“Our journey began at the end of August 2025, when we departed from Zagreb for Munich.”
We are Ana, Ivona, Ena, Ida and Ema, and on our journey we were accompanied by our group leader, Ivana. Together, we took part in the activity “Following the Paths of the European Union”, one of five thematic routes within the project “Diversity Express vol. 2: Where Tracks Lead, Stories Follow”, implemented by SUMA – Association for Sustainable Development through Erasmus+ KA155-YOU DiscoverEU Inclusion Action. This activity was designed as a journey that would bring young people closer to the way the European Union functions, its institutions, the history of European integration, and the meaning of European citizenship. The route was originally conceived as a journey from Zagreb through Frankfurt, Strasbourg, Luxembourg and Brussels, and back to Zagreb, but during implementation we further enriched it by adding Munich and Nuremberg, in line with the project logic, which allowed the route to be adapted to the interests of the group itself.
Our journey began at the end of August 2025, when we departed from Zagreb for Munich. We spent our first day there, got to know the city, and immediately felt excited about everything that lay ahead. Walking around Marienplatz, exploring the city centre, and sharing our first moments on the road were an important introduction to all that followed. Although Munich was not part of the originally planned route in the application, it served as a natural entry point into the journey and as a city in which we bonded even more closely as a group.
From Munich, we continued to Frankfurt, where we first engaged more seriously with the topic of European institutions and economic governance. There, we visited the building of the European Central Bank and discussed how decisions related to monetary policy are made in Europe. Frankfurt showed us a different face of Europe, the business, financial and institutional one, but also its everyday side, as we got to know the city through its streets, bridges, the banks of the Main, and its public spaces.
After Frankfurt, we arrived in Strasbourg, one of the cities that best embodies the European idea. There, we visited the European Parliament, which for us was one of the key moments of the entire journey. Through interactive content, the institution itself, and the view of the city from the Parliament building, we gained a better understanding of how European institutions function and why they matter for the citizens of Member States. Beyond the institutional part, Strasbourg also delighted us with its atmosphere, especially the La Petite France district, its parks, and the French everyday life we discovered through small details, from breakfast in a bakery to evening walks through the city.
Ana, Ivona, Ena, Ida and Ema | DiscoverEU
“From Strasbourg, we travelled to Luxembourg, a city that surprised us with its combination of history, tranquillity and contemporary European functions.”
We explored the old town, visited Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Casemates du Bock, and one particularly important moment was our visit to the Court of Justice of the European Union. It was there that we became even more aware that the European Union is not only a political idea, but also a concrete legal and institutional framework that affects the everyday lives of its citizens. Luxembourg also stayed in our memory for its orderliness, public transport, architecture, and the sense that in a small space, history, law and contemporary Europe meet.
The next major stop was Brussels. We spent several days there and experienced it both as the political centre of Europe and as a lively, diverse and dynamic city. We visited the European Commission and the Council of the European Union, where through interactive content, digital tools and exhibition spaces, we learned about European policies, decision-making, and the role of institutions we often hear about in the media but rarely have the opportunity to experience up close. Brussels, however, offered us much more than institutions alone. We visited the Atomium, walked through parks, went to the Belgian Chocolate Village and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and in our free time explored the city’s streets, festivals, shops and local gastronomy. During our stay in Brussels, we also went on excursions to Ghent and Bruges, two cities that won us over with their beauty, atmosphere and distinctive rhythm.
Just before the end of our journey, we also arrived in Nuremberg, our final stop before returning home. We spent the last day of the trip there, took another walk through the city, talked about everything we had experienced, and slowly began saying goodbye to our shared journey. On the last morning, we set off very early for Zagreb. The journey was not easy because the trains were delayed, but we arrived home safely late in the evening, full of impressions and aware that we had behind us an experience we would remember for a long time.
For us, this journey was not simply a tour of cities. It was an experience of learning through movement, navigating unfamiliar situations, conversation, observation, and joint decision-making. We learned about the European Union in the places where it actually operates, but also about ourselves, our group, responsibility, adaptability and independence. Travelling by train further emphasised the sustainable dimension of the project, and each new city broadened our understanding of Europe as a space of diversity, but also of connection. That was precisely the point of the activity “Following the Paths of the European Union”: to bring European institutions and processes closer to young people, while at the same time enabling them to experience Europe directly, through their own eyes, steps and experiences.
Ana, Ivona, Ena, Ida and Ema | DiscoverEU
Source:
SUMA Association