The band project is a cooperation project between the JugendKulturTreff e-werk, the Gesamtschule am Gluckenstein, the Jugendbildungswerk and the twin towns of Chur (Switzerland) and Dubrovnik (Croatia).
This year, a total of four young bands from the twin towns of Bad Homburg, Chur and Dubrovnik are touring Europe, each accompanied by teachers or staff from the city's youth development department.
In June, the school bands "Skool Fighters" (Bad Homburg) and "Rock Palace" (Dubrovnik) met in Dubrovnik. The concert evening on the terrace of Revelin Fortress as part of the Dubrovnik Youth Culture Festival was just one of the highlights of the trip. The Croatian colleagues put together a great weekly program for the 13 young people (aged between 13 and 17). From a visit to the island of Lokrum on the first day to a visit to the town hall with an appointment with the deputy mayor on the last day, the two bands quickly grew together as a group and made friends.
In August, the bands "Reloaded" (Bad Homburg) and "Kanti-S-Wings" (Chur) met in Chur. In addition to the concert evening at the Chur festival, the 17 musicians (aged between 16 and 26) also spent the days together and experienced a lot together.
All four bands and the staff met up again in Bad Homburg for the Lantern Festival. In addition to the two concert evenings, the 30 musicians went on an excursion to the Feldberg and had a lot of fun at the Lantern Festival.
The youth education center of the city of Bad Homburg was in Chur (Switzerland) with 6 girls for almost a week in summer 2023. Together with similarly sized youth groups from the cities of Chur, Cabourg (France), Bad Mondorf (Luxembourg), Terracina (Italy) and Vale de Cambra (Portugal), a large youth exchange took place. The youth work team in Chur put together a varied program. The entire group was accommodated in a guest house in Churwalden. The young people quickly got to know each other. International friendships (from the previous year) were rekindled and strengthened, and new friendships were made.
The week was great and we all had a lot of fun.
The pictures are followed by detailed travel reports from the girls who took part in the youth exchange.
"We left Bad Homburg on July 29th in the morning. The journey took about 6 hours and we changed trains in Frankfurt and Basel. We arrived in Chur in the evening. Young people from other countries were already waiting for us on a bus there. Together we drove to the guest house in Churwalden. Once there, we checked into our rooms and then went downstairs to help set the tables for dinner. The first thing we did at dinner was get to know the Swiss youngsters. After dinner, everyone was given a Swiss army knife, a small pocket box, a water bottle and a luggage strap with the Chur city logo. Afterwards, we were able to spend time together in the common room and on the outdoor area and get to know each other better. We played table tennis and cards together and listened to music" (Paulina, 17).
"After getting to know each other on the first day, we went on a hike in the morning. We took the bus to the starting point at the Beverin Nature Park and started our hike from there. There were beautiful gorges, clear water and a waterfall along the way. For me and a few other young people, it was a rather strenuous route with steep inclines and slippery rocks. But according to the Swiss young people and staff, it wasn't really a hike at all. Despite the exertion, we were able to talk to each other while hiking and it was a great opportunity to get to know each other better. I was also impressed by the beautiful view and the clear water. What I found remarkable: in Chur, the tradition of the "Maiensässfahrt" has existed since 1854 - like a hiking day here. The event takes place every year at the end of May for all schoolchildren. The school classes usually hike a very long distance with their teachers and the higher the class, the more difficult the hike. After the hike, there is a party and everyone celebrates together in a meadow - that's what the young people from Chur told me. After our hike, we went to the "Obere Au" swimming pool with its indoor and outdoor areas, adventure pool and diving towers. I had a very good impression right from the start, as it was very clean in the changing room. My favorite part was swimming outside because the weather was nice and sunny.
To summarize the week: I got a very good impression about the country, the people and also the language. I don't visit Switzerland that often and when I do I tend to visit the big cities. That's why a small town like Chur was something completely different for me and I think for the others too. The organization and the program were great and I will always remember the time in Chur and miss the many other people from the different cities. We got to know each other so quickly and made good friends during the week. I would like to thank you for the great organization and the opportunity to get to know other young people from the twin towns. I would be happy if I could come again next year" (Lina, 17 years old).
