Excursions

The program sponsors numerous one-day excursions for AJY students and their German language partners to destinations such as:    

  • the medieval monastery complex at Maulbronn, the ancient city of Bad Wimpfen, and the baroque palace at Bruchsal,
  • a hike and picnic in the Black Forest,
  • Mainz with the Gutenberg book museum, Chagall windows, and romanesque cathedral,
  • Alsace with the city of Strasbourg (a mix of French and German cultures) and the concentration camp at Struthof,
  • the 2000-year-old city of Speyer,
  • Frankfurt am Main with the Goethe Haus, the Römer, and fascinating art museums,
  • the palace and elaborate gardens at Schwetzingen, and
  • the birds-of-prey flight show at Burg Guttenberg and open-air theater in the castle courtyard of Jagsthausen.

Activities and Events

Learn how to bake a Black Forest cake, show your language partner how to carve a pumpkin, try your skills at a games night, celebrate Thanksgiving with your German professors at a local restaurant, watch German movies on film night, help prepare the cookout for the 4th of July picnic. Regular parties and mixer events with German language partners are lots of fun and a welcome change of pace.

At the beginning of the semester, group visits to theater performances, concerts, or opera will introduce you to the variety of cultural offerings in the Heidelberg area.

Culture Coupons    

Later in the semester you are provided with 'AJY culture coupons,' which allow you to attend cultural events on your own or with friends. With these coupons, you can go to concerts, museums, readings, theater, opera, and ballet in the Heidelberg area. And you can participate in an excursion elsewhere in Germany organized by the International Office of the University of Heidelberg.

Exploring Europe

You will find yourself working hard on your courses at the University of Heidelberg. But that doesn't mean you won't have time for travel. You can use some of your weekends, holidays, and the long break between semesters to explore Europe.

The central location of Heidelberg and the fact that it has excellent train connections makes it an ideal 'home base' for such travel.