art pursuits tours

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Enjoy some of the world's most iconic art with our dedicated range of art holidays. The range of itineraries we offer are imaginative, authentic, balanced and often include guest speakers. Whether you are looking for a short trip to learn more about art in the UK or a longer trip to discover more about Art Deco in New York then we have an art trip for you.

Flight free

Highlights of Normandy: Monet’s Garden, Rouen and Honfleur

William the Conqueror, D-Day, atmospheric Honfleur, medieval Rouen immortalised by Monet plus delightful Bayeux. This...

Monet's Garden, The Loire Valley and Fontainebleau

If you are looking to visit one of the most beautiful regions of France, then our tour of the Loire Valley is ideal –...

Madrid, Salamanca and Toledo

from £1,039

It seems incredible that despite Spain being one of the most visited countries on earth, so much of it still remains...

Florence and Tuscany

from £1,379

Its cities, Florence, Siena and Pisa, together with smaller towns and medieval villages like Lucca and San Gimignano,...

Timeless Provence

from £1,429

Striking natural beauty, immortalised by Van Gogh and Cezanne, home of the Papacy and capital of Roman Gaul. Provence...

Save £100pp

Central Europe: Castles, Culture & Capitals

from £2,399

A must for any inquisitive adventurer, Central Europe is a treasure chest of cultural wonders and architectural...

Highlights of Romania

Immerse yourself in Romanian life, sample traditional food and meet craftsmen still mastering ancient techniques. This...

rest of the world

Marrakesh and The Atlas Mountains

Immerse yourself in a truly captivating city filled with intriguing souks, vibrant squares and superb architecture, plus...

Marrakech & the Sahara

from £1,049

Experience the grandeur of the Sahara as we journey from Marrakech across the High Atlas Mountains to the palm groves of...

Solo travel

Marrakesh and The Atlas Mountains for solo travellers

from £1,099

A visit to Morocco is like taking a journey back in time – it’s everything you imagine it to be and so much more. It is a...

Imperial Cities of Morocco

from £1,199

The very name Morocco conjures up an enduring fascination – geographically close to Europe but culturally, a world apart....

Istanbul, Ephesus and Troy

from £1,299

A city of great diversity, Istanbul is a combination of tree-lined boulevards, cafés and cosmopolitan restaurants set...

Highlights of Morocco

from £1,545

Experience the very best of Morocco, from mazey medinas and lively souks to the broad-shouldered Atlas Mountains and...

India's Golden Triangle

from £1,575

Discover the Golden Triangle – a classic route linking Delhi, Agra and Jaipur – on a pulsating tour that takes in...

Jordan and Petra Tour

from £1,799

Jordan is a remarkable country, with extraordinary landscapes of red-hued dunes and windswept sandstone, and world-class...

Tangier & the Rif Mountains to Marrakech

Journey deep into northern Morocco to visit unique towns and cities, each thick in a one-off blend of history and...

A Week in Jordan

Our Art Vacations

Mary Beth Shaw with illustration from Greece art vacation workshop

Jeannette and Suzy set a new high standard of travel. I joined an ArtWalk Greece with 3 girlfriends. We left Greece with a whole new appreciation of seeing the world by traveling “at the speed of you.” They are fabulous tour leaders. They have a depth of knowledge of the local towns and sites that I have never before experienced. We always felt so well taken care of. We did a lot of walking and art-making. I am looking forward to another Blue Walk in the future!

Prescott, AZ

Travel Journal Art Vacations

Create an experience to remember.

You’ve daydreamed of this: a vacation with time each day to simply create. The destinations are beautiful. The accommodations are welcoming. All the details are taken care of. In the company of like-minded travelers you savor the wonder of the present moment. And you capture it all through your art.

Create as You Travel

Our Art Walk art vacations are the perfect tours for artists of all levels. Talented and engaging teaching artists offer daily classes inspired by stunning locations. Equal parts journey and learning, our art vacations are based on a travel journal format. Art classes are mostly on site. Some programs have “studio” time at our hotels. Space is almost always limited, so you will learn to work with what is available, being able to create wherever and however you may find yourself. Sketchbook, watercolor, collage, and multimedia workshops are all represented in our schedule.

Everyone is Welcome

Join us. Solo travelers love the easy camaraderie our tours provide. First time European travelers and budding artists love the safe, supportive, and welcoming atmosphere. The main requirements are a desire for adventure and gratitude for the opportunity to pursue it.

Travel at the speed of you.

Stretch your legs and expand your experience.

Find a community. Receive and share inspiration.

Return home renewed, accomplished, and feeling better than ever.

Keeping an illustrated travel journal enhances your trip and opens your mind. Everything around me is fresh and beautiful because I’m drawing it, seeing it truly for the first time.

Once you return from your trip, your mind remains full of wonder. A quick flip through your journal’s pages keeps those memories alive.

Danny Gregory

The Art of Keeping a Travel Sketchbook

Explore Our Art Workshops & Retreats

Sketchbook Travel Journal Vacation in Greece with Koosje Koene

Sep 24-Oct 6, 2024 join Koosje Koene’s island-hopping sketchbook journal vacation in Greece.

Art Journal Workshop in Paris, France with Betsy Beier

Sep 16-23, 2024 join Betsy Beier’s art journal workshop in Paris, France. Fill your sketchbook as we walk the neighborhoods of Paris!

Watercolor Sketchbook Art Workshop in Italy

Ohn Mar Win teaches a 7-night watercolor sketchbook art workshop in Italy. We will tour the Italian Riviera and stunning Lake Como. Join us October 2024.

Art and Creativity Workshop in Italy

Join Jill Badonsky for an art and creativity workshop on the Italian Riviera in October 2024. Write, paint, and sketch for an inspired week.

Art workshop in Venice, Padua, and Parma, Italy

Oct 21-27, 2024 Anne Leuck teaches her art workshop in Venice, Padua and Parma, Italy. See Venice like a local! Taste the best of Parma!

Watercolor Workshop in Greece with Angela Fehr

April 22 – May 4, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Tammy Gilley

March 30-April 5, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Mary Beth Shaw

April 6-12, 2025

Art Workshop Vacation in Paris, France with Tammy Gilley

April 12-19 , 2025

Watercolor Workshop in Italy with Angela Fehr

May 5-11, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Italy with Tiffany Goff-Smith

May 11-18, 2025

Collage Travel Journal Workshop in Greece with Karen Stamper

May 20-June 1, 2025

Sketchbook Art Workshop in Portugal with Anne Leuck

June 9-15, 2025

Watercolor Journal Workshop in Spain with Ohn Mar Win

June 30 – July 6, 2025

Travel Journal Art Workshop in Spain with Julie Snidle

Sep 8-14, 2025

Sketchbook Art Workshop in Spain with Koosje Koene

Sep 14-20, 2025

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Sicily, Italy with Mary Beth Shaw

Oct 19-Nov 1, 2025 (Coming Soon)

Art Workshop in Spain: Barcelona and Costa Brava

Join artist Mary Beth Shaw for a mixed media art workshop in Spain September 2024. Get inspired and renewed in Barcelona and Costa Brava.

Mixed Media Art Workshop Vacation in Nice, France

Join Tammy Gilley for a mixed media art workshop in Nice, France June 2-8, 2024. Follow in the footsteps of the Matisse, Monet, and Van Gogh.

Mixed Media Art Workshop in Switzerland

Join Mary Beth Shaw on her mixed media art workshop in Switzerland June 2024.

Art Vacations Schedule

This is a list of our public art vacations. The Blue Walk offers private and custom small group tours in addition to our advertised tours.

There is a separate Blue Walk schedule for our walking vacations.

2024 Art Vacation Workshops

April 14-21: Collage journal with Karen Stamper on the Italian Riviera and Lake Como, Italy (7 nights) from $3795 (1 space available)
May 14-26: Watercolor with Angela Fehr in Greece (12 nights) from $4595 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
Jun 2-8: Mixed media with Tammy Gilley on the French Riviera (6 nights) from $3495 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
Jun 9-16: Mixed media with Mary Beth Shaw in Switzerland (7 nights) from $4845 (1 space available)
September 7-14: Mixed media with Mary Beth Shaw in Spain (7 nights) from $3695 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
September 16-23: Sketchbook journal with Betsy Beier in Paris, France (7 nights) from $4295
September 24-October 6: Sketchbook journal with Koosje Koene in Greece (12 nights) SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
October 7-14: Sketchbook journal with Ohn Mar Win on the Italian Riviera and Lake Como (7 nights) from $3795 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
October 14-20: Art and Creativity workshop with Jill Badonsky on the Italian Riviera (6 nights) from $3595 SOLD OUT (waiting list available)
October 21-27: Sketchbook journal with Anne Leuck in Venice and Parma, Italy (6 nights) from ($3745)

2025 Art Vacation Workshops

March 30-April 5: Mixed Media Workshop Vacation in Portugal with Tammy Gilley (6 nights) from $3495
April 6-12: Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Mary Beth Shaw (6 nights) from $3395
April 12-19: Art Workshop Vacation in Paris, France with Tammy Gilley (7 nights) from $3995
April 22 - May 4: Watercolor workshop with Angela Fehr in Greece (12 nights) from $4745
May 5-11: Watercolor workshop in Italy with Angela Fehr (6 nights) from $3445
May 11-18: Mixed media art workshop in Italy with Tiffany Goff-Smith (7 nights) from $3795
May 20 - June 1: Collage Travel Journal Workshop in Greece with Karen Stamper (12 nights) from $4745
June 9 - 15: S ketchbook Workshop in Portugal with Anne Leuck (6 nights) from $3495
June 30 - July 6: Watercolor journal workshop in Spain with Ohn Mar Win (6 nights) from $3595
September 8-14: Travel Journal Art Workshop in Spain with Julie Snidle (6 nights) from $3445
September 14-20: sketchbook workshop in Spain with Koosje Koene (6 nights) from $3445
Oct 21 - Nov 1: Mixed Media Art Workshop in Sicily, Italy with Mary Beth Shaw (11 nights) Details coming soon. Join interest list.

Book a Private Walking Tour or Art Vacation

Travel with your own tribe! Friends, family or colleagues with groups from 8-20 can reserve private tours. Special pricing or tour leader rates availble. We will work with you to reserve the best itinerary and dates for your own amazing tour.

Group in front of stone wall Amorgos Greece walking tour vacation art travel journal workshop

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Art & Architecture tours

From Classical orders to modernist innovations, our art and architecture tours examine many protagonists and periods in the history of civilisations around the world, whether the rich artistic traditions of Japan or the private palaces of Venice .

Explore the most famous and celebrated galleries in the world, such as the Uffizi, Prado and the Hermitage, and study countless lesser known gems on our art tours – and on our architecture tours, learn about great buildings as monuments and dwelling-spaces, as works of engineering as well as works of art, and as vital components in a city’s mythos.

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Albania: Crossroads of Antiquity Archaeology, history, art and landscape

Samarkand & Silk Road Cities with Tashkent, Shakhr-i-Sabz, Bukhara and Khiva

Khiva, the Grand Minaret, wood engraving c. 1880.

Genoa & Turin Palaces & galleries in north west Italy

Turin, Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Reale, wood engraving c. 1880.

Western Andalucía Seville and Cádiz, with Jerez and Carmona

Cornish Houses and Gardens Landscapes, flowers, buildings and art

The Cathedrals of England Ely, Lincoln, Durham, York, Coventry, Gloucester, Bristol, Wells, Salisbury, Winchester

Durham Cathedral, engraving in The English Provinces, 1888.

Tom Abbott’s Berlin An insider’s view of Germany’s ever-changing capital

Berlin, dome of the Reichstag building, used under license from shutterstock.com.

Habsburg Austria Castles & churches, houses & palaces, town & country

The Heart of Italy Umbria’s finest art and architecture

Spoleto, Ponte delle Torri, reproduction of a 19th-century steel engraving.

Civilisations of Sicily Mediterranean crossroads: three thousand years of creativity

Segesta, watercolour by Alberto Pisa, publ. 1911.

Madrid & Toledo Cities of Empire

Toledo, the Tagus and Bridge of St Martin, wood engraving c. 1870.

Art in Scotland Great cities, spectacular museums

Edinburgh Castle from Greyfriars cemetery, wood engraving c. 1890.

Palladian Villas The greatest house builder in history

Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza, 18th-century-engraving.

The London Backstreet Walk Hyde Park to the Tower

Fountain Court, Inner Temple, watercolour by Jack Merriott.

Medieval Heart of Portugal Romanesque and Gothic architecture

Great Swedish Houses Royal residences, country estates and provincial palaces

Friuli-Venezia Giulia The border lands of northeast Italy

Versailles: Seat of the Sun King The greatest palace & garden

The Road to Santiago The pilgrimage route through northern Spain

A Festival of Impressionism Paintings & places in Paris and Normandy

Great Houses of the South West Wiltshire, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Devon

Stockholm Modern A century of inspirational building and design

Kraków & Silesia Art, architecture & history in southern Poland

Cyprus: stepping stone of history Island civilisation in the Eastern Mediterranean

Map of Cyprus, copper engraving c. 1620.

Lucca & vicinity Romanesque to Renaissance in northern Tuscany

Gastronomic Asturias & Cantabria Spain’s hidden paradise on the Emerald Coast

Oviedo, San Miguel de Lillo, wood engraving c. 1880.

Medieval Burgundy Abbeys and churches of the High Middle Ages

Great Irish Houses Country houses both sides of the border

Flemish Painting From van Eyck to Rubens: Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels

The Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele, wood engraving after a painting by J. van Eyck from Le Moyen Age by Paul Lacroix, 1871.

Vienna’s Masterpieces The art collections of an imperial capital

Medieval West Midlands Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire

The Plantagenet Empire Rulers of England in Normandy and Anjou

Finland: Aalto & Others 20th-century architecture and design

French Gothic The great cathedrals of northern France

Chartres Cathedral, steel engraving c. 1840.

The Welsh Marches Castles, abbeys and parish churches

Whitehall Architecture & history

Scottish Houses & Castles History, architecture, artworks and gardens

Danish Art & Design The Golden Age to the present; cities, coast and countryside

Franconia Art and architecture in Germany’s medieval heartland

Coburg Castle and Park, from Germany, by E T & E Harrison Compton, 1912

King Ludwig II and the Wittelsbach palaces of Bavaria

The Squares Walk London’s greatest glory

Belgrave Square, Pimlico, engraving (detail) c. 1830.

Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania History, art and architecture of the Baltic Countries

Tallinn, the Upper Town, lithograph c. 1840.

The Hanseatic League Cities and abbeys of Germany’s Baltic Coast

Lübeck, Town Hall, engraving from 'Leaves from a Sketchbook', c. 1890.

Connoisseur’s Prague Art, architecture & design, with privileged access

Prague, Charles Bridge, watercolour by B. Granville Baker, publ. 1923.

Sardinia Archaeology, architecture and art

Cagliari, late-19th-century engraving from Gazetteer of the World, Vol. II.

The Etruscans Italy before Rome

Paintings from Cerveteri, wood engraving from Cities & Cemeteries of Etruria 1878.

West Coast Architecture A century of building in Arizona and California

Dark Age Brilliance Late Antique & Pre-Romanesque

Ravenna, San Vitale, engraving 1906 from 'The Shores of the Adriatic'.

Ancient Rome Art & architecture of the classical world

Georgia Uncovered Treasures of the Southern Caucasus

Footpaths of Umbria Walks, art and wine between Arezzo and Assisi

Assisi, St. Francis, by Frank Fox publ. 1915.

English Georgian Towns The art of building and the building arts 1700–1840

Raphael, in celebration A pilgrimage from Urbino to Rome

Lithograph c. 1850 after Raphael’s Madonna della Seggiola.

Granada & Córdoba with Úbeda & Baeza

Arts & Crafts in the Cotswolds Art and artefacts in the buildings they were designed for

Belgian Modern Masters Ensor, Magritte and fellow individualists

Extremadura Landscape, history and food in rural Spain

Bulgaria Archaeology & art from prehistoric to modern

Plovdiv, bridge over the Maritza, image ©Antiqua Print Gallery / Alamy Stock Photo.

Frank Lloyd Wright and the Chicago School

Fallingwater, photograph courtesy of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Courts of Northern Italy Princely art of the Renaissance

Basilicata & Calabria Italy’s undiscovered south

The Douro From Porto to Pinhão

Berlin, Potsdam, Dresden Art and architecture in Brandenburg and Saxony

Palermo Revealed Art, archaeology, architecture and gastronomy

Palermo cathedral, steel engraving c.1850

Le Corbusier Through France and Switzerland

Castile & León The magnificent heart of Spain

Segovia, La Granja de San Ildefonso, watercolour by Mima Nixon, publ. 1916.

Walking in Southern Tuscany Art, architecture & landscapes in the Val d’Orcia & Chianti

Italian Design Modernism in Turin and Milan

Art in the Netherlands A spectrum of the finest

Roman & Medieval Provence The south of France in the Middle Ages

Modern Art on the Côte d’Azur Picasso, Matisse, Chagall and their contemporaries

Nice, etching c. 1925 by Frederick Farrell

Istanbul Revealed Byzantine & Ottoman metropolis

Sicily: from the greeks to the baroque temples, churches and palazzi: three thousand years of history, gastronomic catalonia fine food & wine, art & architecture.

Florentine Palaces Defence, humanism, magnificence and beauty

Art in Madrid The Great Galleries

Venetian Palaces The greatest and best-preserved palaces of La Serenissima

The Making of Argentina A creative history from the Atlantic to the Andes

Essential India Hindu temples, Rajput palaces and Mughal tombs

Venice Revisited From prison to palazzo: art and life in historic Venice

Ravenna & Urbino Byzantine capital, Renaissance court

Ravenna, Mosaics in S. Apollinare, 20th-century engraving.

Christmas in Emilia-Romagna Art, architecture & gastronomy in Northern Italy

Vienna at Christmas Art and architecture in the Habsburg capital

Naples at Christmas Art, antiquities & architecture –with Caserta, Amalfi & Ravello

Paris at Christmas Art and music in the Ville Lumière

Bruges at Christmas and the ancient cities of Flanders

Venice at Christmas Painting, sculpture & architecture in the world’s most beautiful city

Oman, Landscapes & Peoples Desert, coast and mountains

Renaissance Rivals Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael: the tumultuous trio

Palaces & Villas of Rome From Empire to Papacy: the power of magnificence

Gardens of the Villa Borghese, watercolour by Alberto Pisa, publ. 1905.

Essential Rome The complete spectrum of art, architecture and antiquities

Rome, Trevi Fountain, watercolour by C.T.G. Fornilli, publ. 1927.

Florence & Venice The finest and best-known art and architecture in the Western world

Indian Summer Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Shimla

Normans in the south castles and cathedrals in puglia, basilicata and campania.

Castel del Monte, lithograph by Edward Lear from Edward Lear in Southern Italy.

Romans & Carolingians Germany from Augustus to Charlemagne

Cities of Catalonia 2,000 years of art and architecture, from Romans to Modernistas

Val D’Orcia and the Sienese Hills lesser-known delights of Southern Tuscany

Medieval Saxony Carolingian, Ottonian, Romanesque

The Ligurian Coast Arts, history and scenery on the Riviera di Levante

The Venetian Land Empire A spectrum of north-east Italy’s finest art and architecture

Moldavia & Transylvania Towns, villages and painted churches on the edge of Europe

Moving on: Architecture & Memory Bauhaus to the present in Stuttgart, Ulm and Munich

Lincolnshire Churches Major and minor, from cathedral to parish

Lincoln Cathedral, wood engraving c. 1890.

Medieval Oxfordshire and the Southern Cotswolds

Lusatia: Germany’s Eastern borderlands Cities, palaces and gardens along the Oder-Neisse Line

Baroque & Rococo In Southern Germany

Mitteldeutschland Weimar and the towns of Thuringia and Sachsen-Anhalt

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Engineering modern Britain

Essential Andalucía Spain’s southern province

Painted Palaces of Rajasthan Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner, the Shekhawati & Jaipur

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Classical Pursuits Tours

Slant of Light: Dutch and Flemish Old Masters

Paris Café Culture

October 2024.

Sacred Santa Fe

Shifting Boundaries: Literature of Morocco

November 2024.

Exploring Homer’s World: Bronze Age Greece

The Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City seen at night

Quiet Revolutions: Literature in Quebec

Ganges River Cruise: Friend of All That Lives

October 2025.

The statue of Diana in the Piazza Archimede, Syracuse, Sicily

Sicily, the Key to Italy

October/november 2025.

Art and Resistance in WWII Paris and Champagne

What our travellers say.

“Thanks so much for your wonderfully planned trips. I’ve checked all over — there is nothing [among other group tours] that compares in intelligence!” — Lisa, New York

How Our Tours Work

Our trips are a special balance of:

• In-depth seminar discussions of compelling literature and art • Guided walks to immerse you in the cultural and natural history of a place • Informal talks with local people • Generous unscheduled time • The convivial company of other culture vultures • And of course, lively conversation over great meals!

Travel Pursuits are a collaborative effort. Classical Pursuits develops the themes and selects the leaders. Our partner Worldwide Quest (TICO Reg: #2667946) is in charge of production, looking after logistical arrangements and client care. They also handle all tour bookings.

See our Tour FAQs for more information.

Luxury art travel experiences

Travel the world on intimate journeys curated through the lens of art

Experience an insider's view through artists' studios, museums, galleries, and collectors' homes

Build your art collection with the help of a skilled team

Make a difference by supporting art's impact on the world

Welcome to Artful

Bespoke or Museum Trip

Artful fog design+art, la frieze prequel, santa fe: indigenous to contemporary, a pilgrimage to marfa, the home of american art, the center of the art world, america's museum redefined, contemporary art in london, contemporary art in paris, art in the hamptons, art in the hudson valley, land art in the american west, art basel in miami beach, unlock a world of art experiences, featured jaunt: washington d.c..

Spend a day experiencing magical Glenstone, one of the most exciting new private museums in the world. Located in Potomac, Maryland, 15 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. and set on 230 acres, Glenstone, designed by architect Charles Gwathmey, is renowned for its idyllic architectural spaces and important collection— 1,300 works by some of the most significant postwar artists from around the world. Developed and financed by billionaire American businessman Mitchell Rales and curated by his wife Emily Wei Rales, Glenstone—which collects artists in-depth and will only purchase work after an artist has been exhibiting for 15 years—has been compared to historic U.S. private museums such as the Frick Collection and the Phillips Collection. During your time in D.C., you will also visit major museum exhibitions of the moment, as well as new galleries and collectors' homes.

Space is extremely limited (8-10 people).

A unique blend of art, travel, and philanthropy

Unique itineraries

Enriching experiences

Impactful giving

Join our newsletter.

Sign-up for private access to virtual events, early invitations to the finest in art travel and receive our art newsletter with the latest from the magazine.

Artful Advisory ®

Artful impact.

Now more than ever, art matters. Artful Impact was established to help amplify art's philanthropic influence on our communities. Our charitable efforts directly support artists, museums, public installations, art education, as well as social justice and sustainability issues. We donate a third of the revenue generated from art purchased on a jaunt to the Artful Impact Fund. Please take a moment to learn about some meaningful charities. We think you will agree they are making a significant difference.

The latest from Artful Magazine

At prospect.5 new orleans, history and the present haunt each other.

The long-awaited fifth edition of the triennial, delayed by the pandemic and a hurricane, finds artists reflecting on the nation’s past while coping with current-day catastrophes.

Mariane Ibrahim on Her New Paris Gallery and Why the City is the Next Cultural Capital

The French-Somali art dealer, whose space in Chicago has been an influential showcase for artists from the African diaspora, has just opened a new branch in a rising Paris art district.

Ei Arakawa on Post-Pandemic “Performance Anxiety” and Artists’ Mental Health

The influential performance artist speaks to Artful about his new show at Artists Space in New York, inspired by the advocacy of the tennis player Naomi Osaka and the architecture of New York City’s outdoor dining structures.

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Art Pursuits 2022 brochure

Journeys of Discover with Art Pursuits

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JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY

2022

BE ENLIGHTENED

Blue Mosque, Turkey

2

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Welcome...

December 2021

Dear travellers, ‘students’ and friends,

We are looking forward to a full season of travel ahead of us in 2022 and

our new collection of tours brings an exciting array of once in a lifetime

experiences, both close to home and further afield. Each tour has been

carefully planned and crafted by our team of dedicated and experienced tour

developers and expert lecturers.

As well as the return of a number of our ‘classic’ tours throughout Germany

and Italy, we are excited to discover new destinations; we follow in the footsteps of the Knights of St John as

we are expertly guided by Nigel McGilchrist through Mediaeval Rhodes; the layers of Lisbon are peeled back

by Isabelle Kent to discover the city prior to the earthquake of 1755; and go further back in history with Sally

Dormer as she discovers Royal Mediaeval Paris.

As always, the safety and well-being of our travellers is of the utmost priority and we have stringent checks and

practices in place that keep you safe on any holiday with us, allowing you to relax and enjoy your experience.

We look forward to welcoming you on a tour with us soon,

With best wishes,

Steve Goodenough

Managing Director

“ ”

Travel is the only thing you

buy, that makes you richer

Anonymous

Front cover image: Sainte Chappelle, Paris, p56

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 3

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

WHY CHOOSE ART PURSUITS 6-7

SO MUCH INCLUDED 8

MEET THE ART PURSUITS TEAM 9

MEET OUR EXPERT LECTURERS 10-11

ITALY

RAVENNA Early Christian & Byzantine

Marbles & Mosaics

ITALIAN COURT CITIES The Rise of the

Italian City-state during the Reniassance

LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA

The Milk of Dreams

NEW 12-13

NEW 14-15

NEW 16-17

SOUTH TYROL Art in the Italian Alps 18-19

LE MARCHE Venetian Painters Abroad 20-21

FRIULI & TRIESTE Domain of Venetian Lion

and Habsburg Eagle

PARMA & PIACENZA Art, Architecture and

Gastronomy in the Duchy of the Farnese Family

LUCCA The Glorious Cities of Northern

Tuscany: Lucca, Pistoia, Prato & Pisa

RENAISSANCE FLORENCE Art & History in

the Time of the Medici

22-23

NEW 24-25

26-27

28-29

GERMANY

ROMANESQUE RHINELAND Romanesque

Art & Architecture in the Rhineland

REGENSBURG A Mediaeval Metropolis on

the Banks of the Bavarian Danube

FRANCONIA Artistic & Architectural

Treasures of Northern Bavaria

IMPERIAL SAXONY Treasures of Mediaeval

Art & Architecture in the Ottonian Crownland

DRESDEN Architecture, Paintings

& Treasures

SWABIA Art & History between Augsburg and

Stuttgart

BODENSEE One Lake, Three Countries,

Countless Treasures

NUREMBURG Treasures of Franconia,

Renaissance to Rococo

AUSTRIA

30-31

32-33

34-35

36-37

38-39

40-41

42-43

44-45

INN VALLEY In the Realm of the Last Knight 46-47

VIENNA From the Emperor’s Clothes to

Klimt’s Kiss

FRANCE

NEW 48-49

TOULOUSE Pilgrims & Heretics NEW 50-51

4 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

PROVENCE School of the South NEW 52-53

NANCY Flowers of Lorraine 54-55

MEDIAEVAL PARIS From Merovingian

to Valois

BELGIUM

NEW 56-57

BELGIUM From Ensor to Magritte NEW 58-59

CZECH REPUBLIC

THE AGE OF SPLENDOUR

Great Houses & Gardens of Moravia

PORTUGAL

LISBON Before the Earthquake: Mediaeval

Treasures & Renaissance Splendour

MOROCCO

MARRAKECH

City of Palaces, Gardens, Artists & Artisans

GREECE

60-61

NEW 62-63

64-65

RHODES The Mediterranean's Scepter'd Isle NEW 66-67

TURKEY

ISTANBUL The Capital of Empires 68-69

UZBEKISTAN

THE GOLDEN ROAD TO SAMARKAND

Art & Architecture of Central Asia

USA

72-73

NEW YORK Capital of Modern Art 74-75

UNITED KINGDOM

GEORGIAN ARCADIA Great Country

Houses and Landscape Parks of North

Yorkshire 1700–1800

76-77

DORSET Hidden Country Houses & Gardens 78-79

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTRY HOMES

From Renaissance to Baroque

GENERAL INFORMATION

80-81

HOW TO BOOK 82

TRAVEL INSURANCE 83

EXCLUSIVE GARDEN TOURS 84-85

SMALL SHIP OCEAN CRUISING 86-87

BOOKING CONDITIONS 88-89

TOUR CALENDAR 90-91

ARMENIA

ARMENIA The Hidden Land 70-71

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 5

WHY CHOOSE ART PURSUITS

TRAVELLING WITH ART PURSUITS

Art Pursuits has offered high quality tours since 2001, specially created for small groups of people with a shared passion.

Travelling in comfort, staying in stylish hotels and dining in fine restaurants, lovers of art, architecture, history and culture

can enjoy tours designed by experts and led by experts, who will add colour and bring a depth of understanding to your

travel experiences.

EXPERT LECTURERS

Key to your enjoyment and at the heart of every Art

Pursuits tour, our expert lecturers have been chosen for

their specialist knowledge and impeccable academic

credentials, but equally for their enthusiasm and their

passion. They are delighted to share your experiences, with

their expertise bringing each subject to life.

EXPERIENCED TOUR MANAGER

Carefully selected for their local knowledge, travel

experience and organisational skills, our small team of

friendly and experienced Tour Managers are an extension

of the Art Pursuits team and are always on hand to ensure

you enjoy a seamless travel experience. Your holiday

enjoyment is their priority and they will go the extra mile to

ensure everything meets your expectations, leaving you to

relax and enjoy every moment.

YOUR TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Travelling to and from your chosen destination is an

important part of your tour, with that in mind we use

flights with British Airways on most tours, and on occasion

will use alternative carriers to better suit the tour. Where

schedules allow we only select flights and train departures

at the most convenient times. All prices are based on

economy class but our team would be more than happy to

assist should you wish to upgrade.

Alternatively, you may prefer to make your own travel

arrangements at the start and end of your holiday, or even

extend your stay by a day or two. Please call us for details

and the price of your tailored tour.

UNIQUELY CRAFTED TOURS

Each of our unique tours has been carefully crafted with

you in mind. Guided by our experts and your feedback,

we have created a host of fascinating itineraries showing

you the iconic ‘must see’ sights and lesser-known gems in

some of the world’s most inspiring destinations. We pride

ourselves in taking care of the details, so every tour not

only meets, but exceeds your expectations.

The art of travelling and studying art and history in beautiful places

6

CAREFULLY SELECTED HOTELS

Carefully selected to match the style of the tour, our

hotels are very much part of what makes your tour

memorable.

We consider the best possible location, whether that

is in the centre of a city, or on a tranquil lakeside

shore. We place equal importance on the warmth

of the welcome, ambience and standard of service.

It may be characterful and quirky, or elegant and

contemporary, most of our hotels are four-star rated,

but all offer the high standards and comfort we know

you expect.

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS

The published price of all of our tours includes your hotel,

transport, entrance fees, taxes, driver gratuities, and the

services of our expert lecturer and Tour Manager. Each

tour includes some meals and where lunch or dinner is

included, wine, tea and coffee are also served plus we will

take care of waiter gratuities.

We welcome single travellers. Unfortunately, most hotels

charge more per person for a single-occupancy room than

for a shared room. However, to keep single supplements to

a minimum our tour price for single travellers only reflects

these actual costs.

OUR PERSONAL SERVICE

From your initial enquiry to your post-tour feedback, you

will enjoy the personal service of our small and friendly

team of travel advisors. With in-depth knowledge of all our

tours, they are on hand to share their expert advice and

answer all of your questions.

GROUP SIZE

To enhance your enjoyment of the tour you will be

travelling as part of a small group of like-minded people.

Groups are usually restricted to a maximum of 22 but

with an average group size of 17 you will be able to enjoy

private visits to unique venues and exclusive places that

would not be accessible to the wider public.

ACTIVITY AND FITNESS

Whilst each itinerary is designed to balance exploration

with relaxation, the nature of these tours means there will

at times be extensive walking and inevitably some long

periods of standing. If you have any concerns please do not

hesitate to call us and we will be happy to discuss in more

detail so you can decide if this is the right tour for you, or

help you find a suitable alternative.

SPECIAL VISITS

Many of our tours include exclusive visits to sites including

churches, private houses and collections. Occasionally a

venue may not be able to fulfil the special arrangements

we have made but please be assured we will always seek

out an interesting alternative should that situation arise.

FULL FINANCIAL PROTECTION

You can book with us and travel with confidence knowing

that as members of ABTA we are a fully bonded and

licensed tour operator with air holidays protected by ATOL.

Should you need to contact us when you are on holiday,

our Tour Manager is available 24/7 with access to our 24-

hour emergency contact.

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 7

SO MUCH INCLUDED .....

• Inclusive travel by air & selected tours by rail

• Private coach travel throughout

• Quality accommodation in carefully selected hotels

• Many dinners and lunches with wine, tea & coffee

• Unique itineraries expertly planned

• Guided visits and entrance fees

• Services of an experienced Tour Manager

• Expert Lecturer to guide you around

• Detailed programme and study notes

• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

8 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

MEET THE ART PURSUITS TEAM

STEVE GOODENOUGH

Steve gained his extensive knowledge

of the travel business over many

years before he joined the special

interest company, Arena Travel, in

2016 as Managing Director. Steve is

based in the Market Harborough office,

where he takes overall responsibility for all

the Arena Travel brands.

HELEN GREASBY

After studying Tourism Management

at University, Helen travelled

extensively in Europe and beyond

before working for several UK Tour

Operators and joining the Art Pursuits

team. Excellent customer service skills

and attention to detail enable Helen to organise your

travel requests with all the knowledge necessary to offer

you a dedicated service.

