Kasteel Well: Travel Writing
Program Dates
June 27 through August 2, 2025*
*Students should arrange to arrive in The Netherlands on the morning of the program start date.
Program Overview
This course invites you to write and revise short works of creative nonfiction (with room for other genres, too) inspired by your time in Europe, and to practice attentive journaling to make the most of your travels. We will take a broad view of travel writing with an emphasis on trying out diverse approaches and styles. Your writing will be complemented by readings and lectures providing examples of contemporary travel writing as well as literary and historical perspectives.
Program Eligibility & Admission
- Open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors.
- Recommended for Writing, Literature, and Publishing students, but open to all students.
- Limited to 16 students.
Course Information
Total of 8 credits. Students will be required to be enrolled by Emerson College in the following two courses:
- LI 304 - Topics in Literature: Travel Literature (4 credits)
- WR 320 - Travel Writing (4 credits)
Academic Highlights
- Workshop your own pieces of original writing together with classmates.
- Let your writing be inspired by the charming and historic Kasteel Well, a 14th Century castle with a double-moated entrance.
- Consider what it means to write responsibly and accurately about places and cultures in which you are not “local” and may not speak a common language.
- Practice writing some stories with yourself at the center, and others which focus on vivid depictions of the people and customs around you.
Cultural Highlights
- Explore the city of Amsterdam, including its famous museums, canals and squares.
- Enjoy an excursion to the Dolomites Mountains of Italy where you will hike and experience stunning views, hosted by the Fondazione Tiziano of Pieve di Cadore. Then spend your weekend in Venice.
Cost & Inclusions
Program Fee: $TBD
Included in Program Fee
- Tuition (8 credits @ $850/credit)
- Registration Fee
- Housing at Kasteel Well and on excursion
- Some meals
Not Included in Program Fee
- Round-trip airfare to/from the Netherlands (Est. $1,300)
- Most meals and incidental or personal expenses
- Course materials
- Passports (or visas, if required)
- International Health Insurance*
*May be waived by those with alternate comparable insurance.
*Health Insurance Coverage: Participants must have an insurance plan that provides coverage while abroad. If you feel your current insurance is not adequate, please research a plan that is. For information on Supplemental Health Plans, please visit our Health Insurance Requirements page.