Accommodation

Accomodation

Barcelona neighborhoods

Barcelona is divided into ten administrative districts. The Barcelona GSE main facilities are located at the Ciutadella Campus (UPF) in the Sant Martí district, in the Olympic Village (Vila Olímpica) neighborhood. Many students choose to live in Poblenou, Barceloneta, Clot, Casc Antic, Born, or Vila Olímpica. A listing of neighborhoods in each district is available in the Student Guide [pdf].

Bellaterra Campus - neighboring towns

Although many students enrolled in master programs held at the Bellaterra Campus choose to live in Barcelona, you should be aware that smaller towns near Bellaterra offer wide and more affordable accommodation opportunities.

The most common places incoming students choose when looking for off-campus accommodation are Cerdanyola, Sabadell, and Sant Cugat, which are the closer and better linked to the campus through public transportation.

Cerdanyola del Vallés

Cerdanyola's priviledged location, almost one third within the largest natural park in Barcelona, makes it an ideal place to live, study, and work. With a culturally diverse population of 59,000 it attracts the young and people from all over the world. Cerdanyola is easily connected by bus with the UAB campus.

Sabadell

Sabadell is a dynamic city quickly growing in quality of life with new projects and new facilities. Sabadell is known for its shopping and restaurants, interesting cultural life, and as a host of important sport events. It is connected with UAB by train.

Sant Cugat del Vallés

Sant Cugat is a welcoming city which combines a rich historical background and a wide range of activities. It is well-known for its quality of life in a priviledged natural environment, with plenty of green areas and city parks, and sustainable urban development. Sant Cugat is easily connected with the UAB campus by train. It is, however, more expensive than Cerdanyola or Sabadell.

Options for finding accommodation

You have several options for accommodation: residence halls on the UPF and UAB campuses, independent student residences, or private off-campus accommodations. While the GSE does not provide a housing service to students, assistance and advice in the search of accommodation is available through:

Sports facilities

The UAB has a large array of sporting resources. They include a covered all-purpose sports arena, an all-weather five-a-side pitch, two heated indoor swimming pools, tennis courts, fronton and squash courts, and state-of-the-art physical fitness facilities. Through the UPF you will have access to discounts and other advantages for the use of sport facilities and sport gear. You will also be able to participate in a variety of leagues in sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis, table-tennis and beach volleyball. [Web resources: UPF sports UAB sports (in Catalan)]

Student clubs and societies

You can partake of a wide variety of recreational and cultural activities offered on both the UAB and UPF campuses. Students can join theatre, choir and instrumental groups. There are discussion groups on photography, drawing, blogs, poster design, etc. and both universities organize activities such as the Reading Club, Opera Club, Cinema Forum. Students also enjoy discounts to museums, concerts, and other cultural events.

Disabilities

The School is committed to providing access to students with disabilities. For more information about any special need, please contact us.