Tom van der Meij, Sports & Leisure Coordinator for Les Roches, picks some of the highlights from a packed program of student activities, which helped to light up the winter days…
“Time flies when you’re having fun.”
This phrase rings especially true when it comes to our student social activities here at Les Roches. This is our ‘Winter Wonderland’ semester and it kicked off with some snow tubing in one of Switzerland’s biggest tobogganing parks.
The winter joy continued when a group of us took part in a special snowshoe hike, after which we enjoyed a nice raclette at a mountain restaurant, followed by sledging down the mountain. This activity is done under a full moon, which makes it even more special as the snowy landscape becomes magically bright under the moonlight.
We also had plenty of students joining our introductions to skiing and snowboarding. These taster sessions are often the first step towards winter sports addiction! And no wonder, since these sports are so much fun that you don’t want the winter to end.
A magnet for ‘chocaholics’
For the gourmands among us there have been options to visit a chocolate fair in Crans-Montana called Choc Altitude. Another very popular trip is our visit to the Gruyère Cheese Factory, followed by the factory of Maison Cailler, where a chocolate buffet awaits you at the end of the visit.
Personally I love the winter, but who doesn’t get excited about beautiful weather when visiting famous cities in Switzerland such as Bern and Lucerne. The impressively well-preserved medieval architecture in the Altstadt (Old Town), with traces of its 12th century origins, makes Bern a great destination for a cultural city trip. The same can be said about Lucerne, where a boat tour on the lake makes this outing complete.
[quote]Both cities should be on anyone’s bucket list when staying in Switzerland.[/quote]
Something for the adrenalin junkies
Next up was our biannual weekend at Europa-Park which is the largest theme park in Germany and the second most popular theme park resort in Europe, after Disneyland Paris.
The park is home to 12 roller coasters, the oldest being the Alpenexpress Mine Train, where a powered coaster speeds through a diamond mine. The newest coaster is Arthur, a suspended indoor/outdoor powered rollercoaster and dark ride combination.
Europa-Park has very high capacity rollercoasters and attractions, meaning the park can accommodate up to around 50,000 guests per day. Next year it will be even bigger as a new water park is currently being built.
And for the wine lovers
This coming Saturday (April 13) we will step into the ‘world of wine’ with WOWExpo 2019. This is an event organized by our students, who have developed impressive knowledge around this topic. WOWexpo will be showcasing carefully selected winemakers from all over Switzerland. It provides a great opportunity to get familiar with our local wines through the privilege of actually tasting them.
There are so many more upcoming activities I could highlight. For instance there’s a visit to Colmar in France, a chance to listen to live music in a subterranean lake, and to take a boat trip on Italy’s Lago Maggiore, to name a few.
Each semester at Les Roches is always jam packed with exciting activities. But there’s only one way to ensure you can join in the fun… and that’s to become a student! Maybe I’ll see you on one of our future trips?
Want to know more about Les Roches, get in touch now.
