ABOUT OURENSE
Ourense is the capital of the province of Ourense, the only land-locked province of the autonomous community of Galicia. In Spanish it’s spelled Orense, but its official name is the Galician Ourense. With 107,000 inhabitants, Ourense is the third largest city in Galicia. Since Ourense is located in the inner part of Galicia, it has less of a coastal climate than other provinces. Summer will be hotter and drier, with temperatures reaching 30º C (86º F) in the months of July and August. Winter will be slightly colder, but will it will not often get below freezing (0º C/32º F). Ourense’s name comes from La Ciudad del Oro, a name given by the Romans who settled here when they found abundant amounts of gold. This area is also home to several thermal baths, both natural and spa. The city is an important communication point, with four major highways and train lines connecting Galicia to the rest of Spain, and being home to the most important train line in Galicia, the Ourense-Empalme Station. The casco antiguo, or casco histórico (historic center) of the city was registered as a Center for Cultural Heritage by the Spanish government in 1975.
Check out Megan's experience living in Ourense as a Fulbright TA in 2020-2021:
TRANSPORTATION IN OURENSE
You will find that Ourense is a very manageable city and walking is almost always your best bet; you will get anywhere in the center of the city in 30 minutes or less. Biking could be an option for you, but it is not usually very convenient in winter when it rains more often. If you need to go farther out in the city, or if it is raining too much, Ourense offers a bus network, that takes you all around the city and its surroundings, or las afueras. Tickets are 0.83€. You can get a city bus card (Tarxeta Milenio) if you’re travelling long distances in the city. This card can be obtained at any Abanca branch, and you do not need an Abanca account to get the card. With your TIE, you can get the student bus card, which makes each bus trip cost 43 cents instead of 83 cents. If you’re looking to get out of town, the bus station, at Carretera De Vigo N-120, offers a range of different companies and services that can take you to other Galician cities/towns or other parts of Spain or Portugal. The train station, located at Avenida Marín, offers normal and high-speed trains that take you to other Galician/Spanish cities. The train to Madrid takes about 5 hours, and on the way back from Madrid, Ourense is the first Galician stop. If you need a taxi, you can call Ourense’s TeleTaxi at 988 210 011. Past grantees note that, in addition to the train, blablacar is also very useful for leaving Ourense for weekend trips. To get to Santiago’s airport, be aware of the time the buses start and stop to plan your flights accordingly, as airport shuttles don’t run at night or very early in the morning. If you’re going to the airport in Porto (Portugal), you will need to go to Vigo (by bus, train or blabla car) and then from Vigo to Porto by bus (12 euros). Omio is useful to compare transport options.
DAILY LIFE IN OURENSE
Generally, in Galicia, the main supermarkets are Gadis, Froiz, and Día, with locations in various parts of town. Gadis is the most recommended out of the three by a past university lecturer. This lecturer especially liked this particular store “because they identify local products with a little scallop shell symbol, so you know you’re buying something fresh and supporting the local economy.”
Ourense also has a university campus from the University of Vigo offering several different degrees. Of note is the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas in the Lagunas neighborhood. It is popular among locals and foreigners alike for language classes, though you must start in September. It is impossible to begin any later, not even in January.
If you are interested in taking Galician classes, be aware that the lowest level offered at the EOI is B2, so it may be beneficial to check out other modes of learning Galician like language exchanges or private academies.
And when you’re looking for certain items from home, the 2021-2022 Mentor points out, “There’s a latino-owned 24h in Couto and a latino-owned alimentación en Xardín do Posío that are good places to find spices or ingredients you can’t find other places. And the Día on Curros Enriquez has the best and cheapest peanut butter if that matters to anyone.”