This program will run during the Summer A semester from May 18 through 31, 2026.

Day 1 (Monday, May 18, 2026): Travel Day

• Meet at P Lot (Stadium - not GTC) for bus to Toronto. Bus will leave at 12:45PM. Please arrive at least 15-20 minutes early. (Remember - you need your passport when you cross the border to Canada so don’t pack it in your suitcase)

• Bus will arrive in Toronto around 3:45-4:45PM (depending on traffic at the Canadian border)

• Condor Air Flight #DE 2403 departs Toronto at 7:55PM. Overnight flight to Frankfurt.

Day 2 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026): Orientation to Berlin

• Flight arrives in Frankfurt at 9:40AM.

• Go through customs and security; take train from airport at 11:30AM 

• Arrival in Berlin in afternoon (4:30-5:30PM depending on schedule) and check into your accommodation.

• Group dinner and free time to rest in the evening

Overnight in Berlin.

Three Little Pigs Hostel
Stresemannstraße 66, 10963 Berlin, Germany

Day 3 (Wednesday, May 20, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Morning walking tour of central Berlin

• Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Memorial to Murdered Jews of Europe, Baudenkmal section of Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt, etc.

• Break for group lunch

• Afternoon walking tour starting at Potsdamer Platz

• Visit to Panoramapunkt Berlin (Panorama Point), a 360 rooftop panorama overlooking Potsdamer Platz, known as the busiest square in Europe in the 1920's with travelers, cars and business trade. Explore how this shopping center and business hub has emerged from the wasteland that it was during the Cold War. Walking tour will end at Sony Center

• Individual dinner and free time to explore Berlin in late afternoon and evening

Overnight in Berlin.

Day 4 (Thursday, May 21, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Morning walking tour of Alexanderplatz, Fernsehturm, Marienkirche, Berliner Dom, Neue Wache, Bebelplatz, etc Tour will end at Hackescher Markt.

• Lunch around Hackescher Markt. 

• Free afternoon to visit Museum Island. Explore the Pergamonmuseum, Neues Museum, Bode Museum, Altes Museum, and the National Gallery on their own. 

• Group dinner.

Overnight in Berlin.

Day 5 (Friday, May 22, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Morning train from Berlin Hauptbahnof Station to Munich Hauptbahnhof (lunch on your own while on the train)

• Check into accommodation at Wombat’s City Hostel Munich (5 minute walk from the train station)

• Half-day walking tour of Munich Old Town - Marienplatz, Labyrinth Rathaus, Frauenkirche, St. Peter’s Bell Tower for view of Old Town, Odeonsplatz & Felderenhalle.

• Group dinner at restaurant in old town

Overnight in Munich.

Wombat’s City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof
Senefelderstraße 1, 80336 München, Germany

Day 6 (Saturday, May 23, 2026): 

• Breakfast at the hostel in the morning

• Morning self-guided tour of the BMW Museum.

• Early lunch around the BMW Museum

• Group tour of FC Bayern Munchen Stadium

• Free time in the afternoon for group to explore Munich on their own.

• Group tour of Lowenbraukeller Brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Germany, to learn about production of German beer (Tour is about 30 minutes long plus the time for the tasting). 

• Group dinner at Lowenbraukeller Bier Hall 

• Free time in Munich after dinner.

Overnight in Munich.

Day 7 (Sunday, May 24, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle and Zugspitze

• Bus will pick up the group at 9AM.

• Morning drive from Munich to Obermoos, Austria

• Take the Tiroler Zugspitzebahn from Obermoos up to the top of Zugspitze, Germany’s highest peak! Once at the top station, walk from Austria back to the German side and take in the stunning views. Then take the cable car back down to Obermoos.

• From Obermoos, continue to the town of Fussen, an idyllic Bavarian town with beautiful medieval architecture, charming Old Town and pristine lakes surrounding it. 

• Lunch and free time to walk around the town of Fussen.

• Afternoon visit to the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. Walk around the base of the castle and continue up the trail to Marienbrucke (the bridge that offers the most famous view of the castle). Will not have the opportunity to go inside the castle as it is under renovation.

• Drive back to Munich from Fussen, arriving early evening to Munich.

Overnight in Munich.

Day 8 (Monday, May 25, 2026):

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Full day trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber 

• Bus will depart at 9AM and arrive in Rothenburg ~ 3 hour ride

• Group lunch and guided walking tour of Rothenburg, a medieval town in Northern Bavaria. Charming cobblestone paths, stone walls, and historical buildings guide your way. 

