Beautiful and charming, Merida is the capital city of the Yucatán. Students actively explore vibrant markets, colonial architecture, local food, and other slices of daily life. Highlights include the Monumento a la Patria— a massive monument depicting centuries of Mexican history— and the Palacio del Gobierno, which houses striking murals depicting the Maya and Spanish…
Urban planning and the idea of branding a place come to life when we stay in the city of Utrecht, our home base for the program. Seeing Utrecht Centraal and the city’s growing skyline against the backdrop of historic streets helps one to experience the impact urban planning has on a place.
We visit The Hague, the largest Dutch city on the North Sea coast. The city is home to the country’s parliament, supreme court, and the U.N.’s International Court of Justice, one of the most important courts in the world. The Hague is known as the home of international law and arbitration.
The Dutch have built and crafted Rotterdam to be at the forefront of urban planning. A city that has cubed houses, an indoor market hall, modern sculptures, and the iconic Erasmusbrug bridge is bound to have a strong identity in terms of place.
Studying leading-edge hydrology at Rotterdam’s RDM facility. The facility houses creative and innovative entrepreneurs in the manufacturing industry.
Amsterdam Noord, often described as a village within a city, is just a quick ferry ride from the Amsterdam train station. There we can explore historic villages, museums, cafes, and scenic countryside on a leisurely walk or bike ride.
The first organized cultural experience is a walking tour through the historic center of Prague introducing all of the essential sites. This walking tour culminates with a welcome dinner. The following day, the group visits the Prague Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a complex dating back to the 9th century.
In Paris, we peruse local markets in the historic neighborhoods, take a literary stroll on the banks of the Seine, enjoy a group picnic, explore museums and discover the many landmarks of this beautiful city.
From Munich’s central Marienplatz, we explore the history of the city, visiting museums and sites of cultural interest to learn how history shaped the city’s traditional and ethnic communities, and their foods and culture.
We begin our adventure in Athens sampling the glorious monuments of the classical city, such as the Parthenon, the Temple of Hephaistos, or the Theater of Dionysos, as well as the grand projects of the Romans, such as Hadrian’s Library or the Temple of Olympian Zeus.