"Our second day in Chur started at 9.30 am on Monday. We took the bus from Churwalden to the youth center in Chur, where we were divided into two groups. The supervisors from Chur had planned another great day: They printed T-shirts [screen printing technique] with us and we were allowed to visit the Nature Museum in Chur. After lunch at the youth center, the young people from Chur showed us around the city in small groups. They showed us where they spend most of their free time and told us a bit about the city. At 7 p.m. we went back to the guest house, where we and the Luxembourgers - after a delicious meal from Nick - had to present our country presentations. Afterwards, we were allowed to spend time outside in the courtyard, where lots of people were always dancing together, in the fitness room in the basement or in the large living room, as long as we didn't disturb the other guests.
Personally, I thought the week was great, especially because we got to know so many different cultures and personalities. We also grew closer as a group and got to know each other well. Many new friendships also developed through this youth exchange, we are still in contact with the others and hope that we can see each other again soon" (Evra, 15 years).
"On 01.08. we had a guided tour of Chur lasting about 2-3 hours. We were guided through the whole city and were shown and explained many sights and monuments. After lunch, we were split into two groups. One group first went to a very famous graffiti artist 'Fabian BANE Florin'. We walked through the city with him and he showed us his works of art and explained the meanings behind them. Afterwards we went with him to his 'office' and he told us a bit about his past and we were allowed to ask him questions. We then went back to the youth center where we were shown how to spray graffiti. In pairs or threes, we were able to choose a prepared letter on a large wall, which we were allowed to fill in. So we all sprayed the sentence 'Chur once and now' together.
After this activity, we took the bus back to our accommodation in Churwalden. There we had dinner, listened to presentations and at the end we had some free time, during which most of us played UNO together. This day was my personal favorite because we learned how to spray graffiti, which I found very interesting" (Kristina, 15 years).
"On Wednesday, we went on a day trip to Zurich. We first visited the National Museum and then had the opportunity to move around the city in small groups. At the end of the trip, we took a boat trip on Lake Zurich and enjoyed the great weather" (Helena, 17).
"On the third of August, we went to the youth center in Chur to listen to a presentation by the founders of 'myBBall e.V.'. They presented their project idea and founding history to us. We were then allowed to play ball ourselves. First we did some exercises and a mini-tournament in the local gym, before heading to the nearby basketball court. There we played basketball in front of an Alpine backdrop, together with an American and a player from Chur who we had met on the court.
After the sporting part of the day, we went back to the youth center and started preparing for the evening. Cocktails were put together, barbecue vegetables were chopped and tables were set up. Then we got started and barbecued together. Afterwards, Taschi (a young person from the Chur group) played music and the party began. We danced and sang together until late in the evening.
When we got back to the guest house, we ended the evening together in the common room. A small group of people decided to stay up all night. Unfortunately, we were not very successful and everyone was fast asleep by 5 a.m. at the latest. And so the eventful last day came to an end for everyone" (Lilly, 17 years old).
"From August 3rd to 4th, some of us stayed up all night to say goodbye to the Portuguese in the early morning, and after the Portuguese, we said goodbye to the Luxembourgers and French. This morning was very emotional and there was a lot of crying. We had experienced so much together over the past few days and now it was all over. At 10 a.m. we went to the Jugi (youth center) together with the Italian and Swiss groups. We left our luggage there and then had some free time to buy food for the return journey. Before we left, we said goodbye to the Italian and Swiss young people. When we were already on the train, our Swiss roommate came to the platform as a surprise to say goodbye to us. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to take part in the youth exchange until the very end, so we were really happy to see her again.
In conclusion, I can say that it was a wonderful time with great experiences and acquaintances that I will always remember" (Paulina, 17 years old).
A total of 15 young people from the twin towns of Chur, Terracina and Bad Homburg spent a weekend together in Bad Homburg. At the same time, the mayors' meeting of the jumelage took place in Bad Homburg.
The youth education center of the city of Bad Homburg organized a varied program with young people from Bad Homburg for the guests. There was a reception by the city council of Bad Homburg, a presentation on youth participation in Bad Homburg, a city tour by young people for young people, climbing activities, a swimming pool and a barbecue & chill evening.
Through these intensive program items, the young people quickly found and grew together in the short time available. Friendships developed in all their facets. All social media channels were eagerly used to continue their contacts.
All in all, it was a super nice, intensive weekend with great young people.
