Living in Barcelona

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city on the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the most attractive European cities thanks to its great quality of life. The city offers excellent climate and surroundings to enjoy the sea and the mountains all year-round. Its lively Catalan culture offers great cultural and leisure activities for people of all ages. Barcelona is very multicultural and attracts people from all over the world for its creative atmosphere. All this make this place one of the the top European destinations for students and researchers. Barcelona.cat and Timeout offer updates on events around the city and a Barcelona app.

You can find interesting information about the scientific and academic ecosystem in Barcelona in the following guide.

Housing 

Some people choose to find shared flats or rent their own individual housing during their stay. There are many websites that provide rental listings for flats and shared flats in the city. In addition, ISGlobal maintains a relationship with the Barcelona Centre Universitari (BCU), which can provide information and advice on housing and activities, among other things, to our Master’s and Diploma candidates. 

Public Transportation

Barcelona has an excellent integrated network of public transportation, including metro, tramvia, buses and regional trains. Various types of multi-trip metro cards are available for purchase from machines in metro stations. One option for getting around the city is Bicing, a public bicycle rental service that runs on an annual membership basis. There is also the possibility of hourly or daily car rental with various services. And, since Barcelona is a fairly dense city, it is also often possible to reach your destination on foot.

Weather 

Barcelona enjoys a generally temperate weather. Although in the summer months the heat can sometimes rise to the 40s Celcius, it is a generally moderate climate without extreme temperatures or weather. 

Languages

Catalonia’s two official languages are Catalan and Spanish. For those who are interested, the University of Barcelona’s Institute of Hispanic Studies offers courses in Spanish as a foreign language from beginner to advanced levels. You can also join Catalan courses offered through the UB and tailored to university students. Many other language schools and centres, including some sponsored by the government, also offer courses.

Safety and security

Although Barcelona is generally very safe, the normal precautions that come with spending time in any major city apply. These include common sense steps for keeping your personal items safe and secure, particularly while in crowded areas or on public transportation.