Final-year school trip to Luxembourg, Alsace and Switzerland: Strasbourg, Colmar, Basel and Lucerne (7 days)

Day 1: Departure from your school, Luxembourg and arrival in Strasbourg

• Departure from your school early in the morning, at the agreed time, and drive to Luxembourg (about 220 km from Brussels, 2 hrs 45 min excluding stops).
• Our drivers drive for a maximum of 3 hours, then take a 30-minute break, day and night.
• Walk through the UNESCO-listed old town: the Chemin de la Corniche above the Alzette, the Grund district and the Grand Ducal Palace seen from outside; lunch at your own expense.
• Drive to Strasbourg (about 220 km, 2½ hrs) and check-in at the accommodation for three nights; dinner and quiet evening.

Day 2: Strasbourg, European capital

• Visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral and its astronomical clock, then climb to the viewing platform, 66 m up (on request).
• Walk through the Petite France district, its half-timbered houses and covered bridges; lunch at your own expense.
• Boat cruise on the Ill, from the historic centre to the European quarter.
• Discovery of the European quarter and the Parlamentarium Simone Veil, the European Parliament’s visitor centre (free admission, booking required).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 3: Haut-Kœnigsbourg, Riquewihr and Colmar

• Drive to Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle (about 1 hr) and visit to this medieval fortress perched at 757 m (on request).
• Stop in Riquewihr (about 30 min), a walled wine village, and lunch at your own expense.
• Drive to Colmar (about 20 min): Little Venice, the Maison Pfister and the Tanners’ quarter.
• Return to Strasbourg (about 1 hr), dinner and supervised evening.

Day 4: Basel and arrival in Lucerne

• Rooms vacated after breakfast and drive to Basel (about 1 hr 45 min).
• Walk through the old town: the red sandstone cathedral and its terrace above the Rhine, the red town hall on the Market Square; lunch at your own expense.
• Drive to Lucerne (about 1 hr 15 min).
• Check-in at the accommodation in or around Lucerne for three nights; dinner and supervised evening.

Day 5: Lucerne and Mount Pilatus

• Walk through the old town: the Chapel Bridge, the squares with painted façades, the Lion Monument and the towers of the Musegg Wall.
• Cruise on Lake Lucerne, between mountains and lakeside villages; lunch at your own expense.
• Ascent of Mount Pilatus (2,132 m) from Alpnachstad on the world’s steepest cogwheel railway (on request).
• Dinner and supervised evening.

Day 6: Bern, the federal capital

• Drive to Bern (about 1 hr 15 min).
• Discovery of the UNESCO-listed old town: its miles of arcades, the clock tower (Zytglogge), the Bear Park and the Federal Palace seen from outside.
• Visit to the Einstein House, where he lived in 1905, the year of special relativity (on request); lunch at your own expense.
• Return to Lucerne (about 1 hr 15 min), dinner and last supervised evening.

Day 7: Return to your school

• Rooms vacated after breakfast, luggage loaded into the coach.
• Departure early in the morning and daytime drive to Belgium via Basel and Luxembourg (about 660 km to Brussels, 7½ hrs’ driving excluding stops).
• Lunch at your own expense on the way and regular stops.
• Arrival at your school in the evening.