Social programme

The following social activities have been part of the intensive programme.

France

European Parliament

The city of Strasbourg is the official seat of the European Parliament. The Parliament's buildings are located in the Quartier Européen (European Quarter) of the city, which it shares with other European organisations.

The principal building, the Louise Weiss building is located in the Wacken district, south of Schiltigheim. It was built at a cost of 3.1 billion French francs (470 million euros) at the intersection of the Ill and the Marne-Rhine Canal. Today it houses the hemicycle for plenary sessions, the largest of any European institution (750 seats for MEPs and 680 for visitors) as well as 18 other assembly rooms and 1133 parliamentary offices.

With its surface of 220,000m² and its distinctive 60m tower it is one of the biggest and most visible buildings of Strasbourg. The Louise Weiss building was designed by the Paris-based team of architects “Architecture Studio Europe“. After the project was approved at an international contest in 1991, work started in May 1995, with up to twelve tower cranes. The inauguration of the building took place on 14 December 1999.

Today the building houses the European Parliament, the only directly-elected body of the European Union. The currently 736 members were elected in the 27 member states of the European Union and represent their 500 million citizens. The parliament plays an active role in drafting legislation, which has an impact on the daily lives of European’s citizens: For example, on environmental protection, consumer rights, equal opportunities, transport, and the free movement of workers, capital, services and goods.

Germany

Heidelberg

Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg with over 145,000 inhabitants. The city covers an area of about 109 square kilometres and is situated on the Neckar. Heidelberg is part of a densely populated region known as the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, which has its seat in the city. Nevertheless Heidelberg itself is Heidelberg is a unitary authority.

The “Altstadt” (old town) is located at the southern side of the Neckar. It’s dominated by the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle which perches 80 metres above the Neckar on the steep, wooded side of the Königstuhl (King's chair or throne) hill. The Karls´gate is a triumphal arch in honour of the Prince Elector Karl Theodor, located at Heidelberg's very east. It was erected from 1775 until 1781 and designed by Nicolas de Pigage.

Heidelberg Castle

The castle is a mix of styles from Gothic to Renaissance. Prince Elector Ruprecht III erected the first representative building in the inner courtyard as a regal residence. Another regal building is located opposite to the Ruprecht Building: The Fountain Hall. It’s said that Prince Elector Philipp has arranged the transfer of the hall's columns from a decayed palace of Charlemagne.

In the 16th and 17th century the Prince Electors added two representative palace buildings and turned the fortress into a castle. The two dominant buildings at the eastern and northern side were erected during the rule of Ottheinrich and Friedrich IV. Friedrich V erected the main building of the westside, the so called "English Building".

The castle and its garden were destroyed several times. When Prince Elector Karl Theodor tried to restore the castle, lightning struck the Castle in 1764 and ended all attempts at rebuilding. Later on, the castle was misused as a quarry. In this way the castle stones were used to built new houses in Heidelberg. This was stopped in 1800 by Count Charles de Graimberg who made any effort he could to preserve the Heidelberg Castle. In spite of its Gothic interior, it was not before 1934, that the King's Hall was added.

Today, the hall is used for festivities, e.g. dinner banquets, balls and theatre performances.

United Kingdom

Llandudno

Llandudno is a town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Including Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community it has a population of about 20,090. Its title as “Queen of the Welsh Resorts” first implied in 1864. Today Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales. It’s situated on a flat land between the Welsh mainland and the Great Orme peninsula. Llandudno takes its name from the ancient parish of Saint Tudno. However, it also encompasses several neighbouring townships and districts like e.g. Craig-y-Don, Llanrhos, and Penrhyn Bay.

Llandudno Bay and the North Shore

This wide sweep of sand and shingle extends two miles in curve between the headlands of the Great Orme and the Little Orme. For most of the distance on Llandudno's North Shore there is a wide curving Victorian promenade. The road is collectively known as The Parade. It has a different name for each block, where most of Llandudno's hotels are built.

Llandudno Pier

The award-winning pier is on the North Shore. It was built in 1878, and is 1,234 feet in length. Looking back towards the town from the end of the pier, on a clear day you can see the mountains of Snowdonia. Attractions on the pier include a bar, a cafe, amusement arcades and children's fairground rides. There is also a range of shops selling photographic prints of the local area, crafts, herbal remedies and souvenirs. In the summer, Professor Codman's Punch and Judy show (established in 1860) can be found on the promenade near the entrance to the Pier.

Chester

Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. It’s lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales. Chester has 77,040 inhabitants and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100. Chester was granted its city status in 1541.
Originally Chester was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the year 79 by the Roman Legio II Adiutrix. Chester's four main roads, Eastgate, Northgate, Watergate and Bridge, follow routes laid out at this time. Deva, a Roman army bases was a major settlement in the Roman province of Britannia. After the Romans left in the 5th century, the Saxons fortified the town against the Danes. Moreover they gave Chester its name.

Chester was one of the last towns in England to fall to the Normans in the Norman conquest of England. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. In 107 he created Hugh d'Avranches, the 1st Earl of Chester.

Many of Chester’s buildings are from the Victorian era. Along with Derry, Chester makes a claim for being one of the best preserved complete walled cities in the British Isles..It has the most complete city walls in Great Britain.
The Industrial Revolution brought railways, canals, and new roads to the city, which saw substantial expansion and development. The Chester Town Hall and the Grosvenor Museum are examples of Victorian architecture from this period.