Adventure Traveling Guide

Where better to learn Russian than in the enchanting city of St. Petersburg? Students of the Derzhavin Institute begin by taking entrance exams that help instructors place them in skill-appropriate classes. Both long- and short-term programs are available, and all immersion students are given an intensely Russian experience. Guests stay in the homes of families while speaking only Russian. Free time is spent exploring the city’s rich cultural offerings with excursions to area restaurants, museums and theaters.

Students of Languages Abroad can choose between five exciting German cities as the site of their immersive language education. All courses combine oral comprehension, writing, reading and speaking with ample opportunity to explore the sights and attractions of the host city. The truly ambitious can enroll in an intensive three-month, three-city program that allows travelers to experience more of the country while picking up regional variations in culture and dialect.

Want to make pasta along with learning to speak Italian? Cactus Languages offers a number of courses throughout the country that combine foreign-language instruction with cultural enlightenment. In Verona, music fans will learn the correct pronunciation and intonation of operatic lyrics. Mornings of language classes in Florence are followed by afternoons if Italian cooking classes. Choose a program in Sicily if the idea of learning Italian in the heart of an ancient city sounds irresistible.

For students seeking to experience French language and culture firsthand, the Language Exchange offers immersion programs in both Provence and the French-speaking island of Martinique. Caribbean-bound students can look forward to poolside classes, delicious French cuisine and exciting nightlife. Choose the south of France locale to combine language instruction with trips to local wineries, olive groves and art galleries. Fireside dinners will cap off day with some joie de vivre.

Don Quijote operates schools in numerous cities throughout Spain, plus others in 10 Latin American countries. The program’s intensive courses range from one week to a full academic year and features small class sizes and immersive environments. Lessons including reading and analysis of newspaper articles, Spanish telephone conversations and watching Spanish-language films. Classroom time is combined with cultural activities such as salsa lessons or guided city tours. Available accommodations include private homes, student housing or deluxe hotels.

Channel your inner Scorsese by attending a weeklong filmmaking workshop at Maine Media Workshops in Rockport. Students can take classes in directing, editing and documentary filmmaking, all of which are taught by experienced filmmakers. Meals are offered in a group setting, providing plenty or opportunity for informal discussions with peers and faculty. The workshop’s wrap party features a Maine lobster feast and screenings of students’ best efforts.

If the idea of spending a week in Italy learning to paint sounds like paradise, the Abruzzi Mountain Workshop just might be heaven on earth. The weeklong workshops take place in a quaint hillside village in the Abruzzi region. Artists of any skill level are welcome and will benefit from classes in drawing, painting and color theory before moving on to specialties like still lifes, sculptures and murals. The program includes room, board, materials and plenty of inspiration.

Ladies, when you board a motorboat, are you often pointed to the seat farthest from the engine? Complete the She’s at Sea workshop run by the Bay and Reef Company in the Florida Keys, and you’ll feel comfortable grabbing the throttle of any boat that may cross your path again. Over the course of two days, you’ll be instructed on boat safety, steering and navigation, and anchoring and docking. The seminar combines classroom study, on-the-water training and enough cocktails to keep the entire weekend afloat.

The Gaelic College on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada was founded in 1938 to preserve the language, arts, cultures and traditions of the Celtic people. Students of all ages and abilities are welcome from around the world to take courses on the Cape Breton campus or online. Want to master the bagpipe? You can! Also, try your hand at highland dance, Celtic harp or pipe-band drumming. A vacation here will steep you in Celtic history and tradition, and please the sense with the gorgeous scenic landscape surrounding the campus.

The luxurious Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland’s Perthshire region provides a variety of activities for the finest country ladies and gentlemen. When the hotel opened in 1924, it was described as the Riviera of the Highlands. Since that time, the Gleneagles has offered a full roster of leisure pursuits for the upper crust, including falconry, clay shooting and gun-dog school. For those a little less adventurous, indulge in the full-service spa, gourmet dining and three legendary golf courses. And the scenery isn’t too bad either.