Helvetia! Swiss Adventure

This summer you'll have two chances to learn about Swiss culture. Try Helvetia Swiss Week, our new immersion adventure that is all about Switzerland's languages and culture. Or, you can join the Helvetia Swiss parallel program at Lac du Bois.

If you have spent time at the Bemidji site of Lac du Bois, you may have taken part in our Swiss day or been in one of our Swiss-themed language groups. Did you notice that these programs, along with our new Swiss Week, all share the name Helvetia? This is a very ancient name for the area now known as Switzerland which traces its roots back to Latin. The country as we know it didn't come into being until the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291. Switzerland is still translated as Helvetia in the languages of Irish, Greek, and Romanian. The name Helvetia is also used in official communication when it is inappropriate to use one of Switzerland's official languages.

And when it comes to an official language, Switzerland doesn't have just one, it has four official languages, including French, German, Italian, and Rumantsch (which is closely related to Latin). This is the reason our Helvetia programs involve collaboration with the French, German, and Italian Language Villages.

Not only do Switzerland's languages contain great variety, but the food you encounter during Helvetia isn't your normal French fare. Breakfast might bring nutritious Birchermüesli or chocolate Ovomaltine. For lunch there could be gooey, cheesy Raclette or crêpes à la valaisanne. Not familiar with any of these foods? Not to worry. You can also find fondue, the favorite American blast from the past and beloved Swiss traditional food. Fondue is a recipe that dates back hundreds of years and finds its origins in the cold, long winters of Switzerland. People would make cheese during the summer months to last throughout the year, but in the dead of winter, the cheese would become very hard and near inedible. The Swiss discovered that by cutting a chunk of cheese and putting it in a pot over a fire, then adding a bit of wine, it quickly melted into a delicious sauce that could be used to dunk equally hard and stale bread. Voila! A Swiss delicacy is born.

That should be enough to give you a taste of what to expect during Helvetia. Give it a try during a session at Lac du Bois or dive right in with the week-long program that takes place at the end of the summer. Click here to find out more

clv@cord.edu
1.800.222.4750