Girl Scouts: Switzerland and Italy

Meet your Tour Director, travel to Adelboden, and check into hotel.

Experience the first of the World Centres, which opened in 1932 and offers year-round activities, special events, and conferences for Girl Guides, Girl Scouts, and leaders from around the world.

Our Chalet pinning ceremony

Travel to Lucerne

View the Lion Monument, or Löwendenkmal, created in 1820 in honor of the Swiss Guards who lost their lives in 1792 during the French Revolution. One of the city's famous landmarks is Chapel Bridge, or Kapellbrücke, a wooden bridge first built in the 14th century. It has also been voted as the 5th most popular tourism destination in the world. View the impressive Jesuitenkirche, the first large baroque church built in Switzerland. The ostentatious baroque style architecture is meant to represent the power and glory of the Catholic tradition. Stroll through the picturesque medieval Weinmarkt Square and the Kornmarkt Square in the historical heart of Lucerne.

Legends of William Tell, the Lion Monument, Swiss independence and more come to life as you reenact episodes in the history of Switzerland.

Scale snow-capped Mount Pilatus to enjoy a bird’s eye view of Lucerne’s skyline and Alpine panoramas galore. In the summer, you’ll take a boat across the Alpnacher to see and then ascend the slope on the world’s steepest cog railway; the rest of the year, you’ll ascend by cable car. Once atop the mountain, it’s your chance to snap some of the most frame-worthy photos--keep your fingers crossed for a clear day, when mountain-top views span as far as 200 miles.

LEAP Activity | Swiss Life and Legends

Legends of William Tell, the Lion Monument, Swiss independence, and more come to life as you reenact episodes in the history of Switzerland.

In fair Verona shall we lay our scene. The setting for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” still glows with romance. See Juliet’s balcony, tenderly draped with climbing ivy and overlooking a golden-hued statue of the young mistress herself. As you gaze out and contemplate the power of love, don’t get too swept away--remember that while Shakespeare based his characters on Verona’s real-life feuding families, both Romeo and Juliet were, in fact, fictional.

Tour Verona's Roman Amphitheater, the largest in the world. Completed in 30 CE, this arena has been the site of executions, fairs, bullfights, opera, plays, and, of course, gladiator combat.

Bubbling up on more than 100 islands in a lagoon off the Adriatic, Venice is a unique and unquestionably beautiful city. The weight of its opulent architecture–bulbous domes, gothic spires, and lacy marble–may be sinking the city by 10 inches a century, but your local guide will make sure you don’t sink out of sight as you tour the intricate labyrinth of streets and bridges. Step into Piazza San Marco, an airy expanse of arches, sunlight, and pigeons. The multi-domed Basilica on one end, completed in 1094 but decorated for centuries afterward, is the final resting place of the apostle St. Mark, Venice’s patron saint. The mosaics beneath the basilica’s outside arches depict the arrival of St. Mark’s body, stolen from Egypt in 828 by Venetian traders. The frothy Venetian Gothic Doge’s Palace stands next door. Continue to a glass-blowing demonstration. Venetian glass has long been considered the best in the world, and its production was such a state secret that during the Middle Ages, any Venetian glassblower who attempted to ply his trade outside the city was immediately arrested.

Create a Venetian mask inspired by the Italian Carnival, the Commedia dell'Arte, or by your imagination! Learn the meaning of the mask and its historical significance, then decorate yours using professional techniques.

LEAP Activity | Behind the Carnival Mask

Create a Venetian mask inspired by the Italian Carnival, the Commedia dell’Arte—or by your imagination! Learn the meaning of the mask and its historical significance, then decorate yours using professional techniques.

Travel to Florence

Bring your appetite with you and cook up a traditional Florentine meal. With our chef as our guide, we will prepare some traditional Italian dishes and learn about Italian culture through the art of cooking.

LEAP Activity | Cucina Fiorentina

Cook up a three-course traditional meal with a local chef using fresh local produce. Get a taste of Tuscan life and zesty flavors! Mangia!

Immerse yourself in the charms of old-world Firenze. The birthplace and focal point of the Italian Renaissance, Florence still has the masterpieces to prove it. Brunelleschi’s monumental cupola (dome) atop the city's renowned Duomo dominates the skyline. Your local licensed guide will take you to Giotto's Bell Tower and the aptly named Gates of Paradise, the bronze east doors of the Baptistery that spurred the burgeoning Renaissance. Don’t overlook the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and Machiavelli at the Chiesa di Santa Croce, or Florence’s amazing leather goods. You can check them out when you visit one of the area’s famed workshops!

Greet six renaissance giants including Giotto, Galileo, and Isabella d’Este, and debate who made the greatest impact on civilization.

Travel to Rome

Gods and gladiators, glory, and gore. Ancient Rome lives on in its spectacular monuments, flavoring the frenetic present with tastes of the past. Don a space-age Whisper headset to get the inside scoop on the most spectacular, the Colosseum, a grisly battle arena that seated more than 45,000. An enormous retractable roof awning system kept spectators cool on sunny days. The nearby Forum provides a glimpse into everyday ancient life, with markets, meeting places, and temples all combined into one vast space.

Tour St. Peter’s Basilica with a licensed local guide and whisper headset so you don't miss a word. Outside the church, four rows of columns radiate out like welcoming arms; inside, the church seems enormous enough to embrace the entire world. The dome, partially designed by Michelangelo, rises 452 feet above the ground. Michelangelo’s mark is everywhere here, from the costumes worn by the Swiss Guards to his exquisite “Pietà” sculpture (the only sculpture he ever signed) to the amazing frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Because he considered himself a sculptor and not a painter, Michelangelo hated working on these paintings, now considered masterpieces.

Depart for home or spend an extra day exploring Rome