All students will participate in two excursions during weekends outside Paris. All excursions are designed to push the learning experience beyond the classroom. A list of past excursions is below. The exact selections may be subject to change.

Champage Region

Champagne, the region between Lorraine and Paris, is the only internationally recognized source of real champagne. Learn about the rigorous méthode champenoise that makes this wine so special that it has come to symbolize the essence of celebration the world over. The drive will take you through the region’s rolling hills to Epernay where you will have a guided tour of a champagne cellar. Lunch will be served in a nearby country inn and will be followed by a visit to a smaller, family-owned cellar for a private tasting. Return to Paris in the evening.

Burgundy Excursion

An early depature from the University will ensure that you have plenty of time to enjoy the mountain village of Vézelay and its magnificient Romanesque basilica. You will lunch in Vézelay before continuing on to Fontenay for a visit of the Cistercian abbey there. The night will be spent in picturesque Beaune where, the following morning, you will enjoy a visit of the medieval city, including the 15th-century hospital. After lunching at a country inn, you will tour Dijon and visit the palace of the Dukes of Burgundy.

Monet & Van Gogh

The serene landscape and constantly changing patterns of light along the Seine were a major source of inspiration for the many 19th-century artists drawn to this region. In the morning, you will travel by bus to Auvers-sur-Oise, the last residence of the tortured genius Vincent Van Gogh. Van Gogh spent the last three months of his life here during which time he painted over seventy canvases. See the local church immortalized in the artist’s painting, as well as the cemetery where he and his brother Theo are buried. After lunch, you will continue to the town of Giverny where Claude Monet resided for over forty years. The world-famous gardens, restored to their original glory, were Monet’s passion. See the setting for the famous Water Lily paintings and visit the artist’s home, where an impressive collection of Japanese prints is on display.

Versailles

The spectacular symbol of the splendors of Louis XIV, the Château de Versailles, embodies the nobility and the exuberance of the Baroque era. In the mid 17th century, work first began to transform a simple hunting lodge into a magnificient castle. It was expanded and embellished over the following years, ultimately becoming, in 1682, the official residence of the Sun King and his court. In 1837, the “King of the French”, Louis Philippe, declared that the castle should be a museum, open to all and dedicated to “all the glories of France.” The day will begin with a guided visit of the castle, followed by a walking tour of the gardens. You will then have a lectured visit of the Grand & Petit Trianons, smaller palaces on the grounds that Louis XIV and his family used to escape from the oppressive protocol of Versailles. Later, enjoy Les Grandes Eaux Musicales, a summer spectacular when an impressive water display takes place in the numerous fountains and the gardens are alive with classical music. It is also possible to rent a bike or rowboat in order to enjoy the landscapes dotted with statues, fountains and waterfalls, or just stroll over to the Queen’s Hamlet, built in the style of a Norman fishing cottage.