Switzerland-Life in the Alps, Mountaineering, and Skiing: This is the original Putney program, first led 58 summers ago by founders George and Kitty Shumlin. The program begins with six days in a chalet in the majestic Swiss village of Leysin, high on an alpine mountainside. Students glide by téléferique over green pastures dotted with grazing cows to the summit of La Berneuse, and hike far above the tree line to Lac d’Ai, Tour de Moyen, and fields of summer snow. Alpine guides take those who wish canyoning in mountain streams or glacier hiking through dramatic ice-covered terrain. Swim, dance with young European students, and take a traditional steamer across Lake Geneva to cosmopolitan Montreux and the medieval Castle of Chillon.

Italy–Florence, Osimo, and the Dolomites: From Switzerland, travel by train to Florence and stay in a small hotel in the heart of the city for five days. The streets are alive with Renaissance atmosphere and culture – the Duomo with Giotto’s Campanile and the gilded doors by Ghiberti, the Piazza della Signoria with Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery, the Medici Chapel, and the Pitti Palace. After Florence, the group moves to the medieval walled fortress village of Osimo, just twenty minutes from the beautiful Adriatic Sea. Here students stay with local families and have the opportunity to experience Italian life as it is really lived—from helping with household chores to exploring the town with Italian brothers and sisters. Both leaders stay in Osimo during the homestay. The group then joins local mountain guides for a spectacular three-day trek through the Dolomites, staying at night in mountain rifugios. There is time to relax in alpine meadows or to rock climb with professional guides.

Paris: The group travels on to Paris for six days of exploring the boulevards, the Latin Quarter, and Montmartre, and visits museums, flea markets, theatres, restaurants, cafés, the Île de la Cité, and Chartres Cathedral.

Holland and Amsterdam: Students travel by train through Belgium to Holland. There they take a six day bicycle trip through the sand dunes, along rural bicycle paths, over dikes, and past windmills and farms that are mostly below sea level. At night, they stay with European students in Dutch youth hostels in the villages of Egmond, Bakkum, and Heemskerk. They may also swim at North Sea beaches, sail or windsurf on inland lakes, and visit Noordwijk, Haarlem, and Leiden. Holland is flat and biking distances are moderate. The trip ends with three days in Amsterdam to explore its bustling canals and streets, see paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and visit Anne Frank’s house.