renewable energy in germany & switzerland - EF College Study Tours

10 days
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN
GERMANY & SWITZERLAND

FACULTY-LED INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS
ABOUT THIS TOUR
See cutting-edge scientific advancements in Germany and Switzerland, two leaders in the crusade for
renewable energy. Pay a visit to Darmstadt, the self-proclaimed “city of science,” and discover how the panels at Solarpark Bruhrain power
the area. On the rest of your journey, you’ll also learn about Lake Constance and conservation, hydroelectric power at Grimsel Pass and the
natural reserve of Entlebuch Biosphere.
Through it all, you’ll return home prepared for whatever path lies ahead of you. Beyond photos and stories, new perspectives and glowing
confidence, you’ll have something to carry with you for the rest of your life. It could be an inscription you read on the walls of a famous
monument, or perhaps a joke you shared with another student from around the world. The fact is, there’s just something transformative
about an EF College Study Tour, and it’s different for every traveler. Once you’ve traveled with us, you’ll know exactly what it is for you.
DAY 2: Heidelberg
DAY 3: Oberhausen-Rheinhausen
DAY 4: Freiburg
DAY 5: Vauban
DAY 7: Chapel Bridge

RENEWABLE ENERGY IN GERMANY & SWITZERLAND
10 days
Oberhausen-
Rheinhausen
Frankfurt
Heidelberg (2)
Freiburg (2)
Zurich Lake Constance (1)
Entlebuch Lucerne (3)
Mount Pilatus
INCLUDED ON TOUR:
Round-trip airfare
Land and water transportation
Hotel accommodations
Light breakfast daily and select meals
Full-time Tour Director
Sightseeing tours and visits to special attractions
Free time to study and explore
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
efcollegestudytours.com/REGA
OPTIONAL EXCURSION:
Mount Pilatus
Optional excursions let you incorporate additional
sites and attractions into your itinerary and make the
most of your time abroad.
DAY 6: Lake Constance
DAY 7: Mount Pilatus
DAY 7: Lucerne
DAY 9: The Alps
DAY 1 FLY TO GERMANY
Meet your group and travel on an overnight
fl ight to Frankfurt.
DAY 2 DARMSTADT • HEIDELBERG
Arrive in Frankfurt • Welcome to Frankfurt,
the fi nancial hub of Germany!
Travel through Darmstadt • As you make
your way to Heidelberg, travel through the
city of Darmstadt. Home to many technology
companies and research institutes, Darmstadt
dubs itself the “city of science.” It’s well
known as a high-tech center with industries
including spacecraft operations, chemistry,
pharmaceuticals, information technology,
biotechnology and telecommunications. Make
sure to have your camera ready for a photo
stop at Hundertwasser’s Waldspirale, a
residential building complex designed by
Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Completed in 2000, the colorful U-shaped
building features more than 1,000 windows
(no two are alike!), rounded corners and
gilded onion domes. From here, continue
on to Heidelberg where you will stay for the
evening.
DAY 3 OBERHAUSEN-RHEINHAUSEN
• HEIDELBERG
Sightseeing tour of Heidelberg • The
majestic Old Bridge crosses into the heart
of Heidelberg, a city set in the lush green
foothills of the Neckar Valley. Travel along
medieval streets lined with peaked red roofs
on your sightseeing tour. Numerous Nobel
Prize winners and philosophers studied here
and established Heidelberg as Germany’s
premier university city.
Heidelberg Castle wine barrel • Ride a
funicular up to Heidelberg Castle, and see
the stunning views that inspired Goethe (in
the gardens you’ll fi nd a statue dedicated to
the poet). Stand beside the enormous wine
barrel—it’s so large that a dance fl oor was
once built on top of it for visitors’ amusement!
Oberhausen-Rheinhausen • Take an
excursion to the town of Oberhausen-
Rheinhausen, where you will visit Solarpark
Bruhrain. Completed in 2007, the park is
home to 29,250 modules which provide
enough electricity for approximately 1,500
households. The park also reduces carbon
dioxide emissions by 1,296 tons per year.
DAY 4 FREIBURG
Villa Tannheim at the International Solar
Energy Society • Travel to Freiburg and
visit Villa Tannheim, the headquarters of the
International Solar Energy Society. The
building itself has been extensively renovated
with renewable energy and energy effi ciency
components. The ISES, meanwhile, attempts
to combine a proactive approach to the
furthering of renewable energy technologies
with a communicative, professional and
business-oriented executive philosophy.
DAY 5 FREIBURG
Solar energy-themed guided tour of
Freiburg • As the sunniest city in Germany,
Freiburg makes sense as a hub for solar
energy. Indeed, Freiburg prides itself on
being an “eco-city,” and you’ll see why on
this guided tour. In the late 1990s, a new
neighborhood called Vauban was built on
the site of a former French Army base. Built
as a “sustainable model district,” Vauban
uses solar energy to power many of the
households in its small community of 5,000
people. In 1992, the Freiburg city council
adopted a resolution that it would only permit
construction of “low-energy buildings” on
municipal land. In addition to using solar
panels and rain collectors on the roof as
sources of electricity and hot water, many
buildings have to use the sun’s energy to
regulate the temperature of the rooms.
Lecture at the Innovation Academy*
• A non-profi t association that focuses
on the issue of climate protection, the
Innovation Academy addresses themes such
as renewable energy, sustainable urban
development, old building modernization and
mobility.
DAY 6 LAKE CONSTANCE REGION
Lake Constance • Visit picturesque Lake
Constance, a freshwater lake at the northern
foot of the Alps. Lake Constance is 39 miles
long and 8.7 miles across at its widest point,
and it consists of three bodies of water: the
Obersee (upper lake), the Untersee (lower
lake) and a connecting stretch of the Rhine
River called the Seerhein. While visiting the
lake you will attend a lecture on renewable
energy and lake preservation*, and you will
also enjoy a boat cruise powered by solar
energy.
DAY 7 LUCERNE • SWISS ALPS
Travel to the Swiss Alps • This morning
you will continue on to Switzerland and the
breathtaking Swiss Alps.
Sightseeing tour of Lucerne • The majestic
Alps rise behind the shores of Lake Lucerne
and provide the stunning backdrop to one
of Switzerland’s most picturesque cities.
You’ll see the moving Lion Monument known
as Löwendenkmal, a sandstone statue
commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the
1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries. Follow
Lucerne’s winding cobbled streets past fairytale
houses to the Kapellbrücke, which dates
back to medieval days. Stroll across Europe’s
oldest wooden covered bridge and admire the
colorful murals overhead.
Optional: Mount Pilatus • Opt to join an
excursion that takes you up Mount Pilatus.
There, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular
panoramic views of Lucerne. Those who do
not join the excursion will have free time in
Lucerne.
DAY 8 LUCERNE • SWISS ALPS
Guided tour of the Grimsel Power Plant
• Hydroelectric power plants, high voltage
power lines and high reservoir lake walls
dominate the landscape on the northern side
of the Grimsel Pass, where you will get an
up-close view of Switzerland’s alternative
power source. Your tour may take you through
the impressive tunnel system to the Grimsel
II power plant and the unique crystal cavern.
After your tour, enjoy free time in Lucerne.
DAY 9 ENTLEBUCH • LUCERNE •
SWISS ALPS
Guided tour of the Entlebuch Biosphere •
Take an excursion to the town of Entlebuch
and visit the Entlebuch Biosphere, a natural
reserve at the foot of the Alps which includes
the valley of the Little Emme River between
Berne and Lucerne. In 2001, it was named
the second UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in
Switzerland. After your visit, enjoy more free
time in Lucerne
DAY 10 DEPART FOR HOME
Transfer to Zurich, where you’ll check in at
the airport for your return fl ight home.
*Subject to availability
WEB EFCOLLEGESTUDYTOURS.COM/REGA PHONE 877.485.4184

