Suche
Mein Konto
Student exchange in Chartres: An unforgettable adventure in France!
Lübeck students visit Chartres: discover culture, the French education system and intercultural exchange in 2025.
Student exchange in Chartres: An unforgettable adventure in France!
An exciting cultural exchange recently took the Katharineum students from Lübeck to Chartres in France. On Thursday, October 9, 2025, 19 ninth grade students set out early in the morning at 6:30 a.m. to begin the first leg of their journey. A good 13 hours later they were welcomed by their host families - the atmosphere was warm and expectant.
Chartres, about 900 kilometers from Lübeck, is known not only for the impressive cathedral, but also for the unique French school system, which the students were able to get to know better. This is, among other things, the result of the long-standing partnership between the Katharineum and the Catholic private school Notre Dame in Chartres, as katharineum.de reports.
Insights into the French school system
Friday began with a visit to the school, where the students experienced the French education system up close. In France, the education system includes several levels, from pre-school to upper secondary school. From the compulsory “École Maternelle” for children aged 3 to 6 to the “Baccalauréat”, the most important qualification that allows access to higher education, it offers multi-layered insights. In contrast to Germany, where flexibility prevails, in France emphasis is placed on handwriting, which the guests learned from the Lehrer-news.de platform.
After the lesson, which was initiated by the classic, melodic school bell, they experienced an invigorating dance performance by teachers and students. Another highlight was the typical French lunch, which was strongly reminiscent of the atmosphere of American high schools. We then continued to visit the “maison Picassiette”, an impressive mosaic. How do cultural differences affect learning? and a guided tour that revolved around the famous Cathédrale de Chartres.
Weekend full of experiences
On weekend days, the students were accompanied by their host families and enjoyed a variety of activities such as trips to Versailles and ice skating. A special experience was “le bleu de Chartres”, a festival of lights that took place during their stay and bathed the city in a magical light.
Monday brought an exciting trip to Paris. An amphibious bus took the group to the city's most famous sights, and they had a picnic in front of the Eiffel Tower to enjoy the view before continuing to the second floor of the tower. The tour of Notre Dame, including an interactive VR glasses tour, presented not only the cultural value but also the history of the impressive building.
The students finally returned to Lübeck exhausted but enriched by new impressions. This trip was more than just an exchange; it represented a valuable contribution to the development of intercultural skills and showed how important and beneficial cultural experiences are. An opinion that runs through the entire improvement of partnership meetings, promoted, among other things, by programs such as AbiBac, which intensifies the exchange between Germany and France.
The positive experiences that the students gained on this trip are immeasurable and contribute to strengthening friendships and promoting personal and social development - a goal that the Katharineum pursues with enthusiasm.