Germany March 2026

Once again, we visit our long-term partners, Max-Planck-Gymnasium in Ludwigshafen!

The trip to Germany was long, but once we reached Ludwigshafen, it was totally worth it! Our week there was truly one of a kind!

On the first day, we went to school from 8:00 to 13:00, where we met all the students and some of the teachers. We presented our project about Pamplona and also watched the German students’ presentations, which were really interesting. In my case, I went with my exchange partner to interview elderly people about their work experience, which was a very different and interesting activity.

After that, we met a really nice man who showed us the main buildings of Ludwigshafen. Later on, we visited the Wilhelm-Hack Museum together with the German students and teachers. The museum was amazing—very original and colourful, and some of the artworks had deep, even spiritual meanings.

In the afternoon, Julia, Eunate and I went with our exchange partner to a bakery to have some crêpes and waffles, which were delicious. In the evening, at around 19:30, we went for a walk in the nearby town, Mannheim. After the walk, we went back home, had dinner and went to bed to be ready for the next day.

The following day, March 10th, we started by going to school and, after two hours, we went out to explore the city and take photos. We stopped at a bakery to try some traditional snacks like pretzels, and then continued walking until we reached the GML industry.

When we arrived, we first went into a small building where the guide explained the different types of waste management in Germany. She also gave us helmets and safety vests so we could safely enter the facility. Then we began the tour of the plant. We visited a control room where workers were monitoring the machines, and we also saw how trucks were being weighed.

Another day, we took part in a workshop at the school, where we learned about different shapes and how much weight they can support. We worked with foam, a special heated wire to shape it, and metal weights to test our designs.

It felt a bit like a competition because we had to record how much weight our structures could hold before and after changing their shape. The first design was an L-shape, and then we modified it by adding triangular supports inside. The second version was much stronger and could hold a lot more weight.

Overall, the workshop was both interesting and very entertaining. Since we worked in pairs, it was also more fun, and it gave us a great opportunity to socialize with our host students, as we were paired up with them.

On the fourth day, we visited the city of Heidelberg, famous for having the oldest university in Germany. We started by walking around the city, taking photos, and enjoying its beautiful streets and architecture.

Soon after, we stopped at a bakery called Zeit für Brot, where we enjoyed their famous German pastries and coffee. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even nicer.

After our break, we continued exploring the city. We visited the famous Old Bridge (Alte Brücke), saw the Neckar River, and took lots of photos. Then we walked up to Heidelberg Castle, getting a close look at the impressive building and strolling through the castle gardens (Schlossgarten Heidelberg), enjoying the spectacular views.

After descending from the castle, we had about two hours of free time to explore the city further. We treated ourselves to some cinnamon rolls at Cinamood and did a little shopping in the nearby stores.

Two hours later, we met back at the meeting point and returned to Ludwigshafen, where we reunited with our German classmates. They then took us to do various activities around the city of Mannheim.

Friday was our last day in Ludwigshafen. It was time to wrap up our work, and together we reviewed the topics we had been exploring throughout the week. We prepared and gave presentations related to sustainability and played a fun game to revise the concepts we had learned.

After that, it was time for some last photos, a little lunch, and a farewell wave to the school building. On Saturday morning, we left from Mannheim train station. There were lots of hugs and smiles—no tears this time, because we know we’ll see each other again very soon! We can’t wait for you! See you in May!

Friday was our last day in Ludwigshafen. It was time to wrap up our work, and together we reviewed the topics we had been exploring throughout the week. We prepared and gave presentations related to sustainability and played a fun game to revise the concepts we had learned.

After that, it was time for some last photos, a little lunch for the students and a couple of tortillas in the teacher's room, and a farewell wave to the school building. On Saturday morning, we left from Mannheim train station. There were lots of hugs and smiles—no tears this time, because we know we’ll see each other again very soon! We can’t wait for you! 

Thank you for all your kindness and see you in May!