Time Zone |
America/Chicago |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC-6 |
Daylight Saving Time |
UTC-5 |
Time Zone |
Europe/Berlin |
Standard Time GMT / UTC |
UTC+1 |
Daylight Saving Time |
UTC+2 |
Located in the western part of the U.S. state of Illinois, Macomb is the county seat of McDonough County, about 160 kilometers southwest of the city of Peoria and about 240 kilometers northwest of St. Louis. This small city of about 18,000 people is centered around Western Illinois University (WIU), which was founded in 1899 and infuses the area with a strong academic atmosphere, with a student body that makes up about a quarter of the city's population. With a history dating back to the 1830s, Macomb grew gradually with the opening of the railroad in the mid-to-late 1800s, and retains a number of late 19th-century architectural features to this day. Economically, in addition to the university-driven higher education, healthcare and service industries, agriculture and small-scale manufacturing in the surrounding area are important pillars. The community is quiet and friendly, hosting annual events such as the Malcolm Arts Festival, and combining the simplicity of a small Midwestern town with the energy of a college town, making it an ideal place to study and live.
Boiron is a town in the administrative district of Upper Bavaria in the German state of Bavaria, not an independent state. It is located about 50 kilometers south of Munich on the banks of the Isar River in the northern foothills of the Alps and has a population of about 3,500. The town is known for its rich history, its Catholic Benedictine abbey and its natural beauty.
The Abbey of Boiron, founded in the 8th century, is the central landmark of the area and is known for its Baroque architecture and collection of religious art. The town retains its traditional Bavarian houses, hosts annual Christmas markets and other folklore events, and is surrounded by forests and hills, making it ideal for hiking and cycling tours.
The economy is based on tourism, agriculture and small crafts, with easy access to Munich and the Austrian border by road and rail. Boiron embodies the tranquility and cultural heritage of the Bavarian countryside and is an ideal stopover for exploring the German pre-Alpine region.