IUHPFL currently offers programming in French, German, and Spanish, with six program sites in France, Austria, and Spain. Students apply by language.
Each program lasts between four and five weeks during the months of June and July and offers complete immersion in the target language, host family stays, and excursions to regional destinations.
| Country | Departure from the US | Return to the US |
|---|---|---|
| France | June 7th | July 9th |
| Austria | June 6th | July 9th |
| Spain | June 7th | July 9th |
Named after a Welsh monk in the sixth century and one of the oldest towns in the program, Saint-Brieuc is located in the region of Brittany in northwestern France. As the first program site in France, Saint-Brieuc has been a cherished location for IUHPFL participants since 1962. While Saint-Brieuc is a smaller town with less than 50,000 citizens, it offers all the amenities of much larger cities. Its scenery is breathtaking with ever-changing water views, sandy beaches and amazing rock formations. Saint-Brieuc straddles two rivers that empty into the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and the English Channel.
With a population of almost 30,000 citizens, the historic town of Saumur is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers in western France. One of the most important monuments of Saumur is the breathtaking Château de Saumur which stands high above the town.
Around town students will discover the Cadre Noir, the École Nationale d'Équitation (National School of Horsemanship), and the Armoured Branch and Cavalry Training School. Underground, students may visit 500 kilometers (312 miles) of caves de champignons, caves used to grow 70 percent of the country's most common cooking mushrooms. There is also a vintage bicycle festival every summer that students can enjoy with their program peers and host families.
Graz offers a welcoming, scenic environment for IUHPFL participants with a wonderful network of host families. Although there are various German dialects spoken in Austria, standard German (Hochdeutsch) is commonly spoken in Graz. Graz is located on the beautiful Mur River in a lush and forested region of Austria. It sits 120 miles southwest of Vienna, which is an excursion destination for participants of the program.
The coastal city Almería reflects the history of Spain. It was founded in 955 during the Islamic era, and its name comes from its original Arabic name: Al-Mariyya Bajjana. Situated in southern Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, it served as a major trading center during the 10th and 11th centuries.
It has many sights such as the Alcazaba, which is a fortress from the Islamic era; a cathedral built in the Renaissance style in the 16th century; and the nearby Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, which is a beautiful protected coastal area with geological features of volcanic origin. Almería has a hot semi-arid climate, making it the only city in Europe with this designation.
Ciudad Real, founded in the 13th century, was once completely surrounded by two and a half miles of walls and 30 towers. As the capital of the province of Castilla-La Mancha, it is home to Spain's beloved Don Quijote and Sancho Panza. The city with a population of 74,000 citizens is located near the country's capital, Madrid, and provides an ideal environment for IUHPFL students, offering the charms and beauty of nearby Andalucía.
Oviedo, a city of 210,000 citizens, was founded by two monks in 761. It is surrounded by lush green and hilly landscapes and is capital of the Principality of Asturias.
This beautiful city offers many architectural gems, stemming from the Visigothic, Roman and Nordic traditions. Located just forty minutes south of the picturesque beaches of the Cantabrian Sea, it is within easy reach of the Cantabrian Mountains and the impressive national park of Los Picos de Europa.
