Details

• Spain
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

For the preparation, I would recommend looking through the past exchange reports, as they can help you get an idea of the professors, the course structure and the difficulty level of the courses. For travelling to Salamanca, I flew to Madrid and then took the bus from Madrid Airport direct to Salamanca bus station. This worked well and was quite convenient. However, I would recommend planning enough time between the flight arrival and the bus departure, because it can take some time to collect your luggage, find the bus stop and maybe get something to eat in between. Also, booking the bus ticket in advance can be helpful, especially during busy travel periods.

2. Accommodation

For my accommodation search, I asked a former exchange student from my home university where she had stayed during her semester in Salamanca. Based on her recommendation, I chose the same student residence, "MiCasaInn". This was a very good choice for me, because it was less than 10 minutes walking distance from the university and still quite close to the city centre. In the area around the residence, there are also many other student residences, so future students have several options. For me, living in a student residence was convenient because it was easy to meet other students. However, I also heard overall positive things from people who lived in shared flats in the city centre. In that case, it depends a bit more on luck who your roommates are. In general, I would say that you have to decide whether you prefer to live closer to the university or closer to the city centre. From my residence, it took around 25 minutes to walk to Plaza Mayor, but in Salamanca almost everything is within walking distance. The location felt very safe, and Salamanca in general is a very safe city, even when walking home in the evening.

3. Academic life at host university

Academic life at the Universidad de Salamanca was different from WU Vienna in several ways. The atmosphere was generally more personal and informal. In many courses communication felt less formal than at WU, for example when writing emails or asking questions in class. Compared to WU Vienna, the course structure was sometimes less clearly organised in advance. In some courses, exact exam dates, grading criteria or detailed course information were only communicated during the course. Therefore, I would recommend asking the professor directly if anything is unclear and staying flexible. The teaching style was often more interactive and included participation, group work, presentations or small assignments. The university facilities were good and the campus building was easy to reach. Salamanca is Avery student-friendly city, so university life and social life are closely connected.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life in Salamanca was very easy and convenient. Public transport is not really necessary in daily life, because almost everything is within walking distance. Salamanca felt very safe, also at night. I never felt uncomfortable walking home in the evening and the city has a very student-friendly atmosphere. There are many opportunities to meet people and take part in activities. There are a lot of Erasmus events, also events organised by the University as well as normal private events. For sports there is something similar to USI in Vienna, but it is not advertised much, so I would recommend actively looking it up or asking other students about it. In general, Salamanca is a great city for student life. It is not too big, but there is still always something going on, and because everything is close, it is very easy to spontaneously meet friends or go to events.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester in Salamanca was a very special experience because the city made it easy to feel at home very quickly. Salamanca is small, safe and full of students, so everyday life was very relaxed and social. I especially enjoyed meeting people from different countries, improving my Spanish and experiencing a different university culture. Overall, it was a semester that helped me become more independent, flexible and open-minded.