Two Worlds United Programs in Spain for High School students
Overview |
One
of the Continent's smallest countries, Belgium is
nevertheless a significant European constitutional
kingdom. With its flat, open landscape and crossroads
location, the country has been vulnerable for centuries to
invasion by vying European empire builders—Spain,
France, Austria, and Germany—and, for better and worse,
has thus found itself at the heart of European history.
Although, as headquarters of the European Union (EU), the
capital Brussels is the de facto capital of Europe,
nonetheless Belgium remains shortchanged in most travel
guides. As a result, travelers tend to be inadequately
informed and continue to give short shrift to sights
worthy of a more lingering look.
While much of the rest of Europe remained in the so-called
Dark Ages, Flemish towns experienced remarkable social and
economic development from the 12th through the first half
of the 15th century. Present-day Belgium boasts an
extraordinary array of art and architectural treasures and
other attractions in a compact area—and the Belgians,
who developed Europe's first train line in 1835, have
connected all the sights by rail for the traveler's
convenience.
Belgium's trains are terrific, in fact, and because the
country's pint-size proportions offer the advantage of
short travel distances, it's entirely possible to base
yourself in Brussels and head out by day to Bruges,
Antwerp, and Ghent. But don't use this as a rationale to
"do" all your destinations on day trips, as some
places may truly warrant being experienced at night. Make
sure that as an Two Worlds United student you leave yourself enough time to appreciate the
unexpectedly rich rewards that await. |
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TWO WORLDS UNITED
Admissions Dep't.
Tel: 1 (805) 581-9191
Fax: 1 (805) 581-6079
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