A Memorable Trip for the Class of '22

October has been a busy month with NJC’22 students getting their first taste of travel outside Switzerland. With the opportunity to explore new cities, learn more about the history and culture of some of the most renowned cities in Europe, students are definitely grateful and looking forward to further adventures in the near future!

 

NJC ’22 students were thrilled to be going on their first optional trip of the school year! Students had the opportunity to travel to either Munich, Germany or Krakow, Poland.

 

The NJC Munich trip group travelled to the third largest city in Germany, where they enjoyed an informative guided walking tour with Professor Robert Johnson tracing the historic events that led to the rise of “The Third Reich” and Second World War. They visited famous museums such as the Deutsches Museum and Neue Pinakithek (modern art museum). On the final day of the trip, students visited Dachau, the first of the Nazi concentration camps built in Germany. This was a deeply moving learning experience, and, although difficult to visit, each of the students found it very impactful. 

 

 The trip to Krakow was a milestone for NJC students, as it is the first time since the pandemic that students were able to fly to a destination for optional travel. The group spent the day in Zurich on a walking tour of the city before boarding a flight that evening to Krakow, Poland. The first stop was the old Salt Mines in Wieliczka; a UNESCO world heritage site complete with 20 operating chambers, galleries, chapels, and figures. Rich with history, Krakow was one of the only towns in Poland that was not destroyed during World War II. A tour of the town was an incredible experience for the students. The following day they travelled to the former concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau that now serves as a memorial and a museum for the atrocities that took place there. Mirroring the sentiments of their peers who visited Dachau, it was a difficult and moving experience for students, who also recognized the importance and the necessity of remembering and discussing the Holocaust. After a sombre day of reflection, the students finished their adventure with more exploration of the city centre and then returned to Neuchâtel.

 

The chance to explore these cities, rich with history and art, served as an educational and exciting opportunity for both groups. In November, NJC’22 students will be observing Remembrance Day in Bruges, Belgium and and Vimy, France.