• Free time to explore walled city old town on their own after the walking tour. Plenty of places to eat, shop, visit, etc. (

• Meet back at Gallows Gate at 6:00PM - drive back to Munich (arrival to accommodation around 9:30pm)

Overnight in Munich

Day 9 (Tuesday, May 26, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Depart for Dachau at 10AM via local train. Morning audio guided day trip to Dachau Concentration Camp

• Group reflection after arriving back to accommodation in Munich.

• Free time in the afternoon to explore Munich and dinner on your own.

Overnight in Munich.

Day 10 (Wednesday, May 27, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hostel in the morning

• Morning bus from Munich to Strasbourg, France 

• Check into accommodation in Strasbourg. Lunch after arrival

• Afternoon guided walking tour of UNESCO Heritage Old Town - Place Kleber, Notre Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg, Grande-Ile, Barrage Vauban, Ponts Couverts. 

• Group dinner at a traditional Alsatian restaurant

• Free time in the evening.

Overnight in Strasbourg.

Hotel Kaijoo by Happy Culture
20 Rue du Jeu-des-Enfants, 67000 Strasbourg, France

Day 11 (Thursday, May 28, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hotel in the morning

• Morning visit to the European Parliament

• Group lunch in the old town square around the cathedral at a traditional Alsatian restaurant.

• Free time to walk around Strasbourg after lunch.

Overnight in Strasbourg.

Day 12 (Friday, May 29, 2026):  

• Breakfast at the hotel in the morning

• Departure from hotel by bus to Worth am Rhein for a guided tour of the Mercedes-Benz Daimler Truck Factory. 

• Group will then go from Worth to Heidelberg, a stunning town built of red sandstone and Renaissance architecture.

• There will be a short guided walking tour and then free time to get lunch and explore Old Town on your own.

• Depart Heidelberg by bus for Frankfurt in the late afternoon.

• Check into accommodation

• Group dinner in the Romerberg area of Frankfurt.

Overnight in Frankfurt.

The Square Hotel Frankfurt
Münchener Str. 17, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Day 13 (Saturday, May 30, 2026): 

• Breakfast at hotel in the morning

• Morning walking tour of Frankfurt - Romerberg (Old Town Center), Maintower (rooftop visit), Frankfurt Cathedral, The Hauptwache, Opernplatz

• Walk to Bankenviertel, the financial center of Frankfurt - many headquarters are here including the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers - for a tour and short lecture. 

• Lunch on your own near Bankenviertel.

• Free time to explore Frankfurt in the afternoon

• Final group dinner together in the evening

Overnight in Frankfurt.

Day 14 (Sunday, May 31, 2026): 

• Public transportation from the hotel to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) 

• Flight back to Toronto from Frankfurt. Bus from Toronto to Nazareth. Bus from Toronto back to Nazareth. Should arrive on campus between 9:30-10:30PM.

This program will include stays at both hotels and hostels. Specific details regarding accommodations will be provided in the final itinerary before departure.

ECO.348 - German Economics & Business Culture

Students will study the German cultural norms, understand Germany's economy, visit historical sites, and discover a growing sustainable country. This class broadens the academics beyond business to include Germany’s cultural norms and how their culture drives the economy and their European leadership in sustainability. The trip explores some of the dark 20th Century German history and explains how it both haunts and motivates its society.

Program Fee: $3,200 before funding

Funding Sources:

For SPARK eligible students, you will receive the $1,500 SPARK Grant from the Center for Life's Work. SPARK students will also receive a three credit tuition offset which covers summer tuition for this course. Students will still need to pay the $30 course registration fee. Your final out-of-pocket cost will be $1,700 + the $30 course registration fee. 

For non-SPARK eligible undergraduate students, you will receive $300 in funding from the Center for International Education. You will also receive a two credit offset which covers a majority of the summer tuition for this course. Your final out-of-pocket cost will be $2,900 + the cost of one summer credit and the $30 course registration fee.

Program Fee Includes:

• Round trip airfare
• All hotels and accommodation
• All meals part of the itinerary
• All in-country transportation
• All museum entry fees, day trips, tours, etc.
• Bus to and from the Toronto (YYZ) airport
• International travel and medical insurance

Not Included:

• Passport (must be valid at least 6 months past the return date of the program). 
• Additional meals (meals not in the itinerary)
• Miscellaneous expenses (such as souvenirs, personal care items, etc.)

Visit the following sites to see the recommended immunizations and medications for your program. Talk with your family and your physician to understand which ones you may need to travel. 

CDC 

Passport Health

U.S. Department of State