JULIE KIRKUP

Living in France for four years,

working as a bilingual PA, gave

Julie excellent skills which help her

in her role at Art Pursuits. Julie is

responsible for putting together our

programme of tours including France

and Spain.

MARION VAN HOECKE

Born in the Flemish part of Belgium,

Marion has lived in the UK since

1995, working as a PA whilst teaching

French and German - assisting

children with special needs. Marion

is now working as a freelance translator

and is an experienced Tour Manager for Art Pursuits.

CLAIRE JAMIESON

Before joining Art Pursuits in 2013,

Claire managed an independent travel

agency. This work took her around

the world researching the finer points

that make inspiring trips. Claire’s wide

knowledge of travel makes her the ideal

person to oversee all aspects of Art Pursuits

travel arrangements.

PATRIZIA LERCO

Patrizia lives in Venice where she

works for Art Pursuits, developing

our Italian tours and is a skilled and

experienced Tour Manager. Patrizia is

known to many of our loyal clients for

her personal care and commitment to

making sure the tours run smoothly.

AMY BALLINGER

Amy joined Arena Travel’s Cultural

and Garden Tours team two years

ago and her role is Brand Marketing

Assistant. Amy is able to use her

creative flair and organisational skills

to oversee marketing throughout our

Cultural tour division. Amy enjoys writing her own

tea and lifestyle blog in her spare time.

CHRIS DOWLING

Growing up in Venice, Chris

developed a passion for travel and

art history in the world’s most

beautiful city. He organises many of

Art Pursuits’ Italian tours as well as

creating tours and itineraries for students

of art history, political science and international

studies in Italy and Europe.

MELLISSA TAYLOR

Mellissa acquired her travel

experience whilst working for

companies ranging from the

luxury brand, Elegant Resorts, to

an educational tour operator and a

specialist destination company. Mellissa

oversees the Art Pursuits office in Buckingham.

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 9

MEET OUR

TOM ABBOTT

Tom Abbott studied psychology and art

history in the US before completing his

graduate research in the history of art and

architecture in Berlin, where he now lives.

Tom also studied at the Louvre School of

Art History in Paris and has lectured around

the world, specialising in architecture and art

from the Renaissance to the Baroque and beyond.

DR JUSTINE HOPKINS

Dr Justine Hopkins is a freelance lecturer

and writer, specialising in art of the

19th and 20th centuries. Justine has

taught for various universities, including

Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and London,

and lectures regularly for both Tate galleries,

the V&A, the National Gallery, and numerous

independent art groups.

DR ULRIKE ZIEGLER

Specialising in mediaeval art and in

cultural politics of post-war Germany

at the universities of Regensburg and

Aberdeen, Dr Ulrike Ziegler is a wellrespected

member of Art Pursuits and

has lectured at universities and for multiple

cultural institutions, along with organising and

leading many study tours in both Germany and Austria.

Ulrike is now working on Art Pursuits' German programme.

BARBARA PEACOCK

Barbara Peacock is Director of Wessex

Fine Art study courses and has run many

successful tours in both Britain and

abroad and lectures for the Art Society,

the Art Fund and for the National Trust.

She was a lecturer in the department of

Extra-mural Studies at the University of

Southampton.

ISABELLE KENT

Isabelle is an art historian, writer and

lecturer specialising in Spanish art. She

teaches regularly for the V&A, Art Fund,

Royal Academy and the University of

Cambridge. From 2017 to 2019 she worked

as the Enriqueta Harris Frankfort Curatorial

Assistant of Spanish Painting at the Wallace

Collection. Her book on collecting the art of Bartolomé Esteban

Murillo in Britain was recently published by CEEH. She received

her BA and MPhil in History of Art from Trinity College, Cambridge.

DR WILLIAM TAYLOR

Dr William Taylor has travelled and

lectured across the Middle East and

Central Asia and has published books

about these regions. As Chairman of

the Anglican and Eastern Churches and

vicar of St John’s church in Notting Hill,

London, William has personal contacts in many

monasteries and churches. He is a linguist and has worked in

Jordan, Cairo and Turkey; his PhD focused on Orthodox Churches

of the Ottoman Empire.

DR SALLY DORMER

As Director of the Early Mediaeval Year

Course at the V&A, Sally is an expert in

mediaeval art and history. She completed

her PhD at the Courtauld Institute, and was,

until recently, Dean of European Studies, a

study-abroad semester for undergraduates at

the University of the South and Rhodes College, TN, USA. Sally

also lectures for the Art Fund, the Arts Society, and Ciceroni.

NIGEL McGILCHRIST

Having lived and worked in the

Mediterranean area (Italy, Turkey &

Greece), for forty years, Art Historian,

Nigel McGilchrist has taught for several

universities in the USA and in Italy and now

lectures freelance. He has worked for the Italian

Ministry of Arts on wall painting conservation and

is the author of the 20-volume series, McGilchrist’s Greek Islands.

10

BEN STREET

Ben Street is an art historian, educator,

lecturer and writer based in London. He

is a consultant lecturer on modern and

contemporary art at Sotheby’s Institute of

Art and Christie’s Education, and a lecturer

at Tate, the National Gallery, Dulwich Picture

Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. He

has written numerous texts for museum and gallery publications

across the world and is the author of audioguides for major

exhibitions at the Royal Academy and Tate Modern. Ben is the cowriter

and presenter of ‘Duchamp’s Urinal’ for BBC Radio 4.

SUE ROLLIN

Sue Rollin specialises in the ancient

and Islamic Middle East, India and the

Mediterranean. An archaeologist, historian

and linguist by training, Sue lectures

for the Arts society and the V&A and has

led Study Tours in Spain, Sicily, Morocco,

the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Sue

speaks Spanish, Italian, French and German. She is co-author

of two travel guides: the Blue Guide to Jordan and Istanbul: A

Traveller’s Guide.

DR GEOFFREY NUTTALL

Following a career in publishing, Dr

Geoffrey Nuttall followed his wife into

art history. He is head of journals at

Cambridge University Press and had

gained a PhD, a study of artistic patronage

of Lucca’s great mercantile families at the

Courtauld Institute.

DR KATHY MCLAUCHLAN

Dr Kathy McLauchlan is Course Director of

three year courses at the V&A Museum.

After graduating from Oxford Kathy

obtained her PhD from the Courtauld

Institute with a thesis on the work of

students at the French Academy in Rome.

Kathy lecturers widely to adult audiences.

DR PAULA NUTTALL

Dr Paula Nuttall is an authority on Italian

and Netherlandish Renaissance Art and

director of the V&A’s Mediaeval and

Renaissance year course. Paula is the

author of Flanders to Florence and Face

to Face: Florence and Renaissance Painting,

and has lectured on many Art Pursuits' tours over

the years.

CLARE FORD-WILLE

Having lectured on European art,

architecture and sculpture, primarily

for the University of London, moving

on to the National Gallery, the V&A and

NADFAS, the independent art historian,

Clare Ford-Wille is a perfect member of Art

Pursuits – you’re sure to learn a lot during her

lectures.

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 11

RAVENNA

Early Christian & Byzantine Marbles & Mosaics

San Vitale

In Ravenna we see proof that although the Western Roman Empire weakened, and ultimately collapsed in the late 5th-

Century, incomparable artistic achievement continued into the mid-6th Century. By the time Alaric, the Visigoth, sacked

Rome, the Eternal City, in 410, Ravenna had been the imperial capital for eight years. Its 5th-Century Roman buildings,

including the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, are consequently among the finest that survive, an unlikely patrimony for what

had been a marshy, malarial garrison town. Ravenna’s

strategic and political importance has been established;

the Ostrogoths and in 540, the Byzantine army, fought

hard to capture it. The Ostrogothic king Theodoric and the

Byzantine Emperor Justinian made Ravenna their Italian

capital, and both endowed it with treasures unparalleled

in 6th-Century Italy. Most glorious are the mosaic and

marble filled interiors of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo and San

Vitale. Join Dr Sally Dormer on this tour, which explores

how Ravenna became one of the greatest cultural centres

Ravenna

in Italy, a rival to Rome and Milan.

12

PROGRAMME

NEW

Day 1

Early afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Bologna. We travel by

private coach to Ravenna to the four-star Palazzo Bezzi hotel in the

heart of the city.

Day 2

A day to explore Ravenna on foot, starting with San Giovanni

Evangelista and then the mesmerizing starry mosaic sky of the

5th-Century so-called Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, once part of the

church of Santa Croce. Next door rises the huge octagon of San Vitale,

erected a century later and internally adorned with the spectacular

mosaics of a Byzantine Emperor and his Empress, probably Justinian

and Theodora, and their entourage. After lunch we visit the Domus

of the Tappeti di Pietra, with its 5th and 6th-Century mosaics

adorning the floor of a private dwelling found under the church of

Sant’Eufemia. We will then walk to the Church of San Francesco, to

admire the tomb of Dante Alighieri. In the evening we will return to

the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia for a private exclusive viewing.

Day 3

In the morning, we will visit the baptistery of Bishop Neon, depicting

a stately procession in mosaic, of white-robed Apostles. The

Archiepiscopal Museum next door contains the early 6th-Century

Chapel of St Andrew and the Throne of Maximian, a unique ensemble

of mid-6th Century ivory panels designed as a bishop’s cathedra

or throne. We then visit the Cathedral to see some fine examples

of marble sarcophagi made in Ravenna in the 5th-Century. In the

afternoon we visit the so-called “Palace of Theodoric”, the impressive

remains of a building probably dating from the 7th or 8th-Century,

which may have housed the Exarchs (the city-governors). Close by

stands the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, built by the Ostrogothic

King Theodoric in the early 6th-Century. The mosaics, some of which

were later censored on account of their heretical Arian imagery,

contain fine representations of the city of Ravenna and the nearby

port of Classe at the time of Theodoric. The Arian Baptistry is a small

building, also constructed under Theodoric, with mosaics of the

Baptism of Christ, depicted as a beardless young man standing in

the River Jordan. The final visit of the day will be to the Mausoleum

of Theodoric, a monumental structure in Istrian stone, standing in

impressive isolation in a garden outside the city walls.

Day 4

In the morning we set off by coach to Classe, Ravenna’s Ancient

Roman port, where we will visit the excavations of the port and the

first of Ravenna’s eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, the 6th-Century

Basilica of Sant’Apollinare in Classe, which is dominated inside by

an apse mosaic of the Transfiguration. After a group lunch in a local

restaurant, we return to Ravenna for a free afternoon.

Day 5

In the morning we travel to Pomposa, a thousand-year-old abbey to

the north of Ravenna and one of the most evocative sites in the Po

delta. We will then stop in Bagnacavallo to visit the Pieve of San Pietro

in Silvis. After a group lunch in a local restaurant, we continue by

coach to Bologna Marconi airport for a late afternoon flight to London

Heathrow.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr Sally Dormer

TOUR DATES

14 – 18 May 2022

5 days

TOUR PRICES

£2,195 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £240

‘No flights’ price: £2,095 per person

Deposit: £450 per person

WHAT IS INCLUDED

• Return economy class flights from London

• Private coach transfers and excursions

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Palazzo

Bezzi, Ravenna

• Two dinners and two lunches

• Guided visits to monuments and museums listed in the

programme

• Services of the Lecturer and Tour Manager

• All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers

and waiters

ACCOMMODATION

Palazzo Bezzi, Ravenna

Palazzo Bezzi, is a four-star superior hotel in the heart of

Ravenna, only a few steps away from the centre and from the

most prestigious Byzantine mosaics. The hotel offers its guests

all the charm of its old tradition, combined with care and

attention to detail. Rooms are equipped with air-conditioning,

Wi-Fi, telephone, minibar, TV and hairdryer.

Palazzo Bezzi

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 13

ITALIAN COURT CITIES

The Rise of the Italian City-State During the Renaissance

Palazzo Ducale, Camera degli Sposi, Mantua

The rise of the Italian city-state during the Renaissance defines a period of paradoxical contrast. Although scourged by

often tyrannical rule and frequent territorial warfare, the great ruling dynasties of the period, among them the Montefeltro,

Malatesta, Sforza and Gonzaga families, enabled through their patronage a flowering of artistic, intellectual and

architectural ambition that gave birth to some of the most splendid examples of art and architecture of the Renaissance

period. This tour will explore the cultural flourishing of two of the most representative of Northern Italian court cities

– the romantic Mantua, known by locals as La Bella Addormentata, the sleeping beauty, and the picturesque Urbino.

In its island-like position in the middle of three artificial lakes, Mantua was the setting for one of the most illustrious

courts of the Renaissance Italy, ruled by the Gonzaga family from 1328. In the Renaissance the hill town of Urbino,

under the rule of Federico da Montefeltro, experienced a cultural flowering beyond compare. Federico’s Palazzo Ducale

is widely regarded as the most beautiful of Italian Renaissance palaces. We will end the tour visiting Pesaro and the

Villa Imperiale in the hills outside the city, an outstanding example of Mannerist architecture. This tour will bring to life

these vibrant cities, and the fierce rivalries between their noble families which served to stimulate the urban expression

of Renaissance ideals.

14 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Bologna. Transfer by private

coach to Mantua, our base for the first three nights of the tour. Upon

arrival in Mantua, enjoy an introductory walk including the 11th-Century

Rotonda di S. Lorenzo and the Cathedral of San Pietro. We will also visit

the Christian temple of Sant’Andrea, designed by Renaissance humanist

and architect Leonbattista Alberti, a ground-breaking example of Early

Renaissance church architecture.

A day in Mantua on foot. The grand Piazza Sordello, Mantua’s oldest

square, encapsulates the town’s history. Bordered by mediaeval palaces

and towers, this square has always been the political centre of town.

Next to the Episcopal palace and cathedral, a reminder of Mantua’s early

history, the labyrinthine complex of the Palazzo Ducale is witness to the

rise of the Gonzaga family. This monumental building with countless

rooms and an abundance of art ranging from Andrea Mantegna’s breathtaking

Camera degli Sposi to Isabella d’Este’s famous grotto and studiolo.

In the afternoon we visit the extraordinary Palazzo Te, a Mannerist

reinterpretation of an Italian villa suburbana, created by Giulio Romano

for Federico II to meet his private passions.

Full-day excursion to Sabbioneta where Vespasiano Gonzaga’s

architectural dream of an ideal Renaissance city became reality. In

the morning, our visit will take us to the Palazzo Ducale, the Teatro

all’Antica, designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi in 1588 and the church of

the Incoronata. After lunch we will visit the Palazzo del Giardino and the

Galleria degli Antichi before returning to Mantua for a free evening.

By coach to Cesena, where the Biblioteca Malatestiana, created for

Domenico Malatesta, stands as one of the great Renaissance libraries.

This unique foundation – the first civic library in Europe – has preserved

its appearance and codices since its opening in 1454. Onwards to Rimini,

where two Roman roads, the Via Flaminia and the Via Emilia, ended.

The Roman colony’s significance manifests itself in monuments such as

the Triumphal Arch of Augustus. Evidence of former Malatesta glory is

found in the Church of San Francesco, or ‘Tempio Malatestiano’, designed

by Leonbattista Alberti, with interior decorations by Agostino di Duccio

and Piero della Francesca. Continue to Urbino, our base for the last three

nights of this tour.

A day on foot in Urbino will allow us to discover the delights of the

Palazzo Ducale. The palace is home to the Galleria Nazionale delle

Marche, a magnificent collection of works by Paolo Uccello, Piero della

Francesca and Raphael.

Day 6

A short drive in the morning will take us to San Bernardino, the

mausoleum of the Montefeltro dukes, situated on the outskirts of Urbino.

We return to the Piazza del Mercato to walk up the steps leading to the

Oratorio di San Giovanni, beautifully frescoed with narrative scenes

in International Gothic Style, while the cathedral, substantially rebuilt

after an earthquake in the late 18th-Century, houses three altarpieces by

Frederico Barocci. The afternoon is free before a farewell dinner.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr Paula Nuttal

23 – 29 May 2022

7 days

£2,555 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £200

‘No flights’ price: £2,405 per person

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Casa

Poli, Mantua

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel San

Domenico, Urbino

• Three dinners and two lunches

• Guided visits to monuments and museums listed in

the programme

• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers

Hotel Casa Poli, Mantua

The contemporary Hotel Casa Poli is a four-star hotel located

in the heart of Mantua. Guest rooms are fully equipped with

Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, minibar, safe and a TV.

Hotel San Domenico, Urbino

Hotel San Domenico is a four-star hotel, converted from a

Renaissance convent located in front of the Ducal Palace

in Urbino. The building is stately but elegant and its Loggia

provides a perfect setting for breakfast. Rooms are spacious

and quiet and provided with all mod-cons.

Day 7

Morning visit to Pesaro on the Adriatic coast. In the 1530s Duke

Francesco Maria della Rovere and his wife Eleonora Gonzaga converted

a 15th-Century hunting lodge to become the palatial suburban Villa

Imperiale, a project so ambitious it was never completed. Terraced

gardens, loggias and a sunken courtyard are complemented by rooms

lavishly frescoed with tromp-l’oeil views of Arcadian landscapes. After

admiring the exterior of the Palazzo Ducale in Pesaro, we will stop for

lunch at a seaside restaurant before travelling on to Bologna airport for a

flight back to London.

Hotel San Domenico

Hotel Casa Poli, Patio

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 15

Milk of Dreams

Corderie dell'Arsenale

The Venice Art Biennale is the world’s largest and longest-running exhibition of contemporary art. Taking place every

two years, it attracts millions of visitors as well as artists, curators and dealers from across the world. Its main Pavilions

are set in the Giardini della Biennale, the gardens originally created by Napoleon on the eastern part of Castello, and

in the Corderie dell’Arsenale, the vast area of the Arsenale originally used by the ship-builders of the Serenissima to

make ropes for its navy. With now over 90 countries represented, many Pavilions are also found across the city in

many palazzi and museums. But the history and presence of modern and contemporary art in Venice go well beyond

the Biennale exhibitions. Throughout the 20th-Century Venice has been a focal point for art patrons and collectors,

brilliantly combining the new forms with the cultural heritage of the city into a unique and vibrant art scene. Peggy

Guggenheim made the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal her home, now housing her most celebrated

collection. She bought artworks around Europe and America in the first half of the 20th-Century, discovering artists

such as Pollock and collecting pieces by Picasso, Kandinsky, Duchamp, Klee, and Magritte among others, in a collection

embracing cubism, surrealism and abstract expressionism. More recently, the French businessman and art collector

Francois Pinault established his own exhibition space in the splendid setting of Punta della Dogana, the former customs

building of Venice, renovated by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando, a powerful rehabilitation of the setting in constant

interaction with the work of artists, curators and the international art world. Join our guest lecturer Ben Street on this

new tour as we discover the best and the latest in contemporary art at the Venice Biennale and the parallel exhibitions

taking place in museums across the city, embedded in the tradition and charm of Venice’s unique artistic heritage.

16

Early afternoon flight from London to Venice. Transfer by water taxi

from the airport to the four-star Hotel Saturnia in the heart of Venice.

After settling in your rooms, we will set out on a short orientationwalk

and visit one of the external Biennale Pavilions chosen by the

Tour Lecturer, Ben Street.

We will spend the day visiting the Giardini della Biennale, which have

been hosting the exhibition since its inception in 1895. We will visit a

number of the 30 national pavilions, which every two years showcase

the most significant contemporary artists in individually curated

exhibitions in stunning independent buildings, many of which were

Rietveld. Pavilions we will visit include France, Great Britain, the USA,

Austria, Holland, Belgium and Greece, among others. We will also

visit the first part of the main Biennale exhibition, which occupies the

central pavilion in the Giardini and features a wide array of the most

interesting international contemporary artists.

This day will be dedicated to visiting the Arsenale, the former

ship-building warehouses which, after being restored and adapted

technologically, are now fully given over to the other (and much

larger) part of the main exhibition. This huge exhibition is curated

by a single individual displaying many international artists, allowing

visitors to get a sense of the current thinking and practices of major

living artists. Many other national pavilions are also located in this

part of the city, for countries who do not have a permanent building

in the Giardini. These include Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, Malta,

Ireland, Ukraine, India, China and many others.

In the morning we travel by boat to visit Punta della Dogana, the vast

space of the former Customs-House of the Serenissima, renovated

by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, to see the latest contemporary

exhibition of François Pinault’s rich private collection. We will visit

the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, an extraordinary collection of

European and American art of the first half of the 20th-Century,

including works by Pollock, Picasso, Kandinsky, Duchamp, Klee,

and Magritte among others, created by the American heiress Peggy

Guggenheim in her former home on the Grand Canal. After lunch and

a short walk, we will visit the second half of Pinault’s exhibition space

in Venice, Palazzo Grassi.

In the morning we visit some of the off-site Pavilions hosted in the

Palazzi around the city, including the winning Pavilion of the 2021

Biennale dell’Arte. In the afternoon visit to either the Fondazione

Prada at Ca’ Corner, or the Gallery of Modern Art in Ca’ Pesaro before

being transferred by water taxi to Venice airport for a late afternoon

flight to London. As many of the national exhibitions of the Venice

Biennale and other temporary exhibitions won’t be announced before

the start of 2022, the above itinerary may be subject to changes.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Ben Street

19 – 23 June 2022

£2,395 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £268

‘No flights’ price: £2,245 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Venice

• Transfers between airport and hotel and excursions by

water-taxi

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel

Saturnia, Venezia

• Two dinners and one lunch

• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme

• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for water-taxi

drivers and waiters

Hotel Saturnia – Venezia

The Saturnia and International is an exclusive family-run

four-star hotel that enjoys a strategic position, nestled in the

heart of Venice, a short walk away from St. Mark’s Square

and La Fenice Theatre. Parts of the building date back to the

14th-Century, evoking a truly charming atmosphere and a

unique Venetian style with its historic setting and elegantly

exquisite furnishings. The hotel also has its own restaurant,

the Caravella, which offers Venetian cuisine with a gourmet

and contemporary touch.

Guggenheim collection, Venice

Hotel Saturnia

Bedroom

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 17

ITALY UK

SOUTH TYROL

Art in the Italian Alps

Castello del Buonconsiglio

South Tyrol, situated between snow-clad Alpine peaks and Mediterranean sun, is Italy’s northernmost region, bordering

Switzerland to the north-west, Austria to the north-east, and the rest of Italy to the south. The natural landscape along the

Adige and Isarco rivers is breathtakingly beautiful – their fertile plains covered by vineyards and orchards are flanked by

sheltered valleys and sublime mountains. The cultural landscape offers a wealth of highlights, both in proud hill towns and

in picturesque villages: the trade route across the Brenner

Pass along the Valle Isarco to Verona has been the main link

between central Europe and Italy for centuries. Extensive

fresco cycles of chivalric tales decorate the walls of the

province’s rugged castles, and murals of the Romanesque

to Baroque periods depict stories of the exemplary lives of

saints in no less imposing parish churches: for centuries

they have been accompanying merchants en route to

Venice, pilgrims on the road to Rome, and knights on their

quest to conquer the Holy Land.

Castel Roncolo

18

A morning flight from London Heathrow to Venice. Coach transfer

from the airport to Bolzano, stopping for lunch en route, before

arriving at your four-star hotel.

A day in Bolzano and surroundings: in the morning visit the richly

decorated churches and cloisters of the Dominican and Franciscan

friars. Afternoon excursion to nearby Castel Roncolo, rising high above

the Isarco River, with murals depicting scenes of chivalric pastimes.

Return to Bolzano via Gries whose parish church houses the shrine

of a fabulous Late Gothic altarpiece by Michael Pacher, one of the

greatest woodcarvers and painters working in Tyrol in the second half

of the 15th-Century.

A day spent in Vipiteno/Sterzing, founded in 14 BC as a Roman

military camp, it is Italy’s northern-most city, a mere ten miles from

the Brenner Pass and the Austrian border. In the Middle Ages lead

and silver mines in the nearby valleys attracted the attention and

patronage of the Fugger bankers from Augsburg: merchant houses and

the parish church of St. Mary, the largest between Munich and Verona,

reflect the town’s prosperity, as do the remaining figures, woodcarvings

and painted panels of an enormous winged altarpiece by Hans

Multscher from Ulm, displayed in the former House of the Teutonic

Knights.

Coach transfer to Missian and from there on foot past vineyards

and through shaded woods up a hill to the ruins of the castle of

Hocheppan, the Castello di Appiano, with spectacular views of the

Dolomites. In the castle’s courtyard, a 12th-Century chapel has walls

completely covered with superb frescoes of the early 13th-Century.

After a hearty Tyrolean lunch in the Castle Inn, return to Bolzano for

some free time.

Bressanone/Brixen is the region’s most beguiling town, its cathedral

combining Romanesque cloister walls covered in graceful frescoes

with baroque onion domes. The city’s prince-bishops amassed

artistic treasures in their palace – now a handsome museum – with a

magnificent Renaissance courtyard. After lunch a short coach trip will

take us to Novacella/Neustift, the most significant abbey in Tyrol, set

among award-winning vineyards. Visit the Baroque collegiate church

with famous ceiling frescoes by Matthäus Günther, the library with its

precious manuscripts, a maze-like art gallery, and the unique Baroque

gardens with fishpond and aviary.

Signs for the strada del vino will direct us to the charming town

of Tramin/Termeno which has given its name to the aromatic

gewürztraminer grape. There, perched on a little hill, the church of

San Giacomo in Kastelaz holds a 13th-Century frescoed menagerie of

fantastic hybrid creatures in one aisle, while in the other courtly saints

and angels tell the story of St James. After a lunchtime visit to one of

Tramin’s famous cantine, a short drive over to the village of Pinzano

whose parish church is home to one of the most beautiful carved

polyptychs of the late 15th-Century in the South Tyrol by Hans Klocker.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr Ulrike Ziegler

26 June – 2 July 2022

£2,625 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £275

‘No flights’ price £2,475 per person

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Parkhotel

Laurin, Bolzano

Parkhotel Laurin, Bolzano

The Laurie has welcomed guests since 1910. This four-star

hotel is perfect for art lovers, with magnificent original

artwork lining the walls of this hotel. Explore the hotel English

garden, with impressive trees, flowers and shrubs. Start the

morning with a cappuccino or relax after a day of exploring

with a cocktail in the bar. The suites all have induvial

handcrafted furniture and original works of art in each room.

For centuries the prince-bishopric of Trent vigilantly retained its

independence from the Counts of Tyrol and the Republic of Venice,

and paid only nominal allegiance to the German Empire. The city

became notable as the venue of the eponymous council (1545-63),

which articulated Counter-Reformation policy. Its principal buildings

– the duomo and the Castello del Buonconsiglio – are impressive

showcases of the prince-bishops’ glorious rule from the Romanesque

period to the secularisation of 1803, while grand and richly decorated

palazzi are fine manifestations of Renaissance town planning. In the

afternoon continue to Munich airport for a flight to London.

Vipiteno Sterzing

Parkhotel Laurin

Tramin

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 19

LE MARCHE

Venetian Painters Abroad

Church of Santa Maria de Portonovo

As the name suggests, Le Marche is a border area, and for centuries their territories were fiercely contested. At the end of

the Middle Ages this remote region of Italy was incorporated into the Papal States, though local lords and prelates were

nominally left in charge. This manoeuvred Le Marche — especially their southern reaches — into an off-piste position

in comparison with its more easily accessible neighbours of Tuscany and Umbria. Nonetheless, this land of ‘Sleeping

Beauties’ is home to some great art and architecture, ranging from the extraordinarily elaborate pilgrimage site of Loreto,

containing a Holy House miraculously transported to the town by angels, to the intensely mystical paintings of Lorenzo

Lotto, who was invited to the Le Marche by the Dominicans. Lotto was in fact just one of a number of major painters

from the Veneto who worked in the region at some point during their lives; these include such great names as Giovanni

Bellini, Carlo Crivelli and Titian, who were often attracted by the opportunities offered by the region’s numerous small

courts. Each hilltop town has its own distinctive atmosphere and beauty, ranging from the steep stony streets of Fermo

to the grandeur of many-towered Ascoli Piceno, from the solid bastions of Jesi to the melancholy charm of Recanati,

home to Italy’s greatest lyrical poet, Giacomo Leopardi. No-one gazing upon the delicate beauty of these hills crowned

by their mediaeval towns and villages can be in any doubt as to the source of the poet’s inspiration.

20 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Bologna. By coach along

the Via Flaminia to Rimini. A walk through the town to visit Tempio

Malatestiano by Leon Battista Alberti. Continue to Recanati, our base

for four nights.

Full-day coach excursion to Jesi and Pergola. The Civic Art Gallery

contains a number of fine works by Lorenzo Lotto, and an

extraordinary Rococo Gallery, one of the longest and most splendid

of its kind in Italy. After lunch, continue to Pergola to admire the

monumental Bronzi Dorati da Cartoceto di Pergola. Discovered nearby

in 1946 and possibly depicting members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty,

they are the only surviving gilt-bronze equestrian ensemble to survive

from Roman Antiquity.

Ancona, capital of the Le Marche, has been a major port since its

foundation by Greek settlers in 387 BC. The Arch of Trajan commands

over the harbour, while the Romanesque cathedral devoted to St

Cyriacus towers on the hill above. In the Pinacoteca Civica we will study

Titian’s enchanting Gozzi Altarpiece of 1520 and a Madonna and Child

by Carlo Crivelli. San Francesco alle Scale contains an Assumption

by Lorenzo Lotto. Continue to Santa Maria di Portonovo, a beautiful

11th-century church on the Conero Riviera, followed by lunch inside a

former Napoleonic fortress. Return by coach to Recanati.

Visit some of Le Marche’s charming hill towns, each with its own

individual appeal. Monte San Giusto acquired its own Renaissance

court under the Bonafede family; the church of Santa Maria della Pietà

has a fine Crucifixion by Lotto. In Belforte the church of Sant’Eustachio

contains a splendid International Gothic polyptych by Giovanni

Boccati. Tolentino’s principal church is dedicated to the local saint,

St Nicholas (d.1305). The great chapel of the church contains a cycle

of frescoes by the 14th-Century painter Pietro da Rimini. Back in

Recanati, an evening visit to the Museo Villa Colloredo Mels will

conclude with a recital of opera arias.

By coach to Fermo whose Duomo reveals Roman and Paleo-Christian

elements, including remains of a basilica dating from the 6th-Century

A.D. and mosaics in the apse reminiscent of those in Ravenna. The

Museo Diocesano has Thomas Becket’s Cassock, a gift of the saint’s

mother to the Church of Fermo in 1116. The Art Gallery in Palazzo dei

Priori hosts the paintings by the Venetian Jacobello del Fiore depicting

scenes of the life of St. Lucy. After lunch in the mediaeval borgo of

Torre di Palme, continue to Ascoli Piceno, for the first of three nights.

Ascoli Piceno has an unspoilt handsome historical centre lined

with magnificent, white Travertine-faced buildings. A morning walk

across the Roman Ponte di Solestà will lead us to the splendidly

austere Romanesque Baptistery and the Duomo with an altarpiece

by the Venetian Carlo Crivelli. More works of him are on show in the

Pinacoteca Civica. Some free time in Ascoli.

Full day excursion to Norcia, the birthplace of Saint Benedict. On the

way there we’ll stop for a coffee break at Castelluccio, internationally

renowned for its colourful meadows blossoming in spring and

summer. Return by coach to Ascoli Piceno for our final dinner in a local

restaurant.

20 – 27 September 2022

8 days

£2,950 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £295

‘No flights’ price £2,800 per person

Gallery, Recanati

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel

Palazzo dei Mercanti, Ascoli Piceno

• Four dinners and two lunches

Piazzo del Popolo, Ascoli Piceno

Expert Guest Lecturer, Nigel McGilchrist

Hotel Gallery, Recanati

Fronting a cobbled lane, this elegant hotel has valley views.

Featuring classic decor, the relaxed rooms provide flat-screen

TVs and room service is available 24/7. The air conditioned

rooms also feature a TV, minibar, safe and complimentary

Wi-Fi.

Hotel Palazzo dei Mercanti, Ascoli Piceno

Just a few steps away from Piazza del Popolo, beating heart of

the town since the Middle Ages, this historic residence faces

onto Corso Trento e Trieste, an important street of the old town

centre which crosses Corso G. Mazzini, the old “decuman”.

Shops, restaurants and cultural centres are all just a short

walk away. Rooms are fully equipped with a hairdryer, safe

and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Day 8

By coach to Spoleto. The Cathedral has outstanding frescoes by Filippo

Lippi and Pinturicchio. After lunch continue to Bologna airport for an

evening flight back to London Heathrow.

Hotel Gallery

Hotel Palazzo dei Mercanti

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 21

FRIULI & TRIESTE

Domain of Venetian Lion & Habsburg Eagle

Miramare Castle

Friuli Venezia-Giulia with its capital Trieste represents a true central-European cultural landscape, stretching between

the Carnic and Julian Alps and the vast lagoons of the Adriatic coast. Under the shared auspices of the Venetian Lion

of St Mark and of the double-headed imperial eagle of the Habsburgs, the threshold to the Balkans in the extreme northeast

of Italy has always stood apart for its own particular artistic, historical and even linguistic heritage, shaped by

Italians, Slavs and Germans. One of Italy’s five autonomous regions, it harbours many outstanding artistic treasures

from Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the century-long rule of the Serenissima: exquisite Roman and early Christian

mosaics in the former Roman metropolis of Aquileia, rare sculpture and goldwork in the Longobard stronghold of

Cividale, and brilliant frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo in Venetian Udine. Trieste, on the other hand, is an intriguing

combination of Mitteleuropa and the Mediterranean, a slice of Vienna by the sea, as exposed to the southerly Scirocco

and the north easterly Bora as it is to diverse cultural and political influences. Smaller towns such as San Daniele are

home to splendidly decorated churches and painted palaces, while the varied countryside is dotted with rugged castles

and elegant villas, little known even among Italians. In addition, the region offers delicious wines and culinary delights

from funghi porcini to prize-winning prosciutto, complementing this tour’s many artistic highlights.

