Landscapes and Nations of Europe

This geographical journey through Western Europe will visit ten countries (Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden) to study the natural and built landscapes of Europe and to better understand historic and contemporary issues stemming from nations and nationalism. We will consider political, cultural, linguistic, and religious influences in the formation of nation-states, the aspirations of separatist regions, the impact of immigrants and minorities on national identity, and the role of post-nationalism as represented by the European Union. Along our way, we will meet with folks from all walks of life to better understand their experiences living in the dynamic political landscape of Europe.

Additionally, we will hike, bike, walk, and ride through many other geographical landscapes: urban and rural, agrarian and industrial, religious and secular, mountain and shore. We will wander around the ancient Forum in Rome, hike the Appian Way in Rome, climb to the best view of the Florence Duomo, ride a gondola in Venice, bask in thermal waters in Budapest, hike around Lake Bled in the Julian Alps, visit Frauenkirche is Dresden, swim in the Danube and bike along its banks, cross the Oresund Strait, walk near the old Berlin Wall, visit the mermaid in Copenhagen Harbor, identify ethnic separatism and competition in the landscape today, and witness the memorials and troubling histories of ethnic genocides of the past. In sum, we will visit a range of castles, cathedrals, restaurants, farms, mountains, plains, hills, coastlines, museums, monuments, headquarters, and neighborhoods to learn how to ‘read’ both the iconic and vernacular European landscapes. Students will also have free time to do their own explorations of iconic cites like Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, and Copenhagen.

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