The journey is the destination

The journey is the destination—as Confucius once said. With this in mind, international students at the university were invited on May 6, 2022, to a spring hike up Mount Oybin. The trip began promptly at 3:00 p.m. with a bus ride to the Teufelsmühle in Oybin. The ascent up the town’s local mountain, with its impressive castle and monastery ruins, followed the Goldbach stream and then led through the forest to the foot of the castle complex. Along the way, it became clear that some had never been to the Zittau Mountains before, while others frequently come here to hike or bike.

The group consisted of 31 students from countries such as Vietnam, Morocco, Indonesia, Nepal, Greece, and Ukraine. Just as diverse as their nationalities were their temperaments, and for some, the climb proved to be quite a challenge. From the foot of the castle complex, the students were able to explore the impressive old ruins on their own, such as the two castle gates and the museum in the main castle. The ruins of the monastery church and the tower also made a strong impression on our guests, and several photo sessions took place.

In good spring weather, the view of the nearby Hochwald forest remained unobstructed, and after a few brief discussions, the students also recognized their university town of Zittau down in the valley. At first, some thought it might be Leipzig or Dresden. Yet the bus had only been on the road for just under fifteen minutes… Afterward, the group enjoyed a light snack on the outdoor patio of the mountain inn. Goodly fed, they then made their way back to the bus, passing the mountain church and walking along the tranquil main street of the village. Many will surely return to explore this picturesque village on their own.

The excursion was organized by the university’s International Office. It was funded by STIBET funds, which are secured annually through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). A big thank you also goes to Barmer, which provided financial support. As the year progresses, international students can look forward to other events of this kind, which are finally allowed to take place again after a forced hiatus of more than two years.