On the 19.03, I had the chance to host an city rallye for Danish students. The goal was to show them the city. This included introducing them to key landmarks and teaching them some facts about Dresden. Additionally we had many fun conversations and got to know each other better.
Our rallye began at the school where we gave the Danish students an overview of the building. We showed them classrooms and important areas. They were curious about the differences between our educational system and theirs. So we told them how our normal schooldays look like. We got some drinks and snacks at the supermarket which gave them an overview over prices here in Germany. While walking there we all were less nervous and we started talking more about personal things such as hobbies. They told us that handball and football are very popular in Denmark.
Next, we proceeded to the Terassenufer, a beautiful promenade along the Elbe river. Here, the students enjoyed the amazing views over the river and the historical skyline of Dresden. We told them some interesting facts about the river there. As we continued our conversations, we found common interests in music and sports. they showed us some interesting songs from Denmark. Next, we went to the Münzgasse, a passage full of restaurants and bars. This was where we talked about the nightlife and party topics, they also asked us about the most famous clubs in Dresden. A major highlight of the rallye was our visit to the Frauenkirche, one of Dresden’s most iconic landmarks. We explained the church’s historical significance, it’s destruction during World War 2 and it’s remarkable reconstruction. The Danish students were pretty impressed by the architecture, especially from the inside. They seemed very interested in Dresdens history since they have heard of it in school.
After exploring the Frauenkirche we took the chance to enjoy some fires at a nearby restaurant. This was a great ending for our rallye, where we could reflect on the places we had visited. At this point we just chatted about random things and it felt like we were friends already. Trough out the rallye, we used the Actionbound program which provided digital guidance and a quiz. While it was a useful tool we found that it was not entirely necessary. Exploring the city naturally and engaging in conversations made the experience more enjoyable. The students seemed to like the flexibility of our tour rather than strictly follow the app. The city rallye was a great experience for the Danish students and myself. The combination of sightseeing and casual chat made the tour very enjoyable. I learned alot about the everyday life in Denmark and might travel there in the future. I hope the Danish students had a great day and learned alot about our city. I think it also improved my English skills and I would definitely do such a rallye again, maybe next time in Denmark!
Frederik Fixel