22

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Venice. By coach to Sesto

al Reghena, a charming mediaeval borgo situated on the border

between the Veneto and the Friuli. Continue to Udine, our base for

three nights.

The delightful city of Udine lies at the heart of the Friuli. Its attractive

squares, palazzi and churches, connected by arcades, reflect Venetian

influence and the city’s role as the seat of the Patriarch of Aquileia.

The cathedral features a chapel decorated by Venice’s 18th-Century

superstar painter, Giambattista Tiepolo. From there continue to the

castle of Udine, home of the Civic Museums, with a fine collection of

Italian paintings. In the afternoon visit the Palazzo Patriarcale with

Tiepolo’s murals, demonstrating the panache of his brush and the

luminosity of his colours.

Full-day excursion to San Daniele to visit the Oratory of Sant’Antonio

Abate, featuring the most beautiful fresco cycle in the entire region.

Continue to Cividale, the Roman ‘Forum lulii’, which eventually gave

its name in corrupted form to the entire region of Friuli. This little

town has extraordinary treasures: the famous stuccoed Tempietto

Longobardo, an elaborate 8th-Century baptismal font and the socalled

Altar of Ratchis with Lombardic relief carvings. Return to

Udine.

A full-day excursion to Aquileia and Grado, among Ancient Rome’s

most powerful ports and subsequently as seat of a Patriarch, one of

the most impressive early Christian sites in Europe with breathtaking

4th-Century mosaic floors and an archaeological museum. Mainland

invasions forced Aquileia’s residents to seek refuge in the lagoon of

Grado. Continue to Trieste where the final three nights are spent.

The great sea port of Trieste, sitting at the foot of the severe Karst hills,

has diverse and contrasting parts. Walk through the centre to explore

this eclectic city from the Roman Theatre to the Art Nouveau coffee

houses frequented by literati such as James Joyce and Italo Svevo.

Enjoy a mid-morning coffee break in the historic Caffè degli Specchi

on the main square. After lunch coach to the Castle of Miramare,

a few miles from the centre of Trieste, the Habsburgic residence of

the Emperor Francesco Giuseppe’s younger brother. The castle was

with a spectacular panorama over the Riviera Triestina.

In the morning visit the Museum of Villa Sartorio that houses a

remarkable collection of drawings by Giambattista Tiepolo. Walk to

the Museo Civico Pasquale Revoltella, to visit the urban Villa of Baron

Revoltella, a wealthy businessman who contributed to the opening

of the Suez Canal. In his Villa we can admire his rich collection of

works of art. Coach to the Castle of Duino, historical dwellings of

the princes Thurn and Taxis. Built in the middle ages as a military

defence fortress, from the 17th-Century it became a humanistic court

hosting artists and intellectuals such as Franz Liszt, Johann Strauss,

Paul Valéry and Rainer Maria Rilke. During the First World War the

castle was on the front line and was badly damaged. It was restored

to its original splendour by the Thurn and Taxis family. Conclude our

visit with a walk along the Rilke path with breath-taking views over

the Adriatic sea.

1 – 7 October 2022

£2,595 per person

‘No flights’ price £2,445 per person

Astoria, Udine

Savoia Excelsior Palace, Trieste

Tempietto Longobardo, Cividale

Hotel Astoria, Udine

Astoria Hotel Italia is an elegant building situated in the

historic city centre, just at the front door of the pedestrian area.

Thanks to this excellent location, Guests can easily discover

the artistic, cultural and leisure activities of Udine. Rooms are

equipped with en suite bathrooms, air-conditioning, hairdryer,

Wi-Fi, safe, minibar, telephone and TV.

Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace, Trieste

Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace is a luxury hotel that immediately

evokes Mitteleuropean splendour. It was first opened in 1911

and throughout its history has hosted artists, diplomats and an

international elite travelling on their “Grand Tour”. The rooms

have been restyled with a blend of classical and contemporary

elegance. The hotel also has a quiet library and a gourmet

After breakfast, transfer to Venice airport for an afternoon flight back

to London Heathrow.

Xxxxxx Hotel Astoria

Hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 23

PARMA & PIACENZA

Art, Architecture & Gastronomy in the Duchy of the Farnese Family

Camera della Badessa

From the Romans to the Romantics, the city of Parma has a rich cultural history. It is the setting for Stendhal’s novel The

Charterhouse of Parma and the birthplace of Verdi and Toscanini. It is renowned for its gastronomy and for its violets,

introduced by Duchess Maria Luigia of Austria, Napoleon’s second wife, for whom Parma Violet perfume was created. Parma

is no less rich in artistic treasures. It boasts a magnificent Romanesque cathedral and Baptistery, decorated by the great early

mediaeval sculptor Benedetto Antelami. In the early 16th-Century, Parma was home to Correggio and Parmigianino, two of

the most original painters of the Renaissance. Until the 20th-Century Correggio was arguably more famous than Leonardo da

Vinci; a visit to Parma helps to explain why, affording a unique opportunity to experience at first hand his ground breaking

ceiling paintings in the city’s convents and churches. From 1545-1731 Parma was ruled by the Farnese, the descendants of

Pope Paul III, who created the Duchy of Parma for his illegitimate son. The vast Farnese palace, the Pilotta, now home to the

city’s art collection, boasts an impressive late Renaissance theatre, the Teatro Farnese. The surrounding countryside offers

further delights. Among these is the 15th-Century castle of Torrechiara, nestling among pretty vineyards, with its dazzling

Camera d’Oro, a rare survival of Early Renaissance secular decoration, glorifying the owner’s love for his mistress; the castle of

Fontanellato, wittily frescoed in mannerist style by the young Parmigianino, and the 18th-Century villa of Colorno, known as

the Versailles of Parma, where Duchess Maria Luigia cultivated her violets. And no visit to Parma would be complete without

tasting some of the region’s gastronomic delights. On our last day will visit Piacenza, the former capital of the Farnese duchy

where bronze statues of Alessandro and Ranuccio Farnese stand outside the beautiful late-Gothic town hall.

24

Take our afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Bologna, arriving

in the early evening. Transfer by private coach to Parma and our

centrally located four-star hotel, arriving in time for dinner.

This morning we explore the Romanesque centre of Parma on foot:

Piazza del Duomo and the exterior of its 1000-year-old cathedral

and, across the square, the octagonal Baptistery with its wealth

of Romanesque sculpture and late mediaeval murals. We also

visit the Diocesan Museum, which houses original sculptures by

Antelami from the Baptistery. After lunch we will focus on Correggio’s

revolutionary ceiling paintings, starting with the playful illusionism

of the Camera di San Paolo (an abbess’s parlour), continuing to the

ambitious dome of San Giovanni Evangelista and finishing with the

astonishing, proto-Baroque dome of the Cathedral.

Morning excursion to the hamlet of Torrechiara, nestling in the pretty

hills of the Colli di Parma, the area’s prime wine-growing region,

to visit the 15th-Century Castello di Torrechiara, a UNESCO World

Heritage Site, with its splendidly decorated rooms. The highlight is

the ravishing Camera d’Oro, depicting scenes of courtly love – a rare

survival of early Renaissance secular art by the Milanese painter

Benedetto Bembo, celebrating the love of Pier Maria de’ Rossi, Lord

of Sanvitale, for his mistress. Nearby, we visit a salumificio followed

by lunch with local products. We continue by coach to visit the

nearby Fondazione Magnani Rocca, an elegant villa set in a beautiful

early 19th-Century park, home to an impressive private collection,

including works by Filippo Lippi, Dürer, Titian, Goya and Monet.

In the morning we visit on foot the complex of Palazzo Pilotta, the

vast palace of the Dukes of Parma, which houses the magnificent

early 17th-Century Teatro Farnese, and the Pinacoteca Nazionale,

with masterpieces by Leonardo, Correggio and Parmigianino. We

continue to the elegant Renaissance church of Santa Maria della

Steccata with a remarkable Mannerist vault by Parmigianino. After

lunch we travel by coach to the small town of Fontanellato, to visit

another of the region’s jewel-like Renaissance castles, the Rocca di

Fontanellato, seat of the Sanvitale lords. Here Parmigianino frescoed

a stylish room with the myth of Diana, his earliest masterpiece. We

continue to Colorno, where we enter the very different world of the

18th-Century Duke of Bourbon-Parma, successor to the Farnese.

His French consort, Louise Elisabeth, daughter of Louis XV, created

monumental Ducal Palace and spectacular formal gardens, known as

the ‘Italian Versailles’.

Leave Parma by coach, our last visit is to Piacenza, the original capital

of the Farnese duchy. Colossal 17th-Century bronze equestrian

statues of Alessandro and Ranuccio Farnese dominate the aptly

named Piazza Cavalli outside the splendid late gothic town hall, while

in the imposing Romanesque cathedral we shall encounter our final

dome, by the Baroque painter Guercino. We continue to Milan airport,

for our afternoon flight to London Heathrow.

Expert Guest Lecturers, Dr Paula Nuttall and

Dr Geoffrey Nuttall

24 – 28 October 2022

£1,950 per person

‘No flights’ price £1,800 per person

• Return economy class flights from from London to

Bologna and Milan Linate to London

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Sina

Maria, Luigia

Hotel Sina Maria, Luigia

The four-star hotel Sina Maria Luigia, is in the heart of Parma.

Parma is famous for being the city of art, history and culture.

The common areas and rooms are particularly welcoming

with classic furniture, marbled floors and colourful painting.

The hotels bar and its fine dining restaurant add to making

this a perfect stay.

Lobby

Teatro Farnese

Hotel Sina Maria

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 25

LUCCA

The Glorious Cities of Northern Tuscany: Lucca, Pistoia, Prato & Pisa

Lucca

“A CHARMING MIXTURE OF ANTIQUE ‘CHARACTER’ and modern inconsequence; and not only the town, but the

country — the blooming romantic country which you admire from the famous promenade on the city-wall.” Henry

James’s musings in his Italian Hours still hold true: Lucca, at the foot of the Apennine Alps, beautifully combines

historical self-awareness with contemporary life, and its magnificent circuit of defensive walls and bastions is now the

domain of local cyclists and leisurely strollers. This part of Tuscany proudly upheld its status of an independent republic

against the Grand Duchy of Tuscany dominated by Medicean Florence. Lucca’s beauty is unassuming but never boring:

its marble clad churches and palaces contain artistic treasures ranging from the iconic tomb of Ilaria del Carretto

to masterpieces by Fra Bartolomeo and Filippino Lippi. As for the surrounding countryside, Henry James justifiably

reckoned that “nothing could be more charming than the country between Pisa and Lucca — unless possibly the country

between Lucca and Pistoia”: fertile soil covering south-facing slopes, an abundance of water and a mild climate have

made it one of Italy’s richest agricultural regions, at times resembling a gigantic nursery, which supplies cut flowers and

ornamental plants worldwide. Here, prosperous patrons — from silk merchants in the Cinquecento to Napoleon’s sister

Elisa in the early 19th-Century and beyond — built exquisite villas whose gardens reflect the luxuriousness of Lucchese

silks which came to rival those imported from the East.

26 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Pisa. After lunch in a local

trattoria, we will visit San Pietro a Grado, said to be where St Peter

celebrated the first mass on Italian soil and preserving a fascinating

Romanesque church. From there we will continue to Lucca and our

four-star hotel. After some time to settle in the rooms we will go for an

orientation walk to the Piazza San Michele al Foro.

Start the day with a meander up the tree-shaded Torre Guinigi, offering

the best view of the city. The tower and adjacent palace were the

home of Paolo Guinigi, prodigious ruler of Lucca in the early 15th-

Century. After a coffee break in the Mercato, we will visit the Archivio

di Stato in the nearby Palazzo Guidiccioni where we will have the

opportunity to look at some documents and illuminated manuscripts

associated with Lucca and its silk merchants, and have a tour of one

of the most important archives in Italy. In the afternoon we will visit

the church of San Michele in Foro, focusing on its role in the history

of Lucca, discussing Filippino Lippi’s Magrini Altarpiece, and the

church’s connections with England. Our walk will then take us past

the nearby church of San Salvatore in Mustolio and the Ospedale della

Misericordia, before reaching the Palazzo Mansi, the best-preserved

Palace in Lucca and one of the sites of the National Gallery of Lucca,

which still displays rooms furnished with Lucchese silk. On the way

back to the hotel we will stop at the church of SS Paolino e Donato, the

only Renaissance church in Lucca.

We continue our exploration of Lucca with a morning visit to the great

church of San Frediano. In the church we will focus on its evolution

from early Christian times to the 16th-Century, including works by

Jacopo della Quercia and Amico Aspertini. In the afternoon we will

travel by coach to Pisa, the traditional enemy of Lucca, their histories

intimately entwined. We will reach the Campo dei Miracoli and

visit the Campo Santo – with its great series of frescoes, including

Buffalmacco’s Triumph of Death in which the ruler of Lucca Castruccio

Castrocani degli Antelminelli has been immortalised. We will then

admire the interior of the baptistry and the cathedral.

Morning visit to the Cathedral to admire the Volto Santo: according

to legend this mediaeval crucifix was carved by Nicodemus and

miraculously brought to Lucca in 782. Artistically, the marble tomb of

Ilaria del Carretto, wife of Paolo Guinigi, by the Sienese sculptor Jacopo

della Quercia, takes pride of place for the touching portrayal of Lucca’s

first lady at the beginning of the Quattrocento. We will also visit the

nearby Museo del Opera del Duomo, and amongst other things look at

the fascinating Anteminelli Casket. In the afternoon we travel by coach

to the Apuan Alps near Carrara where quarrying of marble here dates

back to the 2nd-Century. Returning towards Lucca, we will stop for a

stroll around the beautiful main square of Pietrasanta.

Morning excursion by coach to Pistoia. We will spend the morning

visiting the Franciscan church of Sant’Andrea and the pulpit by

Giovanni Pisano – one of the most remarkable sculptures of the

14th-Century. In the afternoon, we will travel on to Prato, to see the

Cathedral, with its frescos by Filippo Lippi, the cathedral museum

and the pulpit by Donatello, and then end the day at the house of the

Merchant of Prato, Francesco Datini.

In the morning we will walk to visit the church of San Francesco and

the adjacent Museo Nazionale Villa Guinigi, originally the luxurious

suburban palace of Paolo Guinigi built between 1417 and 1419. The

highlight of the museum is the great altarpiece by Fra Bartolomeo, The

Ecstasy of Saint Catherine, as well as many other treasures spanning

the artistic history of Lucca.

17 – 22 October 2022

6 days

Double room for sole use supplement: £239

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast in the four-star Hotel

Palazzo Dipintio, Lucca

• Three dinners and one lunch

Filippino Lippi

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr Geoffrey Nuttall

Hotel Palazzo Dipinto, Lucca

Overlooking the picturesque Hotel Palazzo Dipinto, in the

heart of the historic center of Lucca, this ancient Palazzo was

converted in 2017 into a charming four-star Superior Boutique

Hotel, fitted with a contemporary and unique style. A skilful

renovation has transformed the historic 13th-Century building

into a refined design hotel, creating a modern and comfortable

environment that offers its guests advanced smart-home

appliances and impeccable, accurate services. In the historic

centre of Lucca, Palazzo Dipinto is a place where you can locate

a unique combination of tradition, technology and design. The

Hotel offers a perfect location to visit the city on foot with its

monuments and shopping streets; it is easily accessible and

is located a short distance from the most important tourist

attractions of the city. Rooms are equipped with hairdryer,

Wi‐Fi, safe, tea & coffee making facilities and TV.

Hotel Palazzo Dipinto

Restaurant

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 27

RENAISSANCE FLORENCE

Art & history in the time of the Medici

Bacchus statue

Florence has been hailed as ‘the cradle of the Renaissance’ – birthplace of a re-wakening of a Weltanschauung with man at

the centre of the cosmos. In this ‘città a misura d’uomo’ – a city made to human measure – Greek and Roman Antiquity were

rediscovered during the 14th and 15th centuries, and the Florentine elite endeavoured to revive Classical statesmanship,

society and art. As a result of this movement, Florence produced an extraordinary wealth of outstanding works of art: to

this day, its lavishly endowed churches and treasure-crammed galleries bear witness to the Tuscan capital’s enduring

creative prowess. Much of this was created under the

auspices of the Medici family who gained control over the

city’s political, financial and cultural fortunes during the

15th and 16th-Centuries. Powerful statesmen, enlightened

patrons and avid collectors, they and their contemporaries

stimulated a unique rebirth of Classical culture, from

Brunelleschi’s overwhelming cathedral dome to Botticelli’s

intriguing painted poem of the Primavera and Donatello’s

vigilant St George.

28 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

We fly from London to Pisa. Transfer to Florence by private coach.

After arrival at our four-star hotel, an initial walk will take us to the

Piazza della Signoria where the mediaeval severity of the Palazzo

Vecchio (exterior only) and the contrasting Renaissance clarity of the

Loggia dei Lanzi frame a unique outdoor sculpture gallery.

In the morning we visit the complex of San Lorenzo, the parish

church of the Medici family, with Brunelleschi’s harmoniously

proportioned church. Next, visit Michelangelo’s magnificent Medici

Chapels and the New Sacristy. The afternoon tour includes the

Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore, begun at the end of the 13th century

by Arnolfo di Cambio, while Brunelleschi completed it with his

spectacular dome a century and a half later, and the adjacent and

substantially older Romanesque Baptistery (exterior only). At the

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, we study Ghiberti’s gilt bronze panels

from the Baptistery Doors, Donatello’s haunting Penitent Magdalene

and Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietà.

The Bargello was built in the 13th century as the stronghold of

the leaders of Florence’s militia. In 1865, the year Florence briefly

became capital of Italy, the building opened as a National Museum

of sculpture, with works by Ghiberti, Donatello, Verrocchio and

Michelangelo. Beyond the Bargello rises the great Franciscan church

of S. Croce: murals by Giotto and his pupils cover the walls of its

chapels, while in one of its cloisters stands Brunelleschi’s exquisite

Pazzi Chapel. Donatello’s St Louis of Toulouse in the refectory was

originally made for the Orsanmichele, Florence’s guildhall. This

afternoon, we visit Palazzo Medici, with its enchanting frescoed

chapel depicting the Procession of the Magi by Fra Angelico’s pupil,

Benozzo Gozzoli. The church of Santa Trinita, features Ghirlandaio’s

accomplished frescoes in the Sassetti Chapel and an altarpiece

created in a Netherlandish manner.

Morning visit to Vasari’s monumental complex of the Uffizi, studying

its unrivalled collection of Florentine Renaissance pictures, including

works by Gentile da Fabriano, Piero della Francesca, Botticelli,

Mantegna, Leonardo and Raphael — to name just a few. A free

afternoon for further exploration of the galleries or to take a break.

The Dominican friary of San Marco is filled with works by Fra

Angelico. The colour, elegance and humility of his work is visible both

in his beautiful altarpieces and in the frescoes painted on the walls

of the friars’ cells in the monastery. In the afternoon, we will explore

the Dominican complex of S. Maria Novella, with Masaccio’s Trinity, a

magisterial demonstration of mathematical perspective in art. At the

end of the day, we will walk past Alberti’s Palazzo Rucellai (exterior

only).

22 – 27 November 2022

£2,690 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £290

‘No flights’ price: £2,540 per person

Deposit: £400 per person

• Return economy class flights from London Heathrow to Pisa

• Private coach transfers and for excursions

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel

Regency, Florence

• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities

Uffizi Gallery

Hotel Regency, Florence

Hotel Regency Florence situated in a quiet, residential area,

Hotel Regency is hidden away from the busy city centre,

yet only a short distance from Florence’s main tourist

sites, including the Accademia Gallery. Facing lush, green

parkland on one side and a historic square on the other, this

hotel, is one of the leading small hotels of the world offers

unparalleled service, with attentive, professional staff and

beautiful accommodation. Guest rooms are equipped with airconditioning,

TV, Wi-Fi, minibar, safe and hairdryer.

In the morning we walk across the River Arno to the Brancacci Chapel

at S. Maria del Carmine with its hugely influential fresco cycle by

Masaccio and Masolino. After lunch, transfer to the airport for our

flight to London Heathrow.

Hotel Regency

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

ROMANESQUE RHINELAND

Romanesque Art & Architecture in the Rhineland

Cistercian Abbey

Three fine Romanesque cathedrals – Worms, Speyer and Mainz – are an architectural focus of this tour through the Middle

Rhine. The Salian, or Frankish, dynasty ruled the Holy Roman Empire from 1024 to 1125 and made this area their centre.

Four successive kings became emperors and established a power base on the Rhine that reflected their influence. During this

period, they expanded their cathedrals to become some of the most spectacular in Europe. Mighty Speyer cathedral became

the largest church in the Western Christian world and burial place of the Salian dynasty. All three cathedrals are good

examples of Middle Rhenish Romanseque architecture,

featuring stone-vaulted basilicas with impressive silhouettes

rich in spires, cylindrical turrets, and arcaded galleries. The

remains of the abbey at Lorsch and the imperial palace

at Ingelheim are testimony to the Carolingian vision of

a Northern European empire of two centuries earlier.

The Hessisches Landesmuseum in Darmstadt offers a

significant collection of mediaeval ivories and gold-work,

complementing the architectural gems.

Mainz

30 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Late morning flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt. Coach

transfer to your five-star hotel in Mainz and some time to settle into

your rooms. In the late afternoon an introductory walk will acquaint

us with Mainz’s history from its Roman foundations to Mark Chagall’s

stained-glass windows.

A day on foot in Mainz, starting with an extended visit to the

cathedral and its richly endowed treasury. From the early Middle

Ages, the archbishop of Mainz became second in command after the

emperor, as imperial chancellor and one of the seven prince-electors.

The cathedral, begun after 975 and added to until the 13th-Century, is

richly furnished with episcopal tombs and rare 10th-Century bronze

doors. The treasury houses sculpture by the so called Naumburger

Meister, named after his famous works in Naumburg cathedral in

present-day Saxony Anhalt. In the afternoon we will visit an absolute

must-have although not Romanesque – the Gutenberg museum with

its fine collection of manuscripts including two Gutenberg Bibles and

spectacular Renaissance books.

Full day coach excursion to Speyer. Of Roman origin, Speyer became

an Episcopal see early in the Middle Ages. In its major parts the

imposing cathedral survives as erected by the Salian emperors. The

crypt, consecrated in 1041, houses the tombs of German emperors

and kings from the 11th to the 13th centuries. Funerary and liturgical

objects from the cathedral are on display in the treasury. Speyer’s rich

Jewish cultural and architectural heritage is worth a visit. Together

with Mainz and Worms, the city accommodated one of the earliest

Jewish communities in the Holy Roman Empire and we will explore

the remains of the synagogue and mikveh, the ritual purification

bath, both the oldest surviving in central Europe.

A day spent in the Rheingau region, scenic gateway to the nature

reserve of the Middle Rhine Valley and home to world-famous

vineyards. In the morning, we’ll visit the remains of the Carolingian

palace of Ingelheim and the associated museum. Legend has it that

it was Charlemagne himself, looking out from his Ingelheim palace,

who decreed the planting of vines along the hillsides. St Bernard of

Clairvaux established the Cistercian abbey of Eberbach in 1136 and

the abbey church remains unscathed by time and alterations. Over

lunch in the abbey, we taste some of the famous Rheingau Rieslings

from its extensive vineyards. In the afternoon, take a private boat

along a scenic stretch of the Upper Middle Rhine, now a UNESCO

world heritage site, to see the historic towns, vineyards and castles

that inspired artists including J.W. Turner.

21 – 26 March 2022

Double room for sole use supplement: £259

• Return economy class flights from London to Frankfurt

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Hyatt

Regency, Mainz

Hyatt Regency, Mainz

The five-star Hyatt Regency is located along the Rhine River

near Mainz, set in the Old Town. There are two restaurants, a

terrace and a bar. The bedrooms included high-speed internet

access, television, telephone, individual climate control, safe,

coffee and tea making facilities and a minibar.

Full day coach excursion to Worms and Lorsch. A short coach trip

will take us to one of Germany’s mediaeval architectural highlights:

the gatehouse of the former abbey of Lorsch – small but perfectly

formed - an outstanding and exceptionally well-preserved example

of Carolingian architecture. Worms is a city steeped in history: key

moments of the Nibelungen saga are set there; in 1122, the Concordat

of Worms ended the investiture controversy between pope and

emperor; and in 1521, Luther was summoned to the Diet of Worms to

recant his writings. Our walk around the city will focus on the 12thcathedral,

whose foundations go back to 1018.

After some free time in the morning we take the coach to nearby

Darmstadt for a visit of the Das Hessisches Landesmuseum with

its exquisite Romanesque ivories and goldwork. In the afternoon

transfer to Frankfurt airport for a flight with BA to London.

Mainz Cathedral

REGENSBURG

Mediaeval Metropolis on the Banks of the Bavarian Danube

Regensburg

The origins of Regensburg, situated on the northernmost point of the Bavarian Danube, lie behind the sturdy Roman walls

of Castra Regina. Built to intimidate and ward off Germanic tribes these walls did not only defy fierce attacks but also the

disintegration of the empire itself. As a mighty fortress it served the Bavarian dukes as residence and first capital of the

Duchy of Bavaria. Since the 8th-Century Ratisbona was favoured by visits of Frankish kings and emperors as well as by

the establishment of an Episcopal see. Its citizens developed into undaunted and enterprising merchants dealing in luxury

goods from all over the then known world. Regensburg’s political significance and economic prosperity soon precipitated

in major ecclesiastical and secular building projects. An exceptionally large number of these outstanding architectural

treasures from a Carolingian ring crypt to a grand Gothic cathedral have survived the ravages of time. Furthermore, the

virtually intact mediaeval townscape, listed as UNESCO World Heritage, makes Regensburg so memorable. This tour focuses

on the riches and often hidden treasures of mediaeval art and architecture in Regensburg, some of which are only accessible

by special appointment. The region’s other towns may be less well-known but are just as attractive: Straubing and Landshut

are mediaeval towns founded by the Bavarian dukes brimming with art and architecture from late-Gothic to Renaissance

and Mannerism. The surrounding countryside invites exploration of an unspoilt landscape of cliffs, rivers and forests, which

inspired Albrecht Altdorfer and the painters of the Danube School in the early 16th-Century to “invent” landscape painting.

Travelling by coach and by boat we will discover this less well-known, yet culturally rich part of Bavaria.

32 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight with BA from London Heathrow to Munich. By private

coach to the well-preserved town of Landshut, once second residence

to the Dukes of Bavaria. Perched above the town, Trausnitz Castle

contains a stunning late-Romanesque chapel and rare Renaissance

wall-paintings. From there continue to Regensburg for an introductory

walk past the surviving Roman city gate to the mediaeval bridge across

the Danube.

Explore the unspoilt mediaeval centre of Regensburg on foot: the

morning focuses on the Gothic cathedral embellished with beautiful

sculpture and stained-glass windows. Its freshly restored cloister

with 11th- and 12th-Century chapel is a special highlight (by

special appointment). The afternoon is dedicated to the history and

monuments of the Imperial Free City, such as the town hall and wealthy

burghers’ houses. The church and cloister (by special appointment) of

the Scottish Benedictine abbey of St James is a gem of Romanesque

architecture.

Excursion to the market town of Straubing, where the

Gäubodenmuseum houses a stunning Roman hoard treasure. The

town’s main church of St James is a splendid example of a Late Gothic

hall church, while the basilica of St Peter is a Romanesque building

virtually untouched by later interventions. In the afternoon return to

Regensburg via the Neoclassical temple of the Walhalla. Located on a

hilltop above the Danube a great vista connects this national monument

with the Neo-Gothic spires of Regensburg cathedral seen in the

distance. From here, a private boat will take us back into the city.

A second day in Regensburg will take us to the abbey of St Emmeram.

The church boasts an unparalleled wealth of three mediaeval crypts

ranging from Carolingian to Salian (special access) while its cloister is

an art historical picture book of Gothic architecture. In the afternoon,

the coach will take us to Regensburg-Prüfening (special access) where

another Benedictine abbey church begun in 1108 boasts stunning 12th-

Century fresco paintings in the church’s choir end.

In the morning the coach will take us to Kelheim from where we take

a boat through the nature reserve of the Danube gorge, the deepest

and narrowest section of the Bavarian Danube. Our destination is the

Benedictine monastery of Weltenburg, situated at one of the river’s most

beautiful spots. Apart from savouring some of the culinary delights of

the abbey’s production we focus on the exceptional abbey church built

and decorated by Cosmas Damian Asam in the early 18th-Century. From

here continue to the village of Rohr, to admire the spectacular “theatrum

sacrum” of the Assumption by Egid Quirin Asam of the early 1720.

29 April – 5 May 2022

£2,550 per person

‘No flights’ price £2,400 per person

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Goliath am

Dom, Regensburg

• Guided visits monuments and museums listed in

Hotel Goliath am Dom, Regensburg

A four-minute walk from Haidplatz (a historic city square),

this quirky hotel is 7 minutes' walk from Regensburg Museum

of History and 1.1 km from Regensburg railway station.

Individually designed, colorful rooms have natural stone en

suite bathrooms, plus free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minibars.

Upgraded rooms add living areas with pull-out sofas, plus

designer toiletries. Room service is offered.

A day on foot in Regensburg. Our morning walk will take us to the

subterranean chapel of St Erhard (by special access), a 10th-Century

edifice with a building history still not fully deciphered. The nearby

Niedermünster church houses St Erhard’s outstanding early Gothic

tomb. Our visit to the History Museum focuses on the paintings of

Albrecht Altdorfer and further superb early Gothic sculpture. The rest of

the day is free.

Return to Landshut to visit the recently restored Gothic parish church of

St Martin whose belfry is the tallest brick structure in the world. A short

walk will take us to the Stadtresidenz, an elegant Italianate Renaissance

palace which came to replace the castle seen on the first day. After

lunch continue to Munich for a late-afternoon flight with BA to London

Hotel Goliath am Dom

Mediaeval Regensburg

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 33

FRANCONIA

Artistic & Architectural Treasures of Northern Bavaria

Bamberg

Franconia, situated within the north of Bavaria, is home to many of Germany’s greatest mediaeval and Renaissance

treasures. Its idyllic landscape of rolling hills and winding rivers is packed with proud towns and castles, monasteries

and pilgrimage sites, from romantic Rothenburg and Bamberg’s majestic 13th-century cathedral to the exquisite rococo

jewel at Vierzehnheiligen. Franconia is home to the brilliance of Germany’s most significant Renaissance artists: Albrecht

Dürer, the complete personification of Renaissance Man north of the Alps, and the sculptors Veit Stoss and Tilman

Riemenschneider, whose statues, reliefs and altarpieces are stunning virtuoso masterpieces in limewood and alabaster.

Franconia prides itself on the beauty of the baroque architecture and art best exemplified with the magnificent Palace of

the Bishops of Würzburg, resplendent with the world-famous Ceiling Fresco of the great Venetian Artist, Tiepolo.

Opulent interiors, city structures, and garden landscapes create the magnificent baroque city of Bayreuth. Though

famous for its Richard Wagner associations, the focus of our visit to the Franconian town of Bayreuth is in fact the

creations of the intellectual Princess of Prussia, Wilhelmina, who in the mid-18th century transforms a sleepy residence

town to a cultural centre of European relevance. As we explore the natural and cultural delights of Franconia, we reside

in the picture postcard ambience of Bamberg, with its inspiring mediaeval and baroque architecture and art. Join our

Art Pursuits Abroad Tour to Franconia and delight in the joy of beauty.

34 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

A late morning flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt. By private

coach to Würzburg, capital of one of Germany’s most influential

bishoprics, for a visit to the massive Marienberg fortress, home of

the prince bishops from the eighth to the early eighteenth centuries.

Its wine cellars and commander’s apartments house an exquisite

collection of stone and wood sculptures by Riemenschneider among

many other treasures from episcopal country houses. In the late

afternoon continue to your four-star hotel in Bamberg, one of the

most beautiful small cities of Europe, where all five nights of this tour

will be spent.

A day in Bamberg on foot to explore this unspoilt city. The morning

is dedicated solely to the magnificent cathedral, combining

Romanesque and Gothic elements, and embellished with fine

sculpture, most notably the Bamberg Rider, icon of the Age of

Chivalry. In the afternoon explore Bamberg’s beautifully preserved

city centre, walking past the town hall, uphill to the Carmelite cloister

with historiated capitals, and downhill to admire the handsome

façades of Baroque mansions.

Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber – formerly an Imperial Free City – is

almost perfectly preserved with its late mediaeval town walls

and half-timbered houses – almost too romantic to be true. St

Jakob, the town’s Late Gothic double-choired hall church, houses

Riemenschneider’s stunning Holy Blood altarpiece. After lunch,

another Riemenschneider ‘miracle carved in wood’ will be waiting for

us in the remote pilgrimage church of Creglingen.

Bayreuth is home not only to Richard Wagner’s Festspielhaus, but

also to great Baroque buildings, from the exquisite opera house to

the landscaped park, hermitage and hugely entertaining grottoes of

the Eremitage, built for Margravine Wilhelmine, favourite sister of

Frederick of Prussia. Return to Bamberg via the great 18th-Century

basilicas of Banz and Vierzehnheiligen, embodiments of baroque

stately grandeur and of rococo ‘meringue’ delicacy.

