London, 9 September 2009 - Cheerful people, varied architecture, efficient public transport and clean streets impressed 15 British pupils on this year's "Discover Germany!" trip. After successful tours to Berlin (2006), Cologne/Bonn (2007) and Hamburg last year, organised by the German National Tourist Office (GNTO) and UK-German Connection, students from different schools in the UK travelled to Frankfurt and nearby Wiesbaden this summer exploring German life and culture.
The itinerary for the 14- to 16-year-old winners of an essay competition included Frankfurt's sights such as the St Paul's church, the city's tallest skyscraper Maintower or a boat tour on the Main. The group also visited a school (Liebigschule Frankfurt) and the famous spa town of Wiesbaden where the British teenagers learned about the famous hot springs. "Schloss Freudenberg" was another highlight for the group, a former castle and museum dedicated to the exploring the different senses.
The students recorded their experiences in diaries, saying:
"Frankfurt is a beautiful city and has so much to offer. One of my favourite parts of the tour of Frankfurt was going up The Main tower. The tower itself was incredibly modern and the top the views were amazing." (Hannah from Hastingsbury)
"I found this trip an amazing opportunity to make new friends and experience the
German culture. The tour of Frankfurt was very interesting and we managed to see a lot of different sights." (Lauren from Belfast)
"This was a hugely enjoyable experience and we took part in many entertaining activities. On the culinary side, breakfast, lunch and dinner were the highlights of the day and Germany cuisine did not disappoint." (Cedric from Aberdeen)
"I personally thought that Schloss Freudenberg and its absorbing activities and refreshing, unique take on education was one of the highlights of our short but densely planned three day stay in Germany and is quite an under-publicised ideal spot for families and school trips." (Patrick from Belfast)
For the GNTO, working with a younger target group is an important part of the promotional activities in the UK market: "Germany's cities with their many attractions have a lot to offer for young people, and we're trying to encourage this age group to experience our country first hand. We're therefore looking forward to continue working with UK-German Connection and putting more German destinations on the agenda for British students", says Klaus Lohmann, director of the GNTO UK & Ireland.
Ute Paetzig, director of the UK-German Connection, adds: "Experiencing a country, its people and its language first-hand is an essential and powerful way of enhancing intercultural understanding. We are delighted that we have again been able to provide young people with an insight into contemporary German life and culture."
The trip was supported by the following partners:
Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main
Wiesbaden Marketing GmbH
Lufthansa
