When I think about my Erasmus experience in Budapest, I think about all the new things I get to discover almost every week. Sometimes it is a new place, sometimes a new food, and sometimes, like last Friday, a completely new sport.
On Friday evening, I went to the Tüskecsarnok in Budapest to watch an ice hockey game between FTC-Telekom, the local Ferencváros team, and Milano HC. It was my first time watching a real ice hockey match, so I didn’t really know what to expect.
A new sport for me
The match was part of the ICE Hockey League, an international league in which teams from different Central European countries play. Milano HC is actually a new team in the league this season, and before coming to Budapest they had won their first three games.
As an Italian student living in Budapest, seeing Milano playing here was also quite interesting. I am much more used to football being the main sport in Italy, so going to an ice hockey game was definitely something different.
Even though I didn’t know all the rules, it was easy to understand the excitement of the game. Everything happens very quickly: the players are constantly moving, the puck changes direction in seconds and the atmosphere becomes louder every time there is a chance to score.
A close game until the end
The first two periods were very close, and neither team managed to score. Both sides had several chances, but the goalkeepers made some important saves.
Then everything changed in the third period. Just over a minute after the start, David Silye scored the first goal for Ferencváros. Milano tried to react and created some good opportunities, but they couldn’t find the equaliser.
Towards the end of the game, Milano removed their goalkeeper to try to score, but Ferencváros took advantage of the situation. Aku Kestila scored the second goal into an empty net, and Rasmus Heljanko scored another one just twelve seconds before the final whistle.
The final score was 3-0 for Ferencváros.
Why I enjoyed it
What I liked most about the evening was that it was something completely outside my usual routine.
As an Erasmus student, I think some of the best experiences come from saying yes to things you wouldn’t normally do. I probably wouldn’t have gone to an ice hockey game in Italy, but living in Budapest gave me the chance to discover a sport that I knew very little about.
It was also nice to experience a more local side of the city. Instead of visiting another famous monument or going to one of the usual places in the centre, I spent my Friday evening watching a sport that is followed by many people here.
And, of course, going with friends made the experience even better. Even if you don’t understand every rule, you can still enjoy the atmosphere, cheer when something happens and have fun together.
Our Erasmus tip
If you are looking for something different to do in Budapest, check out the local sports events. You don’t have to be a huge sports fan to enjoy going to a game.
For me, the Ferencváros–Milano match was a perfect example of what I like about Erasmus: discovering something new without really planning it, spending time with friends and seeing a different side of the city.
Budapest is not only about the Parliament, the Danube and the ruin bars. Sometimes, you can discover the city by sitting in an ice hockey arena on a Friday evening, surrounded by local fans, and experiencing something that you would probably never have tried at home.
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