A morning excursion will take us to the privately owned Schloss

Weissenstein, trendsetting Baroque summer palace of a Bamberg

bishop, for a special tour around the private apartments and a superb

18th-Century private collection of paintings. Return to Bamberg to

visit the Diocesan Museum in the cathedral cloister, which has a

stunning display of 1000-year old imperial vestments, above all the

purple and gold embroidered stellar cloak of Emperor Henry II. The

late afternoon and evening will be free for you to go on a boat trip on

the river or to stroll through the cobbled streets with their attractive

mediaeval and Baroque buildings.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Tom Abbott

17 – 22 May 2022

Double room for sole use supplement: £250

Deluxe single room supplement: £195

‘No flights’ price £2,045 per person

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Villa

Geyersworth, Bamberg

Villa Geyersworth, Bamberg

Our hotel in Bamberg consists of two restored villas and a

newly built wing in Tuscan style with a breakfast room and

an idyllic terrace overlooking the river. A sauna, cardio-fitness

area and an underground parking garage are also on offer at

this hotel. Our rooms are equipped with TV, hairdryer, Wi-Fi,

minibar, safe & telephone.

A second visit to Würzburg will focus on the colossal prince-bishops’

palace, built by Balthasar Neumann in the second quarter of the 18th-

Century. The enormous ceiling fresco of the staircase miraculously

survived disastrous air raids of 1945 and is testament to the genius of

the Venetian Giambattista Tiepolo. After lunch in one of Würzburg’s

best and most typical restaurants continue to Frankfurt for a late

afternoon flight to London Heathrow.

Hotel

Bayreuth

Marienberg Fortress

IMPERIAL SAXONY

Treasures of Mediaeval Art & Architecture in the Ottonian Crownland

Imperial Palace, Goslar

Saxony’s career within the mediaeval German empire is striking. It took Emperor Charlemagne over 20 years to subjugate

the rebellious Saxons and make them a loyal member of the Frankish Empire. And only some 100 years later, Saxons

successfully rule the vast realm as emperors themselves. With the election of the Saxon duke Henry I to the royal throne in

919, the Ottonian dynasty’s rise to power began. By founding palaces and endowing the church, they distinguished their

Saxon heartland stretching from the fabled, densely forested Harz Mountains to the sandy plains around Magdeburg on

the river Elbe. Quedlinburg, one of the region’s many beautifully preserved and sensitively restored towns, became the

preferred site of imperial visits. Some of Germany’s most spectacular Ottonian architecture is to be found in and around

this delightful half-timbered town. To enforce their rule, the emperors heavily relied on the learned bishops of their realm.

Their impressive cathedrals in Hildesheim, Halberstadt, and Magdeburg, replete with sumptuous sculpture in stone, wood,

stucco and bronze, testify for Saxony’s international artistic connections at the time. The wealth of church treasuries

in this region, the precious metalworks and textile arts they hoard, are hardly paralleled anywhere else in the country.

Monumental works of art in bronze – church doors, chandeliers, a throne and an altar – are preserved in pristine conditions

in Goslar and Hildesheim. When the Ottonian house became extinct in the male line, power shifted from Saxony to the

Rhine. However, the new Salian emperors remained loyal to Saxony, again testified by artistic treasures created for Saxon

institutions on imperial commission. And not before long, a Saxon duke, Henry the Lion, will challenge imperial power by

marking his claim to the throne with yet another palace and church building, this time in his residence at Braunschweig.

36 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Berlin. Transfer by private

coach to Magdeburg. Its cathedral – a miraculous survival of the

vagaries of the city’s troubled history – is among Germany’s most

impressive. It was begun in 1207 after the original building, erected

at the instigation of emperor Otto the Great, had burnt down. The

rebuilding’s architectural styles and rich decorations include the

remains of an Ottonian crypt and spectacular early Gothic sculptures,

incunabula’s of the new style in Germany. Continue to Quedlinburg to

our cosy four-star hotel, our base for the first three nights.

Leave the hotel on foot for an exploration of Quedlinburg. Perched

upon a hilltop above town, the collegiate church of St Servatius offers

an abundance of 10th to 12th-Century art and architecture including

exceptional fragments of a knitted carpet and an awe-inspiring crypt

with the tombs of the first Ottonian king, Henry, and his wife. After

visiting the archaic Wiperti crypt we take a short coach ride to Gernrode

for a visit of the collegiate church of St Cyriakus, a rare, almost complete

survivor of Ottonian church architecture.

Full-day coach excursion. En route to near-by Halberstadt we visit

the outstanding Romanesque collegiate church of St Pankratius at

Hamersleben. With its freshly restored architecture it evokes the severity

of Cluniac monasticism. Halberstadt’s cathedral is a perfect example of

French Gothic transferred onto Saxon soil. Fine sculpture and stainedglass

windows embellish the interior, while in the adjacent cloister three

large 12th-Century tapestries and precious Byzantine reliquaries are the

main attraction. Across the cathedral square, the Romanesque former

Augustinian collegiate church has a rare choir screen adorned with

polychrome stucco relief figures.

A scenic coach ride takes us right through the Harz Mountains, past

the legendary Broken, and to Goslar. The town gained importance

when silver mines were discovered in the vicinity and an imperial

palace was first erected in the 11th-Century. Although its grand hall

has been lavishly decorated with a 19th-Century cycle of historicising

wall paintings, the architecture is a rare survivor of secular architecture

of the Ottonian-Salian period. Two major works of bronze art, an

altar and a throne, document the throne controversies between the

excommunicated emperor Henry IV and his rival, the counter-king

Rudolf. Continue by coach to Hildesheim. First of three nights in

Hildesheim.

A day on foot to explore Hildesheim. In the morning we visit St

Michael’s church. This magnificent building represents the epitome

of grand Ottonian architecture with its double choirs and transepts,

monumental crossing towers and the newly invented cushion capital.

The recent, exquisite refurbishment of the cathedral has created a

most tasteful surrounding for the outstanding works of art it houses. A

plethora of goldsmith works is on display in the treasury situated in the

cloister with its fabled 1000-year old rose. The church of St Godehard

offers well-preserved 12th architecture with elaborately carved capitals.

Half-day coach excursion to Höxter. The abbey of Corvey lies idyllically

just outside Höxter. Founded in the 9th-Century, the imposing westwork

of the abbey church is among the most important architectural remains

of the Carolingian era. Return to Hildesheim for a free afternoon.

By coach to Braunschweig (Brunswik), once the residence of the Saxon

Duke Henry the Lion and his English wife, Matilda. To underline his

claim to the imperial throne, Henry rebuilt the ducal castle in a grand

style modelled on the imperial palace in Goslar. Today’s cathedral of

Braunschweig was built as Henry’s and Matilda’s burial church and

lavishly decorated. After free time and an early dinner together, we set

off for Berlin airport and the flight back to London Heathrow.

£2,450 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £199

‘No flights’ price: £2,300 per person

• Three nights’ bed and breadfast at the four-star Romantik

Hotel am Brühl, Quedlinburg

• Three nights’ at the four-star Van der Valk Hotel, Hildesheim

• Four dinners and one lunch

Romantik Hotel am Brühl, Quedlinburg

Opened in 1992, the Romantik is spread across a number

of lovingly restored, listed buildings. A timbered barn that

was previously home to a seed-growing company, a palace

from the Gründerzeit period formerly owned by the Harzer

Likörfabrik distillery and a barn with a Prussian vaulted

ceiling and cast iron columns surround the hotel’s beautifully

green garden. Room facilities include, Wi-Fi, a TV, radio,

telephone, minibar & hairdryer.

Van der Valk Hotel Hildesheim

Located directly on the historical market square. Behind the

landmarked half-timbered and Rococo façade, the four-star

hotel offers a stylish Restaurant Gildehaus and the modern

Stadtschenke Bar. The hotel has a swimming pool, sauna and

fitness room and the Valentina Cosmetic Salon. The cultural

highlights in the city include the 1000-year-old rosebush,

the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Cathedral and St.

Michael’s Church and one of the most renowned collections

of Egyptian art and culture in Europe. Room facilities include,

air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, a TV, radio, telephone, tea & coffee

making facilities & hairdryer.

DRESDEN

Architecture, Painting & Treasures

In association with

the V&A

Frauenkirche Dome

There is every reason to visit Dresden. Although a small city, it is packed with architectural and artistic treasures, from

the Renaissance stable wing of the Royal Castle and Green Vaults to the magnificently rebuilt Frauenkirche of Dresden’s

glorious 18th-Century era. Even more outstanding are Dresden’s collections, enthusiastically amassed by the Electors of

Saxony, culminating in their acquisitive passions for porcelain and paintings, mainly by Augustus the Strong and his son,

Friedrich Augustus, in the late 17th and 18th centuries.

Probably inspired by the example of Louis XIV of France, Augustus the Strong began a systematic founding and

accumulation of his specialist collections. These were to become known throughout Europe and were a focus for study

by artists and all kinds of visitors. Augustus' Treasury, the Kunstkammer and the Silberkammer, the Grunes Gewolbe or

Green Vaults came to be the first treasure museum opened to the public. Augustus the Strong purchased Roman antique

sculptures which now form the basis of the Skulptursammlung in the Albertinum. He had a passion for Oriental porcelain

and devised the Japanese palace across the River Elbe to house his collection. Clocks and instruments were separated from

the Kunstkammer and turned into a separate museum, the Mathematische-Physikalische Sammlung. Again, drawings

and prints were catalogued and also put together to form the Kupferstich Kabinett. Augustus' enthusiasm was boundless

and there was scarcely a field of knowledge with which he was not involved. He sent the first zoological expedition

to Africa and commissioned a publication on Saxon folk costumes. An anatomy collection, a zoological museum and

collection of minerals were founded. Augustus the Strong was succeeded by his son, Friedrich Augustus II, who was

primarily interested in the visual arts and added significantly to the collection of paintings. It was during his reign that a

hundred paintings came from the Duke of Modena's collection and Raphael's Sistine Madonna was also acquired.

38 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly from London to Berlin. Transfer by private coach to our hotel in

Dresden. Take an introductory walk of the local area before enjoying a

group dinner in the hotel.

Our first day in Dresden focuses on a tour of the Royal Palace, with the

New Green Vault, the Armoury and the vast ornate tents and armour

of the Turkish Chamber. In the afternoon, continue the tour with a

visit to legendary Green Vault, displaying a dazzling collection of gold

and silverwork, and the recently renovated royal State Apartments.

Our final visit this afternoon is to the Frauenkirche, resplendent with

its characteristic dome. The church suffered heavy bombing during

World War II but was eventually, and painstakingly, reconstructed and

restored to its original 18th-Century glory following the fall of the Iron

Curtain. Today it stands as a symbol of reunified Germany. The evening

is free for an independent dinner.

The Royal Palace, residence of the electors of Saxony, and the later

Baroque Zwinger, originally designed as an orangery and a setting

for court festivities, constitute the city’s princely centre. Visit the

Zwinger’s Old Masters Picture Gallery, filled with masterpieces by

renowned painters including Raphael, Giorgione, Botticelli, Vermeer

and many others. In the afternoon, a visit to the New Masters Gallery

in the Albertinum will take in examples of German Romantic painting

(Caspar David Friedrich) and works by the artists of the Expressionist

Brücke group. Continue to the Hofkirche, Dresden Cathedral. The final

resting place of royalty, including Augustus the Strong, this Catholic

church is an anomaly in an otherwise staunchly Protestant province.

The evening is free for an independent dinner.

Excursion to Meissen, where we will visit the world-renowned porcelain

factory to discover how ‘white gold’ is produced in the workshop

and museum. After an included lunch in the museum we head for

Albrechtsburg Castle, one of the first palaces built for splendour

rather than defence in Germany. The original late Gothic architecture

is complemented by neo-Gothic 19th-Century historical murals

decorating the palace walls. Stroll through the picturesque old town to

the Gothic Meissen Cathedral before some free time to further explore

the Meissen’s charming historic centre. Return to Dresden, where our

final evening concludes with a farewell dinner together.

After breakfast we return to the Zwinger to explore the two other

museums housed there. The Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon is a

fine collection of historic clocks and other beautiful and technologically

fascinating scientific instruments, such as globes and telescopes. The

Porzellansammlung displays the very finest works from the enormous

porcelain collection amassed by Augustus the Strong – so passionate

was he about this collection, he swapped 600 of his soldiers with

Frederick William I of Prussia, in exchange for 151 pieces of blue-andwhite

Chinese porcelain. After some free time for an independent

lunch, we travel on to the airport for our return flight back to London.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Clare Ford-Wille

14 – 18 June 2022

• Two day V&A course: 6 – 7 June 2022

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star

Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe, Dresden

Located right next to the famous Frauenkirche, Steigenberger

Hotel de Saxe in Dresden boasts an extremely convenient

central position. Landmarks such as Semper Opera House,

Zwinger and Royal Palace are within easy walking distance,

each no more than seven to 10 minutes away. Room facilities

include, tea and coffee making facilities, a TV, safe, radio,

Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon Terrace Bedroom

SWABIA

Art & history between Augsburg and Stuttgart

Blaubeuren Abbey

Present-day ‘Schwaben’ encompasses parts of the German federal states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. To

many Germans, Swabia is the land of the thrifty, of wheeler-dealers and inventors: the Fuggers of Augsburg were once

the world’s mightiest bankers, while today the Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall is Germany’s biggest building society;

Mercedes and Porsche are both based in Stuttgart, and Albert Einstein hailed from Ulm. Yet, in terms of cultural tourism

— apart from the odd stopping point on the renowned Romantic Road — the region between Augsburg and Stuttgart

has quite unjustly been left off the international itinerary. A paleolithic lion man, carved from a mammoth tusk, ‘roars’

in Ulm, while wonderful 15th-Century wood and stone carvings await in the picture-perfect towns of Nördlingen and

Blaubeuren. Augsburg, home of the Holbein family of painters, will present itself as a proud Renaissance metropolis

with outstanding museums, while James Stirling’s postmodernist Staatsgalerie at Stuttgart and the Sammlung Würth

in Schwäbisch Hall harbour first-class collections of 20th-Century art. Mediaeval churches dominate the centres of

Ulm and Schwäbisch Gmünd, while Baroque abbeys and Rococo pilgrimage churches at Wiblingen, Günzburg and

Neresheim adorn the lovely countryside of rolling hills and dramatic rock formations of the Swabian Jura. This Art

Pursuits Abroad Study Tour will introduce you to an underrated part of Germany and enhance your knowledge of

German art and culture from pre-history to the present.

40 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Munich. By coach to

Augsburg – Roman Augusta Vindelicorum. Augsburg’s trade in metals

gave the city the cutting edge in finance, from which rose the Fugger

dynasty of bankers. Our first visit will include the cathedral with stained

glass dating to c. 1100, and the Fugger family chapel with marble reliefs

Ulm rose as an important trade centre at the point where the Danube

becomes navigable. Its main landmarks are the minster, begun in

1377, and town hall of c.1400, both featuring works by the early

Renaissance sculptor Hans Multscher. The minster’s 161m high spire

is the world’s tallest, while its 1470s choir stalls by Jörg Syrlin feature

a marvellous ‘portrait gallery’ of pagan and biblical sages. After lunch,

visit nearby Blaubeuren in the Swabian Jura. Its former Benedictine

abbey preserves one of the great Late Gothic altarpieces by the Ulm

woodcarver Michel Erhard.

Full-day coach excursion to Stuttgart, capital of the counts, dukes and

kings of Württemberg. The Altes Schloss houses a museum of arts

and crafts presenting precious objects. The Neue Staatsgalerie gained

world fame through James Stirling’s postmodernist building of 1984

and houses an exquisite collection of German art of the 20th-Century.

The Galerie der Stadt Stuttgart maintains an extensive collection of

paintings.

Coach excursion to the picturesque town of Schwäbisch-Gmünd, home

of Peter Parler, head of one of the largest masons’ shops of the late

mediaeval German Empire. Prague cathedral may be Parler’s most

famous work, but his Minster of the Holy Cross is an exquisite example

of German Sondergotik. Its interior is particularly rich in statuary, while

its treasury comprises over 300 objects from the 15th-Century onwards.

A second morning in Ulm will take us to the former Benedictine abbey

of Wiblingen, just south of the city. Rebuilt from 1714 its architectural

styles range from Late Baroque to Neoclassicism. Back in town, the

municipal museum illustrates the history of the city. Highlights include

the famous 40,000-year-old ‘Lion Man’ carved from mammoth ivory

and Hans Multscher’s town hall statues. The rest of the day is free for

independent visits.

Full-day coach excursion to Schwäbisch Hall, made prosperous by

salt springs. This handsome town was brought into the limelight

of Germany’s cultural scene in 2001, when the business magnate

Reinhold Würth opened the Kunsthalle Würth, presenting temporary

exhibitions of masterpieces from his collection. This was joined in 2008

by a permanent display of ‘Old Masters’, including Riemenschneider

sculptures and – since 2012 – Hans Holbein the Younger’s famous

Darmstadt Madonna. The Benedictine abbey of Grosscomburg features

a rare Romanesque chandelier of c. 1130 and a gilded enamelled altar

frontal of the same period.

Nördlingen on the Romantic Road retains its 14th- and 15th-Century

townscape. Raised to the rank of an Imperial Free City by Emperor

Frederick II in 1215 it developed into a powerful and wealthy local

trading hotspot, surrounded by perfectly preserved town walls of 1327.

Return towards Ulm via Neresheim, a magnificent former Benedictine

abbey church designed in the 1740s by Balthasar Neumann

Return to Augsburg to visit, the Maximilian museum, occupying a

splendid Renaissance palace. In the afternoon, continue to Munich

airport for a flight to London Heathrow.

25 September – 2 October 2022

£2,470 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £320

‘No flights’ price: £2,320 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Munich

• Seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the three-star Hotel

Goldenes Rad, Ulm

Hotel Goldenes Rad, Ulm

With a history dating back to 1499 the Hotel Goldenes

Rad offer space and comfort in modern, well equipped

rooms. Located directly on Münsterplatz in Ulm, next to the

impressive Ulm Cathedral and the townhouse built by New

York star architect Richard Meier.

Hotel Goldenes Rad

BODENSEE

One Lake, Three Countries, Countless Treasures

Bodensee lighthouse

With shores in three Countries – Germany, Switzerland and Austria – Lake Constance (in German 'Bodensee') occupies an

enchanted spot in the heart of Western Europe with charming mediaeval towns such as Lindau, Überlingen and Meeresburg.

Beyond the southern shore, the Swiss Alps rise to glacial heights, while gentle slopes with rich vineyards and luscious orchards

fringe the German northern side. The combination of outstanding natural beauty and fertile agricultural lands have given

this area, inhabited since the Bronze Age, the epithet 'God's Garden'. Moreover, the lake's gateway position has led to the

development of august abbeys and flourishing towns along

the shoreline, which offer a fascinating heritage ranging

from pre-historic times to the present. This Art Pursuits

Abroad Study Tour invites you to discover the region

by coach and boat, from the millennium-old monastery

island of Reichenau, one of the leading cultural centres of

the Carolingian Empire, to the dazzling Rococo pilgrimage

church of the Birnau, from Bronze Age lake dwellings to the

busy merchant towns of Konstanz, Lindau and Bregenz.

St. Martin Church, Arbon

42 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Zurich. Transfer by private

coach to Stein am Rhein. Right by the riverbank lies the Monastery

of St George with beautiful interiors from the eve of the Reformation,

while the town's alleys and waterfront are picture-perfect. Continue to

your five-star hotel in Konstanz.

During the High Middle Ages Konstanz was the capital of a princebishopric

whose rulers were frequently at loggerheads with a

burgeoning town council. In the wake of the Counter-Reformation it

was annexed to Habsburg Austria, before being allocated to Baden

in 1806. The eponymous council (1414-18) resolved the Great

Schism, replacing three competing popes with one. Visit the minster

whose construction continued for 600 years, the Rosgartenmuseum

occupying the town’s former guildhall, and the Church of the Trinity,

an ensemble of Gothic mendicant order architecture, late mediaeval

frescoes and Baroque stucco decoration. Across the lake, Meersburg

replaced Konstanz as bishop’s seat after the religious conflicts of the

mid-16th Century, with two castles dominating the skyline.

Überlingen’s prosperity during the late Middle Ages was founded

on the town's role as southern Germany's largest grain market. The

huge minster (1512-63) manifests Überlingen's might. Its single most

remarkable feature is the massive limewood high altar, carved in

intricate detail. Our walk through the town includes the municipal

museum and the simple Chapel of St Jodok (James) with primitive but

moving wall paintings. After lunch, continue to the pilgrimage church

of the Birnau, one of the last and most glittering manifestations of

Rococo art.

Excursion by Catamaran to the island of Reichenau. Three monasteries

were in place by the end of the 9th-Century, but monastic life reached

its zenith one hundred years later, when 700 monks contributed to

the island's fame for its scholarship, literature and painting. The walls

of St Georg are covered with a wonderful set of Ottonian frescoes –

monumental versions of the famed Reichenau miniatures. The church

of Sts Peter and Paul presents itself today in Baroque disguise, but an

apse fresco of the Last Judgement betrays the building’s mediaeval

origins. At St Maria und Markus, the treasury includes a 5th-Century

ivory goblet and some priceless 1000-year-old stained glass. We return

from Friedrichshafen to Meersburg by private boat with a light lunch

included before a free afternoon.

Located on a major north-south trading route, Lindau has many

handsome merchant mansions, most notably the Haus zum Cavazzen,

now an attractive local history museum. The ancient church of St Peter

is decorated with a Christological mural cycle, possibly the work of the

young Hans Holbein the Elder. In the afternoon, return to Konstanz

by coach and car ferry via the church at Eriskirch, embellished with

paintings, sculptures and stained-glass of the early 15th-Century.

By coach to Austrian Bregenz, famous for its large floating stage

behind the concert hall, used for spectacular operas. Roman

Brigantium gave the lake its Latin name: Lacus Brigantinus. The

capital of Voralberg has a wide range of attractions.

9 – 15 October 2022

Double room for sole use supplement: £495

‘No flights’ price: £2,800 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Zurich

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star

Steigenberger Inselhotel, Konstanz

This five-star hotel is situated in a former Dominican

monastery, located directly by the lake on a small private

island of Constance and within easy walking distance of

Konstanz city centre. Room Facilities and amenities include:

en suite bathroom, safe, TV, minibar (additional charges may

apply), Wi-Fi and air-conditioning.

Steigenberger Inselhotel

A coach excursion along the Swiss shore will take you to Landschlacht

and Arbon, both with churches that house rare 14th-Century wall

paintings. A few kilometres south of Arbon, the monastery town of St

Gallen is best known for the richly decorated library, a UNESCO World

Heritage Site. From there continue to Zurich airport for our flight to

London Heathrow.

NUREMBERG

Treasures of Franconia, Renaissance to Rococo

Veit Stoss Gothic Alterpiece

For centuries Nuremberg was one of the greatest cities of the German Empire, situated at the crossroads between Hamburg

and Venice, Paris and Prague, famous for its arts and crafts, and birthplace of Albrecht Dürer, Germany’s most famous

artist. Luther claimed that “Nuremberg shines throughout Germany, like a sun among the moon and stars”. Sadly, the city’s

WWII history – Nazi rallies and the trials of 1945-49 – has overshadowed much of its glorious past; indeed, it was the

Nazi exploitation of Nuremberg’s patriotic significance which led to its destruction by Allied bombers. Notwithstanding

great losses, Nuremberg features a wonderfully restored

mediaeval old town overlooked by a grand castle, two

magnificent parish churches brimming with late mediaeval

and Renaissance works of art, and the Germanisches

Nationalmuseum, an unparalleled collection of German

art and culture. Moreover, the city’s 400 year old Christmas

Market continues to retain its charm and traditional

atmosphere with the air filled with aromas from scrumptious

gingerbread, bratwurst and mulled wine.

Nuremberg

44 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Munich. Transfer by private

coach to Nuremberg, stopping en route at the handsome market town

of Schwabach. Highlight of its parish church is the magnificent carved

and painted polyptych – one of the largest of its kind – by Veit Stoss

and Dürer’s master, the painter Michael Wolgemut. Upon arrival in

Nuremberg, an introductory walk will be followed by dinner in the

hotel.

Explore Nuremberg on foot, starting from the Imperial Castle,

dramatically sited on a red sandstone rock above the northern edge

of the old town. Nearby, the Fembohaus, a rich Renaissance patrician

mansion, is now a museum dedicated to the town history. Over

the lunch break there will be time to stroll across to the Christmas

Market. St Sebaldus, Nuremberg’s oldest parish church, houses Peter

Vischer’s masterpiece, the brass shrine of the church’s titular saint,

and a wealth of Gothic and Renaissance wood and stone sculpture. A

private organ recital will complete the day.

Full day coach excursion to Heilsbronn and Ansbach. Ansbach was

the former residence of the Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach.

Once the Hohenzollern had lost their Nuremberg possessions,

they settled in Ansbach – and continually waged war against their

former homeland. Their palace, substantially refurbished in the

18th-Century, preserves its delightful Rococo interiors in a unique

and pristine condition. En route we stop at the Cistercian abbey of

Heilsbronn, a little-known treasure trove, replete with magnificent

Hohenzollern funerary monuments and carved and gilded

altarpieces.

A second day in Nuremberg will take us to the city’s second great

parish church of St Lawrence, with a superb range of stained glass

windows, a large tabernacle by Adam Kraft who allegedly was able

to “bend stone” and a great wooden Annunciation group by Veit

Stoss suspended in the choir. The Germanisches Nationalmuseum

is the most comprehensive collection of German cultural history. Its

stunning galleries make this a world-class experience, with objects

including gorgeous Ostrogothic jewellery, a priceless Ottonian gold

and ivory book cover, and of course, works by Dürer, Cranach, and

Riemenschneider.

In the morning we visit the Tucher Mansion, built between 1533 and

1544. Its exhibits, including fine crafts work, furniture, tapestries and

paintings, vividly recreate the world of Nuremberg's 16th-Century

merchant families. Afterwards we return to the Germanisches

Nationalmuseum for a private view of late Gothic and Renaissance

prints. This afternoon is free before we enjoy a final dinner in a

gourmet restaurant.

In the morning, the coach takes us to Eichstätt, a charming little

town, home to a cathedral boasting artworks from contemporaries of

Albrecht Dürer and assimilating models by the leading Nuremberg

artist. After a communal lunch in a traditional Eichstätt restaurant we

continue to Munich airport for an early evening flight to London.

1 – 6 December 2022

‘No flights’ price: £2,045 per person

Victoria, Nuremberg

Hotel Victoria, Nuremberg

The independently owned, four-star Hotel Victoria was

established in 1896 and offers excellent service. Located in

Nüremberg’s Old Town, the hotel’s modern interior has a

lobby bar and outdoor terrace. All rooms are en suite and

include the following amenities: safe, TV, hairdryer, minibar

(additional charges may apply) and Wi-Fi.

Hotel Victoria

INN VALLEY

In the Realm of the Last Knight

Innsbruck

Maximilian I was one of the most charismatic and colourful rulers of the House of Habsburg. Emperor from 1493 until

his death in 1519, he was a protagonist at the waning of the Middle Ages, standing on the threshold of the Renaissance,

a circumstance that earned him the epithet ‘the last of the knights’. Northern Tyrol, comprising Kufstein, the Inn Valley

and the mountains rising towards the Brenner Pass, was particularly dear to Maximilian: rich in natural resources,

above all in silver ore and salt, it provided much of the wealth necessary to finance the campaigns of an emperor

notoriously and constantly strapped for cash. Maximilian’s favourite residence and capital of all Tyrol — then stretching

as far south as the prince-bishopric of Trento — was the town of Innsbruck, important crossing point of the River Inn

and postal station between Augsburg and Verona. Innsbruck blossomed under Habsburg patronage and developed into

a treasure chest of art and architecture from the Late Middle Ages to the Age of Absolutism. Flanked by the Karwendel

Mountains in the north and the Tuxer and Stubaier Alps in the south, the valley of the Inn is shaped by awe-inspiring

mountains and deep glacial valleys. Well-preserved towns, villages and richly endowed monastic foundations and

pilgrimage churches are lined up along the river’s banks. Summer solstice bonfires, parish festivals, the clanging of cow

bells and yodelling are part and parcel of the region’s heritage. At the same time, bold contemporary designs, such as

Zaha Hadid’s ski jump demonstrates that Tyrol successfully blends past and present.

46 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight with Lufthansa from London Heathrow to Munich.

Transfer by coach to Innsbruck with stop en route at Kufstein.

On arrival in Innsbruck, an afternoon walk will introduce you to

Maximilian’s favourite city. Among numerous palatial town houses,

the residence of Emperor Maximilian I stands out for its ‘Goldenes

Dachl’ — the three-storied balcony, covered with 3,000 fire-gilt copper

tiles, from where the ruler could see and be seen.

A day in Innsbruck on foot. The Court Church is home to a monument

that is hard to beat: Maximilian’s humongous cenotaph, flanked by

28 colossal bronze sculptures designed and cast by the leading artists

of the day, most notably Albrecht Dürer and Peter Vischer the Elder.

In the afternoon, we will explore sumptuous Baroque Habsburg State

Apartments in the Hofburg and the Cathedral of St James, exquisitely

frescoed and stuccoed by the Asam brothers and featuring another

impressive Habsburg monument in bronze. The Tyrolean Parliament

building with its chapel, open to us by appointment, has magnificent

stucco and fresco decoration.

Located in the hills above Innsbruck, Ambras Castle ranks amongst

Tyrol’s most impressive Renaissance buildings. Its creator, Archduke

Ferdinand II of Habsburg, a true Renaissance Man, was an

enthusiastic patron of the arts and founder of a vast and fascinating

collection of art, armour and curiosities. The exceptional Habsburg

portrait gallery with over 200 paintings includes masterpieces by

Cranach, Titian and Velázquez. Return to Innsbruck via Hall. This

attractive small town, which owed much of its wealth to mining for

salt, has an almost perfectly preserved Late mediaeval look and a

beautifully displayed Mint Museum focusing on the history of money.

In the morning walk to the Ferdinandeum, the Tyrolean National

Museum, where we will focus on the fine collection of northern Late

Gothic art and the portraiture in the Age of Maximilian. From the

centre of Innsbruck we take the Hungerburg funicular, designed

by Zaha Hadid, to the Nordkette mountain range with spectacular

views of the Inn valley. After we enjoyed lunch together in the hill top

restaurant we return to Innsbruck centre for some more free time.

By coach to the Cistercian abbey of Stams, one of the region’s most

powerful monasteries. Founded as a burial place for the Tyrolean

rulers in the Middle Ages, it was rebuilt after a fire in the 17th-

Century. Its striking appearance with distinctive onion-shaped domes,

sumptuous stuccowork and rich pictorial decoration, is typical of

Austrian Baroque, though this opulence may seem somewhat at odds

with the Cistercian tenet of austerity. Special appointment to see

some of the most beautiful illuminated manuscripts from the abbey’s

library. Return to Innsbruck for some free time.

19 – 23 October 2022

£2,795 per person

‘No flights’ price £2,695 per person

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Maximillan

Stradthaus, Penz

Hotel Maximillan Stradthaus, Penz

The four-star Hotel Maximillan is a family run hotel set in

the heart of the Alps in the centre of Innsbruck. The Golden

Roof, the Imperial Palace, the Cathedral of St. James, Maria-

Theresien Straße Shopping Street, the Congresshaus, the

University, and the hospital are just a few minutes' walk

away. The rooms and suite are all comfortably and stylishly

furnished, have minibar, safe and air-conditioning.

By coach to Schloss Tratzberg, after Ambras the most important

palace in Tyrol, preserving its splendidly painted courtyard, exquisite

mediaeval and Renaissance parlours and a 46-metre-long mural

representing the oldest painted family tree of the Habsburg clan.

Nearby Schwaz is known as the ‘Mother of all Mines’ because of its

silver mines, exploited by the Fugger bankers from Augsburg and the

Habsburgs alike. In 1500, some 12,000 men were employed in the

industry. Schwaz’s huge Late Gothic parish church reflects the town’s

wealth. Nearby, the walls of the secluded cloister of the Franciscan

friary are covered with murals based on designs by artists such as

Martin Schongauer and Dürer.

In the morning coach transfer to Munich airport for a flight with

Lufthansa to London Heathrow.

Hotel Maximillan Stradthaus

VIENNA

From the Emperor’s Clothes to Klimt’s Kiss

Belvedere Palace

Vienna is the capital city of central Europe, with all the political, cultural, and strategic significance this implies. For a

century and a half it endured an Ottoman siege, withstanding and finally turning back the armies of the Sublime Porte.

It was the seat of Maria Theresia and Joseph II as Habsburg policy came to dominate the cabinet rooms of Europe, while

Austrian music reigned supreme in its concert halls: Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and many others made Vienna the most

important city in the history of western music. Later, in its imperial twilight, Vienna came to embody Mitteleuropa, that

cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic realm of avant-garde aesthetics and intellectual pluralism, of Klimt, Schiele, Kraus and Freud,

that was bloodily extinguished by the twin catastrophes of totalitarianism and war. And yet Vienna, like Austria as a

whole, has handled its transition to modernity remarkably well. Todays city, overlaid with a confident self-possession and

an enduring civic pride, is a gleaming patchwork of mediaeval alleys and Renaissance squares, of Baroque palaces and

Secession cafés. This tour will visit a number of the irresistible delights that have attracted so many thinkers, artists, and

musicians over the centuries, including St Stephen’s Cathedral, the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and the option to visit the

Staatsoper for an opera, or a private organ concert in one of the historic churches.

48 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly to Vienna from Heathrow, transferring by coach to the MAK,

Museum of Applied Arts. After some refreshments in the restaurant,

Our focus will be artefacts of the Vienna Biedermeier, the brief but

distinctive period during the early 19th-Century in which arts and

culture where led by comfortable notions of the domestic idyll, and

the Vienna Workshop, which, inspired by the likes of William Morris,

sought to renew handcraftsmanship and the applied arts at the turn

of the 20th century. Afterwards, we continue to our hotel for check-in,

where there will be some time to relax before a group dinner.

Leisurely morning walk to explore some of Vienna’s most stunning

18th-Century palaces, including the Palais Daun Kinsky, built by the

leading Baroque architect Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, and the

exteriors of the Palais Schonborn-Batthyany and the Palais Ferstel.

