College Study
Tours
RENEWABLE ENERGY IN GERMANY & SWITZERLAND
When it comes to reusable and sustainable energy sources, it might be
time to borrow a page from our European neighbors’ book. Germany is
currently leading the way when it comes to successfully implementing
these changes in a meaningful way. Thanks largely to the German
Renewable Energy Act, around 17 percent of electricity, 8 percent
of heat and 6 percent of fuel used in Germany is generated from
renewable sources as of 2011.
Frankfurt
Heidelberg (2)
OberhausenRheinhausen
Freiburg (2)
Zurich
Entlebuch
Lake Constance (1)
Lucerne (3)
Mount Pilatus
efcollegestudytours.com/rega | 877-485-4184
Visit the kind of solar parks that make these ﬁgures possible, and even
take a two-hour solar energy powered boat cruise.
And you’ll see Switzerland is no slouch, either. The Entlebuch Biosphere
in Lucerne is a lush example of exactly why every nation—both inside
and out of the European Union—needs to consider the importance of
conserving its resources.
Day 1: Fly to Germany
Meet your group and travel on an overnight ﬂight to
Frankfurt.
Day 2: Darmstadt | Heidelberg
Arrive in Frankfurt: Welcome to Frankfurt, the ﬁnancial
hub of Germany.
Travel through Darmstadt: As you make your way
to Heidelberg, travel through the city of Darmstadt.
Home to many technology companies and research
institutes, Darmstadt has dubbed itself the “city of
science.” It’s well known as a high-tech center with
industries including spacecraft operations, chemistry,
pharmaceuticals, information technology, biotechnology
and telecommunications. Make sure to have your camera
ready for a photo stop at Hundertwasser’s Waldspirale,
a residential building complex designed by Austrian artist
Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Completed in 2000, the
colorful U-shaped building features more than 1,000
windows (no two are alike), rounded corners and gilded
onion domes. From here, continue on to Heidelberg where
you will stay for the evening.
Day 3: Oberhausen-Rheinhausen | Heidelberg
Sightseeing tour of Heidelberg: The majestic Old Bridge
crosses into the heart of Heidelberg, a city set in the lush
green foothills of the Neckar Valley. Travel along medieval
streets lined with peaked red roofs on your sightseeing
tour. Numerous Nobel Prize winners and philosophers
studied here and established Heidelberg as Germany’s
premier university city.
Heidelberg Castle wine barrel: Ride a funicular up to
Heidelberg Castle and see the stunning views that inspired
Goethe, as well as a statue dedicated to the poet in the
gardens. You won’t be able to miss the wine barrel—it’s so
large that a dance ﬂoor was once built on top of it.
Oberhausen-Rheinhausen: Take an excursion to the
town of Oberhausen-Rheinhausen, where you will visit
Solarpark Bruhrain. Completed in 2007, the park is home
to 29,250 modules which provide enough electricity for
approximately 1,500 households. The park also reduces
carbon dioxide emissions by 1,296 tons per year.
Day 4: Freiburg
Villa Tannheim at the International Solar Energy
Society: Travel to Freiburg and visit Villa Tannheim, the
headquarters of the International Solar Energy Society.
The building itself has been extensively renovated with
renewable energy and energy efﬁciency components.
The ISES, meanwhile, attempts to combine a proactive
approach to the furthering of renewable energy
technologies with a communicative, professional and
business-oriented executive philosophy.
Day 5: Freiburg
Solar energy-focused tour of Freiburg: As the sunniest
city in Germany, Freiburg makes sense as a hub for solar
energy. Freiburg prides itself on being an eco-city, and
you’ll see why on this guided tour. In the late 1990s, a
new neighborhood called Vauban was built on the site of
a former French Army base. Built as a sustainable model
district, Vauban uses solar energy to power many of the
households in its small community of 5,000 people. In
1992, the Freiburg city council adopted a resolution that
it would only permit construction of low-energy buildings
on municipal land. In addition to using solar panels and
rain collectors on the roof as sources of electricity and hot
water, many buildings use the sun’s energy to regulate the
temperature of the rooms.
Lecture at the Innovation Academy: A non-proﬁt
association that focuses on the issue of climate protection,
the Innovation Academy addresses themes such as
renewable energy, sustainable urban development, old
building modernization and mobility.
INCLUDED ON TOUR:
Day 6: Lake Constance region
Lake Constance: Visit picturesque Lake Constance, a
freshwater lake at the northern foot of the Alps. Lake
Constance is 39 miles long and 8.7 miles across at its
widest point, and it consists of three bodies of water:
the Obersee (upper lake), the Untersee (lower lake)
and a connecting stretch of the Rhine River called the
Seerhein. While visiting the lake you will attend a lecture
on renewable energy and lake preservation, and you’ll also
enjoy a boat cruise powered by solar energy.
Full-time Tour Director
Day 7: Lucerne | Swiss Alps
Travel to the Swiss Alps: This morning you will continue
on to Switzerland and the breathtaking Swiss Alps.
Sightseeing tour of Lucerne: The majestic Alps
rise behind the shores of Lake Lucerne and provide
the stunning backdrop to one of Switzerland’s
most picturesque cities. You’ll see the moving Lion
Monument known as Löwendenkmal, a sandstone
statue commemorating the Swiss Guards slain in the
1792 Paris storming of the Tuileries. Follow Lucerne’s
winding cobbled streets past fairy-tale houses to the
Kapellbrücke, which dates back to medieval days. Stroll
across Europe’s oldest wooden covered bridge and
admire the colorful murals overhead.
Mount Pilatus: Opt to join an excursion that takes
you up Mount Pilatus. There, you’ll be rewarded with
spectacular panoramic views of Lucerne. Those who do
not join the excursion will have free time in Lucerne.
Day 8: Lucerne | Swiss Alps
Guided tour of the Grimsel Power Plant: Hydroelectric
power plants, high voltage power lines and high reservoir
lake walls dominate the landscape on the northern side of
the Grimsel Pass, where you will get an up-close view of
Switzerland’s alternative power source. Your tour may take
you through the impressive tunnel system to the Grimsel II
power plant and the unique crystal cavern. After your tour,
enjoy free time in Lucerne.
Day 9: Entlebuch | Lucerne | Swiss Alps
Guided tour of the Entlebuch Biosphere: Take an
excursion to the town of Entlebuch and visit the Entlebuch
Biosphere, a natural reserve at the foot of the Alps which
includes the valley of the Little Emme River between Berne
and Lucerne. In 2001, it was named the second UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve in Switzerland. After your visit, enjoy
more free time in Lucerne
Day 10: Depart for home
Transfer to Zurich, where you’ll check in at the airport for
your return ﬂight home.
Round-trip ﬂights on major carriers
Land transportation
Hotel accommodations
Light breakfast daily and 7 local
dinners
Sightseeing tours
Freiburg solar energy focused tour;
Lucerne
Entrances
Heidelberg Castle wine barrel;
Solarpark Bruhrain; Villa Tanheim;
Solarpowered boat cruise; Grimsel
Power Plant; Entlebuch Biosphere
Experiential Learning
2 lectures
Optional
Mount Pilatus
the easiest ways to
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