Pia Banzhaf

Born and raised in the Rhein-Ruhr region of Germany where she can trace her family roots back to Charlemagne, Pia Banzhaf grew up playing on Roman aquaeducts in her grandparents' village and loved visiting castles surrounded by moats and strolling the banks of the river Ruhr.

As an explorer by nature and a teacher by profession, Pia is keen to share with participants her love of her homeland, which like Newfoundland is a well kept secret as a travel destination.

Pia studied at the universities of Munich and Dortmund and graduated with an education degree, specialising in German as a foreign language and art education. She has worked as a teacher in Germany and more recently she has taught beginners' German with MUN's School of Lifelong Learning and MUN's Faculty of Arts. Since arriving in Newfoundland in 2004, she has utilised her bilingual skills in German and English to assist local guides with tours for German speaking tourists. She is currently enrolled as a graduate student in MUN's German department and completing a professional translation certificate.

Participants in this educational and fun travel adventure will benefit greatly from her knowledge of the area, international travel experience, strong organisational skills and aptitude for research.

She invites you to discover 2000 years of German history by visiting various significant sites in the Rhein-Ruhr region.