Independent Travel

This past week we had our first days off, and I took advantage of it and did a little travel. I have not ventured out too far from Freiburg, but I have other weekends and vacation days for that. IES Abroad had an optional trip to Berlin, but I opted out, while I visited Berlin in high school and wanted the opportunity for additional travel. For this vacation, I visited Strasbourg, France, and Heidelberg, Germany. Strasbourg and Heidelberg are both relatively close to Freiburg and both beautiful cities. The are both under 3 hours by bus with Heidelberg being 2.5 hours and Strasbourg about an hour by bus, making it easy to have a day trip there.

I spent two nights and three days in Strasbourg, and I did a day trip to Heidelberg. I visited Strasbourg with a few other IES Abroad students and met up with a friend in HeidelbergI first started my vacation in Strasbourg. Strasbourg is a cute town with a mix of German and French culture. In Strasbourg, we ate and bought a ton of traditional French and Alsatian food including Flammkuchen, a dish similar to a pizza with onions, cheese, and bacon, pastries, and more. We definitely ate well this trip. We did not only eat in Strasbourg we were able to see a lot of sights as well. We saw the Strasbourg Cathedral, city center, a cute park, a few museums, and more. It was interesting to see the Cathedral because it was designed by the same architect who designed the Freiburg Münster. One of the museums we visited was also really interesting because it was an Alsatian history museum depicting and displaying various objects from history, and discussing some of the history of the region.

Heidelberg was also a super cute town. I only visited Heidelberg for a day and did not spend the night, but I definitely want to go back. I met up with a friend who is studying there and received a tour of the city. Heidelberg is another city I would recommend because it is beautiful. It is also a good town if you enjoy hiking while it is a rather hilly city. My friend and I hiked up to the Heidelberg castle. It was a steep climb, but a beautiful view of the old town.

I also spent a few days in Freiburg exploring a bit, and hiking up to the Schlossberg, and hanging out with other students in the program.The week is almost over, and my semester classes begin soon, but I am glad I got to travel a bit this past week to relax a bit before my classes start.