Our walk will lead us to the famous patisserie Zuckerbäckerei

Demel—former purveyor of chocolates and pastries to the royal

and imperial court—where we will enjoy ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ in

the patisserie’s elegant surroundings. In the afternoon, passing the

exteriors of the Bibliothek Prunskaal and Augustiner Church, we

continue on to visit the Cathedral of St Stephen, focusing on the red

marble tomb of Emperor Frederick III. Our return to the hotel takes

us past the Winter Palais of the glorious military commander Prince

Eugene of Savoy.

Leave the hotel on foot to visit the Belvedere, Prince Eugene’s grand

ensemble of two stately summer palaces linked by terraced gardens,

now the home to Austrian art from the 17th to the 20th-Centuries,

including Jugendstil works by Gustav Klimt. We briefly stop at

Karlskirche, widely considered the most outstanding baroque church

in Vienna, as well as one of the city's greatest buildings. Continuing

to the Secession building by Joseph Maria Olbrich, an icon of the

Vienna Secessionists, a group of rebel artists who broke away from

the long-established fine arts tradition. One such institution was the

neighbouring Academy of Fine Arts whose small but outstanding

collection of Old Masters is an unretrieved treasure trove. The rest of

the afternoon is free.

Today is dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the palatial galleries

of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, a superb line-up of masterpieces

from Dürer to Velázquez, commissioned and collected by the

Habsburg princely connoisseurs over centuries. Our time here will

be split into three sessions and we will consider the art of Northern

Europe first; highlights include a fabulous collection of works by

Pieter Bruegel the Elder such as ‘Hunters in the Snow’ and ‘The Tower

of Babel’ and works by Vermeer and Rembrandt, among others.

Our session on the art of Southern Europe will reveal masterpieces

by the likes of Bellini, Titian and Raphael, as well as some of the

extraordinary composite portraits of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. Finally,

an exploration of the Kunstkammer—literally ‘chamber of art

and wonders’—is a delightful conclusion to our visit. Amassed by

successive Habsburg emperors, the more than 2,100 objects, from

16th-Century automatons to the famed Saliera, make this the most

important collection of its kind in the world. Afterwards, there is time

for a festive gluhwein at a Christmas market.

Our final visit will take us to the lavishly decorated Palais

Liechtenstein. Apart from a stunning trompe-loeil ceiling by Andrea

Pozzo the palace presents a spectacular private art collection,

including the pietradura Badminton Cabinet, the world’s most

expensive piece of furniture, acquired by Prince Liechtenstein in 2004

for a mere 19 million pounds. After a final group lunch, the coach

transfers us to the airport for our return flight to London.

11 – 15 December 2022

‘No flights’ price: £1,800 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Vienna

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Hotel

Bristol, Vienna

Hotel Bristol, Vienna

The Hotel Bristol Vienna, A Luxury Collection Hotel, located

in the heart of the city adjacent to the Vienna State Opera

and proximity to all major sights. The Bristol – an art deco

gem – has been one of Vienna’s prime addresses ever since

1892 and serves as a living example of Viennese charm and

personalised service. 150 exclusive rooms and 24 unique

suites feel like turn-of-the-century apartments and offer

spectacular views of the city. The restaurant Bristol Lounge

offers all-day dining.

Vienna

Hotel Bristol

TOULOUSE

Pilgrims & Heretics

Sainte-Foy, Conques

The region of the Midi-Pyrénées in the heart of south-western France is one of the country’s most beautiful and unspoilt

areas. The diversity of the landscape is matched by the wealth of its heritage, from singing troubadours to pious pilgrims

and rebellious heretics. During the 11th-Century two of the four principle French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de

Compostela traversed the area: religious tourism brought about inner peace, economic stability and wealth, leading to a

golden age of art and architecture. This manifests itself in richly decorated Romanesque churches: at Moissac, with its

magnificent tympanum and perfectly preserved cloisters abundantly adorned with sculptural capitals; at Conques, built

to accommodate the large numbers of pilgrims and lead them to contemplate the unparalleled shrine of Sainte-Foy; and

at Toulouse, which displays a collection of exceptional marble reliefs and a wealth of reliquaries in its cavernous crypt.

Alongside this manifestation of Catholic faith, however, rose the anti-sacerdotal Cathar movement, provoking political

and religious turmoil. Culminating in rebellion, suppression, massacre and annihilation, the impact of Albigensian heresy

of the 12th and 13th centuries can be seen in the stunning defensive building, such as the great fortress-like cathedral of

Albi. More recently, the lively town of Albi was the home of Toulouse-Lautrec, and today holds the best collection of his

work – a Bohemian antidote of the Belle Époque to mediaeval spirituality. Brick-built Toulouse, or ‘la ville rose’, also has

a spirited history – it was once the brilliant centre of troubadour poetry – and is our picturesque base for this tour.

50 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly from London Heathrow to Toulouse. Transfer by coach to our fourstar

hotel, located in the heart of the Vieux Quartier – old quarter.

An independent lunch and introductory walk through the delightful

streets surrounding our hotel takes us to the Church of the Jacobins,

most famous for housing the relics of Thomas Aquinas. An early

example of the Southern Gothic style, the somewhat austere exterior

conceals a luminous and soaring interior. In the evening, enjoy a

welcome dinner together.

After breakfast, travel by coach to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, a

charming mediaeval town on the banks of the River Aveyron. The

focus of our visit here will be the 12th-Century town hall, one of the

oldest civil buildings in France, with fine exterior carvings depicting

Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge, and the Emperor

Justinian as law-giver. Continue to Conques, spectacularly positioned

on either side of the gorge of the River Dourdou, where we shall enjoy

an included lunch. Its relative inaccessibility has left the mediaeval

core remarkably intact, so that modern visitors approach the historic

centre on foot. Visit the pilgrimage church of Sainte-Foy, with a

west front dominated by an elaborate tympanum relief of the Last

Judgement and an interior with many historiated capitals. Thanks

to its possession of the relics of a virgin martyr, the abbey received

gifts from pilgrims and kings, the most precious of which are kept in

the museum that now exhibits the amazing jewel-encrusted shrine

of St-Foy, the greatest surviving example of mediaeval statuary

reliquaries. Return to Toulouse for an independent evening. Please

note that this day involves several hours of coach travel but stops will

be programmed.

A day to explore Toulouse. Walk past wealthy merchant mansions

to the enormous rosy-red Romanesque basilica of Saint-Sernin,

crowned with its spectacular octagonal bell tower – the city’s focal

point ever since pilgrim hordes on their way to Santiago started to

stop in the city. Some time for an independent lunch is followed by

a visit to the Musée des Augustins, which incorporates two surviving

cloisters of an Augustinian priory and contains an outstanding

collection of Romanesque sculpture, much of it saved from the nowvanished

churches of Toulouse’s golden age. The evening is yours for

independent activity.

All-day excursion to Albi, rising steeply from the banks of the River

Tarn. At the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Episcopal City is the

enormous cathedral of Sainte-Cécile. The present church was built as

a statement of Catholic triumph after the successful suppression of

the Cathar rebellion. Continue to the collegiate church of Saint-Salvi.

A gem of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, it also features a

tranquil cloister garden – a cool haven of peace in the centre of town.

In the afternoon, visit the impressive 13th-Century Palais de la Berbie,

former seat of the Albigensian archbishops but now accommodating

the world’s largest collection of the work of Toulouse-Lautrec, the

city’s most famous son. Return to Toulouse where our final night

together is marked with a farewell dinner.

9 – 13 March 2022

Double room for sole use supplement: £255

Grand Hôtel de l’Opéra, Toulouse

Stay in a unique venue that combines a rich history with all

modern comforts. A former 17th-Century convent, The Grand

Hôtel de l'Opéra is a four-star hotel located in the centre of

Toulouse on the Place du Capitole. A refined ambiance with

attentive service providing a calm, comfortable space with a

cosy atmosphere. Room facilities include, air-conditioning,

Wi-Fi, a TV, telephone & safe.

By coach to Moissac, where we will focus on the Cluniac abbey of

Saint-Pierre. The richly carved south porch of the church with its

remarkable tympanum and the extensive series of sculptures in the

cloisters, which have one of the most complete sets of Romanesque

capitals in existence, have earned the complex its place in the history

of mediaeval art. After an independent lunch, coach transfer to

Toulouse airport for our flight home.

Bar

Albi

PROVENCE

School of the South

Bastide du Jas de Bouffan

“When you’re born there, it’s hopeless, nothing else is good enough.” So beguiled was Cézanne by his home region of

Provence, he is reputed to have spoken these words, and certainly he never tired of painting the area in his lifetime.

Cézanne was not alone. It’s no wonder that the area became such a source of inspiration to generations of painters who

flocked here to discover and celebrate the artistic qualities of the land, this part of the country somehow distils the very

essence of France. Rolling vineyards, olive groves, lavender fields, ancient history and vibrant local markets are united

under a warm Mediterranean sky. Our base for this tour is gorgeous Aix-en-Provence. Often described as ‘the little Paris’

owing to a profusion of elegant buildings and fountains, it was the lifelong home of Cézanne, and we will trace the

artist’s footsteps here and in the surrounding area. We will also follow the trail of Van Gogh, who created some of his

best-loved works during the tempestuous period he spent in Provence. Countless others have been creatively stirred by

the beauty of the region and will be encountered on this new Art Pursuits Abroad tour, which combines idyllic scenery

with gastronomic pleasures and a broad variety of art and architecture.

52 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Early afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Marseille. Transfer by

private coach to Aix-en-Provence, and our four-star hotel. Enjoy a short

introductory walk before a group dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Spend the morning exploring Aix on foot. The spectacular Cathedrale

Saint-Sauveur is a fascinating patchwork of architectural styles

incorporating Roman, Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque elements.

Nearby, the Église de la Madeleine contains a portion of the Aix

Annunciation attributed to Barthélemy d'Eyck, an Early Netherlandish

artist and illuminator who worked in France. The Musée Granet is our

last stop of the morning, with a fabulous array of works by artists such

as Ingres, Granet, Picasso and of course Cézanne. In the afternoon, a visit

to the Fondation Vasarely offers some serious visual contrast. The highly

unusual building was designed by Victor Vasarely himself. Our final visit

of the day will be a special private tour of the Atelier Cézanne, the artist’s

final home and studio, where an extra treat will be a drinks reception in

the artist’s former garden.

All-day coach excursion to Marseille, the oldest city in France. Our first

destination is the Musée des Beaux-Arts in the handsome, colonnaded

Palais de Longchamp. Artworks span the 16th to 19th centuries and

treasures from the French school include works by David, Courbet, Millet

and Daumier. Afterwards, enjoy some free time in the vibrant Old Port

area of the city for an independent lunch. In the afternoon, a visit to the

Musée Cantini brings our visual journey through French art history into

the 20th-Century, from Derain’s vibrant Fauvist landscapes to Signac’s

Pointillist visions of Marseille. Return to Aix via the coastal village of

L’Estaque.

Today our explorations are based around the craggy Montagne Sainte-

Victoire, a major landmark of the Aix region and one of Cézanne’s

favourite subjects. The strangely sculptural rocks of the majestic

Bibémus Quarries also feature in the artist’s work and will be our first

stop of the day. We travel on to a local vineyard for a leisurely group lunch

before enjoying a tour of the vineyard and a wine tasting session. In the

afternoon, Les Jardin de Romégas await. Designed around a typical Aix

country house, the lush gardens have been cultivated since the 16th-

Century and contain ornamental pools and fountains, a labyrinth and

elegant parterres. Return to Aix for an evening at leisure.

After breakfast we travel by coach to Arles. A walking tour will take in

some of the city’s most interesting sites. Beginning at Les Alyscamps,

we head towards les Arènes d'Arles, an impressive two-tiered Roman

amphitheatre and on to the Eglise Saint-Trophime, an outstanding

example of the Provençal Romesque style. Van Gogh enjoyed a period

of great productivity whilst living in Arles between 1888-89 and our

meanderings will also take in some of the locations frequented by the

artist. After cutting off his left earlobe, Van Gogh was committed to Arles

Hospital, today the Espace Van Gogh. Garden of the Hospital in Arles was

painted during his stay here and the real garden remains as it was during

the artist’s convalescence. The Musée Réattu is our final stop of the

morning. Named after the Arles-born painter Jacques Réattu, it contains

works by Réattu, as well as drawings by Picasso. In the afternoon we

drive to the Saint Paul de Mausole Monastry at Saint Rémy. We return to

Aix where we will enjoy a farewell dinner together in a local restaurant.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr Kathy McLauchlan

6 – 11 June 2022

£2,895 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £350

‘No flights’ price: £2,745 per person

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Grand

Hôtel Roi Rene, Aix-en-Provence

Grand Hôtel Roi Rene, Aix-en-Provence

The four-star Grand Hôtel Roi René is a five minute walk from

the Cours Mirabeau and the centre of Aix-en-Provence. You

can relax on the terrace, by the heated swimming pool or take

advantage of the hotel's fitness room. The guest rooms are

bright and cosy. Room facilities include, tea an coffee making

facilities, Wi-Fi, a TV & hairdryer.

Grand Hôtel Roi Rene

After breakfast we check out of our hotel and head for the market for

some time at leisure. A final visit will be to the Hôtel de Caumont, a

beautiful 18th-Century mansion which now houses a lovely arts centre.

After an independent lunch, we transfer to Marseille airport for our

return flight to London Heathrow.

Arles

Cezanne's studio

FLOWERS OF LORRAINE

The Genius of Art Nouveau in Nancy

Crédit Lyonnais verriere © Regine Datin

The historic capital of the ancient Duchy of Lorraine, Nancy has been a centre of trade, commerce and craftsmanship since

the 11th century. But it was an artist and glassworker, Emile Gallé, who, around the turn of the 20th century, made his

native city internationally famous as the vanguard of the Art Nouveau style. As the founder and first president of the École

de Nancy, Gallé unified a group of artists from Lorraine who would electrify the world with their spectacular creations

– energetic, elegant and deeply rooted in a close and passionate observation of local flowers, fruits and creatures. This

was apparent no more so than at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, which presented to the world the climactic

achievement of the style commonly known as Art Nouveau. Here, the work of the Ecole de Nancy in particular, drew such

admiration that by the time the Exposition closed, ‘Style Nancy’ had become an accepted way of referring to the movement

as a whole. Among the visitors enthralled by the Ecole’s achievements was George Donaldson, representative of the South

Kensington Museum (shortly to be renamed the V&A). Thanks to his vision and enthusiasm (not entirely appreciated by his

more conservative colleagues at the time) the V&A has an extensive collection of some of the best Style Nancy productions.

We are therefore pleased to announce a very special collaboration between the V&A and Art Pursuits Abroad in 2020. Led

by Dr Justine Hopkins, art historian and long-time aficionado of all things Art Nouveau and Nancy, the collaboration will

combine a 2-day introductory course at the V&A with our popular APA Nancy study tour. Emile Gallé believed passionately

in a world where there could be art in everything, for everyone. This unique course and tour combination will explore the

many and varied ways in which he and his colleagues set about making that vision come true, and the unique qualities of

glorious Nancy itself which made their success possible.

54 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Today we begin our introductory course at the V&A starting with a

broad overview of the dynamic, diverse, defiantly and self-consciously

modern style known as Art Nouveau. We will then explore the

particular circumstances of Nancy itself which made it such a

fruitful breeding ground for this new artistic style. Our second lecture

considers how science, nature, history and craftmanship came

together to create the distinctive form of Art Nouveau which became

internationally known and admired as Style Nancy before finishing

with a session dedicated to the V&A’s extensive glass collection,

including some of the finest examples of Emile Gallé’s work.

We begin our final day at the V&A with two lectures exploring in

more depth the lives and achievements of the two greatest masters

of Art Nouveau in Nancy; Emile Gallé and Louis Majorelle. Thanks

largely to the efforts of George Donaldson the V&A has a particularly

rich collection of Ecole de Nancy furniture. Much of this is usually

in storage but our next session allows a chance to enjoy some of

the masterpieces of the workshops of Gallé and Majorelle at close

quarters. We finish with a final lecture looking at the Paris Exposition

Universelle of 1900, exploring the particular offerings of Nancy’s

artists and reveals how the V&A acquired such a brilliant share of

those works – and the controversies surrounding the Donaldson gift.

Take the train from London St Pancras via Paris to Nancy. Transfer to

our hotel by private coach. Introductory stroll around the magnificent

Place Stanislas.

The morning is spent in Place Stanislas, Europe’s most beautiful

royal square, viewing and visiting two of Nancy’s finest buildings:

the majestic Hôtel de Ville occupies the square’s entire south side

(viewing from the outside), while the Musée des Beaux-Arts, as sleekly

modern inside as it is classically elegant outside, displays works

by Caravaggio and Delacroix, as well as the Daum Collection of Art

Nouveau glassware. In the afternoon, a walking tour around Nancy’s

finest Art Nouveau exteriors, including the blue ceramic façade of the

Point-Central pharmacy.

After a stroll along Rue Félix Faure to see the house façades, visit

the museum devoted to the Nancy School of artists and craftsmen

associated with Emile Gallé, featuring work by all its major

representatives, including Gallé himself, Antonin Daum and Eugène

Vallin. In the afternoon, tour the Quartier Saurupt (Art Nouveau

Garden Estate) and visit the Maison Bergeret, designed by Lucien

Weissenburger, decorated with stained-glass windows by Gruber and

Janin.

Stroll through the atmospheric Old Town past the elegant, arcaded

Place Saint-Epvre and its eponymous Neo-Gothic basilica and finish

at the Porte de la Craffe. In the afternoon, visit the Villa Majorelle, the

crowning example of Nancy’s Art Nouveau architecture, with features

in ceramics, iron, glass and wood. Walk to the nearby Parc Sainte-

Marie, the site of the 1909 International Exhibition of Eastern France,

held partly in honour of Gallé. Return by coach via the Avenue Foch.

Share a farewell dinner at the refined Brasserie Excelsior, which has

been welcoming clients for over 100 years, a great café of the ‘Belle

Epoque’.

A leisurely stroll through the Parc de la Pépinière to see Rodin’s

sculpture of Claude Lorrain with some free time before returning by

trains from Nancy via Paris to London St Pancras.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Justine Hopkins

6 – 10 July 2022

£1,650 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £210

‘No trains’ price £1,530 per person

• 2 day course at the V&A: 4-5 July 2022

• Return travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Grand Hotel

de la Reine, Nancy

Grand Hotel de la Reine, Nancy

A masterpiece of 18th-Century French architecture, the

building is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage monument.

The elegant restaurant has a terrace on Place Stanislas and the

hotel also has a bar and reading room. Room facilities include

a telephone, television, hairdryer, en suite, internet access and

tea and coffee making facilities

Grand Hotel de la Reine

Villa Bergeret ©NT

ROYAL MEDIAEVAL PARIS

From Merovingian to Valois

Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Prés

During the Middle Ages, Paris underwent a seismic change that saw it transform from a small cathedral city of little

economic or political consequence, to the largest city in Christendom and a leading cultural and intellectual hub. Its rise

to prominence owed much to the Capetian dynasty, whose growing power mirrored that of the city’s. It was under early

Capetian rule that Paris evolved into a city of three parts, the Île de la Cité, the metropolitan heart, site of the royal palace

and the imposing new cathedral of Notre-Dame, begun in 1163; the mercantile Right Bank, a prospering centre of business

and trade; and the Left Bank with its important monasteries, such as the Abbey Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The University of

Paris, an amalgamation of the cathedral schools of Notre-Dame, was officially chartered in 1200 by King Philip II of France.

It quickly emerged as one of the great centres of scholarship in Europe, bringing further importance to the Left Bank. Indeed,

by the 13th-Century, the number of students living on the Left Bank had swelled so significantly that the area came to be

known as the Latin Quarter, Latin being the language assumed by so many of its scholarly inhabitants. This boom period in

Parisian history would be brought to a standstill with the arrival of the Bubonic plague in 1348, which killed a quarter of the

city’s population during the first outbreak, and the Hundred Years’ War. Nevertheless, this remarkable chapter in the city’s

history is preserved in the form of some of its most astounding structures and treasures. Join Dr Sally Dormer in a thrilling

exploration of royal mediaeval Paris and discover the era that truly gave form to this most beloved European metropolis.

56 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning departure by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris.

Transfer by private coach to our four-star hotel on the Ile St Louis,

where there will be some time for an independent lunch. In the

afternoon, travel by coach to St Germain des Prés, the oldest church

in Paris, where our explorations of Paris will begin with a focus on

Romanesque buildings. Founded originally as part of a monastery by

the 6th-Century Frankish king Childebert I, the church that occupies

the site today comprises a mid 11th-Century nave, much restored,

and an early Gothic east end. Continue to the Musée de Cluny, which

houses an unparalleled collection of mediaeval artefacts housed in

the remains of a Gallo-Roman bath complex and the 15th-Century

town house of the abbots of the Burgundian monastery of Cluny.

During our visit we will focus on Romanesque sculpture, including

capitals from St Germain des Prés and heads of the kings from the

Royal Gallery of Notre Dame, small-scale precious arts, and we will

consider the Basle Golden Altar Frontal, commissioned by an 11th-

Century Holy Roman Emperor. Return to the hotel on foot, where

there will be some time before we reconvene for a group dinner.

Today’s focus will be Royal Gothic Paris. After breakfast, travel by

coach to the Louvre for a day-long visit focusing on important French

Gothic patrons and their commissions, including Louis IX, Queen

Jeanne d’Evreux, Charles V and Jean, duc de Berry. We will begin the

morning session by walking through the foundations of Charles V’s

late 14th-Century, Louvre palace-fortress and then continue to the

Mediaeval Objets d’Art gallery in the Richelieu Wing. In the afternoon

we will move to the Mediaeval French Painting Gallery to study

works such as the panel portrait of Jean le Bon and the Parement

de Narbonne, commissioned by Charles V and his wife Jeanne de

Bourbon. The rest of the day is free.

A day devoted to the consideration of French Gothic Architecture. Our

morning begins at the Royal Abbey of St Denis, where Denis, the first

bishop of Paris was buried in the 1st-Century AD and where Gothic

architecture was born in the 1140s, under the patronage of Abbot

Suger. We will look at the reconstructed portals and bronze doors that

Suger commissioned for the new West end, as well as the architectural

design and stained-glass windows of his choir. After an independent

lunch, walk to Notre Dame to visit the cathedral of Paris, begun in

1163 by Maurice de Sully, bishop of Paris and remodelled extensively

during the 13th-Century. It provides a fascinating example of the

experimental approach to the Early Gothic style. Continue to Sainte

Chapelle, the royal palace chapel commissioned by Louis IX in 1238

to house the relic of the Crown of Thorns that he had procured from

his cousin in Constantinople. It constitutes the finest example of the

Rayonnant style of Gothic architecture that developed in Paris during

the 1230s. The magnificent stained-glass windows carry evidence of

Louis’ theory of kingship in their choice of subject matter. An elegant

dinner cruise is a magical way to pass our final evening in Paris.

15 – 18 September 2022

4 days

‘No flights’ price: £1,850 per person

du Jeu de Paume, Paris

• Two dinners

Hotel du Jeu de Paume, Paris

The Hotel du Jeu de Paume is located on the only street which

runs along practically the entire length of the Ile St Louis.

The street has an almost country village feel, where time has

stood still, providing tourists and visitors with a pleasant and

cultured haven amid the bustle of Paris.

The focus of our final day in Paris will be French Gothic Decorative

Arts, our first visit returning us to the Musée de Cluny, where we will

concentrate this time on the rich Gothic collections, including such

treasures as the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries, the Sainte Chapelle

reliquary, a fine collection of mediaeval jewels, Calendars from two

Books of Hours and the Thornham Parva altar frontal. We will also

look at the abbot of Cluny’s exquisite Flamboyant chapel. After

some free time for lunch, our concluding visit will be to St Severin.

This rarely visited Parisian church has a broad double ambulatory

that provides a majestic example of the Flamboyant style of Gothic

architecture, which emerged during the 15th-Century. Afterwards, we

return to the hotel and transfer by coach to Gare du Nord for a late

afternoon train back to London St Pancras.

Hotel Jeu de Paume

Sainte Chapelle

From Ensor to Magritte

Fin-de-Siècle gallery

The founding of the modern state of Belgium in 1830 brought swift change within the new country. Rapid and impressive

industrialisation swept through the land – Belgium became Europe’s second most important industrial power after

Britain – and the country gained a reputation as one of the most liberal in Europe. In this burst of change, the arts

flourished, and the international mood of the fin-de-siècle, a climate of broad and varied artistic sophistication,

bourgeois excess and fashionably apocalyptic despair, was adopted in Belgium with vigour. Beginning in 1868 with the

founding of the Société libre des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, which rejected the dominant academic approach to painting,

a number of daring young artists emerged who helped to establish Belgium as a thriving artistic capital. Visual artists

such as James Ensor, Constantin Meunier and Félicien Rops explored the theatrical, satirical and macabre realities of

the time, while architect-designers such as Victor Horta and Henry van de Velde worked at the fore of the Art Nouveau

movement. This moment came to an end in 1914 with the onset of war but such artists laid the way for subsequent

innovators, such as Paul Delvaux and René Magritte, the great Belgian surrealist.

This remarkable moment in Belgian history, tracing the work of some of its greatest creative protagonists from gallery to

source, capital to coast, and travelling beyond the well-beaten tourist trails.

58 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

In the morning, by Eurostar from London to Brussels. Transfer by

private coach to our hotel, located in the heart of Brussels. Time

permitting, an introductory walk will be followed by some free time

for lunch. In the afternoon, walk to the Magritte Museum, where the

250 works on display chart the evolution of René Magritte. A welcome

dinner tonight is included. First of three nights in Brussels.

After breakfast we set out for the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts.

After some time to discover the museum’s wider collection –

treasures include works by Bruegel, Bosch and Rubens – we head for

the Fin-de-Siècle galleries to explore the many styles and artists that

contributed to this broad international movement. Our time here will

provide a good introduction to the sites of our afternoon walk, which

will take in some of Brussels’ architectural Art Nouveau treasures,

including a tour of Hôtel Solvay, Horta’s radiant UNESCO-listed

masterpiece, and a special private guided visit to the Horta Museum.

The evening is free for independent activities.

By coach to the Musée Constantin Meunier, stopping en route to view

Meunier’s Monument to Labour. In the afternoon, visit the Horta-

Lambeaux Pavillon, the structure designed by a young Horta to house

Jef Lambeaux's sculpture ‘The Human Passions’. Our final visit of the

day is to the Wiertz Museum where we encounter some of the most

dramatic and enormous works of the romantic painter and sculptor,

Antoine Wiertz. Final night in Brussels.

This morning we bid farewell to Brussels and travel to the coastal city

of Ostend, lifelong home of the painter James Ensor. After a coffee

break in our new hotel, we walk to the James Ensor House, preserved

as he left it. Ensor was an important influence on the development

of both expressionism and surrealism and his home offers a unique

and intimate insight into the artist’s mind. Most of the artworks now

on display here are replicas but a visit to the nearby Mu.ZEE, which

specialises in Belgian art from 1830 onwards, will bring us face to

face with many originals. We walk back to the hotel via the Kursaal

Casino, a striking modernist building designed by Leon Stynen (1953),

with interior murals by the surrealist painter Paul Delvaux. In the

evening, we enjoy dinner together. First of two nights in Ostend.

By coach to Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk, known locally as the

Ensor Kerk (Ensor Church) because its small cemetery is now Ensor’s

final resting place. On to St Idesbald-Koksijde, where we can examine

the dream-like works of Paul Delvaux at the Paul Delvaux Museum

– the largest collection of the artist’s work anywhere in the world.

Close by, the elegant historic town of Veurne will offer us the chance

for some independent exploration and lunch before we return to

Ostend, where we will visit the Spilliaert House. Opened in 2016, the

charming seafront museum is dedicated to the painter and graphic

artist Léon Spilliaert (1881-1946). Free evening for independent

activities.

After breakfast we check out of our hotel and depart Ostend for

Sint-Martens-Latem, where the stylish Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens

holds a fabulous private collection of (mostly) Flemish modern and

contemporary art. A special lunch together is the perfect way to round

off our tour and afterwards there is time to make one final stop, to

the home and museum of Gustave De Smet (1880-1943), another

important figure in the European expressionist movement. Continue

to Lille or Brussels for a late afternoon Eurostar to London.

4 – 9 April 2022

£2,495 per person

‘No flights’ price: £2,345 per person

• Return Eurostar to Brussels, returning from Lille

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Radisson

Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels

• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel

Cocoon, Oostende

Radisson Collection Hotel, Grand Place Brussels

At the confluence of Belgian cultural wonders and European

contemporary influences, step into a hotel that reflects Brussels’

cosmopolitan spirit. Famed for its glass-crowned, 7-story

atrium and post-modernist architecture, this distinctive hotel

was designed by Michel Jaspers back in 1989. Now, elegantly

updated with remodelled interiors, the Radisson Collection

Hotel, Grand Place Brussels seamlessly blends the best of

international living with a powerful sense of place in one iconic

Brussels landmark. Enjoy an enviable location: the Grand Place

UNESCO World Heritage site, the best chocolate makers, designer

boutiques, and not-to-miss cultural venues are just a stone’s

throw away. Discover 282 elegant rooms and suites where

refinement meets comfort, with sleek contemporary decor,

considered furniture and lighting, plush bedding, and enlivening

bathrooms. Find fresh dining inspiration at the Stoke Grand

Place or enjoy the theatre of the stylish Shanghai Kitchen.

Hotel Cocoon, Oostende

The four-star Cocoon hotel has just been entirely refurbished

and sits in an ideal location close to the expansive beach and the

vibrant Ostend city centre. Room facilities include, tea an coffee

making facilities, Wi-Fi, a TV, minifridge & safe.

CZECH REP

Buchlovice

Moravia in the Czech Republic is still a largely undiscovered part of Central Europe, and yet it abounds in wonderful buildings,

rich in historical associations and scenic beauty. For a long part of the mighty Habsburg Empire, Moravia’s proximity to the

heart of the monarchy in Vienna meant it became a favourite area for the wealthy aristocracy to build their magnificent

summer palaces and the 18th and 19th centuries saw a huge building boom after the Ottoman defeat at Vienna in 1683.

However, the Renaissance was also a period of rich cultural activity, resulting in some of the finest 16th-Century buildings

of Central Europe. The great Mies van der Rohe, one of the

pioneers of modernist architecture, has also contributed to

the diverse architectural treasures of the region. His iconic

Vila Tugendhat in Brno was completed in 1930 and remains

an exemplar of minimalist chic. This new Art Pursuits Abroad

tour encompasses great houses of all periods, some with

important gardens or designed landscapes and often set in

countryside of great natural beauty, offering a fascinating

introduction to this overlooked corner of the world.

Telč

60 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Mid-morning flight from London Heathrow to Prague and transfer by

coach to our four-star hotel in the enchanting little Renaissance town

of Telč, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where we will spend the first

two nights of our tour.

A morning devoted to exploring Telč, one of the finest small towns

of Central Europe with its beautiful unspoilt square of gabled

Renaissance and Baroque houses. The Renaissance castle is

particularly fine and has outstanding carved and painted Renaissance

interiors. An afternoon excursion will take us to Ždár nad Sázavou,

one of the finest monastic complexes in Europe. The former abbey

buildings are the home of the eminent Kinský family, whose property

was resituated after the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Santini-Aichel, one

of the most exciting and original architects of the period, remodelled

the mediaeval monastery church in the early 18th-Century and

built the amazing hilltop pilgrimage chapel of Zelená Hora (Green

Hill) designed symbolically in the form of a five-pointed star and a

UNESCO World Heritage site.

After checking out of our hotel, we travel out of the town, Vranov

château, spectacularly sited on a cliff above the river Dyje, the

masterpiece of the great Austrian architect, Fischer von Erlach and

an UNESCO World Heritage site. After lunch, we travel to Uherčice,

a majestic Renaissance-Baroque house, and the subject of one of

the most significant restoration projects in the country. We continue

to Lednice to check in to our four-star hotel for the remaining four

nights.

This morning we visit Castle Lednice, the Romantic Gothic Revival

summer palace of the Liechtensteins, containing splendid original

furnishings, and enjoy the great landscape park with its many 18th

and 19th-Century follies. The entire Valtice-Lednice complex is now

a UNESCO World Heritage site, and forms one of the finest designed

landscapes in Europe. A relaxing boat ride will take us to the Oriental

minaret and there will also be time to explore the garden. In the

afternoon we see 18th-Century Milotice, with its theatrics exterior and

magnificent painted Ancestor’s Hall. A special group dinner will be in

one of the enchanting garden pavilions with views over the park.

After breakfast we set out to visit Buchlovice, a charming Italianate

villa and externally one of the most beautiful houses of Moravia, set

in outstanding gardens. We continue to Bučovice, a late Renaissance

château containing some of the finest Renaissance interiors in Central

Europe.

After breakfast drive to Brno to see the iconic Vila Tugendhat, a

UNESCO World Heritage Site and the masterpiece of Mies van der

Rohe. Recently superbly restored, it is the most important example of

1930s Modernism in the Czech Republic. In the afternoon we see the

monumental palace of Slavkov, with superb plasterwork by Italian

artists. Here the peace treaty between France and Austria was signed

after the battle of Austerlitz which was fought in the surrounding

fields. The evening will be spent enjoying a wine-tasting in a South

Moravian vineyard before our last night in Lednice.

