Student Life in Paris
EXCURSIONS AND CULTURAL PROGRAM
Every semester, the program organizes two trips: a weekend trip and a one-day trip.
Staff crafts and organizes trips to fit the pedagogical goals of the program as a whole.
There is always a historical perspective, as well as looking into how nature and humankind cohabitate in the region.
PREVIOUS WEEKEND TRIPS
The Loire castles
The Loire Castles are landmarks of French history. The group visits the Royal Castle of Amboise and learn about its 11-centuries-long history. Amboise is also the last home of Leonardo da Vinci where visitors discover some of Da Vinci’s life size inventions in the gardens. Students will also stroll into the Chenonceau Castle, a majestic piece of architecture with numerous gardens, or into Chambord and climb up da Vinci’s famous double helix staircase. The group also makes a stop, when the visit coincides, at the Garden Festival featuring renowned landscapers and artists.
Strasbourg, Haut-Koenisgbourg Castle, and Colmar
After a less than 2 hours trip on the TGV fast-speed train, students arrive near the center of Strasbourg for a first day of visits: starting at majestic gothic cathedral, students walk in the smalls streets of the historic center and look at the half-timbering that is characteristic of the “Little France” neighborhood. After a quick stop in front of the European Parliament and the National School of Administration where many former French officials and presidents were trained, the group has some free time to try some of the culinary specialties of the region such as gingerbread, pretzels, and other cookies. The next day, students head to the medieval and semi-troglodyte castle of Haut-Koenisgbourg. In the afternoon, the group visits the Bartholdi museum in Colmar and learn about the creator of one of the symbols of France and United States longtime friendship: The Statue of Liberty.
Nancy
Nancy, located in the east region of France, is the French capital of Art Nouveau. Students visit the historical center to understand how Nancy’s architecture (including some on the UNESCO world heritage list) is a blend of old and contemporary culture and how the joint history between France and Germany influenced the town’s growth. Their stop at the Art Nouveau Museum, a world-renowned movement where nature is reproduced in various art forms and architecture, allows the students to make meaningful connections with their newly acquired knowledge at the Jean-Marie Pelt Botanical Garden. Students can also experience Nancy’s culinary treasures at the Flo Excelsior restaurant, a landmark in the region.
Montpellier and Carcassonne
During this weekend trip, students discover a beautiful part of the south of France and a living heritage of medieval times. Arriving in the center of Montpellier after 3 hours of TGV (fast train), students start with a guided visit on the medieval heritage of the city, ending the tour in one of the oldest universities of medicine, dating from the 12th century. In the afternoon, they meet with other students from Montpellier in a garden café and can enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of this city with a vivid student life. The next day, a short train trip leads them to Carcassonne, a walled medieval town restored in the 19th century by Viollet Leduc (who also restored Notre Dame de Paris). A scavenger hunt in the historical part of the town as well as a workshop on chivalry plunges them in a pleasant way into Medieval atmosphere.
PREVIOUS DAY TRIPS
Reims and the champagne region
During the Reims daytrip, students discover the Champagne region and its capital, Reims. They visit one of the most famous gothic cathedrals, where the kings of France were crowned. They also visit the Carnegie library, public library with an "art-déco" style that was founded after World War I with the help of the American industrial and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. For a perfect end of the day, students are guided in the impressive underground galeries of the Pommery Champagne cellars before tasting one of their best "cru".
Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte
At roughly 38 miles southeast of Paris, the Fontainebleau castle has been the witness of centuries of French history materialized by buildings and wings from different historical periods. Fontainebleau is still the home of costumed balls organized several times a year. After a nice lunch all together in a traditional french restaurant of Fontainebleau, the group then heads to Vaux-le-Vicomte to visit the castle and the beautiful gardens that made Louis XIV so envious that he asked for Versailles to be built. Vaux-le-Vicomte is also one of the places where the Man in the Iron Mask, whose identity is still unknown despite many theories including the twin brother of the king himself, has been imprisoned.
Rouen and Giverny
In the Spring, students discover the historic center of Rouen and its iconography from the Middle Ages through a fun scavenger hunt or a fascinating guided visit. Along with admiring the half-timbering architecture style, students learn more about Joan of Arc’s history as she spent her last moments before being executed for heresy. Students experience a complete change of scenery when going to Giverny, the home of Claude Monet, to see the blooming flowers of the famous painter’s garden. The group will see, in person, some of the landscapes pictured in the paintings and the workshop where the idea for several of his masterpieces sprouted.
Brussels
Students enrolled in the course on the European Union have the opportunity to spend one day in Brussels. The highlight of this day is the visit of the Parliament. They also make the most of the city by enjoying Belgian food, where the infamous “French fries” are from. They might even be able to put an end to a longtime battle between the cities of Brussel and Liège by deciding whose waffles tastes the best.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The Paris Center establishes a cultural program. The goal is to mix classic and contemporary culture and to have students experience both “high culture” and “low culture”. One of the program’s tradition is to invite all students to see a ballet at one of the two Paris’ operas every semester.
Students are also informed, through the dedicated Facebook group and by email, of many cultural opportunities every week so that they can attend individually if they choose to do so. The program can sponsor some of those individual outings. For example, the program often sponsors movie tickets through « Lost in Frenchlation », an organization that subtitles French movie that are currently in theaters.
Paris is one of the cities with the largest cultural offer and for which cultural activities (events, exhibits, concerts, talks…) are the most accessible: many activities are free.