Hello Internet!
It has been a while since my last post but I have returned with many more stories to tell and more information to share.
The month of August was probably the most fun I've ever had in my life. The German language course was so much fun (and yes unfortunately there was an exam at the end) but I got five ECTS credits for that so it was all worth it in the end. Also, I made lots of amazing friends in class and we would travel together with the VISUM group. We had day trips every weekend to a new city in the area and many nightly events in Mannheim. VISUM organizes the entire day from meeting at the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) in the morning to lunch breaks and free time to roam the cities. There is a small fee for the trips but it includes the transportation costs and some events, so I would say it's worth the money you paid.
The first city we explored was Frankfurt! Our day trip included getting a great view from the top of the Frankfurt Main Tower where some major photo sessions were happening. Afterwards, we got a walking tour from our fellow VISUM buddies and got to see the amazing city, which included the main square, the Alte Stadt (old city) and, of course, the Financial district. The business student inside of me was very excited to see the Bull and Bear statues in front of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange! We were then given free time and had a choice of either meeting back with the group at the Hauptbahnhof or meeting earlier to go to the Modern Art Gallery. My friends and I chose to tour around the city on our own instead because we wanted to see the Main River and the Römerberg. The Römerberg is the complex of nine beautifully hand-crafted houses that form the Frankfurt Rathaus (city hall). I would recommend a day trip to Frankfurt to see all the sights both historical and modern.
The next week we went to Stuttgart where we visited the Mercedes Benz Museum! It's a wonderful museum that combines both the history of the car manufacturer and world historical events. The top floor starts with the first car ever invented and the bottom floor consists of concept cars that look like they're out of a sci-fi movie.
After an extensive tour of the Museum, we had some time to tour the city of Stuttgart and found out about its history. For dinner that day we all went to a Biergarten, which is basically just an outdoor area where you can eat and consume all kinds of beverages. Beer is not the only option to drink (thankfully) but if you're interested it comes in half litre mugs.
A couple of days later we all went to Heidelberg, which quite honestly is my favourite city in Germany (so far). It has a beautiful castle ruin situated atop a hill in the centre of the city. The Altstadt (old town) is filled with cobblestone roads and picturesque houses, just as one would imagine when picturing a German town. The old town is dwarfed however by the Heidelberg Castle ruins. Construction first began in 1398 and it turned from a fortress to a castle in the 17th century. Unfortunately the Castle and its gardens were destroyed several times during the 30 Years' War. Later on, reconstruction began again but lightning struck and all future attempts at rebuilding were stopped. Now the beautiful castle is half in ruin with some rooms left almost undamaged that provide a glimpse into the world that once was.
And that would be all of the major events that happen during the International Summer Academy. There are more events available such as brewery tours, tours of Schwetzingen Castle and festivals in the nearby towns. Basically every day there is something to do or an event to attend that helps you better understand the culture and city which you will call home.
Keep on travelling!