After breakfast, check out of our hotel and transfer to Vienna airport

for our flight to London Heathrow.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Barbara Peacock

24 – 30 September 2022

Double room for sole use supplement: £180

‘No flights’ price: £2,445 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Prague and

Vienna to London

• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel U

Hraběnky, Telč

Galant, Lednice

• Five dinners and four lunches

Hotel U Hraběnky, Telč

Hotel U Hraběnky is the only four-star hotel in Telč. Offering a

high standard of accommodation and services, it is a popular

and sought-after place among many well-known personalities

who pay their visit to the “fairy-tale” town of Telč. Hotel U

Hraběnky was established on the premises of an original

Baroque house. Thanks to the careful reconstruction of the

building, even the subtlest of the original details have been

preserved, adding atmosphere to the unique character of the

building, to its spirit of an aristocratic residence. The hotel is

situated in a close vicinity of the centre. The historical square

can be reached by a pleasant stroll around the lake or along

the paths of the chateau park.

Hotel Galant, Lednice

Experience an exceptional stay in an exceptional location!

The Lednice-Valtice area has been part of the UNESCO World

and Cultural Heritage since 1996. No wonder this region is

called "The Garden of Europe". The hotel is located 100m from

Lednice Castle. All these beauties are literally within reach.

Moreover, you will not be bored at the hotel. Private wellness,

outdoor pool, renowned cuisine, quiet rooms and lots of

cultural events - all your stay in this magical landscape will

only be enhanced!

LISBON BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE

Mediaeval Treasures & Renaissance Splendour

As one of the world’s oldest cities, Lisbon has seen it all. First inhabited by pre-Celtic tribes who settled in the region during the

Neolithic period, it was the Phoenicians who truly laid the foundations for the city as it exists today, establishing a trading

port that they named Alis Ubbo (“safe port”) in the sheltered Targus estuary. The Romans arrived in 205BC, drawn to the

city’s strategic location, further swelling its status to one of the most important cities on the Iberian Peninsula. A succession of

conquerors followed, most notably a prosperous period of Moorish rule from AD711 until the city was eventually reconquered

by Christian crusaders at the behest of Alfonso Henriques I, the first king of Portugal. The city was nominated Portuguese

capital in 1256 by Afonso III, relegating Coimbra and allowing Lisbon to reach its zenith in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.

During this period, Portuguese explorers dominated the world’s oceans, establishing an empire that stretched from Brazil to

India. The steady rise of this seemingly indomitable metropolis was brought to a sudden halt on 1 November 1755, when eight

minutes of earthquake literally shook the city to its very core. A city-engulfing tsunami followed thereafter, and then a weeklong

firestorm, reducing most of what was left to embers. Thanks to the wealth and might of the Portuguese empire, the city

was quickly rebuilt in the Pombaline style, handsome red roofs rising phoenix-like from the ashes to create the elegant city as

it stands today. Perhaps most remarkable is the fact that vestiges of pre-earthquake Lisbon did manage to survive the near

apocalyptic events of 1755. What remains will form the basis of this new study tour; join guest lecturer Isabelle Kent as she

peels back the layers of this remarkable and invincible city to discover a history as richly diverse as it is long.

62 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Lisbon. En route to the

hotel, our private coach will take us to the Museu Nacional Azulejo,

which is dedicated to the beautiful tin-glazed ceramic tiles that adorn

so many of Portugal’s fine buildings. The impressive collection is one

of the largest ceramics collections in the world. After a light lunch,

we continue to our hotel. Some time to settle in is followed by an

introductory walk through the Rossi district before returning to the

hotel for a group meal in the restaurant.

After breakfast, transfer by coach to the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian,

home to the outstanding private collection of oil magnate, Calouste

Gulbenkian. Landscaped gardens frame a striking concrete structure,

which houses an impressive collection of Western and Eastern

art. Beginning with treasures of Ancient Egypt, the museum is

chronologically ordered. Continue to the Museu Nacional de Arte

Antiga, another wildly impressive collection of painting, decorative

arts, sculpture and furniture. Transfer to Lisbon Cathedral, passing the

wonderful exterior of the 16th-Century palace, Casa dos Bicos, on the

way, notable for its tactile spiked façade. The fortress-like cathedral

was built in 1150 by Portugal’s first king on the site of a former

mosque and portions of the original Late Romanesque structure

survive. Our final stop of the day, perched on the city’s highest

hilltop, is the spectacular Castelo de Sāo Jorge, Lisbon’s Moorish

pinnacle. Explore snaking ramparts, tranquil gardens and share in the

expansive seaward views that inspired an empire.

Leave the city limits this morning to visit the Batalha Monastery,

commissioned by King Joāo to commemorate victory over

the Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. Particularly

astonishing is the Royal Cloister, with its lace-like carved limestone

ornamentation. After a group lunch, visit the Alcobaça Monastery,

one of Portugal’s most important mediaeval monasteries. Founded

in 1153 under the reign of Afonso I, the first Portuguese king, the

monastery formed part of a wider royal strategy to assert power over

lands recently conquered from the Moors. Afterwards, we return to

Lisbon.

Spend the day exploring the Belém district, originally the location

of the city’s shipyards and docks at the mouth of the Tagas River.

As befits the scale of Portugal’s maritime success, the area is filled

with extravagantly handsome buildings and monuments. Continue

to Jerónimos Monastery, perhaps the most impressive symbol

of Portugal’s fortune and influence during the Age of Discovery.

Founded by King Manuel I at the turn of the 16th-Century, the

Manueline style is once more expressed in the monastery’s daunting

façade, which extends for some 300 metres. Originally constructed

to mark the safe return of Vasco da Gama and his men from his

discovery of the maritime path to India, da Gama is interred here

alongside other great Portuguese navigators. In the afternoon, walk

to the Museu Coleçāo Berardo, Belém’s fabulous museum of modern

and contemporary art, with works by Picasso, Miró, Mondrian and

more. Afterwards, a Port and Pastéis tasting, offers a delicious way to

refuel. A group dinner this evening marks our final night in Lisbon.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Isabelle Kent

1 – 5 November 2022

£2,250 per person

‘No flights’ price £2,150 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to Lisbon

• Four nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Altis

Avenida, Lisbon

Altis Avenida, Lisbon

The Hotel Altis Avenida is a charming boutique hotel in

Lisbon, with an extraordinary location in the heart of the city,

in Praça dos Restauradores. The architecture and decoration

are inspired by the 40’s and revolve around the urban chic

concept, where the past and future meet creating a unique

atmosphere of charm and glamour. Classic rooms are very

quiet rooms overlooking the hotel's inner courtyard, they

feature Nespresso coffee machine, free Wi-Fi, safe, minibar

and air-conditioning.

Depart the hotel on foot to visit Carmo Convent, the ruined arches of

which stand in the midst of the rebuilt city as a poignant reminder

of one of the deadliest earthquakes in history. Continue to the Sāo

Roque Church, the earliest Jesuit church in the Portuguese world.

The unassuming exterior conceals a dazzling interior of gold, marble

and Florentine azulejos. The excessively ornate Chapel of St. John

the Baptist is a fittingly magnificent flourish to our final visit of this

tour, often described as the world’s most expensive chapel, it is an

astonishing sight. After some free time for an independent lunch, we

return to the hotel. Our coach takes us to the airport, arriving back in

London in the early evening.

Altis Avenida

Majorelle gardens

Founded almost 1,000 years ago by the Almoravids, an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty, Marrakesh is one of the great cities of

the Maghreb. By the 12th-Century the city was thriving and had become the capital of the Almohad caliphate, a mighty empire

which stretched up across North Africa and into Spain. Imposing walls, made from the rust-hued earth of the surrounding

plains, were constructed to protect the city, simultaneously providing it with a moniker – the Red City. Within these walls,

under the strong architectural influence of the Almohads, construction continued apace. Fine gardens and palaces were laid

out and mosques, such as the awe-inspiring Koutoubia, rose from the ground. The city was a major centre of trade, religion

and culture, and although this boom-period eventually met its decline, a second resurgence came in the 16th-Century, under

the reign of Saadian sultans who further embellished the city with jewels such as the El Badi Palace.

Despite the fact that, or perhaps because, Europeans were not freely allowed to enter the city until the late 19th-Century, a

romantic European fascination with Marrakech has always endured. French colonisation during the first half of the 20th-

Century brought not just the language (still widely used) but also a stream of glamourous Western visitors, some of whom,

such as artist Jacques Majorelle, left their own indelible mark on the city. The rediscovery and restoration of Majorelle’s garden

and villa by the fashion designer Yves Saint-Laurent in the 1980s is just another glittering example of the potent allure of

Marrakesh to the outsider. Stroll labyrinthine alleyways laced with the aroma of spice and perfume, take in architectural

wonders of heart-stopping beauty and surrender to the timeless romance of this captivating city, where Africa, Europe and

the Middle East converge.

64 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly from London to Marrakech. Transfer by private coach to our

accommodation, a beautifully converted riyad in the heart of the medina

(old town). Enjoy a short introductory walk, followed by dinner in our

After breakfast we head out for a full day of exploration around the city

on foot. Our first destination is the Marrakesh Museum, housed in a

19th-Century palace. Passing through the Jemaa el Fna, the city’s main

market square, we approach the 12th-Century Koutoubia Mosque. The

interior is closed to non-Muslims but the fabulous exterior, is an uplifting

sight. Our day concludes at Le Jardin Secret, designed by Tom Stuart-

Smith, with contrasting Islamic and exotic courtyards. In the evening, we

enjoy dinner together.

After breakfast, our explorations of Marrakesh continue. Pausing to

admire the spectacular 12th-Century Bab Agnaou, one of the city’s

nineteen gates (babs), we continue to the Sadiaan Tombs. This series of

sepulchres and mausoleums was built to house the remains of leading

figures from the Saadi Dynasty, who ruled Morocco between 1549 and

1659. Just a short walk away is the El Badii Palace. Its name translates as

‘the incomparable’ and although the site stands largely in ruins, it is not

hard to image the splendour that once was. The afternoon is yours today

for independent explorations but we regroup in the evening for a meal

together.

All day excursion to Andre Heller’s Anima Garden and the beautiful

Ourika Valley in the High Atlas. The Anima Garden combines

imaginative planting and bold sculptural intervention to wonderous

effect. After an included lunch, we explore the Ourika Valley. The region

is inhabited by Berber people – an ethnic group indigenous to several

North and West African nations. Our last stop is an argan oil cooperative,

to see how this precious oil, prized for centuries by the Berbers for its

health and beauty benefits, is extracted and processed.

Enjoy a morning’s Moroccan cookery course, followed by lunch, your

own cooking of course! Well-nourished, we continue to our afternoon

destination, the Dar Si Said, home to the National Museum of Weaving

and Carpets. Housed in a 19th-Century mansion, the collection illustrates

the history and social significance of carpet-making. Highlights include a

gloriously decorated wedding chamber and a tranquil courtyard garden.

The afternoon and evening are yours for independent exploration.

The morning is dedicated to Yves Saint-Laurent, starting with a private

guided visit of the Villa Oasis, the much-loved family home shared

with Pierre Bergé. This is followed by a visit to the Majorelle Gardens,

a rhapsody of intense plantmanship. Originally the vision of French

landscape painter Jacques Majorelle, the gardens were saved from

ruin in the 1980s. Majorelle’s former studio is now home to the Berber

Museum, showcasing the rich culture of Morocco’s indigenous people.

Before an included lunch at the foundation, we also visit the Yves-Saint

Laurent Museum. We continue to the Bahia Palace, a masterpiece of

19th-Century Moroccan architecture. Finally, a walk through the Mellah,

the old Jewish quarters of the city, offers a fascinating insight into historic

religious segregation in Marrakesh. The Slat Al Azama synagogue is the

spiritual heart of the enclave and there will be time to explore this 15th-

Century masterpiece. In the evening, a farewell dinner together marks

our final night in the city.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Sue Rollin

20 – 26 February 2022

£3,890 per person

‘No flights’ price: £3,690 per person

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at four-star

Riyad el Cadi, Marrakech

• Four dinners and three lunches

A tour through courtyards, staircases and corridors of seven

traditional houses forming the Hotel Riyad El Cadi gives a

good impression of the ancient and pure forms of traditional

Moroccan architecture. Riyad El Cadi is situated in the heart of

the Medina (Old Town), at the end of three cul-de-sacs. Thanks

to these three entrances and the very central location in a

secure part of the old town, you can reach all destinations in

the Medina within a very short time. The El Cadi Riad is not a

hotel with indistinguishable rooms, but a guesthouse where

all rooms are individually created. All rooms have private

bathrooms with bathroom amenities based on argan oil,

bathrobes, slippers, air-conditioning (not available in ground

floor rooms) and hairdryers.

This morning our final visit takes us to the Thiemann Cactus Nursery, the

largest succulent collection in Africa. Continue to the airport for our flight

home.

Roof terrace

RHODES

The Mediterranean’s Scepter’d Isle

Acropolis, Lindos

Five days with an unexpected variety of intense experiences on the island famed in Antiquity (by no less an authority

than Cicero) for having the sunniest climate of the whole Aegean area. We explore the dense history of the magical,

traffic-less streets of Mediaeval Rhodes, created by the Knights of St John and dotted with painted chapels and Ottoman

mosques; visit the majestic acropolis of Lindos, whose impressive ancient remains rise above the unique architecture

of the streets below and dominate two perfect natural harbours with their memories of Saint Paul and of Cleobolus,

the sage of Archaic Greece; and walk among the extensive streets and houses of Ancient Kameiros by the sea. We visit

little known gems, hidden in the forested hills and villages of the island’s interior; and take a ferry ride to the loveliest

Neoclassical harbour of the Mediterranean on the neigbouring island of Symi, whose tourqoise waters provided and

processed the world’s supply of sponges in the 19th and early 20th centuries. We make a private visit, by special

arrangement, to a rare and tranquil garden within the walls of Rhodes; look at some unusual Art Nouveau architecture;

and visit the island’s remarkably rich Archaeological Museum, set within the Knights’ historic 15th-Century Infirmary.

And for sustenance along the way… the freshest seafood and salads that only the Islands of the Dodecanese can offer.

66 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Mid-morning flight from London Heathrow to Rhodes via Athens.

Transfer by private coach to the Rodos Park and Spa. After some time

to settle in, we have an evening walk into the maze of squares and

alleyways of the Old City, entering through the majestic d’Amboise Gate

and passing by the Grand Master’s Palace, the Mosque of Suleiman,

the Ahmed Agha Library, the Mehmet Agha Mosque, the Recep Pasha

Mosque, Mausoleum and Square. We then return to Agios Phanourios

Street for dinner in the courtyard of an old Rhodian mansion at the

Marco Polo Hotel.

In the morning we travel by private coach for our excursion to ancient

Lindos. En route we will stop to see the Thermal Spas of Kallithea

and visit the curious Church of the Panaghia Katholikì close to the

shore. We head inland for lunch in rural the small town of Psinthos

followed by a visit to one of the hidden rural Byzantine chapels,

painted with mediaeval frescoes. We continue to Lindos to visit the

magnificently painted church of the Panagia, followed by a visit to

the Sanctuary of Athena on the ancient Acropolis of Lindos. After

some free time to explore the streets and shops , we will enjoy sunset

cocktails and dinner in Mavrikos Restaurant, one of Lindos’ oldest and

most stylish restaurants.

We walk into the walled city along the Street of the Knights to the

Knights’ Infirmary and visit the Archaeological Museum. We then

continue to a private visit of the exquisite garden of the Marc de

Montalembert Foundation, which has not been restored by the owners

in memory of their son. This tranquil ‘white’ garden is bounded by the

impressive walls of the city and lies, almost unseen, in the shadow of

the Grand Master’s Palace. The visit includes a private view of the fine

14th-Century monastery church of St. George and an adjacent, recently

restored, Ottoman mansion. After a group lunch we visit the area of

the ‘New City’ designed by the architects of the island’s Italian colonial

masters in the 1920s and 30s, finishing at the Rhodes Aquarium to

visit the ancient seal burial.

Today our excursion is to the island of Symi, we board a catamaran

and sail to one of the most unusual islands of the Dodecanese,

with an architecture quite different from Rhodes. Entering the great

amphitheatre of Neoclassical mansions which form its harbour is

a thrilling experience. An orientation walk through Gialós to the

principal points of interest, to explain about great wealth derived from

the sponge farming and trading of the island which gave rise to the

very impressive, yet functional, architecture. After lunch we will drive

across the island’s rocky interior to the Monastery of the Archangel

Michael Panormitis.

6 – 11 May 2022

£3,250 per person

‘No flights’ price: £3,100 per person

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Rodos Park

Suites Hotel, Rhodes town

• Three dinners and four lunches

Rodos Park Suites Hotel, Rhodes Town

The Rodos Park Suites and Spa is a luxury boutique hotel,

located just a few steps away from the historic d’Amboise

gate to the Mediaeval city. Set in an oasis of greenery and

tranquillity, the hotel offers services of the highest quality,

with elegant and modern rooms, as well as top facilities

including a swimming pool, a wellness spa, and a restaurant

of gastronomic excellence.

In the morning we leave by coach to go down the west coast of the

island to the fascinating and little-visited site of Ancient Kameiros,

a well-preserved ancient city which remained buried and was

consequently never built over in post-classical times. We then continue

to Salakos and into the orchard-clad centre of the island. After lunch

in Appollona at a rural taverna with its traditional local recipes, we

continue past the abandoned Italian ‘hill-station’ of Eleousa, and

the tiny, painted Byzantine church of Ag. Nikolaos Foundoukli. We

continue to drive through the beautiful, forested interior of the island

to the Elaphos hotel and a chance to admire the wildflowers in full

bloom along the way. After enjoying a local coffee at the Elaphos hotel

we return to Rhodes town for final drinks and dinner.

In the morning we will leave by coach for the airport for a midmorning

flight to London Heathrow via Athens.

Rodos Park Suites

Roof bar

Pool

ISTANBUL

The Capital of Empires

Dolmabahce Palace

Constantinople and Istanbul, two names for one city, capital

of the mighty Byzantine and Ottoman empires, a city where

East meets West, astride two continents, Europe and Asia.

The shores of Istanbul are lapped by the Sea of Marmara,

the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, and its monuments

are ranged over seven hills. Minarets and domes dominate

the famous skyline and a stroll through the streets reveals

the city's diverse and magnificent heritage. Hagia Sophia,

great cathedral of Byzantium, with magnificent marbles

and mosaics vies with Ottoman mosques clad in beautiful

Iznik tiles, the Topkapi palace, luxurious residence of

the sultans, elegant fountains, bathhouses and bustling

covered markets. Every visit to Istanbul is a pleasure, for it

is one of the most fascinating cities in the world.

Istanbul

68 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly from London Heathrow to Istanbul. Transfer by private coach to

our five-star hotel. Time permitting before a group dinner, we take

a short stroll around the Hippodrome, once Constantinople's great

arena for chariot races and other public entertainment.

A day spent exploring the Byzantine monuments, beginning with

the majestic 6th-Century cathedral of Hagia Sophia, a remarkable

testament to Byzantine architectural geometry. Continue to the

Yerebetan Sarayi, an extraordinary underground cistern with a forest

of over 300 columns. In the afternoon, we visit the Mosaic Museum

which houses original ornamental pavements from the Great Palace

of the Byzantine emperors, then visit the little church of St. Saviour in

Chora, a jewel of a house with late Byzantine mosaics and frescoes.

We begin our exploration of the Ottoman city with a morning visit

to the Topkapi Palace, opulent residence of the Ottoman sultans

and political centre of the empire. We see the magnificent collection

of Chinese porcelain and Ottoman textiles, as well as the Imperial

Treasury with its wealth of gold and jewels. Afternoon visit to the

Süleymaniye mosque complex, masterpiece of the great Ottoman

architect Sinan, followed by a walk through the Covered Bazaar.

Afterwards there will be some free time for independent exploration

of Istanbul.

A special treat this morning will be a private boat trip along the

Bosphorus, the straits separating Europe and Asia, past castles

and ornate Ottoman mansions and palaces. We visit the Sadberk

Hanim museum, which displays both a fine archaeological collection

spanning the Anatolian Neolithic to Byzantium and a magnificent

range of Ottoman textiles, ceramics, calligraphy and metalwork.

After lunch by the Bosphorus we return to the Golden Horn and see

the mosque of Rüstem Pasha, Süleyman the Magnificent's grand

vizier. The interior of the building is covered from floor to ceiling in

high-quality Iznik tiles. Finally, we walk through the colourful Spice

Market, with some time to stroll around the bustling market area.

Morning visit to the Dolmabahce Palace to see the opulent state

rooms and ostentatious ceremonial hall. The palace’s extravagant

4.5-ton chandelier was a present from Queen Victoria to the sultan.

Return to the Hippodrome area to see the mosque of Sultanahmet,

also known as the 'Blue Mosque', unique in Turkey with its six elegant

minarets. Visit the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, another grand vizier of

Süleyman the Magnificent, which now houses the excellent Museum

of Turkish and Islamic Art. The rest of the afternoon is yours for

further exploration or relaxation. In the evening, we enjoy a farewell

dinner together.

24 – 29 September 2022

£2,150 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £385

‘No flights’ price: £2,000 per person

• Five nights’ bed and breakfast at the locally rated five-star

Eresin Hotel Sultanahmet, Istanbul

The five-star Eresin Hotel Sultanahmet is located near the

main sites in Istanbul, including the Haghia Sophia and

Topkapi Palace and is close to the Sea of Marmara. The hotel

displays many historic artefacts from mosaics to ceramics and

sections of ancient column decorate the bar area. There is a

restaurant and rooftop terrace with city views. Tea and coffee

making facilities, safe, TV, hairdryer, minibar, air-conditioning.

Drive beside the majestic Land Walls of Constantinople to Yedikule,

the 'Fortress of the Seven Towers', built by Mehmet the Conqueror and

used as a notorious prison. The Ottoman fortress contains a section

of the Byzantine walls, which includes the famous Golden Gate.

Drive across the Golden Horn and walk from Taksim Square to the

Pera Palas hotel along the former Grande Rue de Pera, the height of

fashion among 19th-Century European residents and still lined with

the imposing façades of their former embassies. Our final visit will be

to the Pera Museum, a private museum which houses an interesting

collection of Orientalist painting. In the afternoon we transfer to the

airport for our late afternoon return flight to London Heathrow.

Eresin Hotel Sultanahmet

The Hidden Land

Yerevan Zvartnots

The sheer span of Armenian history is difficult to comprehend. The land called Armenia appears next to Colchis and Parthia in

ancient maps, was a Hellenistic vassal state, and later a province of Rome. It was fought over by Byzantines, Arabs, Mamelukes,

and the Mongol Golden Horde. It suffered conquest and periodic slaughter by the empires of Persians, Russians, and, most

notoriously, Ottomans. Yet, despite its precarious position surrounded by powerful and hostile neighbours, or perhaps because

of it, Armenian culture has been uniquely independent: the

Armenian language has its own script and their national

religion for over 1700 years, The Armenian Apostolic Church.

This Art Pursuits Abroad study tour will explore this land’s

distinctiveness, as expressed in its extraordinary monastic

architecture, which both complements and competes with the

stony beauty of the natural landscape. Apart from Yerevan,

the thirteenth Armenian capital and a city founded before

Rome, we will also visit the turquoise Lake Sevan in the east

and the foothills of Turkish occupied Ararat in the west.

Sevanavank Monastery

70 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Morning flight from London via Paris to Yerevan. Transfer by private

coach to our four-star hotel in Yerevan.

Start with a coach tour of Armenia’s capital Yerevan, with a panoramic

view from the monument to Mother Armenia. Continue to the huge

Cathedral of St Gregory the Illuminator (d.331), a fascinating complex

consecrated in 2001 and dedicated to the first official head of the

Armenian Apostolic Church. At the giant stairway of the Cascade, begun

under Soviet rule in the 1970s and still under construction, visit the

Cafesjian Centre for the Arts with stunning modern glass and sculpture.

In the afternoon, visit the Manuscript Museum, one of the world’s biggest

depositories of ancient writings.

Coach excursion south of Yerevan through fertile fields to the plains at

the foot of biblical Mount Ararat. According to tradition, it was here that

Noah planted a vine after leaving the Ark. The monastery of Khor Virap

is a major pilgrimage site, as St Gregory the Illuminator was held captive

here for thirteen years before miraculously converting and baptising

his tormentor, King Tiridates III. Continue to the remote monastery at

Noravank, set in a narrow gorge of breath-taking natural beauty. The

complex comprises two churches characterised by fine 14th-Century

carvings. Overnight in Yerevan.

We visit Lake Sevan, one of the largest high-altitude lakes in the world.

Sevanavank Monastery, originally situated on an island – turned into a

peninsula following the partial draining of the lake in the Stalin era—is a

royal foundation of 9th-Century origins. After lunch, through the forests

of Dilijan National Park framed by the Lesser Caucasus mountains,

continue to Goshavank Monastery with some of the most intricate, lacy

‘khachkars’ — Armenian cross-stones — in the country. We spend the

first of two nights in Dzogaret.

Explore Armenia’s north. The monastery at Haghpat in Debed canyon

— a UNESCO World Heritage Site – represents the highest flowering of

Armenian religious architecture. Rare mediaeval frescoes can be found

here as well as in the nearby Sanahin Monastery. Continue to Odzun

whose umbrella-domed church dates from the fifth to seventh centuries.

Overnight in Dzogaret.

In the morning, visit Amberd fortress, a rare instance of Armenian

mediaeval defence architecture, perched on a cliff surrounded by deep

river gorges 2,300 metres above sea level. From there, return to Yerevan

for some free time. Overnight in Yerevan.

A short distance from Yerevan lies Echmiadzin, Armenia’s religious

heart. Visit the ruins of Zvartnots Temple, a masterpiece of Armenian

architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main cathedral of

Echmiadzin was the first official church built in Armenia in 303. Today it

is the Holy See of Echmiadzin where the Catholicos of Armenia resides.

The local museum exhibits the Holy Lance and a fragment of Noah’s Ark.

In the morning, drive east of Yerevan to the UNESCO World Heritage Site

of Geghard, a mediaeval monastery partially carved out of the rocks.

Experience the exceptional acoustics of this intensely spiritual site in a

specially arranged choir recital of sacred music. Continue to Garni village

for lunch, followed by a visit of a pagan temple dating back to the 1st-

Century AD — the only remaining monument of pre-Christian times in

Armenia. Final night in Yerevan.

Expert Guest Lecturer, Dr William Taylor

25 April – 3 May 2022

9 days

Double room for sole use supplement: £395

‘No flights’ price: £2,395 per person

Deposit: £500 per person

• Return economy class flights from London, via Paris,

to Yerevan

• Six nights' bed and breakfast at four-star Armenia Marriott

Hotel, Yerevan

• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Avan

Dzoraget Hotel, Dzoraget

• Six dinners and five lunches

Armenia Marriott Hotel, Yerevan

Surround yourself with style at Armenia Marriott Hotel

Yerevan, perfectly placed within steps from Republic

Square in the city centre. Relax and recharge in beautifully

appointed rooms and suites, featuring deluxe bedding, highspeed

Wi-Fi and 24-hour room service. Savour distinctive

Italian cuisine and innovative cocktails at our inviting

restaurants and bar.

Avan Dzoraget Hotel, Dzoraget

Beautifully located beside the Debed River, this four-star

hotel has wonderful scenic views, which can be enjoyed

from the restaurant, terrace and lounge bar. The fitness

centre has a swimming pool and sauna. Rooms feature tea,

coffee making facilities, TV, hairdryer and air-conditioning.

Avan Dzoraget Hotel is a modern building designed in local

style and constructed from basalt stone, typical of the area.

and near the Caucasus mountains, the hotel has scenic

views. Armenian and Georgian specialities are served from

the restaurant, which has a terrace and a lounge bar. The

fitness centre has a swimming pool and sauna.

Day 9

Morning flight from Yerevan to London Heathrow via Paris.

Tales of the Silk Road have enticed and beguiled the west for centuries, and images of the ‘mysterious east’, lingered on in

the western imagination long after the overland trade route had disintegrated. Even today, the six central Asian ‘-stans’

are a poorly-understood region well off the European radar, and Uzbekistan is the ‘-stan’ nonpareil, being bordered by

the other five. But Uzbekistan’s geographical and political isolation, has slowed the inroads of modernity, and here

the glories of the Silk Road have withstood the sands of time. After flying to Tashkent, the tour properly begins in the

walled city of Khiva, a figurative and literal oasis of majolica and glazed brick that owed its wealth to the vast slave

market at its spectacular East Gate. From Khiva we continue to ‘the Dome of Islam’, Bukhara, to wonder at its 150-foothigh

Kalyan minaret and the Lyab-i Hauz architectural complex of Sufi boarding-houses and madrassahs. Our third

major stop is Samarkand, Tamerlane’s capital, which he endowed with many spectacular buildings, including the vast

Bibi-Khanym mosque and his own solemn mauseoleum, where visitors may find themselves recalling the words of the

English poet James Elroy Flecker: “Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells / When shadows pass gigantic on the

sand / And softly through the silence beat the bells / Along the Golden Road to Samarkand.”

72 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Late morning flight from London Heathrow to Tashkent via Istanbul.

We arrive in Tashkent in the early hours of the morning and transfer

to our four-star hotel LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace. After an early

lunch and a short orientation tour we take an early afternoon flight to

Urgench, then a short drive to Khiva for the first of two nights at the

four-star Zarafshan Boutique.

Spend the day exploring the old walled city of Khiva. One of the most

remote of the Silk Road cities, Khiva enjoyed an artistic renaissance

in the 19th-Century. In the afternoon we focus on the eastern district

of town, where we find the old slave market, domed bazaar and huge

caravanserai, and the beautifully decorated Tash Hauli (stone palace).

Today we travel to Bukhara where we arrive late afternoon and check

in to the four-star Omar Khayyam for the first of four nights stay.

Today we begin our exploration of Bukhara, the foremost centre

of Islamic art and scholarship in Transoxiana until the time of

Tamerlaine. Our morning visits include an exquisite brick mausoleum

of the Persian Samanid dynasty. In the afternoon we stroll through

the city streets and see the Kalon (great) mosque and its adjacent

minaret and several madrassahs. Another site of interest is the lovely

architectural ensemble around the Lyab i-Hauz pool, fed by the waters

of the ‘Royal Canal’ which still runs through the city.

In the morning we continue our tour of Bukhara with visits to the

Chor Minar, a curious gatehouse with four towers on the outskirts

of the old city. This is followed by a visit to the traditional Bukharan

mansion of Faizullah Khodjaev, and the Emir’s Summer palace, built

in 1911. The afternoon is free for independent exploration.

After breakfast we drive to Shahr-i-Sabz, birthplace of Tamerlaine,

where the conqueror built an enormous palace of which only part of

the imposing and beautifully decorated audience chamber remains.

After our visits we drive alongside the Zerafshan mountains towards

Samarkand where we will spend the next three nights.

A full day exploring Samarkand. In the morning we visit the huge Bibi

Khanum Mosque, followed by an afternoon drive to the outskirts of

the city where Ulug Beg built an observatory without equal in east or

west. Close to our hotel is the Gur Emir mausoleum, commissioned by

Tamerlaine for his favourite grandson Mohammad Sultan.

22 May – 1 June 2022

11 days

£3,565 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £455

‘No flights’ price: £3,065 per person

• Return economy class flights from London Heathrow

to Tashkent via Istanbul and flights from Tashkent to

Urgench

• Ten nights’ bed and breakfast in locally rated

four-star hotels

• All dinners and lunches

LOTTE City Hotel Tashkent Palace

Zarafshan Boutique, Khiva

Omar Khayyam, Bukhara

Dilimah Premium Luxury, Samarkand

For extended itinerary and full hotel details visit our

website or speak to our Holiday Advisors.

Our first visit this morning is to the ancient, deserted site of Afrosiab

on the outskirts of Samarkan. On the southern slope of the ancient

site is the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, an extraordinary collection of

mausolea. Within the cemetery is the holy shrine of Qussum ibn

Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Mohammad, who came to Transoxiana

to convert the people to Islam. The afternoon is free for further

exploration.

Day 10

This morning we drive from Samarkand back to Tashkent for our final

night. After lunch in Tashkent we visit the State Fine Arts Museum

and take a short walk through the old town. In the evening, we enjoy

a farewell dinner together in a local restaurant.

Day 11

An early transfer by private coach to Tashkent airport for a flight back

to London Heathrow via Istanbul.

Omar Khayyam

Dilimah Premium Luxury

Zarafshan Boutique

Hotel Tashkent Palace

NEW YORK

Capital of Modern Art

New York Skyline

By the late 19th-Century New York was one of the world's wealthiest and most dynamic cities. It was also emerging as a leading

centre for the arts, with fabulously wealthy entrepreneurs rivalling each other as much in the splendour of their collections as

the lavish extravagance of their lifestyles. The legacy of their patronage can still be experienced at institutions like the Frick

Collection, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and MOMA, while their tastes and enthusiasms shaped the development

of modern art in Europe and America, from Impressionism

to Cubism and Abstract Expressionism. Focussing on the

19th and early 20th centuries, this Art Pursuits Study Tour

will introduce you to some of the highlights of a spectacular

city - its buildings, parks, monuments and art collections. We

will encounter outstanding works of art by painters from both

sides of the Atlantic: Homer and Millet, Manet and Cassatt,

Hopper and De Chirico. In the process, we will trace the

shifting relationship between artistic trends in Europe and

America, achieving an entirely fresh perspective on the story

Rockefeller Centre

of modern art.

74 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Fly from London to New York. On arrival, transfer by private coach to

our hotel. Time to settle in, followed by a welcome dinner together.

After breakfast we set out on foot for the Empire State Building.

Completed in 1931, the famously spectacular views offered by this

icon of the New York skyline. Coach transfer to Pier 83, where a

relaxing river cruise will give us unparalleled views of some of Lower

Manhattan’s most famous architectural sites. Some time for an

independent lunch is followed by a visit to the Frick Collection, the

collection of Pittsburgh industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919).

Highlights of the collection include works by Bellini, Rembrandt,

Vermeer, Gainsborough, Goya, and Whistler. Stroll back to our hotel

through Central Park before a free evening.

