Düsseldorf, the beautiful city on the Rhine… whatever the weather!
“The city of Düsseldorf is very beautiful, and if one thinks of it from afar and happened to be born there by chance, one feels deeply moved. I was born there, and it seems I must return home at once.” – Heinrich Heine (1797–1856)
Exploring one’s own city like a tourist, getting a little lost to rediscover it more fully: this was the experience lived by the Seconde students enrolled in the AbiBac programme.
On October 9, 2024, accompanied by their teacher Ms. Barsotti, they explored Düsseldorf, the host city of the LFiSV, as part of an educational project combining culture, history, and German language practice. It was an original way to deepen their local connection while developing the core competencies of the AbiBac curriculum, which blends the requirements of both the French and German education systems.
Düsseldorf in Deutsch+ mode – At the beginning of July, it was the turn of the 5ème and 4ème grade Deutsch+ students to brave the heatwave and embark on a cultural walk through the city, accompanied by their German teachers, Ms. Barsotti and Ms. Langenscheid.
This excursion perfectly illustrates the Deutsch+ educational project, which offers classes based on the German Gymnasium curriculum while strengthening cultural ties with Germany.
Read Maximilian and Alexander’s account of the Seconde students’ experience exploring Düsseldorf:
A City Tour Through Düsseldorf
As part of the AbiBac German course, we, the Seconde students with our teacher Ms. Barsotti, took a tour through Düsseldorf’s beautiful city centre, organised by our class on October 9, 2024.
Before the outing, each student prepared a presentation about a place of well-being of their choice in Düsseldorf. During the excursion, every student took on the role of a tour guide and delivered their presentation to the class at each stop along the route.
The itinerary was decided together in class, and our visit began…
Our journey took us to the City Hall, the “Rheinturm” TV tower, the old harbour, Heinrich Heine’s birthplace, the Opera House, and of course, the famous Königsallee.
The individual presentations were very informative and confidently delivered by everyone. Even students born in Düsseldorf learned a few fun facts and anecdotes about the city’s landmarks. For example, no one knew the origin of the street name “Königsallee.” The avenue got its current name in 1851 in honour of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia. A few years earlier, something absurd had occurred: horse manure was thrown during his visit and ended up on the royal coat! The city officials thought long and hard about how to redeem themselves — eventually renaming the former “Kastanienallee” to “Königsallee” to restore the city’s honour.
Of course, we also looked after our appetites, enjoying a tasty snack from an international eatery on the popular Bolkerstraße.
All in all, everyone enjoyed the outing. We had the opportunity to improve our public speaking skills, gain a deeper understanding of Düsseldorf’s city centre, and strengthen the sense of cohesion in our class.
This educational outing perfectly illustrates the spirit of the AbiBac programme, which prepares students to earn both the French baccalauréat and the German Abitur.
Special thanks to all the students for their commitment and curiosity.
