- Hello, future CEU UCH students! We’re sure you’re excited about coming to Spain, but we’d like to give you a little taste of what’s waiting for you and some tips, so that you can adapt quickly to this amazing culture and have a fantastic experience in Spain.Get ready for great weather
As you might know, Spain, and Valencia especially, has great weather throughout the year. Spanish people love to spend time in the street with their friends so:
- Go out, have a drink and enjoy your new city.
- You can also go to the beach; the Valencian region has a lot of great beaches.
- Taking part in outdoor sports is also another great way of spending time with friends, as the weather is good almost every month of the year.
- If you live in Valencia, you can go to the River Turia Park for a run, a soccer or basketball game. This 7km-long park is located where the old riverbed of the River Turia used to be.
More than just food
The Mediterranean diet is known worldwide as one of the healthiest in the world. But the food isn’t just healthy – it’s also very tasty. If you’ve ever had an authentic ‘paella’ – Valencia is the home of paella – you’ll know what we’re talking about. And once you hear the way Valencian people talk about paella, you’ll also know that food in Spain is more than just food – it’s a key part of the local culture and identity. There are even new drinks to discover, like ‘horchata’, a sweet, milk-like drink made from tiger nuts.
The local gastronomy is so famous, that there’s now even a paella emoji! This only happened after a campaign started by the Valencian TV personality Eugeni Alemany and a rice brand called ‘La Fallera’. After the issue trended on Twitter several times before collected signatures, and a few months later: voilà, paella emoji.
However, there was still controversy over what form it would take: Valencians insist that real paella has to have chicken, rabbit, green beans, and butter beans. Anything else, for a Valencian, is not paella – it’s just rice with things in it. So, any image which seemed to deviate from this recipe was rejected by paella purists.
You should also try:
- ‘Gazpacho Andaluz ’
- ‘Churros’
- ‘Torrijas’
- ‘Cocido Madrileño’
There are other tasty dishes in every region across Spain, so prepare yourself for a few culinary trips across the Iberian Peninsula!
Do you like architecture? Make your own to-do list, city by city
Art and tradition are part of Spanish culture. Before you come to Spain, you might want to find out about the different monuments and museums across the country. In Spain, we say that knowledge doesn’t take up any space, so, no matter how much you find out about the different cities and their culture, it won’t take up any space in your luggage.
We recommend you visit:
- Barcelona. In particular, check out Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia church and the rest of his architecture.
- Segovia. The city has a very impressive aqueduct, one of the most significant and best-preserved Roman monuments in the Peninsula.
- Ávila. Ávila is still surrounded by its medieval walls, dating back to its time as a fortified town.
In Valencia, you can see two of the old monumental gates to the city, the Torres de Serranos and the Torres de Quart.
Do you want to feel part of Spain? Learn about its traditions and festivities
Spain has so many traditions. Every month there’s a festival in some region of the country. It’s good to know about them, as these are some of the most important cultural activities in the country that will be your home.
Here are some of them:
- Easter and the Feria de Abril – the April Fair – are times of great celebration in the capital of Andalusia, Seville.
- In Valencia, Fallas is the most important festival. The city becomes home to many huge wood and paper monuments for five days – which then go up in smoke on the last night.
- By taking a short flight, you can experience one of the most important carnivals in the world. Not only do the Canary Islands have great weather throughout the year, but its people love to party during carnival week, with colourful costumes and lights, making for an amazing spectacle.
So, now you know a little more about Spain and its culture, what are you waiting for? Get ready; bring your swimming suit, some sun cream, a good map and fly to your new favourite destination.
If you want to know more about activities at CEU UCH, click here.
