Day 1: Fly overnight to Germany
Day 2: Frankfurt • Darmstadt • Heidelberg
Meet your Field Director at the airportTravel via Darmstadt, known as a high-tech center with various industries, on your way to Heidelberg
Stop to take a photo at Hundertwasser's Waldspirale, a colorful U-shaped building that features more than 1,000 windows (no two are alike), rounded corners, and gilded onion domes
Enjoy dinner in Heidelberg
Day 3: Heidelberg
Tour Heidelberg with your Field Director
Ride a funicular up to Heidelberg Castle, and stand beside the enormous wine barrel—it’s so large that a dance floor was once built on top of it for visitors’ amusement
🔹 Cultural engagement: Enjoy a boat cruise powered by solar energy
Day 4: Heidelberg • Freiburg
Travel to FreiburgSpend a half day participating in activities at the Innovation Academy, where you can learn firsthand about the area’s many innovations in renewable energy, solar power, and ecological agriculture
Enjoy dinner in Freiburg
Day 5: Freiburg
Take a solar energy-themed guided tour of Freiburg, which prides itself on being an eco-city and only permits construction of low-energy buildings on municipal land
Industry Engagement: Attend a lecture at the Innovation Academy, a non-profit association that focuses on the issue of climate protection
Day 6: Freiburg • Lucerne region
Travel via Breitnau to the Lucerne region
Visit Hofgut Sternen or Bioenergy Breitnau where you will learn about green energy practices
🔹 Cultural engagement: Take a walking tour of Lucerne
With your Field Director you will see:
- Lion Monument, a sandstone statue commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the 1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries
- Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge dating back to medieval days adorned with colorful murals overhead
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
Day 7: Lucerne region
🔹 Guided learning: Take a tour of the Grimsel Power Plant and get an up-close view of Switzerland’s alternative power source
Add this in-depth excursion:
Swiss Alps experience
This exciting half-day adventure takes you to the top of one of the Swiss Alps, the majestic mountainous backdrop of Lucerne. Journey to the base of the mountain by boat and ride a cog railway to the top. You’ll reach the summit and be rewarded with a splendid panorama of Lucerne, its lake, and the glorious snow-capped Alps. On a clear day, you can see for more than 200 miles! You’ll get back to the foot of the mountain by way of a gondola ride. (Please note: Mountains can be cold, even in summer; warm clothes and appropriate shoes are recommended.)
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
Day 8: Lucerne region
Take an excursion to Entlebuch
🔹 Guided learning: Take a guided tour of 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
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend the afternoon exploring Lucerne on your own
Enjoy dinner at your hotel in the Lucerne region
Day 9: Lucerne region • Zurich
Travel to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland and one of the world's largest financial centers
Take a walking tour of Zurich with your Field Director and see its quaint Old Town, its waterfront promenades, and take in its eclectic mix of architectural styles
🔹 Independent exploration: Spend a half day exploring Zurich on your own
Enjoy dinner in Zurich
Day 10: Depart for home
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