As part of the “Breaking Barriers, Building Europe” activity, five young participants from Romania had the opportunity to take part in the first activity of the project, A1 – DiscoverEU, travelling to Luxembourg and discovering Europe in a very special way.
Our group included three hearing-impaired/deaf young people and two young people with other fewer opportunities. The journey itself was already an adventure. We travelled over 3,000 km by train, changed fourteen trains and spent four days on the road to reach Luxembourg and return home. There were unexpected moments, plenty of tiredness and many stories to tell, but every single second was worth it.
During the activity, the young participants had the opportunity to explore Luxembourg through cultural visits and an accessibility treasure hunt in the city. These activities encouraged them to look at their surroundings from a different perspective, while also developing practical skills for independent travel and everyday life.
The DiscoverEU experience was not only about discovering a new country. It was also about learning more about the European Union, European citizenship and the way European institutions work. One of the highlights was our visit to the Court of Justice of the European Union, where we had the pleasure of meeting Romanian judges Ion Galea and Octavia Spineanu-Matei. They warmly welcomed our group and shared valuable insights into their work and the functioning of the European justice system in practice.
On our last day, before starting our long journey back home, we visited the Europa Experience Centre. Through its interactive and visual experience, the participants learned more about the three main EU institutions. The visit sparked curiosity, questions and interesting discussions, helping many things about the European Union to come together.
And perhaps most importantly, the young participants discovered more about themselves. The skills they developed during these days, independence, adaptability, communication, confidence and many more, were clearly visible throughout the activity.
From discovering Luxembourg to discovering the European Union, and a little bit more about themselves along the way, this DiscoverEU adventure was truly an experience to remember.
