport.
- Enjoy sports at the universities. The different universities in Barcelona offer different team sports activities for students such as football, basketball, volleyball, swimming, athletics, tennis or individual activities such as fitness classes or outdoor activities. Check your university’s programme of activities and choose your favourite sport to enjoy during your time at university.
- Sports facilities. Barcelona has an infinite number of sports facilities such as gyms, sports complexes, swimming pools, tennis courts and paddle tennis courts, yoga and Pilates spaces, dance schools, etc.
- Water and adventure sports. Barcelona is the ideal city for water sports such as surfing, paddle surfing, sailing, etc., as it has specialised schools and equipment at affordable prices. On the other hand, you can also enjoy adventure sports such as climbing in specialised centres or with clubs that organise outings and competitions. If you love adventure, Barcelona offers opportunities for paragliding and skydiving very close to the city.
- Sporting events. Barcelona offers a multitude of sporting events such as the Barcelona Marathon or the Cura de la Mercè. If you are a football lover, in the city you can enjoy the famous Camp Nou of the Barcelona Football Club.
Where to live to enjoy university life in Barcelona?
At Unihabit we have different types of accommodation in different areas to live in Barcelona with our university residences in the city.
Our university residence in Barcelona Unihabit Ciutat Vella is located in the heart of the Catalan capital and is the ideal place for undergraduate or master’s degree students, and even teachers and researchers, thanks to its good communication with different universities, public transport such as the main metro lines, train and bus stations in the city. As it is located in the city centre, you will be able to reach different parts of the city on foot, such as Plaça de Catalunya, the MACBA museum, Las Ramblas, Plaça Universitat and Plaça Urquinaona.
On the other hand, our university residence in Barcelona, Unihabit Gràcia, is located in one of the best neighbourhoods in the city, full of local shops and a large list of restaurants where you can enjoy local food and even restaurants serving typical food from other countries and cultures.
