A GROUP of 35 Year 8 and Year 9 pupils from La Retraite Swan School and Bishop Wordsworth's School spent five days visiting Bitburg in Germany, close to the border with Luxembourg.

Bitburg is famous for the brewing of Bitburger Pils but it is also near the Mosel river, the beautiful old Roman city of Trier with its Porta Nigra and Roman baths and on the fringe of the Eifel, a picturesque area with atmospheric villages.

The group found the guided tour of Trier interesting as it is the most important city from Roman times in Germany. Its inhabitants were friendly and helpful and this proved a positive experience for the English students, most of whom had never been to Germany before. Trips included a visit to a castle, surrounding towns and villages, a brewery and the Cascade swimming pools.

On the return journey the coach driver took the group through the city of Luxembourg, a first visit for many.