Why did I choose Bratislava ? - Laurent

Hi everyone, here is my first blog post ever ! I'm a little bit stressed but also really excited to start this blog!

I'll stay in Bratislava for at least 4 months. Hope to not have to stay longer, which would mean that I'll have to pass catch-ups...

Well, no more chatting, let's see why i chose Bratislava for my first ERASMUS program !

First of all, as I experienced my first ascent during last summer, I wanted to go in a place near of mountains. This experience made me realize how much I need to get close to nature and to challenge myself. That's why I wanted to reiterate a similar experience. From the testimonies of previous students who have been staying in Bratislava for a whole semester, I heard about little mountains around the city, a major river which go through it, and Slovak mountains easily accessible by train for free (as a student) ! In addition, Slovakia is not far away from Austria Alps, which is a region where I've always dreamed of exploring. Obviously, you'll see pictures of me in Alps and Tatra mountains 😊

Moreover, as all people from my university are going to different places, I wanted to be at the center of Europe in order to travel the most I can. For example, with all the students from my university, we've planned to meet up in Budapest and discover the most festive city of Europe ; with my destination mates, we've planned to travel to Vienne, the city where quality of life is the cheapest (from Mercer index) ; I'll go to Croatia to meet 5 friends of mine and enjoy the sun, the mediterranean sea with beautiful beaches. I'll meet my girlfriend who is staying in Debrecen (Hungary) and immerse ourselves in old traditional town ; This is just a little part of the places list I would love to see… I'll try to ski somewhere in Slovakia, achieve an obstacle run in Poland, have some treks and hikes around Europe, and many more activities that I hope, you'll see in this blog ! As you can suppose, I'll be travelling a lot, but always by responsible means ! Obviously, you'll see pictures of myself in the train 😉

All these reasons explain why I chose Bratislava. Hope you'll follow my ERASMUS !