By coach to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Frank Lloyd

Wright’s UNESCO-listed masterpiece. Conceived by the architect

as a ‘temple of the spirit’. The museum houses a permanent and

ever-expanding collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early

Modern, and contemporary art. Walk to the Neue Gallery, where, by

contrast, a collection of early 20th-Century German and Austrian art

is housed in a Louis XIII-style townhouse of the same period. Next

we visit the New York Historical Society Museum for a private visit

of its exhibits, which explore the rich cultural and social history of

New York and the USA. Afterwards, enjoy dinner in the museum’s

restaurant before returning by coach to our hotel.

A day devoted to exploring the glorious treasures of The Metropolitan

Museum of Art, spend the morning in The Met Cloisters, the Northern

Manhattan branch of the museum devoted to the art and architecture

of mediaeval Europe with more than 2,000 artworks and artefacts.

Transfer by coach to The Met Fifth Avenue, the museum’s main

site. A trove of more than 2 million works, some of the best-loved

masterpieces here include impressionist and post-impressionist

works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.

Return by coach to our hotel in the late afternoon.

Coach transfer to Brooklyn Heights where we will walk the famous

bridge, stopping for coffee along the way. Afterwards, a coach tour

of Lower Manhattan, will reveal the major sites of the area that were

not visible on our cruise; Wall Street, Battery Park, the site of the

World Trade Centre, the Woolworth Building and Washington Square

included. After an independent lunch in Greenwich Square, we walk

to the Whitney Museum, where the focus of this large collection is

20th and 21st-Century American art. We stroll the length of High Line,

picking up our coach on the far side and returning to our hotel.

6 – 12 September 2022

£4,795 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £545

‘No flights’ price: £4,395 per person

• Return economy class flights from London to New York City

• Six nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Knickerbocker

Hotel, New York City

The Knickerbocker Hotel, New York City

The Knickerbocker is a haven of refined elegance in the

heart of Times Square. While historic details like the hotel’s

gorgeous Beaux-Arts facade remain unchanged, a soothing

new luxury aesthetic is offered within. Guestrooms boast

incredible views and bespoke furnishings.

After breakfast, walk to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), where

the morning is ours to explore this fabulous and influential collection.

The museum holds more than 150,000 treasures, with numerous

iconic highlights, from Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ to

Warhol’s ‘Campbell’s Soup Cans’ and Monet’s moving ‘Water Lillies’

triptych. In the afternoon, we walk on to the Rockefeller Centre, where

some free time for lunch is followed by a journey up to the ‘Top of the

Rock’, the observation deck with sweeping views across Central Park.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend as you wish but we will

reconvene in the evening for a special farewell dinner in the charming

Grand Central Oyster Bar.

After breakfast, enjoy some free time. Coach transfer to the airport for

our return overnight flight.

The Knickerbocker Hotel

The Met, Fifth Avenue

UK

GEORGIAN ARCADIA

Great Country Houses & Landscape Parks of North Yorkshire 1700 – 1800

Castle Howard

Yorkshire is architecturally the richest of England’s counties with magnificent estates, country houses and landscape

parks. In our tour we shall enjoy private access to some of the finest country houses of their period which illustrate the

change in style from the excitement and drama of the Baroque in Castle Howard to the exquisite late Georgian neoclassical

interiors of Farnley Hall and Robert Adam’s Newby Hall. All the country houses in our programme are still

privately owned by the descendants of the original builders and have superb furnishings and works of art. Yorkshire

was also in the forefront of landscape design and Studley

Royal is one of the most perfect surviving Early Georgian

landscape gardens. Our tour is based in York, a fashionable

provincial capital in the 18th-Century and possesses

elegant terraces and splendid Georgian public buildings in

the Lord Mayor’s Mansion House, the Assize Courts and

the Assembly Rooms, whilst Fairfax House is the finest

Georgian town house in Britain, with richly decorated

interiors and fine furniture.

Newby Hall Library

76 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Independent arrival in York where we settle into our four-star hotel

in the heart of the city, just a few minutes’ walk from the Minster.

A welcome walk will introduce us to the sights of Georgian York,

followed by a private evening tour of Fairfax House, the magnificent

former winter town house of Lord Fairfax with outstanding

plasterwork and fine furniture. We will enjoy a glass of wine before

returning to our hotel for dinner.

In the morning, we have a private visit to Castle Howard led by the

curator. Castle Howard is one of the most important and dramatic

Baroque country houses in England, the result of a collaboration

between the great architects, Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor, and

has splendid contents. After coffee, we explore one of the earliest

landscape parks in Britain, designed by Vanbrugh, with views to

Hawksmoor’s powerfully evocative mausoleum to the Carlisle family.

In the afternoon we visit Palladian Hovingham Hall, a fascinating

house designed by the owner Sir Thomas Worsley c.1750. Worsley, a

friend of George III, he had a passion for architecture and horses, and

Hovingham, with its magnificently vaulted Riding School is a fusion

of these two interests. The house also has a fine collection of paintings

and furniture reflecting many aspects of 18th-Century taste.

We visit Studley Royal, possibly the most perfect of all surviving

Georgian landscape gardens. Here John Aisalbie and his son William

created between 1716 and 1781 a beautiful water garden of still

canals, cascades, woods, and artfully positioned temples. The

contrived view to the ruins of Fountains Abbey, framed by trees and

seen across water, is one of the supreme expressions of 18th-Century

landscape art. A private afternoon visit to Farnley Hall; built for

Walter Fawkes 1786-90, the house is the masterpiece of the Yorkshire

architect, John Carr, and decorated in exquisite Neo-classical taste.

Walter Fawkes’s son, Walter II, was a friend and patron of Turner, who

was a frequent visitor, and the house is still owned by the Horton-

Fawkes family.

Private visit to Newby Hall, created 1767-1776 for William Weddell,

one of the most important 18th-Century patrons. The house has

spectacular interiors by Robert Adam, which illustrate the harmony

Adam sought between interior decoration and furnishings. Much

of the original furniture designed for the house by Adam and

Chippendale survives and forms the largest collection of Chippendale

furniture in private ownership anywhere. The sculpture gallery is one

of the finest surviving examples in the country of the ideal beauty

sought after by the classical enthusiast. We shall have time to explore

the outstanding gardens before returning to York for lunch in the

elegant 18th-Century Assembly Rooms. The tour will conclude at

approximately 3.00 pm.

11 – 14 April 2022

£1,400 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £150

Deposit: £350 per person

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star

DoubleTree by Hilton, York

• Guided visits to sites as listed in the programme

Enjoy a relaxing stay in the heart of the city at the four-star

DoubleTree by Hilton York. This prime location overlooks

the historic City Walls and is within walking distance to

York Minster and other famous attractions. Rooms are fully

equipped and feature air-conditioning, a flat screen TV, safe

and free Wi-Fi. Enjoy a delicious meal in the hotel’s restaurant

and relax with an after dinner drink in the bar.

DoubleTree by Hilton

York Minster

DORSET

Hidden Country Houses & Gardens

Forde Abbey

Dorset is one of the most unspoilt and most rural of England’s counties, a land of downs, moors, secluded valleys,

woodlands and beech groves. Not a county of grand mansions but possesses a remarkable concentration of lesserknown

gentry manor houses, often little changed over the centuries, and sometimes still in possession of the families

which originally built them. This tour will focus on houses

in private hands which illustrate the development of the

country house from early Tudor times to the 20th-Century,

and almost every house on our itinerary has an important

historic garden or designed landscape park. Based in

Hardy’s enchanting village of Evershot, surrounded by

rolling hills and situated mid-way between Beaminster

and Cerne Abba. It is the second highest settlement in

Dorset and the source of the River Frome, which rises from

a spring at St John’s Well near the church and meanders

for 35 miles across Dorset to the sea at Poole.

Corfe Castle

78 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Choose from independent arrival at the hotel or pick up at Dorchester

rail station in the early afternoon. Coach to Mapperton for a private

guided visit. The glorious architecture of Mapperton is predominantly

Jacobean, although the history of the estate dates back more than

1000 years, with inclusion in the Doomsday Book of 1086. Today

home to the Earl and Countess of Sandwich, features of particular

note include elaborate plasterwork ceilings and the graceful Italianate

gardens which cocoon this elegant house. Return to Evershot for

dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

After breakfast we travel by coach to Forde Abbey. Founded by the

Cistercians in 1141, the buildings were sumptuously embellished

by Abbot Chard in the early Tudor period as a residence for himself.

After the Abbey was dissolved in 1539, it became the residence of

Cromwell’s attorney-general, Edward Prideaux, who transformed the

monastic buildings into one of the most impressive houses of the

Commonwealth period. The interior has outstanding woodwork and

plasterwork of the period, whilst the beautiful gardens are a special

feature of the estate. We continue to Wolfeton, a handsome mediaeval

and Elizabethan house, which rises from the water meadows at the

confluence of two rivers, just north of Dorchester. Namechecked by

Thomas Hardy, interior highlights include some marvellously ornate

Elizabethan and Jacobean woodwork, and a chapel with carved

panels depicting the signs of the zodiac. Our final visit of the day will

be to Kingston Maurward, an estate much loved by Thomas Hardy;

there the Old Manor House is the perfect Elizabethan house. In 1717-

20 George Pitt, (cousin of William Pitt the Elder), wanting a grander

house, built the present impressive Baroque mansion, possibly

This morning, we stop for coffee and view the dramatic ruins of Corfe

Castle on the way to Creech Grange, a romantic house in a secluded

valley setting. Built in the Elizabethan period, it was partially

remodelled by the important Dorchester architect, Francis Cartwright

c.1740, whilst the East Front (1846-7) is a sensitive early example of

Elizabethan revival. We have lunch at Minterne, a sophisticated Arts

and Crafts house, built 1904-6 for Lord Digby, by Leonard Stokes. The

magnificent woodland garden, particularly beautiful in the spring,

lies in a valley landscaped in the 18th-Century with chains of lakes,

cascades and streams, and contains a unique collection of Himalayan

azaleas and rhododendrons and many fine and rare shrubs and trees.

Our morning will be spent at St Giles House, Wimborne, one of

Dorset’s most fascinating country houses. The ancestral home of

the Ashley-Cooper family (who became the Earls of Shaftesbury)

for over 600 years, its architectural development is linked to the

personalities and tastes of the family. After a period of decline in the

late 20th-Century, the house and park have been brought back life

by the current 12th Earl, and his restoration of the house has earned

a number of national accolades. In the park, an exquisite 18th-

Century Shell Grotto is not to be missed. After lunch, we visit magical

Cranborne Manor (exterior only), rebuilt 1608-20 as a hunting

lodge by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, and surrounded by

beautiful gardens, where features of the 17th-Century layout by John

Tradescant survive. We return to our hotel where our tour concludes

in the late afternoon. Drop-off at Dorchester rail station.

8 – 11 May 2022

£1,680 per person

• Three nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Summer

Lodge Country House Hotel, Evershot

Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Evershot

Situated in the picturesque village of Evershot, famous for its

appearance in Thomas Hardy’s literature, Summer Lodge is

an award- winning five-star country house hotel surrounded

by the rolling hills of Dorset. The elegant and individually

furnished rooms are complemented by fine restaurant serving

seasonal cuisine, a boutique spa and a beautiful conservatory

style pool.

Hotel garden

Sandford Orcas Manor

Lounge

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES

Burghley House

A Study of the evolution of the English Country house offers a fascinating insight into how changing fashions in

architecture and the decorative arts shaped the homes of some of the land’s most influential families. This tour takes

in four of Northamptonshire’s finest country houses, including Kirby Hall, and Boughton House, Burghley and Drayton

House. One of the great Elizabethan houses of England, Kirby Hall was begun in 1570 for Sir Humphrey Stafford, a

descendent of the Earls of Stafford, although he died before the house was completed, and it was subsequently sold

to Christopher Hatton, a gifted and ambitious courtier of Queen Elizabeth I. Boughton presents a remarkable blend

of the intimate and the grand, with its palatial Versailles style frontage added by Ralph, 1st Duke of Montagu in the

1690s. Burghley, one of the largest and grandest houses of the first Elizabethan Age. Built and mostly designed by

William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, between 1555 and 1587. The core of Drayton House, built by

Simon de Drayton c.1300, still survives, but the house is especially important for its transformation in the 17th and 18th

centuries. In 1770 the house passed to the Sackville family, when the 1st Viscount Sackville, who served as Secretary of

State for America in Lord North’s cabinet during the American War of Independence, took ownership. It remains in his

descendants’ hands to this day.

80 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Choose from independent arrival at the hotel or pick up at Kettering

rail station in the late morning. After lunch, by coach to Drayton

House, where highlights of the incredible interior include the

largest wooden spiral staircase in the country (c. 1680), and a

unique embroidered State Bed dating from 1700 which survives in

breathtakingly good, original and unrestored, condition. Outside, the

full flowering of Baroque can be seen in William Talman’s splendid

façade, as we enjoy a stroll through the gardens, which are of an

interesting layout conforming to the Baroque style. We return to our

hotel where we enjoy a pre-dinner talk followed by private dining in

Rushton Hall’s historic library.

After breakfast we travel by coach to Kirby Hall, a highly important

early flowering of true Classical architecture, and the first house in

to use the ‘giant order’ in 1570. We will also explore the gardens,

with the restored parterre featuring a special treat. After, we travel

to Stamford for lunch and a visit to Burghley House with breathtaking

staterooms, mainly due to two great collecting Earls. From the

evocative Tudor interior of The Old Kitchen and the chapel that leaps

into the 18th and 19th centuries, gives some idea of the lavish and

extravagant scale of the country house entertaining.

By coach to Boughton House, where we have the opportunity to

study especially fine furnishings including, Mortlake tapestries,

marquetry tables, 16th-Century carpets, in addition to the 1st Duke of

Montagu’s architectural façade. The Duke rose to prominence when

he succeeded his brother, Edward, as Master of the Horse to Queen

Catherine, wife of Charles II, after Edward was dismissed for ‘showing

attention to the queen of too ardent a nature’. After lunch, our tour

concludes at your chosen point, Rushton Hall Hotel or Kettering rail

stop.

7 – 9 September 2022

3 days

£1,195 per person

Double room for sole use supplement: £70

Deposit £350

• Two nights’ bed and breakfast at the four-star Rushton Hall

Hotel and Spa, Northamptonshire

• Guided visits to monuments and museums listed

in the programme

Rushton Hall Hotel and Spa, Northamptonshire

A magnificent Grade I Listed Country House Hotel in Kettering,

Rushton Hall is nestled in 25 acres of immaculate grounds and

splendid 16th-Century surroundings. Located in the county that

boasts the largest number of stately homes in the UK, Rushton

Hall offers guests the best of a luxury hotel and historic venue

in Northamptonshire. All rooms are en suite and feature a TV,

Wi-Fi, hairdryer, Penhaligon toiletries, tea and coffee making

facilities and bathrobes and slippers.

Burghley House Kitchens

Kirby Hall

Great Hall

HOW TO BOOK

For further advice, information and to book

Simply call us on 01280 736 115

Monday - Friday 9am to 5.30pm

or visit www.artpursuits.com

or write to us at

Art Pursuits, 1 West Street, Buckingham, MK18 1HL

BOOKING PROCEDURE

PROVISIONAL BOOKING

When holding a provisional booking, we understand

you may need time to think, so once we have confirmed

availability, we are happy to hold your reservation

for one week. A provisional booking can be made by

speaking to one of our team.

TO CONFIRM YOUR BOOKING

To make a booking, please phone the team or visit our

website. You may confirm your booking by phone

PAYMENT

We value your financial protection and know how

important it is to feel confident when paying for

your tour - therefore we offer more than one method

of payment. Your tour can be paid for using a bank

transfer or debit card (Maestro and Visa Debit cards),

credit card (Visa and Mastercard) or cheque. There will

be no charge applicable using any card, whether it be

credit or debit.

BOOKING CONFIRMATION

Upon receiving your deposit, a contract will exist

between you; the passenger, and us; Art Pursuits. You

will receive a booking confirmation which we kindly

ask you to check carefully. If you notice any mistakes,

or likewise have any queries, please contact us at your

earliest convenience.

Balance payments are due 90 days prior to departure,

so if you are booking 90 days before your tour departs,

full payment will be required. We will send you a

balance reminder along with a suggested reading list in

advance of your payment date.

FINANCIAL PROTECTION

As members of ABTA we are a fully bonded and

licensed tour operator, with air holidays protected by

ATOL. So you can enjoy complete peace of mind when

booking with us.

82

ABOUT OUR FOUNDER

DR JOACHIM STRUPP

Dr Joachim Strupp, the founder of Art Pursuits, sadly passed away on 3 April 2017.

He was an extraordinary and gifted person with many wonderful qualities.

He was an Art Historian with a specialisation in Italian and German art of Renaissance

and Baroque periods. A true academic, after ten years as a lecturer at the universities of

St Andrews and Buckingham, he lectured independently for organisations such as the V&A

Museum, the John Hall Pre-University Course in Venice, Martin Randall Travel and for a number of European based

American academic programmes.

In 2001, he co-founded Art Pursuits and the business continues to follow the same qualities and standards that

Joachim was passionate about: academic excellence well designed programmes, comfortable and stylish hotels,

meals in superior restaurants and friendly, personal service. We all miss him but his legacy remains.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel insurance is a vital aspect to booking a holiday, giving you protection against unforeseen circumstances. It is

important that you purchase travel insurance that properly covers your participation in whatever activities you may

undertake at the time that you make your booking. We have arranged a special insurance scheme with travel

insurance specialists P J Hayman & Company Limited to cover clients booking through us. The policy is underwritten

by URV, Branch Office of Union Reiseversicherung AG for the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

SCHEDULE OF COVER

SECTION PREMIER EXCESS

Cancellation charges

or curtailment

Emergency medical repatriation

and associated expenses abroad

Up to £3,000 £50

Up to £5,000,000 £50

Hospital benefit £400 (£25 per day) -

Personal accident Up to £15,000 -

Delayed departure £100 (£25 each 10 hours) -

Personal effects Up to £1,200 £50

Personal liability Up to £2,000,000 £250

Legal expenses Up to £15,000 -

INSURANCE PREMIUM per person

PERIOD

(DAYS)

AGE

18-50 51-64 65-69 70-74 75-79

4 – 5 £16.00 £22.00 £40.00 £56.00 £67.00

6 – 9 £18.00 £25.00 £46.00 £63.00 £79.00

10 – 17 £22.00 £32.00 £57.00 £79.00 £95.00

If you are aged 80 and over, please call to discuss an individual quote.

Prices quoted are subject to change

The main features, limits and excesses are listed above – for full details please call.

PRE EXISTING MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Your policy may not provide cover for re-occurring or

pre-existing medical conditions. If you have ever had a

heart related problem, circulatory condition, a stroke,

cancer, any breathing problems, diabetes or had any

other medical condition which has been treated in

hospital or has been referred to a specialist in the

last 2 years, you should phone Travel Administration

Facilities on 02392 419068, quoting Arena Travel

(Coach Plus) to see if cover is available.

THE POLICY DOCUMENT

This will be sent to you with your booking confirmation.

CANCELLATION RIGHTS

When you receive your policy, please take the time

to read it carefully to ensure you understand what

is and what is not covered. If it does not meet your

requirements, please return the policy, proof of

premium and any other relevant documents to us

within 14 days of receipt and we will refund the

premium in full, provided you have not travelled or

made a claim.

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 83

Exclusive Garden Tours

Exclusive garden tours that offer you a chance to visit some of the most exclusive and beautiful

gardens around the world. With opportunities to meet with garden owners and head gardeners,

making the tour memorable and unforgettable.

• Tailormade holidays and itineraries, uniquely crafted with you in mind

• Guidance and services of expert Tour Hosts and skilled Tour Leaders

• Visits to exclusive gardens, featuring meetings with garden owners and head gardeners wherever possible

• Small group sizes to enhance your experience

84 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

Gardens of Marrakech & Taroudant

Indulge in a unique selection of 21st-Century gardens

10 March 2022 – 6 days from £3,898

This special Moroccan garden tour offers a unique

selection of 21st-Century, mostly private gardens, created

by some of our best-known designers.

• Visit a series of remarkable gardens designed by Eric Ossart

and Arnaud Maurières

• Visit the new YSL museum

• Visit to The Thiemann Cactus Nursery

Gardens of Snowdonia

Rivers, Mountains, Woodland & Sea

16 May 2022 – 5 days from £2,595

Set in uniquely wild, rugged and picturesque Snowdonia.

We have a special selection of visits arranged to delight and

inspire in this stunning area of outstanding natural beauty.

• Wander through the magnificent terraces of Bodnant Gardens

• Visit and enjoy lunch at the remarkably restored Plas Cadnant

• Spend a full day on the Llŷn Peninsula, with visits to three

contrasting gardens

The Italian Rose

Gardens of Umbria & Lazio

25 April 2022 – 5 days from £3,995

This tour is timed to coincide with the magical weeks of

early Italian summer when roses bloom. We explore some

of the most famous Rose gardens including Ninfa and a

private garden owned by a former President of the World

Federation of Rose Societies.

• Visit the spectacular garden of Ninfa, where scrambling Roses

drape over mediaeval ruins

• See beautiful displays at the Quando Fiorianno Rose Garden

• Special invitation to the gardens of Palazzo Parisi

The French Rose

Paris to the Loire

Hortus Goes to Cornwall

A Magnolia Spectacle

21 March 2022 – 4 days from £2,399

The Cornish peninsula is famous for sheltered woodland

gardens harbouring important collections of magnolias, as

well as many other plant groups accompanied by carpets

of wild flowers. Head south for the Cornish magnolia

spectacle in an early spring.

• Visit to Caerhays Castle with head gardener Jaimie Parsons

• A special invitation to lunch at Glendurgan House

• Visit to Trewithen with head gardener Gary Long

Gardens of Corfu

Contemporary Gardens of the Ionian Sea

30 May 2022 – 5 days from £3,350

Venture across the channel to investigate the story of the

French Rose and to enjoy some truly wonderful gardens

and rose collections from Paris to the Loire.

• Tour of the roses at Roseraie Val-de-Marne in L’Haÿ-les-Roses

• Fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of Les Roses Anciennes

André Eve

• Private visit to the Loubert Rose Collection at Château Rivau

• Visit the gardens of Château de Villandry

For our full collection of garden tours visit www.arenatravel.com

2 May 2022 – 5 days from £3,480

Explore the gardens of Corfu that have lush vegetation,

wildflowers and silver olive groves, punctuated by

cypresses and stunning views of the Ionian Sea, it is

sometimes known as ‘the Garden Isle’.

• Visit author Rachel Weaving's private terraced garden at

Villa Zetouna

• Explore Corfu Town with a walking tour

• Enjoy wine tasting at the Theotoky Estate Vineyard

• Special invitation to the Rothschild Estate

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 85

Small Ship Cruising

Arena Voyages offer a collection of cruises, aboard small ships and represent some of the best exploration and

coastal cruising available. Smaller ships are the perfect way to navigate and anchor in some of the world’s most

unique, unspoilt, and inspiring destinations around the world.

We’ve partnered with some of the best cruise lines in the business, boasting the ultimate in style, luxury, value

and adventure. With high-end, four-star plus ships and unparalleled itineraries provided by Ponant, Variety

Cruises, CroisiEurope, Katarina Line, Hurtigruten and Sea Cloud you can leave it in the hands of our dedicated

team of experts to book you onto a dream voyage you’ll never forget.

• Access to exclusive deals and the best prices

• We can take care of all your travel arrangements

• Choose from some of the best small ship cruise lines

• Offer a broad range of cruise types

86 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

EXPEDITION & ADVENTURE CRUISES

The adventure of a lifetime starts right here, on one

of our unforgettable adventure or expedition cruises!

Ideal for visiting off the beaten track locations, you

will see the rarest wildlife and reach far corners of the

world on board our luxurious small ships.

The Best of Japan

9 days departing April 2022

Icelandic Wonders

8 days departing August 2022

Emblematic Antarctica

12 days departing February 2023

Galapagos Inner Loop Cruise

11 days departing November 2022

ISLAND & COASTAL CRUISES

Whether it is rustic vistas, white sandy beaches, or a

wildlife wonder, whatever you are looking to enjoy

on your small-ship island cruise, we are sure we

have the voyage for you!

Croatian Coastal Cruise

8 days departing April – October 2022

Mediterranean Mini Cruise

5 days departing May 2022

Legends of the French Polynesia

11 days departing June – December 2022

Highlights of Greece & Turkey

Society Islands & the Tuamotus

11 days departing July 2022

Discover Sicily

8 days departing October 2022

CRUISE & RAIL ADVENTURES

Our rail and cruise itineraries offer a truly unique

way to see the world and enjoy a holiday experience

unlike any other. Join us as we journey on prestigious

trains, Spain’s answer to the Oriental Express, the Al-

Andalus and Matchu Pitchu’s luxury, Hiram Bingham.

On these two centred tours, you will also set sail for a

cruise aboard a luxurious ship.

Costa Rica & Luxury Machu Picchu

16 days departing January 2023

The Al-Andalus Rail Adventure &

Morocco & Grand Canarias Cruise

21 days departing October 2022

For our full collection of small ship cruises visit www.arenatravel.com

or call our Cruise Consultants on 01858 438456

ARENA TOURS LIMITED BOOKING

CONDITIONS SUMMARY

FOR FULL BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Our full Booking Conditions, together with our privacy

policy and any other written information we brought to

your attention before we confirmed your booking, form

the basis of your contract with Art Pursuits Abroad,

a trading name of Arena Tours Limited (company

registered number 02431120) with registered office 2

Betts Avenue, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 3RH

(“we”, “us”, “our”). Please read them carefully as they

set out our respective rights and obligations. In these

Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your”

include the first named person on the booking and all

persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other

person to whom a booking is added or transferred.

By making a booking, the first named person on the

booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the

booking that:

a. he/she has read these Booking Conditions and has

the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

b. he/she consents to our use of personal data in

accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on

behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose

their personal details to us, including where applicable

special categories of data (such as information on health

conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);

c. he/she is over 18 years of age and resident in the

United Kingdom and where placing an order for

services with age restrictions declares that he/she and

all members of the party are of the appropriate age to

purchase those services;

d. he/she accepts financial responsibility for payment

of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the

booking.

Booking & Paying For Your Arrangements

A booking is made with us when you pay us a deposit

(or full payment if you are booking within 90 days

of departure (42 days where you are booking a UK

based trip), or such other number of days as you are

informed at the time of booking,) and we issue you

with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right

to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking

confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding

contract will come into existence between you and us as

soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation

that will confirm the details of your booking and will be

sent to you (or your travel agent). If your confirmed

arrangements include a flight, we (or if you booked

via an authorised agent of ours, that agent) will also

issue you with an ATOL Certificate. Upon receipt, if

you believe that any details on the ATOL Certificate

or booking confirmation or any other document are

wrong you must advise us immediately as changes can

not be made later and it may harm your rights if we are

not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within

ten days of our sending it out (five days for tickets).

The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including

any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 90 days

(42 days where you have booked a UK based trip), or

such other number of days as you are informed at the

time of booking, prior to scheduled departure. If we do

not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve

the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in

which case cancellation charges will become payable.

Any money paid to an authorised agent of ours in respect

of a booking covered by our ATOL is held by that agent

on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the

Air Travel Trust at all times, but subject to the agent’s

obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail

financially. If we do fail financially, any money held at

that time by the agent or subsequently accepted from

the consumer by the agent, is and continues to be held

by that agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the

Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation

to pay that money to us.

Pricing

The price of your travel arrangements has been calculated

using the exchange rates relevant to the countries visited

in your package. We use prevailing rates published at

the time of production of our brochure or ahead of

our promotions. This includes the major currencies

of the Eurozone along with other major international

currencies depending on where your holiday is based.

We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold

holidays at any time and correct errors in the prices of

confirmed holidays. We also reserve the right to increase

the price of confirmed holidays solely to allow for

increases which are a direct consequence of changes in:

(i) the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from

the cost of fuel or other power sources;

(ii) the level of taxes or fees chargeable for services

applicable to the holiday imposed by third parties not

directly involved in the performance of the holiday,

including tourist taxes, landing taxes or embarkation or

disembarkation fees at ports and airports; and

(iii) the exchange rates relevant to the package.

Such variations could include but are not limited to

airline cost changes which are part of our contracts with

airlines (and their agents), cruise ship operators and any

other transport providers. We will absorb and you will

not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of

the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes

insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/

or additional services or travel arrangements. You will be

charged for the amount over and above that. However, if

this means that you have to pay an increase of more than

8% of the price of your confirmed holiday (excluding

any insurance premiums, amendment charges and/

or additional services or travel arrangements), you

will have the option of accepting a change to another

holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent

or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it

is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference

in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all

monies paid to us, except for any insurance premiums

and any amendment charges and/or additional services

or travel arrangements. Should you decide to cancel

for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so

within 7 days from the issue date printed on your final

invoice. We will consider an appropriate refund of

insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are

unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should the price

of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned

above, then any refund due will be paid to you less an

administrative fee of £10. However, please note that

travel arrangements are not always purchased in local

currency and some apparent changes have no impact

on the price of your travel due to contractual and other

protection in place. There will be no change made to the

price of your confirmed holiday within 20 days of your

departure nor will refunds be paid during this period.

If You Change Your Booking & Transfers of Bookings

If you wish to change any part of your booking after our

confirmation invoice has been issued, you must inform

us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by

the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will

do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will

be able to meet your requested change. Where we can

meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment

of an administration fee of £50 per person per change

(subject to a maximum of £150 per booking reference

number), as well as any costs and charges incurred by

us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers

in making this change. You should be aware that these

costs could increase the closer to the departure date that

changes are made and you should contact us as soon

as possible. Where we are unable to assist you and you

do not wish to proceed with the original booking we

will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation

fee may be payable in accordance with the table below.

Transfer of Booking:

If you or any member of your party is prevented from

travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to

someone else, subject to the following conditions:

a. that person is introduced by you and satisfies all the

conditions applicable to the holiday;

b. we are notified not less than 7 days before departure;

c. you pay any outstanding balance payment, an

amendment fee of £50 per person transferring, as well

as any additional fees, charges or other costs arising

from the transfer; and

d. the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and

all other terms of the contract between us.

You and the transferee remain jointly and severally

liable for payment of all sums. If you are unable to find

a replacement, cancellation charges as set out below will

apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise,

no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or

for unused services.

Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be

amended or transferred after they have been confirmed

and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of

up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

If You Cancel Your Booking Before Departure

If you or any other member of your party decides to

cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us in

writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect

when it is received in writing by us at our offices and

will be effective from the date on which we receive

88

it. Should one or more member of a party cancel, it

may increase the per person holiday price of those still

travelling and you will be liable to pay this increase.

Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements,

you will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows

Period before

departure in

which you

notify us

Cancellation charges for all

holidays EXCEPT River Cruise

Line and UK based holidays -

shown as a percentage of total

price (excluding insurance

premium)

90 days or more Deposit only Deposit only

89 - 42 days 50% of holiday cost or deposit

(whichever is greater)

41 - 28 days 75% of holiday cost or deposit

27 - 14 days 90% of holiday cost or deposit

Cancellation charges River

Cruise Line only - shown

as a percentage of total

75% of holiday cost or deposit

90% of holiday cost or deposit

Less than 14 days 100% of holiday cost 100% of holiday cost

Period before departure

in which you notify us

42 days or more Deposit only

Cancellation charges for UK based holidays - shown

as a percentage of total price (excluding insurance

41 – 28 days 50% of holiday cost or deposit (whichever is greater)

27 – 14 days 75% of holiday cost or deposit (whichever is greater)

Less than 14 days

100% of holiday cost

Please note that insurance premiums and amendment

charges are not refundable in any circumstances.

amended after they have been confirmed and any

alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation

charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements

in addition to the charge above.

If the reason for your cancellation is covered under

the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to

reclaim these charges.

Where possible, we will deduct the cancellation

charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

Cancellation by You due to Unavoidable &

Extraordinary Circumstances:

You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday

before departure without paying a cancellation

charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary

circumstances” occurring at your holiday destination

or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the

performance of the holiday or significantly affecting

the transport arrangements to the destination. In these

circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund

of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable

to pay you any additional compensation. Please note

that your right to cancel in these circumstances will

only apply where the Foreign and Commonwealth

Office advises against travel to your destination or its

immediate vicinity. For the purposes of this clause,

“unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means

warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human

health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the

travel destination or natural disasters such as floods,

earthquakes or weather conditions which make it

impossible to travel safely to the travel destination. This

clause outlines the rights you have if you wish to cancel

your booking. Please note that there is no automatic

statutory right of cancellation under the Consumer

Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional

Charges) Regulations 2013 (Directive 2011/83/EU).

If We Change or Cancel

As we plan your holiday arrangements many months

in advance we may occasionally have to make changes

or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do

so at any time. Changes: If we make a minor change to

your holiday, we will make reasonable efforts to inform

you or your travel agent as soon as reasonably possible

if there is time before your departure but we will have

no liability to you. Examples of minor changes include:

(a) alteration of your outward/return flights 12 hours

or less;

(b) changes to aircraft type;

or higher standard;

(d) changes of carriers. Please note that carriers such as

airlines used in the brochure may be subject to change;

(e) change of port of departure, where such change does

not affect your departure point from the UK;

(f) change of “expert” for an arrangement where an

alternative expert has been arranged

Please also note that on occasion we may need to change

from an overnight cabin on a ferry to a daytime ferry

and an overnight hotel instead and such change will

be a minor change. Occasionally we may have to make

a significant change to your confirmed arrangements.

Examples of “significant changes” include the following,

when made before departure:

(a) A change of accommodation area for the whole or a

significant part of your time away.

(b) A change of accommodation to that of a lower

standard or classification for the whole or a significant

part of your time away.

length of your arrangements by more than 12 hours.

