FIVE COMPLIMENTARY CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS COVERING THE EUCOR UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN THREE ADJOINING COUNTRIES
RUNNING IN PARALLEL WITH THE CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Our private motor coaches will depart in the morning from Freiburg and nearby Gottenheim and return back to the same two locations late in the afternoon. The motor coaches (each seating about 50 persons) will be equipped with air-conditioning and WC facilities.
The approximate duration of the motor coach from Freiburg to our planned destinations shall be as follows:
The motor coaches will be available free of charge to those who register for the entire conference.
THE DAY BEFORE THE CONFERENCE STARTS
Europa-Park, Rust, Germany April 9, 2011 (Saturday)
Europa-Park does the impossible and targets its theme park to all ages through a unique marketing mix for each segment. The park is split into different areas, mostly named after European countries. It is also a major resort where the largest hotel includes a re-creation of a Roman colosseum. Across the park, there are many shows performed on a daily basis, including an Ice Show, an Acrobatics Show in an Italian Theater and a fully re-created Globe Theater based on that of William Shakespeare. Shows go on throughout the day and there are enough events to keep everyone - including those who don't like roller coasters - happy.
Any delegates who arrive early for the conference may join IJAS as it organizes a group visit to the park to enjoy first-hand what may be described as a spectacular Welcome-to-Europe experience.
Since this is a pre-conference event, it is not among the five complimentary programs. It is not covered by the registration fee. Each delegate pays on the spot for admittance to Europa-Park and transport to Rust (near Freiburg). The estimated total cost is about 43 Euros. We will depart from Freiburg for this day event.
DAY ONE
Black Forest, Germany April 10, 2011 (Sunday)
On the first day of the conference, a Sunday, IJAS will organize a visit to the nearby Hinterzarten in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). For those who are uncomfortable with a two-mile walk, they may proceed straight by motor coach to Titisee instead.
From Hinterzarten we will walk through the Forest with breath-taking vistas unfolding in the valley beneath us. In the first part of the walk we will be in the open countryside. In the second part, we will be right in the heart of the forest, dwarfed by the trees.
In the last part of our walk we will cut through the trees to Titisee with its magnificent lake, lakefront cafes which serve fresh cakes including the chocolate-layered Black Forest cake, and reasonably-priced souvenir shops where the cuckoo clocks never tire. The group members will have about two hours free time to linger about and enjoy all that Titisee has to offer.
DAY TWO
Alsace, France April 11, 2011. (Monday)
The day starts with a walk around tiny Eguisheim before any other bus loads of tourists arrive and jam this Medieval city of extremely narrow, concentric streets.
This is followed by Colmar, home of the Unterlinden Museum and the birthplace of A. Bartholdi, the architect of New York's Statue of Liberty.
Riquewihr, one of the most beautiful towns, would be the next stop. It is a place to sit down outside one of its centuries-old taverns and relax in the midst of exquisite beauty.
DAY THREE
Strasbourg, France April 12, 2011. (Tuesday)
Strasbourg is the political capital of the European Union. A return 1-hour trip using the ICE train costs about 51 Euros. The same 1-hour trip in our private coach is free of charge! When we arrive in Strasbourg, we will walk straight to the Cathedral. Architecturally, it's the most magnificent of all French cathedrals. Inside, it has a mechanical clock, an ancient wonder that draws hundreds of tourists for its 12:30 pm spinning and chiming performance. Close to the Cathedral is the river that locks in the old city. Take a one-hour sightseeing tour on one of the numerous glasshouse boats. It's all included in the registration package. Afterwards, enjoy free time, walking the old streets. Do not miss the Petit France quarters; this is another world from another time.
DAY FOUR
Alsace, France April 13, 2011. (Wednesday)
Same as Day 1.
DAY FIVE
Freiburg, Germany and Basel, Switzerland April 14, 2011. (Thursday)
Freiburg basking in the countryside.
Freiburg has a lot to offer, no matter whether you are interested in a stroll in the historic old town or whether you would like to spend some time in one of the many cafes and cosy pubs, indulging in Badisch cuisine.
Many visitors head straight to the cathedral as soon as they catch a glimpse of the laced pyramid of the slender tower over the rooftops of the old town. Whilst many churches from the Middle Ages were completed centuries later, the tower, which is 116 meters high, was already completed by 1330!
Outside the Cathedral, IJAS will entertain the delegates to the famous beef and pork bratwursts cooking over open stoves.
Basel at sunrise, overlooking the Rhine. (Photo by Slack12)
Our next stop for the day will be Basel. It too blends the new with the old.
Visitors may walk through downtown Basel, and visit its most famous building overlooking the river that divides the city. There will be plenty of opportunities to shop around and relax at the various exquisite spots that dot the city.
DAY SIX
Heidelberg, Germany April 15, 2011. (Friday)
Heidelberg's old town (Altstadt in German) is long and narrow and is dominated by the ruins of a castle, a mix of Gothic and Renaissance styles, which perches 80 meters above the river on a steep, wooded hill. The Karls' gate (Karlstor) is a triumphal arch located at Heidelberg's very east.
Heidelberg is home to one of Europe's oldest educational institutions, the fourteenth century University of Heidelberg. It was here that chemists Posselt and Reimann discovered that nicotine was the main pharmacologically active component of tobacco. Also here, Robert Bunsen and Kirchhoff invented spectrum analysis while Karl Drais, a student, went on to invent the bicycle.
As a relic of the Romanticism era, Heidelberg has been labeled a romantic town. This is used to attract more than 3.5 million visitors every year. Although it's outside the Eucor region, it's too beautiful to ignore, especially for study abroad tours.
The Rationale Behind the Tours
To understand why the cultural and academic tours are an integral part of every IJAS conference, click here.
Starehe provides a home and a first-class education for bright boys and girls from impoverished backgrounds - free of charge. It is unique in instilling a firm sense of duty, and in inspiring former pupils to lead exemplary lives across all walks of Kenyan society.
