2013 Exchanges:

Outbound: Romania Exchange – June 8 - 26, 2013

Fringed by the peaks of the Southern Carpathian Mountains, Brasov is one of the most visited places in Romania. Founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 on an ancient Dacian site and settled by the Saxons as one of the seven walled citadels, Brasov exudes a distinct medieval ambiance. The city is at the intersection of trade routes that linked the Ottoman Empire and western Europe. Bran (Dracula's) Castle in Bran is 16 miles southwest of Brasov.

Surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend and perched high atop a 200-foot-high rock, Bran Castle owes its fame to its imposing towers and turrets as well as to the myth created around Bram Stocker’s Dracula. Built on the site of a Teutonic Knights stronghold dating from 1212, the castle was first documented in an act issued by Louis I of Hungary on November 19, 1377, giving the Saxons of Kronstadt (Brasov) the privilege to build the Citadel.

We leave for Turkey on June 8, 2013 on a tour sponsored by the Niagara Foundation. On June 18 we will travel to Romania, spend two nights in Bucharest, and then begin our home stay in Brasov. The club will return home on June 26, 2013.

Contact Julie Albrecht, 402-464-2702 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Outbound: Uganda, June 12 -22; Kenya safari and extension to Kutui, June 23 - July 7, Kay Rockwell

Inbound: Sherbrooke, Canada, November 13 -17, Barb Ridder and Pat King

Inbound: Open World, Russia, November 15 - 26, Julie Albrecht, Gloria VanAckeren