Hello everyone! Last time I posted, I showed some photos from Freiburg where our group has been studying and talked about what all we’ve been getting into. This post will be about two excursions some of us took during our program, to the French city of Strasbourg and to the lakeside city of Konstanz.
Our day trip to Strasbourg included a boat tour of the city through its canals, and we got to see several of the city’s oldest landmarks and buildings. The most impressive, in my opinion, were the Église Saint-Paul, a Protestant church, and Strasbourg’s massive Cathédrale Notre-Dame, a Catholic cathedral. Below are images of the respective churches.
After our boat tour, we got time by ourselves to explore the city. It was a beautiful day with perfect weather, and so we made the most of our allotted time by wandering around and appreciating the architecture and atmosphere. If you ever find yourself in Freiburg, note that Strasbourg is only about an hour away via bus!
Our next excursion was within our own UA group to the city of Konstanz, which lies across the Bodensee near the Swiss border. It’s a gorgeous city that many Germans vacation to because of its closeness to the lake, making it an ideal location for hot summer days (which it very much was during our time there). Even despite the heat, we had a great time. We even got to swim in one of the small rivers that leads out to the lake, joined by a crowd of Germans also trying to cool off. After a day in Konstanz, we took the ferry across the lake to Meersburg, another lakeside destination that I had taken a trip to last year as well. This time, I got to see a whole new part of the city. We went up the steep hills of the city to visit the Meersburg Castle, one of the oldest castles in Germany that’s still currently inhabited. As a history major with a deep fascination and appreciation for medieval history, this castle was incredible to explore. Attached below are some of my favorite pics from the castle, which also boasts an impressive view towards the Bodensee.
The Bodensee was one of my favorite places we visited last year, so I was thrilled to be back again this summer. We of course enjoyed lots of good German food; you can never go wrong with traditional Wiener Schnitzel.
That’s all for now. Our program has concluded, but I will still be spending the next week traveling to Zürich and then to Paris. When I get back to the U.S., I’ll make another post perhaps detailing the transitional process of returning back home after a whole month abroad. But I’m excited to see what other experiences I’ll have in the meantime. Until then, tschüss!