Ljubljana
Anna Jäger, WiSe 2024/25
If you’re thinking about spending an Erasmus semester in Ljubljana, I highly encourage you to embark on this adventure. It is a small city full of students, welcoming people and cozy places to have a coffee or a drink. One of my favourite places was the promenade along the river Ljubljanica, which offers many beautiful places to sit and relax. Ljubljana is a green city with numerous small patches of nature and huge parks. In the city centre, you can reach most destinations by foot or by bike.
Slovenia
If you look for a place with spectacular hiking trails, a beautiful coastline and charming small towns, Slovenia might be the perfect choice for you. Since everything is nearby in this small country, getting around by public transport is both easy and affordable. On weekends, I often went on day trips to discover Slovenia’s hidden gems, including Postojna Cave, Triglav National Park, the lakes in Bled and Bohinj and many more places. If you enjoy nature and sports, I am sure you will be overwhelmed with possibilities in Slovenia. Everyone interested in history can also delve into Slovenia’s interesting and rich past.
University and Courses
When I looked through the course catalogue, I immediately found a number of courses that caught my interest. As I study English in the teachers’ programme, I took some literature seminars and many courses in didactics. I was very happy with my choices because I learnt a lot and gained new perspectives. Also, the workload was appropriate, and my Slovenian fellow students were very kind. Both the staff at the International Relations Office in Ljubljana and my professors were very welcoming and prepared to help Erasmus students with all kinds of issues.
Accommodation
Admittedly, it is quite challenging to find a convenient and affordable accommodation in Ljubljana. Therefore, I recommend to start searching well in advance. The university has some dormitories for exchange students, but due to the limited spots, only few Erasmus students I met got a room there. As many hostels offer long-term accommodation options, you might check out this possibility. I found a room in an apartment that I shared with four other Erasmus students from Belgium and Spain. Even though the flat was a bit far from the city centre, I was quite happy with it. Since two of my friends were scammed, you should double-check accommodations and be cautious about paying in advance.
Leisure Time Activities and Trips
It was very easy to meet other Erasmus students and make friends because ESN organises many leisure time activities such as pub quizzes, bowling and cocktail nights. Since it is not far to explore the neighbouring countries and the Balkan peninsula, ESN also offers weekend trips to many cities, for instance Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Budapest, Triest and Bratislava. Whether you join these organised trips or travel with a smaller group of friends, Ljubljana is the perfect starting point to discover many different places and cultures.
I enjoyed my experience greatly and can strongly recommend choosing Slovenia as your Erasmus destination. If you look for a small city and beautiful landscapes, I am sure that you will fall in love with Ljubljana just as I did.
Ljubljana
Anastasia Presente, SS 2024
If you get the opportunity to spend a semester or a year abroad you should definitely take it.
I spent my Erasmus Semester in Ljubljana, Slovenia and I had a lovely experience. I was there from the end of February to the end of June. It was an amazing experience because I met many students from various countries. Moreover, I discovered a new country and got to travel a lot. Also, my English improved because I spoke it on a daily basis at university and with the people that surrounded me.
University life
At University I took courses that were held in English, more or less half of them were offered by the English Department, and the other half were courses offered by different departments, for example, the Department of History or Music. It was interesting to learn new subjects that I usually do not study.
The level of the courses was appropriate, they were not too difficult but also not too easy.
The University of Ljubljana is excellent, all the professors and staff are very nice and always willing to help you. The professors were competent and spoke good English, some of them were even native English speakers.
Accommodation and public transport
I lived in a shared apartment near the centre. I shared the apartment with another girl. We had to share our bedroom, but we also got a bathroom and a kitchen on our own
It took me more or less 10 minutes by bus to reach the University and the centre. The apartment was located in a green area where you could take walks and enjoy nature. In addition to that, there was a park nearby where I always went to rest and read. I would suggest looking for private accommodation. I have heard numerous complaints about the dormitories: other students mentioned constant parties, making it difficult for them to get any sleep.
Moreover, it is almost impossible to find good accommodation in the centre of the city, try to search a little further from the centre, public transportation is highly efficient so it’s no problem to get to the centre.
For public transport I used the Urbana card, it costs 20 euros per month, which is a good price. A single ride costs more or less 1 euro, and you will definitely use the bus more than 20 times a month.
Trips and travel
During my stay in Ljubljana, I had the chance to travel a lot. Due to Slovenia’s central location, you can reach the neighbouring countries quickly. The student organisation ESN organised various trips which I attended. I would recommend their trips because they are affordable and well-organized. I visited, the coast of Slovenia, Venice, Trieste, Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava. Moreover, with friends, I went to Zagreb by train. We also rented a car and did several trips within Slovenia.
Ljubljana is a safe and calm city. If you like cities that are not big, Ljubljana is perfect for you.
It is never crowded and it’s not a busy city like others. The Slovenians are friendly and always willing to help you. Almost everyone, except the elderly, speaks good English.
Overall, I had an amazing experience in Ljubljana, I fell in love with the city and the country, and I met people from all over the world. I would recommend Ljubljana as an Erasmus destination if you like small cities and enjoy spending time in nature.
