France 2013: Poitiers & Paris
May 6 - 25, 2013
Experience the Medieval City of Poitiers and Paris, the city of Light
UNB's France 2013 Travel Study is designed to give students an opportunity to live in France and to appreciate, study and explore the layers of literature, history, art, politics and society of Poitiers and Paris.
Classes will be held in French universities, political and cultural institutions, museums, churches, cafés, public gardens and in other parts of these cities. You may choose to audit the courses or take them for credit.
With this program, you visit not one but two magnificent cities (one week in Poitiers, two weeks in Paris), as well as explore the French countryside during several day-long excursions.
Poitiers, an historic city
On its rocky promontory between two rivers, Poitiers displays 2000 years of history. This glorious past is still visible everywhere, cleverly combined with the contemporary city.
Poitiers is a city of art and of history. Its cobbled streets lead to a series of Romanesque and gothic churches dating from the Middle Ages.
From this area, the first French settlers left for Acadia. It also served as a refuge for the deportees of 1755.
It is therefore a city where we have “cousins” who know Canada and who are eagerly waiting to show the beauty of the city to “visiting relatives”.
Poitiers is also an excellent example of the profound changes France has experienced in the 20th century. The city was bombed during World War II, and hosted US military installations during the early Cold War. Since the 1960s it has experienced major economic changes, including the creation of the nearby Futuroscope theme park, featuring cutting edge audiovisual technology. Far from being a city fixed in stone, Poitiers seduces by its youth and dynamic culture with restaurants, bars and discotheques.
Poitiers will also serve as a base for day-long excursions in the French countryside with visits to castles, abbeys, and seaports.
Paris, the city of light
Paris, known as the City of Light, is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and the world’s most popular city destination. Many people fall in love with Paris and why not? The treasures of Paris are legendary and inexhaustible.
Paris is more than the political capital of France. Since the formation of the country, and most certainly since the age of Louis XIV, it has functioned as the hub of the national wheel. The city has had a very rich and sometimes turbulent history in the 20th century. Its citizens endured two world wars and Nazi occupation, and there has been a great deal of social change, but Paris has continually adapted to changing conditions and remains a thriving, dynamic metropolis.
In the arts, Paris has set the standard for the whole of Europe. Its long history has made it a place of incredible artistic creation and a place of dreams for over 2000 years. At the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, it witnessed the birth of modern art in its cafés, studios, and ateliers. Paris remains a leading centre of cultural creativity, which still resonates through the cafés and streets. Paris probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world, and its museums contain countless masterpieces.
Paris has the reputation of being the most romantic of all cities. The restaurants are superb, the gardens are beautifully manicured and the boutiques and stores display the finest in fashion, food and design. It is a must for anyone wishing to experience the best of both contemporary and age old European culture.
