Why take a language course in Heidelberg?
Wednesday, 20th May 2009
One of the great things about working for Cactus is the fact that every year we get the chance to do a week-long language course of our choice.
With so many lovely locations to choose from, it can be really difficult deciding where to go. After much deliberation I decided that my German could do with some serious attention, and selected Heidelberg as this year’s destination.
In fairness, it wasn’t that much of a gamble! Having already spent 6 months in the city as part of my degree, I was well aware of the vast array of delights that it has to offer...in all honesty, I have a real soft spot for the place.
For me, the city is perfect. It’s big enough to provide ample entertainment and activities, but small enough that you can walk everywhere. It boasts one of the most stunning settings of any European city that I have visited, and is home to some of the friendliest people you could hope to meet. Heidelberg university is the oldest in Germany, and attracts around 30,000 domestic and international students (a quarter of the city’s inhabitants). As a result, it is a very lively city with loads on offer in the way of bars, clubs and restaurants.
The school in Heidelberg enjoys a prime city centre location, and has more than adequate facilities for students. The staff were all extremely friendly and approachable, and the teachers very experienced. I was fortunate enough to be in a very small group for the week, and therefore had even more opportunity than usual to speak the language. Despite being quite alarmed initially at just how much I had forgotten, it soon came back to me and by the end of the week my fluency was returning to an acceptable level!
Outside of lessons, we had the opportunity to visit the city’s main museum, and to get an official tour of the spectacular castle that overlooks the town. Had I gone a month or so later, I would have had the chance to watch the stunning ‘Schlossbeleuchtung’ too, an event held three times during the summer to mark the three different occasions when fire broke out in the castle (1689, 1693 and 1764). First the castle is illuminated to simulate flames, and after that a 15 minute fireworks display is launched from the Old Bridge. Well worth a look if your visit coincides with one of the dates!
Germany isn’t always a popular destination for Brits, which is a great shame in Heidelberg’s case. There are plenty of Americans in the area, largely due to the large US military bases around and about, but there aren’t always many British voices to be heard. It has more than enough for the average tourist or language learner to see and do, and even has some prime sunbathing locations for those who feel like catching some rays…
Tags: heidelberg, language course, course, language, cactus, tailor-made, germany, german
Posted by Laura Harrison 2009-05 under Experience Cultures,
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