Felix Smole Februar 2026

Arrival and First Impressions

My Erasmus stay was in Córdoba, a city in Andalusia, and lasted five
weeks in total. I went there with minimal Spanish knowledge, which wasn’t
easy at first, but turned out to be a good experience in hindsight.

I was taken in by a host family who were very nice and looked after me
well. I really enjoyed the food, the family cooked very well and I got to eat
proper Spanish cuisine for the first time, for example Tortilla, Paella and
Chorizo.

School and Language Experience

I attended the bilingual branch of the host school. The teachers and
students were very friendly and I felt very comfortable there. I expected
more in terms of English skills from the bilingual branch, however the
lessons were held in Spanish and English was used less than I
anticipated. This wasn’t a problem for me though, it actually helped me
learn more Spanish. In those lessons I also taught myself the topics, and
my new friends also translated certain things for me every now and then.

Trips and Culture

Córdoba itself is a very beautiful city. We visited the Mezquita-Cathedral,
which is truly impressive, as well as the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río,
Sevilla and the Plaza de España. We also took a trip to Málaga and
Marbella, where we stayed with friends of the family. There I tried
Argentinian food for the first time, which I really enjoyed.

Culturally it was quite different from Austria. People were much more open
and sociable, friend groups at school were bigger and it seemed like
everyone was somehow friends with everyone. Even though I barely
spoke Spanish, I was still welcomed warmly.

Conclusion

Overall the stay was a very enjoyable and enriching experience. I didn’t only take
something away language wise, but also learned how to be independent in an unfamiliar
environment. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.