Welcome to Jihlava ("Vítejte v Jihlavě!")

Here we are, finishing our Erasmus exchange in Czech Republic and with this also unforgettable experience for us. Why we choose Czech Republic and why this Vysoka škola polytechnicka Jihlava? Here are the reasons:

• at first we were looking for destination which will be interesting to discover trough travel, 
• after that we searched university which will offer interesting courses in English language connected with our study of tourism, 
• it was not far from home – but still it was not to close, relatively cheap (beer ;)) and 
• because of good experiences of Erasmus students, which were here before us. 

How it is in Jihlava, if you study there?

Our college in Jihlava was a lot bigger than at home in Portorož, Slovenia. First we started our Erasmus exchange in college. Here they start one week before than in Slovenia, so we start on 26th September 2012 in one meeting room. There we met our Erasmus coordinator Bc. Iveta Chalupová and all other Erasmus students. We were small Erasmus group, like family. We two were from Slovenia, nine from Lithuania, four from Portugal and one from Spain. 

So, something about lectures and lecturers. Lectures were all in English language. We chose nine subjects, most of them were connected with improving our communication skills and we also had animation in tourism and some other interesting subjects. We really enjoy in two subjects Communication and other soft skills (Mgr. Milan Straňák) and Intercultural communication (Mgr. Anica Djokic, MBA). Their lectures were useful not just for academic purposes but also for our real life. The hardest subject was Animation in tourism (RNDr. Stanislava Pachrová, Ph.D.), if we exclude our work of animations programs. 

They have very good system of school-net. You get username and password, with which you can enter in Information system, E-learning classroom and they also create new school mail for your notifications. Each student, if he wants, he gets microchip. Deposit cost 100 CZK / 4 EUR. With that microchip you can put money on, and pay with him – College Canteen, Printing, scanning and copying. Computer room is very big and it is open all day, all computers are in good condition. 

And our college also invited us for St. Nicholas day (6th December) on coffee and tea, there we also got a gifts. Beside that the college, when our Erasmus exchange were finishing – they prepared final reunion (lunch) for all Erasmus students. Both of this were also good gestures of host college. 

Their local culture and habits are …

People in Jihlava don’t speak English at all (if we exclude lecturers in college). If you mention that you don’t speak Czech, they will start to speak louder or they will vanish. They have lunch very early, even earlier than traditional Slovene lunch (so before 12.00). The people from here are not used to walk through the city in the evening or night, at that time the streets are empty. Meanwhile when we were here, it were two exceptions on St. Martin’s Day (11th November) there were many people on the main square in Jihlava – they had a traditional event connected with this saint. On this day they celebrate with a lot of fireworks (it is like New Year). And the second exception it is Christmas market – which attract the people a little bit longer than usual. Their not so good habit is that they can smoke in public places, which will bring a lot of unpleasant smell of clothes. 

Where and what I can buy?

We forget to mention that here you can pay only in Czech koruna or Czech crown, which is 25 CZK is cca. 1€. In most of the shops and majority of restaurants you can pay with credit (VISA, MASTERCARD) or debit (MAESTRO) card. So, about shopping in Jihlava – they have CITY PARK (with Interspar, C&A, H&M, New Yorker, Deichman, Takko, Gorenje … ). Beside Interspar, they have Lidl, Billa, Tesco (open 24/7), Kaufland, Albert, Penny market, Terno Coop and other small grocery shops. Their habit is that in grocery shop they buy bread rolls (called rohlik) which are very, very cheap (cca. 0,08 € / piece). The problem is that they put spice cumin in all of the breads, which is not very good. 

What I can do?

So, the places which are worth of visit is ZOO Jihlava (recommended to visit on warm days), Old city and his architecture, Underground corridors, Outlook tower at St. Jacob's church, Gate of Holy Mother and more and more.

College offer a lot of activities almost for free, you pay small fee or sometimes nothing. They offer swimming, football, dancing, cinema, hockey, gym, martial arts ... They have in Jihlava two big sport areas, Stadion which is home ground of club FC Vysočina Jihlava and an indoor sporting arena - Horácký zimní stadion – home ground of HC Dukla Jihlava. Here you can watch some matches. College also has their own travel agency and they offer cheap travels through Czech Republic and even over the borders.

 

Where and what I can eat?

