French Alps: Grenoble Excursions

One of the benefits of studying abroad is the ability to venture outside your host city and explore the surrounding area. Excursions are offered for all semester, year, and summer programs. Semester students are typically offered two to three excursions and summer students are typically offered one to two excursions. You will receive a calendar of the specific CEA excursions offered for your program during orientation. To give you an idea of the possibilities, we have collected typical experiences from some of the day trips and weekend tours offered to our students in the past.

Annecy

Charming does not describe the beauty of Annecy adequately. This ‘Venice of the Alps’ has such allure that students will be sad to leave. Exploring the city's canals, flower covered bridges, arcaded streets, and walking along the lac d'Annecy will be a memorable experience.

Paris

Paris by night or day is a must see for anyone studying in Europe or France. This special two night excursion takes students into the heart of France’s cultural, artistic and financial capital. Students will have the opportunity to explore many of Paris’s celebrated monuments and museums, such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel tower, the Musée d’ Orsay or the Louvre museum. Of course, a visit to Paris would not be complete without a stroll through Montmartre, the Marais district or along the cobblestones on rue Moufetard, where the film Amélie Poulain was filmed.

Lyon

This excursion to Vieux Lyon begins at Place Bellecour, a large public square that is known for its proximity to Lyon’s shopping district. Just a short trip across the Saône river is the 12th century gothic Cathedral Saint–Jean, famous for its horologe astronomique, a 16th century clock with a perpetual calendar and animated figures, situated inside the cathedral. The visit to Lyon may also include the Basilique Notre–Dame de Fourviere, which was built from 1872-1896 in an eclectic style. Students may also wish to visit Les Traboules (enclosed ancient passageways) and the Théâtre Romans (Roman ruins). As France’s gastronomical capital, Lyon also has a very large variety of restaurants to choose from.

Pont du Gard/Avignon

This excursion begins with a morning visit to the Pont du Gard, a UNESCO World Heritage site, built shortly before the Christian era to allow the Nîmes aqueduct (which was almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece. After exploring the aqueduct, students will wander through the “Mémoires de Garrigue”, a 15 hectare natural landscape restored to show its original beauty, where a 1.5 km path winds through olive trees, fields of cereal crops and oak groves bordered by moss covered drystone walls.

Upon arrival in Avignon students are free to explore the shops and markets of this renowned walled city. The market at Les Halles is famous for its exterior “living wall”, a vertical garden designed by botanist Patrick Blanc; students may wish to purchase lunch here and meet for a group picnic on the “Rocher des Doms”, an elevated rocky outcrop overlooking the Rhône River.

The excursion continues with an audio tour of the 14th century Palais des Papes, which terminates with a visit to the “Pont d’Avignon”. Heading back to Grenoble via “la route des vins”, students will have the opportunity to stop at a local chateau for a dégustation (wine tasting) of the famous Châteauneuf du Pape wine.

Vienne

Vienne may be small in size but it is rich in history. Situated between Grenoble and Lyon, Vienne features such sites as the Temple of Augustus, which was built around 20BC as part of a Roman forum. A guided tour allows students an exclusive glimpse of the temple’s interior, which is usually closed to the public. Students will visit the Saint Roman–en-Gal archeological site and museum that was once a neighborhood of Vienne during the Gallo-Roman period. The visit includes a tour of the ruins, from artifacts to the remains of buildings themselves. Students will be amazed by the unearthed townhouses, public baths, markets and warehouses along with paved Roman streets. The museum also houses an unusually well preserved display of Gallo-Roman mosaics.

Exploring Provence (Fall Only)

Students begin this excursion with a visit to the ancient city of Arles. Arles, the current capital of photography in France, is also well known for its Romanesque architecture and Vincent Van Gogh. Students will visit the local market, tour Arles with a guide and spend the night in a 16th century hotel facing the Roman amphitheater and arena. A Sunday morning trip to the Mediterranean coast brings students to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer. This coastal town’s annual Pelerinage d'Octobre or October pilgrimage, celebrates the arrival of the town’s patron saints. The colorful procession dates back to the 12th century, where locals dressed in period costume, re-enact the arrival of Les Saintes Maries. Students will be able to observe this tradition while following the procession to the sea. Heading north, students will have the opportunity to visit Les Baux de Provence, located on a rocky plateau 245 meters above the surrounding countryside. Natives of Les Baux claim to be direct descende ts of one of the legendary "three wise men!"

Aix-en-Provence (Spring Only)

Students begin their exploration of Aix-en-Provence strolling along the famous Cours Mirabeau, before wandering into Aix’s famous Provencal market area. Later in the day, a guided visit of Paul Cézanne’s studio brings students into the workplace of the great painter and renowned Aix citizen. Sunday morning, after breakfast and a visit to the Maison Saint Victoire to see a sound and light show depicting Aix’s history, students will head over to Mont Saint Victoire for a picnic stroll through the mountains, so often portrayed in Cezanne’s paintings.