Matouš Kosek

Long-term individual mobility

• FRANZISKUS-GYM • WELS • AUSTRIA •

What is it like to live abroad for a while, speak German all day, and be away from home for two months? My two-month Erasmus+ stay in Austria—spent in the town of Wels near Linz—answered exactly these questions and many more.

The journey there involved five and a half hours in a car, filled with worries and uncertainty. But all those negative thoughts disappeared the moment we arrived at the house of my host family, who welcomed me with a smile. I got a tour of the house and settled into my room. After unpacking a bit, we headed into town, where I got my first look at the city center and at the school I would be attending—Franziskus GYM Wels.

Most days I rode my bike to school, which took about 15 minutes. I attended class with my host sister, Elizabeth, the youngest of three siblings. The school has three floors—the first is for middle school, and the top two are for the gymnasium. It’s a private and very modern school. Notebooks are a thing of the past—all notes, assignments, and even some tests are done on tablets or laptops. Classes start at 7:45 AM, each lesson lasts 50 minutes, and breaks are 5 minutes long. As for the facilities, the school has three gyms, a cafeteria, lecture halls, outdoor sports grounds, several “chill zones,” a library, and much more.

After school, I usually rode my bike home—which was a bit of a challenge because the family lived on a hill. In the evenings, we would all gather for dinner, and afterward we’d play board games, football in the garden, or just talk. The weather during my stay was great, so I often went on bike rides to explore the surroundings. But the best part was the weekends—we took trips to beautiful Austrian cities like Salzburg, Linz, and Vienna, hiked in the stunning Austrian mountains, or simply spent time together. During my stay, I even visited Germany twice: once for Easter to visit extended family in Erfurt, and the second time when the family took me to meet some old friends of theirs from university.

Overall, I absolutely loved my stay—thanks mainly to my amazing host family, the teachers at the school, and the classmates I got to know. I made countless unforgettable memories, improved my German, and met many wonderful people.

We asked...

Why would you recommend your classmates to participate in the Erasmus+ programme and what advice would you have for them?

I would highly recommend going on Erasmus—it’s an unforgettable, valuable, and enriching experience. You step out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and most importantly—you get to know yourself better. For me personally, the trip was also a pleasant break from the everyday routine in the Czech Republic and something I had looked forward to for a long time. The experience teaches you how to adapt to new situations, broadens your horizons, gives you memories that will last a lifetime, and tests your independence. It’s never easy to go to a country where you don’t know anyone and where the language isn’t fully familiar to you. My advice for future Erasmus participants? Enjoy every moment of your stay, build a strong relationship with your host family, use your time abroad to create unforgettable memories, be open to new experiences, and most importantly—don’t be afraid to speak! Everyone makes mistakes, but those are exactly what help you learn the most.

What were the biggest challenges you overcame during your stay?

I’d say that for most Erasmus participants—and I was no exception—the biggest challenge is the language. At the beginning of my stay, I lacked the ability to respond spontaneously, which was frustrating for someone like me who loves to talk. Over time, though, my communication improved, and I found myself starting to think in German. Eventually, I didn’t even have to plan my responses—they came naturally, which made me happy. Besides the expected language challenges, I also had to adjust to small differences in daily routines—like my host family eating dinner as late as 8:30 PM, which was sometimes too late for me. Another challenge was staying motivated to prepare for my classes back at Gybon. I had pretty much put all school duties in the Czech Republic on hold because I wanted to enjoy every moment in Austria with a clear mind.

What experiences and highlights from your stay are worth mentioning?

Honestly, the entire stay was one big highlight. I enjoyed even the ordinary moments, but one of my favorite memories was spending the night in a mountain hut. On the last weekend of my stay, we left right after school on Friday for the Höllengebirge mountain range. After a steep three-hour climb and 800 meters of elevation, we reached a mountain hut at an altitude of 1,574 meters. From the lookout next to the hut, we enjoyed a stunning sunset and had a great meal to end the day. We got up really early the next morning to watch the sunrise. Then we began a ridge hike across nearby peaks. Along the way, we passed five summit crosses, which are used in Austria to mark mountain tops. After the hike, we returned to the hut for lunch and then made our way back down—enjoying even more breathtaking views of the landscape on the way.