College of Polytechnics Jihlava has its own Student Canteen. The students can buy lunch for cca. 1,5 EUR or 38 CZK. The meal consists of soup, main course (which you can choose from two or three dishes), fruit or dessert and drink. Here can be a problem to order the food for the next day, because it is all in Czech language, so here you will need help. On the ground floor there is a College buffet with basic food, drink and stationery.

In Jihlava you can eat in brewery, regular and Chinese restaurant or you can take food in fast food companies (McDonalds, KFC, Kebab …). We recommend you Brewery restaurant Ježek, Restaurant Atrium and Restaurant Gustav Mahler. The cost is usually around 5 EUR for main dish. Czech national dish is famous Svíčková na smetaně, you must try that. 

In the city they have two breweries one it is called Ježek and also produce the beer with the same name and the second it is Radnični brewery and produce more beers which are not sold in markets. We recommend beer IGNÁC from this brewery. Both they offer also a group tours of breweries. 

Where you can be accommodated? 

If you apply for accommodation in College of Polytechnics Jihlava they can provide short-time accommodation for Erasmus students in its two Student Hostels. The number of rooms available is limited but the International Office College can assist Erasmus students in finding other accommodation for their period of the stay. We saw also private accommodation and student hostel, both it was ok (the problem was that in the flat were a least 7 people/one bathroom). They paid for one month 100 € and something more for internet connection. 

Or you can find the accommodation by yourself, but it takes more time and effort. You cannot find the accommodation without reality agency (you can found them on each corner). The problem is that they don’t speak English, so we had everything what we need written in Czech on piece of paper (source: google translate). And after a long search we found it. We rent a new flat, close to college and city center and the most important it was clean. Per month we paid 200 € each (included all costs, wireless internet and washing machine).

International students can apply for a housing benefit. The amount of the housing benefit For College students for academic year 2012/2013 was 600 CZK / 24 EUR per month.

Where I can party?

Jihlava is not party destination like Spain, but you can found some good places. Jihlava offer two party places – College centrum and Xanadu club. College centrum always have entry fee which is with ISIC card 20 CZK / 0,80 € but it is small underground and not expensive (Beer 0,5l is 0,80 EUR) club cross the street of college. Xanadu club is new club, very good environment, but slightly more expensive than College centrum. For the entry you must order club card, which is for free and after that you have free entry (if you don’t have it is 70 CZK). Both clubs have good music, usually they play international known dance music. Or you can go easily in pub and party there, we usually visited Union pub.

Something about public transport … 

In the town of Jihlava there is a good public transportation system consisting of buses and trolleybuses. You can buy monthly (cca. 12 €) or one-way ticket (cca. 0,60 €). Public transport is all over Jihlava and it is going almost in each 5 minutes. Jihlava is small so you can easily walk. 

For traveling in Czech Republic you can use trains (České dráhy) – which are quite often and not so expensive or you can use buses of Student Agency (you must reserve online, on-site is not possible). It is very cheap for distance of 100 km so Jihlava – Prague you pay 4,90 € one way, but in price is included hot drinks, free wi-fi, comfortable seat and also you get headphones. Each seat have monitor, on which you can watch films, listen music/radio, play games … Upmarket quality service for very affordable price.

How much did it cost us?

Per person we paid 200 EUR for accommodation per month and for food cca. 200 EUR per month. So money which we get from Erasmus cover major part cca. 2/3 of all costs, regarding to accommodation and food, if we exclude drinking and partying. Compering to Portorož, Slovenia I can say that the costs are similar, with exception that here we get Erasmus dotation, what make Erasmus exchange even more affordable. 

Do we recommend Erasmus exchange? 

Yes, if you have possibility and wish, you MUST GO! PROS is definitely to improving English language and learn some phrases of Czech language. Then also you can meet and communicate with different cultures and people (Czech and other International students). You learn how to live on your own, even more than if you are in Portorož, you can travel around Czech and neighbor countries, you get new unforgettable experience … If we talk about CONS, we cannot found any negative aspects of Erasmus exchange in Jihlava.

On the end, we want to say thank you to University of Primorska & Faculty of Tourism Studies Portorož – Turistica, especially to International Office, that they enable for us this unforgettable experience. 

Kindest regards,

Miha Arko & Boris Vrhovec

If you have any question, don't hesitate and just send us an e-mail on arko.miha@siol.net or boki.vrhovec@gmail.com.