WHAT OUR TRAVELERS SAY
BARBARA L.
Concordia University
Portland, OR
ERIN H.
Itasca Community College
Grand Rapids, MN
CHELSEA S.
Northern Oklahoma College
Stillwater, OK
VIRGINA M.
Palo Alto College
San Antonio, TX
“The overall experience of the trip was
amazing, unforgettable. I went on the
tour not knowing many of the students
in my group, and came back with really
good friends and amazing memories.
With the guidance of the Tour Director,
I got to experience new culture without
feeling completely lost. I now know that
I can succeed and survive in a foreign
country.”
“I had such an amazing time, and I
learned so much. We saw so many
different sights. My experiences
enriched my understanding of another
culture, and created a realistic concept
of an entirely foreign culture I would
never have been exposed to
otherwise.”
“I can’t believe we had the opportunity
to see and do so many things for what
we paid. I traveled on my own soon
after my trip, and the flight alone cost
more than the entire tour—which
included meals, shows, tourist sites.
I will never ever forget this experience.
You’d be crazy not to take a tour with
EF—they take great care of you.”
“Every student should go. I enjoyed
flying to a foreign country, getting
completely out of my comfort zone and
truly seeing what this world has to offer.
We tried new food, spoke different
languages, and saw so many of the
best sights on our walking tours. I love
history, and being able to experience
what I’ve studied for years was so moving
it left me speechless. If there is ever
an opportunity to go, take it!“
FIND US ON FACEBOOK
Connect. Share. Create.
Become a fan of EF College Study Tours on Facebook and you can:
• Recruit friends to enroll on tour
• Connect with other travelers before and after your tour
• View photos and videos of your destination
• Share your own tour photos and videos
• See other students who have traveled on your tour and ask questions
Find us at efcollegestudytours.com/social for our complete list of social media pages and
more ways to connect.
WEB EFCOLLEGESTUDYTOURS.COM/REGA PHONE 877.485.4184
REGA/F13