My favourite experiences of the course were visiting the Alps, an awe-inspiring place I have never been lucky enough to visit, and staying up all night with my host family to see the blood moon. Both experiences were unique to this course thanks to the strong international bonds of friendship with people I met on the trip, meaning I really felt at home. Edward

The family I spent my time with were really welcoming and showed me the heart and culture of Ortenburg and Passau. I visited many attractions and places, for instance an observatory to look at space and watching the sun set over Passau. Moreover, I had the opportunity, with the school, to visit and spend the day at the Bavarian Alps. They were truly spectacular and impressive! Adam

Unsere Besuche im malerischen Regensburg und am Königsee haben mir besonders gut gefallen! Wir konnten das schöne Bayern erforschen, während wir auch Zeit mit neuen Freunden aus Deutschland und Großbritannien verbracht haben. Ich habe viele neue Freunde aus anderen Kulturen kennengelernt, was für mich eine der besten Teile des Programms war! Holly

The people I met - both German and English - will be friends for life. We already have plans for my host sister to stay with us sometime next year, and I also plan to go back to Ortenburg and stay with my host family again (and hopefully go to Croatia with them!) We got on so well and we have so many hilarious memories – I can’t wait to see them again! I have been inspired by so many people on this trip to continue with my languages and to work as hard as I can to become fluent. I want to study languages at University and can now see myself living in Germany at some point. Naomi

Next year, my host partner will visit me in England, evidence of the lifelong connections this course forges. German Pupil Courses has really changed my outlook on life outside the UK and has encouraged me to pursue more opportunities like it. My description can’t fully do such an experience justice in such a short space! Edward

I was devastated when it was time for my German adventure to come to an end, as Ortenburg was such a beautiful place, and I had such an amazing time and met so many new friends. I would thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who loves German and wants to have an unforgettable journey, experience a wonderful culture and make friends for life. Isabel

Living with a German family and experiencing their life was invaluable because I truly got to see what it is like. Fully immersing myself in the culture and language was incredible, speaking German was daunting at first and I made many mistakes, but now I realise this is one of the best ways to learn and I am more confident to try even if I get it wrong. Naomi

Taking part in the German pupil course to Ortenburg one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I come from Milton Keynes, England, and have not travelled much, so to really immerse myself in a culture I had only seen through textbooks was truly incredible, I now feel much more open and internationally minded. Edward

Jedoch denke ich, dass der größte Vorteil dieser Erfahrung war, dass wir für zwei Wochen völlig in die deutsche Kultur und Lebensweise eingetaucht waren. Wir haben einen bayerischen Kochkurs gemacht und auch einen bayerischen Tanz gelernt. Holly

I particularly enjoyed going to Königssee, a Bavarian National Park where we admired the scenery and interviewed some German people about what they think of their country. I also thoroughly enjoyed my visits to Salzburg in Austria, and to the Allianz Arena, home of FC Bayern Munich, as I am a huge football fan. The arena exceeded my expectations and I was very happy that even though the tour was in German, I could still understand most of what was being said, and even knew the answer to some of the questions! Isabel

For any potential future applicant my only advice would be not to hesitate in applying just because it feels like a leap into the unknown. The sense of community and support from everyone on the course was palpable from the very first day. Whether you are an experienced traveler or slightly less confident (like I was), it is impossible not to take away more than you arrived with; in friends, language and experiences. Edward