The Academy begins with a group dinner on the night of your arrival. We will also have a group dinner at the Gurtlerhoft, a restaurant built into the original underground structure next to the cathedral. After the first day of class, we conduct a walking tour of Strasbourg and explain the history and beauty of the city while doing so.
We take a bus trip through the Alsatian valley to Colmar, where we visit the Unterlinden Museum and see the Issenheim Alterpiece. We then visit Kaysersberg, which is a medieval fairytale-looking village and the home of Albert Schweitzer. We drive through some of the most famous vineyards in the world.
Then we are off to Bennwihr, a town nearly wiped off the map in WWII during the fierce fighting at the close of the war. The Catholic Church was rebuilt in a modern style and the significance of the art is explained.
From there we arrive at Riquewihr, a fully-walled medieval village that has survived the ages. It is considered one of the best examples of a medieval town in the Alsace. There are numerous restaurant options for lunch.
Finally, we end the day at the famous library of the Humanist Beatus Rhenanus and see the very oldest of books and manuscripts. It really is a fabulous day!