Our volunteer Anna Morozova experienced the volunteer exhange and participated at Open House Valencia. Read about it here.
I’ve participated in Open House Tallinn (OHT) since 2019, although I’ve missed one or two weekends. During OHT I have worked as a guide’s assistant, a guide, and a translator, I used English, Russian, and Estonian. I joined the project at first to improve my Estonian speaking skills, but it has given me much more than that. I love this project for the opportunity to see the city and its inhabitants from a new perspective.
Last year I heard about the exchange programme and of course wanted to join it. I was really happy to learn that I was selected to participate in Open House Valencia (OHV). This year OHV took place on 24–26 October. It was the 7th festival. Over 70 buildings and 20 urban routes were included, and more than 300 volunteers participated — including 4 exchange volunteers from Estonia, Sweden, Lithuania, and Portugal.
The experience was very different from Estonia.
Schedule.
There were 4 shifts: Friday 16:00–19:00/20:00, Saturday 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–19:00, Sunday 10:00–14:00 (with some variations). Some buildings operated only during one or two shifts rather than throughout the whole event. There was no fixed starting time for tours in most locations, which gave visitors more flexibility but was a bit confusing for us.
Participants.
Many small businesses took part in the festival: architectural and design studios, hostels, and private museums. Often, the owners themselves acted as guides. There were also private apartments — for example, we visited a local artist’s home with very interesting interior design ideas. Valencia is a large city but not a capital, so many major companies and banks have their headquarters in Madrid or Barcelona, which may explain the selection of locations.
Languages.
Mostly Spanish. This year, the first official English-language tours were organised. No other languages were offered. At the same time, if tourists asked for an English tour and the guide was able to provide one, they usually did.
Extra materials.
There were no brochures — only a printed map with a list of locations and tours. And no cubes! OHT locations are much more visible from a distance. They also have new T-shirts and bags in different colours every year. By the way, in Lithuania festival guests can buy an OH Vilnius bag as a souvenir, which I think is a nice idea.
As exchange volunteers, we worked as guide assistants in four different buildings during the first shift on Saturday. On Friday and Saturday evenings we had a chance to visit other OHV locations, and on Sunday we were invited to join an English-language walking tour about 20th-century architectural styles and their developments.
For me, the exchange was not only a chance to volunteer abroad but also an opportunity to connect with amazing people and learn from a different cultural perspective. It was a truly memorable and motivating experience. In discussions with other volunteers we realised how Open House events can vary from city to city. I am grateful for the opportunity and I’m planning to try to participate in OH Vilnius on my own in the future. And in OHT as well, of course.