(d) A change of UK departure airport except between:

I. The London airports: Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton,

Stansted, London City and Southend

II. The South Coast airports: Southampton,

Bournemouth and Exeter

III. The South Western airports: Cardiff and Bristol

IV. The Midlands airports: Birmingham, East Midlands

and Doncaster Sheffield

V. The Northern airports: Liverpool, Manchester and

Leeds Bradford

VI. The North Eastern airports: Newcastle and Teesside

VII. The Scottish airports: Edinburgh, Glasgow,

Prestwick and Aberdeen

(e) A significant change to your itinerary, missing out

one or more destination entirely.

Cancellation: We will not cancel your travel

arrangements less than 90 days before your departure

date (42 days where you are booking a UK based trip),

except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to

pay the final balance or because the minimum number

required for the package to go ahead has not been

reached. We may cancel your holiday before this date

if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a

particular travel arrangement is not reached.

Please Note: for all of the holidays that we offer, we

require a minimum number of 30 travellers to have

booked on to each holiday, in order for us to be able

to operate it. Where we do not receive this number

of bookings in respect of your chosen holiday, we may

unfortunately be unable to go ahead with providing

that holiday and may be required to cancel your

booking as a result. As a result, if we do not receive this

number of bookings for a particular holiday we reserve

the right to terminate your booking and provide you

with a full refund of all payments you have made to us

at this point. In such circumstances, we will notify you

not less than 20 days before the start of the package.

Please note that in such circumstances, we will not be

liable to pay you any compensation.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we

will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to

do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of:

i (for significant changes) accepting the changed

arrangements; or

ii having a refund of all monies paid; or

iii accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements

of a comparable or higher standard from us, if available

(at no extra cost); or

iv if available, accepting an offer of alternative

arrangements of a lower standard, with a refund of the

price difference between the original arrangements and

the alternative arrangements.

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our

offer. If we do not hear from you within 7 days, we will

contact you again to request notification of your choice.

If you fail to respond again, we will assume that you

have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking

arrangements.

Insurance: If we cancel or make a significant change

and you accept a refund, we will provide a full refund

of your travel insurance premiums if you paid them to

us and can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse

your policy.

Compensation: In addition to a full refund of all

monies paid by you, we will pay you compensation as

detailed below, in the following circumstances:

(a) If, where we make a significant change, you do

not accept the changed arrangements and cancel your

booking;

(b) If we cancel your booking and no alternative

arrangements are available.

The compensation that we offer does not exclude you

from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Period before departure in

which we notify you

More than 90 days

Amount you will receive from us

per person*

90 - 42 days £10

41 to 28 days £20

28 – 14 days £30

Less than 14 days £40

Compensation for UK based trips

More than 42 days

*IMPORTANT NOTE:

We will not pay you compensation in the following

circumstances:

(a) where we make a minor change;

(b) where we make a significant change or cancel your

arrangements more than 90 days before departure (42

days for UK based trips);

20 days or more before departure because the minimum

number required for the package to go ahead has not

been reached;

(d) where we make a significant change and you accept

those changed arrangements or you accept an offer of

alternative travel arrangements;

(e) where we have to cancel your arrangements as a

result of your failure to make full payment on time;

(f) where the change or cancellation by us arises out of

alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;

(g) where we are forced to cancel or

change your arrangements due to

Force Majeure

If we become unable to provide a significant proportion

of the arrangements that you have booked with us after

you have departed, we will, if possible, make alternative

arrangements for you at no extra charge and where

those alternative arrangements are of a lower standard,

provide you with an appropriate price reduction.

Nil

42 – 28 days £10

27 – 14 days £20

Less than 14 days £30

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 89

90 To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

2022 TOUR CALENDAR

2022 TOUR LECTURER PAGE

20 - 26 FEBRUARY MARRAKECH CITY OF PALACES, GARDENS, ARTISTS & ARTISANS SUE ROLLIN 64-65

9 - 13 MARCH NEW TOULOUSE PILGRIMS AND HERETICS SALLY DORMER 50-51

21 -26 MARCH

ROMANESQUE RHINELAND ROMANESQUE ART

& ARCHITECTURE IN THE RHINELAND

ULRIKE ZIEGLER 30-31

4 - 9 APRIL NEW BELGIUM FROM ENSOR TO MAGRITTE KATHY MCLAUCHLAN 58-59

11 - 14 APRIL

GEORGIAN ARCADIA GREAT COUNTRY HOUSES & LANDSCAPE PARKS

OF NORTH YORKSHIRE 1700 - 1800

BARBARA PEACOCK 76-77

25 APRIL - 3 MAY ARMENIA THE HIDDEN LAND WILLIAM TAYLOR 70-71

29 APRIL - 5 MAY REGENSBURG A MEDIAEVAL METROPOLIS ON THE BANKS OF THE BAVARIAN DANUBE ULRIKE ZIEGLER 32-33

6 - 11 MAY NEW RHODES THE MEDITERRANEAN’S SCEPTER’D ISLE NIGEL MCGILCHRIST 66-67

8 - 11 MAY DORSET HIDDEN COUNTRY HOUSES & GARDENS BARBARA PEACOCK 78-79

14 - 18 MAY NEW RAVENNA EARLY CHRISTIAN & BYZANTINE MARBLES & MOSAICS SALLY DORMER 12-13

17-22 MAY FRANCONIA ARTISTIC & ARCHITECTURAL TREASURES OF NORTHERN BAVARIA TOM ABBOTT 34-35

22 MAY - 1 JUN THE GOLDEN ROAD TO SAMARKAND ART & ARCHITECTURE OF CENTRAL ASIA SUE ROLLIN 72-73

23 MAY - 29 MAY

23 MAY - 29 MAY NEW

IMPERIAL SAXONY TREASURES OF MEDIAEVAL ART & ARCHITECTURE

IN THE OTTONIAN CROWNLAND

ITALIAN COURT CITIES THE RISE OF THE ITALIAN CITY-STATE

DURING THE RENIASSANCE

ULRIKE ZIEGLER 36-37

PAULA NUTTALL 14-15

6 - 11 JUNE NEW PROVENCE SCHOOL OF THE SOUTH KATHY MCLAUCHLAN 52-53

14 - 18 JUNE DRESDEN ARCHITECTURE, PAINTINGS & TREASURES CLARE FORD-WILLE 38-39

19 - 23 JUNE NEW LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA THE MILK OF DREAMS BEN STREET 16-17

26 JUNE - 2 JULY SOUTH TYROL ART IN THE ITALIAN ALPS ULRIKE ZIEGLER 18-19

6 - 10 JULY NANCY FLOWERS OF LORRAINE JUSTINE HOPKINS 54-55

6 - 12 SEPTEMBER NEW YORK CAPITAL OF MODERN ART KATHY MCLAUCHLAN 74-75

7 - 9 SEPTEMBER NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTRY HOMES FROM RENAISSANCE TO BAROQUE BARBARA PEACOCK 80-81

15 - 18 SEPTEMBER NEW MEDIAEVAL PARIS FROM MEROVINGIAN TO VALOIS SALLY DORMER 56-57

20 - 27 SEPTEMBER LE MARCHE VENETIAN PAINTERS ABROAD NIGEL MCGILCHRIST 20-21

24 - 29 SEPTEMBER ISTANBUL THE CAPITAL OF EMPIRES SUE ROLLIN 68-69

24 - 30 SEPTEMBER THE AGE OF SPLENDOUR GREAT HOUSES & GARDENS OF MORAVIA BARBARA PEACOCK 60-61

25 SEPTEMBER

- 2 OCTOBER

SWABIA ART & HISTORY BETWEEN AUGSBURG & STUTTGART ULRIKE ZIEGLER 40-41

1 -7 OCTOBER FRIULI & TRIESTE DOMAIN OF VENETIAN LION & HABSBURG EAGLE NIGEL MCGILCHRIST 22-23

9 - 15 OCTOBER BODENSEE ONE LAKE, THREE COUNTRIES, COUNTLESS TREASURES TOM ABBOTT 42-43

17 - 22 OCTOBER LUCCA THE GLORIOUS CITIES OF NORTHERN TUSCANY: LUCCA, PISTOIA, PRATO & PISA GEOFF NUTTALL 26-27

17 - 23 OCTOBER 2022 INN VALLEY IN THE REALM OF THE LAST KNIGHT ULRIKE ZIEGLER 46-47

24 - 28 OCTOBER NEW

1 - 5 NOVEMBER NEW

PARMA & PIACENZA ART, ARCHITECTURE & GASTRONOMY

IN THE DUCHY OF THE FARNESE FAMILY

LISBON BEFORE THE EARTHQUAKE: MEDIAEVAL

TREASURES & RENAISSANCE SPLENDOUR

PAULA AND GEOFF 24-25

ISABELLE KENT 62-63

22-27 NOVEMBER RENAISSANCE FLORENCE ART & HISTORY IN THE TIME OF THE MEDICI TO BE CONFIRMED 28-29

1 - 6 DECEMBER NUREMBURG TREASURES OF FRANCONIA, RENAISSANCE TO ROCOCO ULRIKE ZIEGLER 44-45

11 - 15 DECEMBER NEW VIENNA FROM THE EMPEROR’S CLOTHES TO KLIMT’S KISS TOM ABBOTT 48-49

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 91

DISCOVER MORE

FROM THE ARENA TRAVEL GROUP

BOXWOOD QUALITY GARDEN TOURS

Visit some of the world’s most beautiful and exclusive gardens.

Boxwood Tours offer high quality garden holidays with a chance to visit some

of the most exclusive and beautiful gardens in the UK, Europe and beyond.

Led by experts, each tour also features meetings with garden owners and

head gardeners wherever possible.

Call 01341 241717 or visit boxwoodtours.co.uk

REQUEST

YOUR NEW

BROCHURE

TODAY!

COASTAL AND OCEAN VOYAGES

A collection of small ship cruises

Offering some unique, unspoilt and inspiring destination

cruises around the world.

Call 01858 438456 or visit arenatravel.com

RIVER CRUISES

Explore some of the classic waterways of Europe.

Discover ever-changing landscapes whilst enjoying superb levels

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Call 01858 438318 or visit arenarivercruises.com

SCENIC JOURNEYS BY RAIL

Relax and enjoy one of our expertly planned fully escorted

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With travel into the heart of Europe by Eurostar you can choose from short

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FIRST FOR BRIDGE HOLIDAYS

Club standard bridge holidays with EBU Masterpoints

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Call 01473 794926 or visit firstforbridge.co.uk

Art Pursuits, 1 West Street,

Buckingham, MK18 1HL

Tel: 01280 736 115 www.artpursuits.com

Company Registration No. 02431120

A trading division of Arena Tours Limited

More documents
Recommendations

JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY 2022 BE ENLIGHTENED

Page 2 and 3: Blue Mosque, Turkey 2 To book call
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS INTRODUCTION WHY CHOOSE AR
Page 6 and 7: WHY CHOOSE ART PURSUITS TRAVELLING
Page 8 and 9: SO MUCH INCLUDED ..... • Inclusiv
Page 10 and 11: MEET OUR EXPERT LECTURERS TOM ABBOT
Page 12 and 13: ITALY RAVENNA Early Christian & Byz
Page 14 and 15: ITALY ITALIAN COURT CITIES The Rise
Page 16 and 17: ITALY LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA Milk o
Page 18 and 19: ITALY UK SOUTH TYROL Art in the Ita
Page 20 and 21: ITALY LE MARCHE Venetian Painters A
Page 22 and 23: ITALY FRIULI & TRIESTE Domain of Ve
Page 24 and 25: ITALY PARMA & PIACENZA Art, Archite
Page 26 and 27: ITALY LUCCA The Glorious Cities of
Page 28 and 29: ITALY RENAISSANCE FLORENCE Art & hi
Page 30 and 31: GERMANY ROMANESQUE RHINELAND Romane
Page 32 and 33: GERMANY REGENSBURG Mediaeval Metrop
Page 34 and 35: GERMANY FRANCONIA Artistic & Archit
Page 36 and 37: GERMANY IMPERIAL SAXONY Treasures o
Page 38 and 39: GERMANY DRESDEN Architecture, Paint
Page 40 and 41: GERMANY SWABIA Art & history betwee
Page 42 and 43: GERMANY BODENSEE One Lake, Three Co
Page 44 and 45: GERMANY NUREMBERG Treasures of Fran
Page 46 and 47: AUSTRIA INN VALLEY In the Realm of
Page 48 and 49: AUSTRIA VIENNA From the Emperor’s
Page 50 and 51: FRANCE TOULOUSE Pilgrims & Heretics

FRANCE PROVENCE School of the South

FRANCE FLOWERS OF LORRAINE The Geni

FRANCE ROYAL MEDIAEVAL PARIS From M

BELGIUM BELGIUM From Ensor to Magri

CZECH REP THE AGE OF SPLENDOUR Grea

PORTUGAL LISBON BEFORE THE EARTHQUA

MOROCCO MARRAKECH City of Palaces,

GREECE RHODES The Mediterranean’s

TURKEY ISTANBUL The Capital of Empi

ARMENIA ARMENIA The Hidden Land Yer

UZBEKISTAN THE GOLDEN ROAD TO SAMAR

USA NEW YORK Capital of Modern Art

UK GEORGIAN ARCADIA Great Country H

UK DORSET Hidden Country Houses & G

UK NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES

HOW TO BOOK For further advice, inf

Exclusive Garden Tours Exclusive ga

Small Ship Cruising Arena Voyages o

ARENA TOURS LIMITED BOOKING CONDITI

90 To book call 01280 736 115 or vi

DISCOVER MORE FROM THE ARENA TRAVEL

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ARTnews and Academic Travel Abroad Launch All-Access Getaway Tours for 2022

By The Editors of ARTnews

The Editors of ARTnews

Gyeongbokgung Palace with star trails at night in Seoul, Korea.

ARTnews is launching an exciting new travel program for 2022 that offers exceptional experiences in global art hotspots. Join one or more of the ARTnews trips setting off in May, September, October, and November 2022. We’ll whisk you away to visit private ateliers and galleries, discover iconic, exclusive-access museums, and explore scenic art destinations and vibrant arts districts. Discuss your latest favorites with fellow art lovers and professionals over cocktails at after-hours museum receptions and galleries. After an art-filled day, sleep comfortably in centrally-located, elegant hotels and historic inns.

These trips are a natural collaboration designed with our readers in mind. We hope you’ll enjoy some of our favorite places, illuminated by insights from our industry experts. Relish private tours conceived in concert with art powerhouses, and absorb the intoxicating, creative atmosphere of must-see destinations. Our in-house professionals will act as guides, providing sophisticated analysis and engaging commentary familiar to readers. Our intrepid tour leaders include Marion Maneker (editor of Art Market Monitor and former ARTnews editorial director), Emily Watlington ( Art in America associate editor), and Andrew Russeth (art critic and former ARTnews executive editor).

Here’s a quick rundown of our offerings:

Santa Fe’s Art Scene – May 18-22, 2022: 5 days

Join Marion Maneker as we celebrate New Mexico’s historic and contemporary art landscapes. Enjoy cocktails at one of New Mexico’s longest continually operating galleries and shop Santa Fe’s innovative amalgamation of arts and crafts. Meet with faculty, artists, and fellows at the School for Advanced Research, a leading institution preserving and revitalizing Native American cultural heritage and art. An excursion to Georgia O’Keeffe’s Ghost Ranch showcases the history-rich context of the artist’s dramatic landscapes.

The Art of Berlin: Diversity & Dichotomy – September 9-15, 2022: 7 days

Emily Watlington will reveal how Berlin’s tumultuous history sparked eclectic art and architecture scenes that thrive today. Immerse yourself in Berlin’s exuberance with tours of private studios and collections, art labs, tony cultural districts, and edgy galleries. View incomparable antiquities and Islamic art at the UNESCO site Museum Island and get a behind-the-scenes tour on a day trip to Meissen, Europe’s oldest porcelain factory.

South Korea: A Cultural Powerhouse – Oct 7-14, 2022: 8 Days

Seoul’s art scene embraces precious artifacts alongside cutting-edge contemporary work. Join Andrew Russeth for special access to private art galleries featuring emerging artists and significant contemporary art museums exhibiting Korean visionaries. Savor traditional Korean meals and museum tours featuring Korean nobility and ancient culture. One day is set aside for a guided outing to the serene mountain landscape of Museum SAN (Space Art Nature), where you’ll participate in a private meditation class.

A Look at Los Angeles Art – November 2-6, 2022: 5 days

Marion Maneker will host a distinctive look at LA’s contemporary art scene. Imbibe insider knowledge at an after-hours tour at The Broad, the city’s first new major art museum in almost 20 years. Curators and art historians guide you through private collections, downtown architecture, the Getty, and the Hammer Museum. Meet local artists in their working environments and investigate how larger-than-life installations are constructed at a Los Angeles fabrication studio.

Every tour includes accommodations, select meals, admissions, guides, and ground transportation, along with comprehensive health and safety protocols. All logistics are professionally managed, so you’re free to relax and enjoy the experience alongside fellow tour members who share your passion for art, travel, and learning.

Space is limited, so please call 1-877-813-0690 for more information, or visit www.artnews.com/travel-programs to reserve your space today.

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger Just Tore Down This Stunning Midcentury Modern Home

Princess eugenie embraces luxury knitwear in gabriela hearst dress for fashion sustainability panel, why i need wearable ai hardware in my life, and why it can’t be cheap, sam bennett 2023 masters run has set up off-course earnings, the best swim goggles for men, according to competitive swimmers.

Art and Fine Arts Study Abroad Programs

Study abroad art programs may introduce you to muses you never knew existed and you’ll see the pages of your textbooks truly come to life. Where would you like to go? Do you want to know how the Statue of David is holding up in Italy? Would you rather see how Nelson Mandela influenced the art community in South Africa? Maybe you’d prefer to understand the evolution of Spain’s modern artistic movements? Study art abroad your way.

Programs to Study Fine Art Abroad

Like domestic education institutions, art schools abroad operate on the full range of higher educational levels from undergraduate to graduate degree programs. Undergraduate programs may focus on developing the students’ ability to execute basic artistic skills, such as sculpting, sketching, woodwork, digital media and screen-printing. Additionally, the program may focus on the art history and movements of the area.

Graduate level programs might be offered through a number of institutions at the masters of fine arts abroad and doctorate level. Students participating in these programs may choose to complete a research project or culminating performance project depending on the focus of their program. While earning their degree, students may have the chance to pursue internship opportunities through the educational institution.

Choosing Your Language of Instruction

Of course, one of the most attractive benefits of a study abroad fine arts program might just be learning about a new culture and language. If you’ve always dreamed of learning Italian, many study abroad programs may help you achieve that goal while giving you a first hand look at the cultural nuances a book may not cover. Before you select the ideal program for you, you might want to think about what level of immersion you would enjoy.

In some programs, students from the United States who study fine art abroad in the same program may surround you and you might take the majority of your classes with these individuals. These types of programs could also include a series of special excursions and projects, which may likely be completed in the company of your program mates.

However if you want to go off the deep end and really embrace a total cultural immersion, you may find programs that take just a few students and allow you to take the majority of your classes with local students. For these programs, you might have to demonstrate a proficiency in the local language if English courses are not available.

Length of Your Program

Students choosing to study fine art abroad can pick programs that may be conducted as segments of your overall degree program or they may choose to enroll in a foreign institution entirely. Summer art programs for college students may allow you to earn credits for a semester or a few core classes depending on your home institution, the program and the international institution. Students could also choose to spend a year or a semester at an international institution, while completing primary research or otherwise pursuing their studies. Conversely, you may choose to complete an entire undergraduate or graduate degree program. Particularly if you seek programs targeted in a specific area of art research, you may want to travel to the source of the movement for more primary information.

API in Barcelona, Spain: ELISAVA Design Program

The Free Elective program at ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering offers students with or without a background in design the opportunity to learn from among the top design minds in Catalonia and Spain.

Other Programs from API matching this criteria:

API in Granada, Spain: Hispanic Studies

Api in berlin, germany: freie universitat berlin, german language and european studies summer, api in paris, france: parsons paris and polimoda - paris to florence summer program, api in wellington, new zealand: massey university direct enrollment, api semester arts and social sciences program in prague, api summer arts and social sciences program in prague, api study abroad in australia, api study abroad in france, api study abroad in ireland, api study abroad in the uk, api study abroad in london, api study abroad in barcelona, api study abroad in seville, api innovation lab, api global select, api study abroad in spain, api in san jose, costa rica: art and design program, api in barcelona, spain: international studies, api in barcelona, spain: international studies summer, api in bilbao, spain: studio arts, api in brisbane, australia: direct enrollment, api in san jose, costa rica: latin american studies and internship program, api in buenos aires, argentina: humanities and social sciences, api in caen, france: french language and culture, montserrat college of art, summer fine arts studies in niigata, japan.

Students take a three credit liberal arts class, Contemporary Japanese Language and Culture, and a three credit studio art class that explores Japanese art and design.

Other Programs from Montserrat College of Art matching this criteria:

Summer Fine Arts and Art History Studies in Viterbo, Italy

Lancaster university, study abroad at lancaster university.

Lancaster has more than 30 departments offering a wide range of courses in arts, social sciences, humanities, natural and physical sciences, computing and IT, and creative and performing arts. The Study Abroad team offer a dedicated service and are on ha

Other Programs from Lancaster University matching this criteria:

Marist College

Marist college-ldm venice biennale: art history and studio art program.

This intensive 4 week combined studio/art history program meets 5 days per week, and will focus on the Venice Biennale. Through close proximity and exposure to the national pavilions in the Giardini and elsewhere, as well as the Aperto and ancillary proje

Other Programs from Marist College matching this criteria:

School of Visual Arts

Studio intensive in oaxaca mexico.

Tours to the important archeological sites of Monte Alban, and the smaller, exquisitely detailed Mitla (both designated world heritage sites) will introduce the history of this beautiful valley and it’s indigenous people.

Other Programs from School of Visual Arts matching this criteria:

PAINTING IN BARCELONA

Sotheby's institute of art, sotheby's institute of art - new york: summer study.

Courses include: International Contemporary Art in New York: 4-week Course | 31 May - 23 June, 2016 Or 4-week Course | 5 July - 28 July, 2016 The Value of Art - Introduction to Market Research and Valuation: 4-week Course | 31 May - 23 June, 2016 Build a

Other Programs from Sotheby's Institute of Art matching this criteria:

Sotheby's Institute of Art - London - Master's Program

Sweet briar college, discover, study, explore paris: the perfect balance.

JYF in Paris provides access to a variety of disciplines of study and emphasis on language and intercultural learning through immersion in French university and family life.

Other Programs from Sweet Briar College matching this criteria:

Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design

London barcelona design summer courses.

Dual City Courses at CSM and ELISAVA all start in London on Monday July 4th Course Dates 2016 London: 4-14 July Barcelona: 18 July- 28 July London Barcelona: Furniture Design - Inside and Outside Spaces (Summer) London Barcelona: Interior Des

Other Programs from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design matching this criteria:

London Barcelona Courses from Central Saint Martins & ELISAVA

Dual city - photography, art and architecture in london and barcelona, eastern michigan university, asian cultural history program: china.

The Asian Cultural History Program (June 30 - August 5, 2013) is a 35 day academic travel-study tour which visits Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Saigon in Vietnam, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Angkor in Cambodia, Bangkok in Thailand, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xian and Be

Other Programs from Eastern Michigan University matching this criteria:

Cultural History Program: England

Cultural history program: germany, cultural history tours: austria, european cultural history program, european cultural history tour: multi-country programs, european cultural history program, eastern michigan university, university of vienna, univie: winter school for cultural historical studies.

The two week program combines first class academic courses about "The Discovery of Modernity - Vienna Around 1900" with an extensive social and cultural program. Participants will study the input of the fin-de-siècle on the modernization of Europe.

Other Programs from University of Vienna matching this criteria:

The Center for Management in the Creative Industries at Claremont Graduate University (CGU)

Arts management.

Spanning the spectrum from the visual and performing arts to media and entertainment, and from the nonprofit organization to the asset-driven enterprise, the Arts Management program of the CMCI produces skilled administrators, executives and entrepreneurs

Other Programs from The Center for Management in the Creative Industries at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) matching this criteria:

Art Business

Truman state university, australia, swinburne.

Students will be able to choose from a full range of courses. The language instruction is English. One of the university's major strengths is its size. Relative to many Australian Tertiary education providers, Swinburne is a small and highly-flexible in

Other Programs from Truman State University matching this criteria:

Australia, Macquarie

Green river college, japan program.

Earn 15 college credits in Japanese Culture, Art Appreciation and Digital Photography in this study abroad program offered by Green River College in Auburn, Washington.

Other Programs from Green River College matching this criteria:

Nottingham Trent University

Drawing as a journey – from observation to imagination.

Go on a challenging creative journey, from expressive mark-making techniques to creative approaches to observational drawing.

Other Programs from Nottingham Trent University matching this criteria:

Photography, Alchemy and the Artists’ Book

Arcadia university, intern philly.

Kickstart your professional life by joining a diverse community of students for a term interning, studying, and exploring life in Philadelphia!

Other Programs from Arcadia University matching this criteria:

University of Westminster

University of edinburgh, university college london (ucl), isi perugia - the umbra institute, royal conservatoire of scotland, intensive design in florence, glasgow school of art, burren college of art, university of oxford, university of the arts london, isi florence, studio arts college international, saci full summer: florence & venice.

SACI’s summer programs offer the chance to study in Florence or Venice during some of Italy’s most beautiful months. Join us in Florence, Venice, or both for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in renowned artistic and cultural hubs of Europe.

Other Programs from Studio Arts College International matching this criteria:

SACI: Venice Summer Program

Saci florence: summer programs, university of new orleans, uno-italy: rome program.

Four-week summer program in Italy's breathtaking capital. Classes in English, Fine Arts and Humanities.

Other Programs from University of New Orleans matching this criteria:

Santa Reparata International School of Art

Accredited year, semester or summer at srisa in florence.

SRISA offers American University level undergraduate courses taught in English in a variety of areas of study. All classes, with the exception of Italian, are taught in English. Most students choose to study for one or two semesters.

Other Programs from Santa Reparata International School of Art matching this criteria:

Northumbria University, Newcastle

Study abroad with northumbria university.

The Study Abroad programme is constructed around the Colloquium on British Cultures module, which is a credit-bearing class that involves visits to castles, cathedrals and other historical monuments in the region. You can then choose classes from a w

Other Programs from Northumbria University, Newcastle matching this criteria:

CIS Abroad Semester in Adelaide - University of Adelaide

Study and live in a world of wine and hospitality

Other Programs from CISabroad matching this criteria:

CIS Abroad Semester in Bristol - University of Bristol

Cis abroad semester in london - university of roehampton, cis abroad summer on the gold coast, cis abroad summer in greece, west virginia university, west virginia university: germany.

Study Abroad in Germany with West Virginia University

Other Programs from West Virginia University matching this criteria:

University of Sunderland

Creative arts in england.

4 week programme fun, interactive workshops fieldtrips 5 days in London (includes accommodation and return travel)

Other Programs from University of Sunderland matching this criteria:

University of Kansas

Art and photography in europe.

Students will spend 20 days in Europe, 7 in Amsterdam, 7 in Berlin, and 6 in Venice. The purpose of the program, Art and Photography in Europe Summer 2015, is to provide students with a thorough immersion into contemporary German, Dutch and Italian design

Other Programs from University of Kansas matching this criteria:

Visual Art in Japan

University of toronto, international summer program.

The University of Toronto's International Summer Program (ISP) allows international visiting students to enrol in undergraduate degree credit courses during the summer session. Students in the ISP will have the option to choose from over four hundred cour

Other Programs from University of Toronto matching this criteria:

Summer Program in Oxford, England

University of wisconsin - madison, uw in india.

This academic program combines traditional classroom-based learning with experience-based learning, both in and around the city of Varanasi. Together, the various components present an academic experience that will expose you to the depth and complexity o

Other Programs from University of Wisconsin - Madison matching this criteria:

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Boxwood Tours

Quality garden tours.

Quality Garden tours offer a chance to visit some of the most exclusive and beautiful gardens, featuring meetings with garden owners and head gardeners wherever possible. With small, friendly groups and carefully selected fine hotels, many chosen for the quality of their cuisine, together with travel in luxury coaches, we offer a complete service with great attention to your personal comfort and well-being to ensure a memorable, relaxed garden holiday, each accompanied by our Expert Hosts and familiar Tour Managers.

Gardens Illustrated: The Italian Rose

Country Life: Tangier's Secret Gardens

Gardens of the Heart of England

Gardens Illustrated: Somerset & Bath Contemporary Gardens

Highland Summer Gardens

Gardens Illustrated; Gardens of Brittany

Gardens of the Netherlands

Cornish Autumn Gardens

The EBTS goes to Denmark

Gardens of Corfu

Partner holidays, gardens illustrated garden tours.

A Boxwood Partner since 2011, the list of Gardens Illustrated reader holidays to date is extensive and wide-ranging. In 2024, our wide-ranging collection includes Somerset and Bath and Heritage in Bloom in Brittany. The Gardens Illustrated approach combines stunning photography with some of the world’s best garden writing, and a Gardens Illustrated holiday is a unique opportunity to bring its lushly printed pages to life in the company of world-class experts and fellow enthusiasts.

Country Life Garden Tours

Boxwood’s partnership with Country Life has been going from strength to strength since 2012, amassing a diverse portfolio of tours in this time. The magazine’s reputation as a publication that comments in depth on subjects such as gardens and gardening, the countryside, architecture and the arts is reflected in this portfolio, enriching journeys of horticultural discovery throughout Europe and beyond with injections of culture, architecture and the arts, in the illuminating company of industry-leading professionals.

HORTUS Garden Tours

In partnership with Boxwood since 2005, HORTUS is a privately published quarterly journal for intelligent and lively-minded gardeners. Founded by editor David Wheeler in 1987, HORTUS remains unique in its presentation and content, a thoughtful, analogue response to our increasingly digitised lives. Since its conception, HORTUS has published almost every garden writer of note. HORTUS garden holidays are curated with the same devotion, drawing on a broad network of contributors to match distinguished field specialists with outstanding horticultural locations.

Tours Available

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BoriCorridor tour brings Puerto Rican arts to Boston

Copy the code below to embed the wbur audio player on your site.

Khari Thompson
Tiziana Dearing

Boston has more than 30,000 people of Puerto Rican descent, which makes them the second-most represented group of Latinos in Boston, according to city data.

A new initiative called the BoriCorridor will be putting Puerto Rican art center stage in multiple Northeast cities throughout this year. The project will bring performers from Puerto Rico to Boston for shows at the Arlington Street Church, Emerson College's Semel Theater and Emerson Arts Black Box Theater to give audiences a taste of the island's culture.

This segment aired on April 9, 2024.

Khari Thompson Producer, Radio Boston Khari Thompson is a producer for Radio Boston.

Tiziana Dearing Host, Radio Boston Tiziana Dearing is the host of Radio Boston.

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One of the oldest hotels in Hong Kong is the definition of luxury. 13 photos offer a glimpse inside Art Basel's hotel partner, The Peninsula.

The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, an iconic property that opened in 1928, offers a luxury experience.
The hotel boasts nine restaurants, a spa, a mall featuring high-end brands, and over 50 suites.
The Peninsula also offers unique experiences like the Art in Resonance program and a helicopter pad used by celebrities.

Steps away from the glistening Victoria Harbour sits the Peninsula Hotel.

The flagship hotel in the Peninsula Hotels group, which boasts properties worldwide, opened in December 1928, making it one of the oldest hotels in Hong Kong. The original building only housed six floors and was the tallest building in the city when it was built.

Now, the hotel has a 30-story tower, more than 50 hotel suites, nine restaurants and lounges, a spa, and what they call a "shopping arcade," or an intimate mall featuring Chanel, Harry Winston, and other luxury brands.

The iconic hotel, one of the official hotel partners of Art Basel Hong Kong , sponsored by the global lead partner UBS, is nestled right on the Kowloon Peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui. Thanks to their Art in Resonance program, it's also home to four memorable art pieces featuring "emerging and mid-career" artists. I toured the 5-star hotel and saw exactly why the Peninsula provides the best in hospitality and accommodations, from the hotel's helicopter pad, which has welcomed Bon Jovi and Tom Cruise, to the gym that Madonna specially requested be outfitted in the hotel's biggest suite.

When you first walk up to the hotel, you're greeted by an art installation in the hotel's signature green.

Kingsley Ng, a visual artist based in Hong Kong, was the creator behind the art installation affixed to the hotel's exterior. During Art Basel, " Esmeralda ," as it's titled, was unveiled revealing a sky-high art moment that mimics water waves.

You're also greeted by a fleet of Rolls-Royce cars.

Before you enter the hotel, guests know they'll be treated to a luxury experience thanks to the Rolls-Royce fleet parked outside. The hotel has 14 Rolls-Royce Extended Wheelbase Phantoms on hand for guests to use.

Every car is in the hotel's signature green with a peanut butter leather and wood paneling interior.

The cars are facing two stone Chinese lions, placed outside the hotel for protection, according to Kylie Cheung, the hotel's assistant director of communications.

There's also a vintage Rolls-Royce tucked away in the hotel's basement.

Housed in the garage is the hotel's most precious member of the fleet, a 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II , a tailor-made car that belongs to the Kadoorie family. The family owns the Peninsula Hotel Group along with China Light and Power, an electricity company servicing most of Hong Kong.

The car, built in antique fashion, is preserved beautifully. I got a chance to sit inside the car, to feel the buttered leather under my hands. There's even a rotary telephone inside the vehicle, a call back to an earlier time before cellular phones and devices.

The hotel lobby is lavish. It features tall white columns with 76 hand-painted gargoyles on top.

Walking inside the hotel, you're met with two sides, both for dining.

The hotel's communications director told Business Insider that the middle of the lobby was previously used as a dance floor and that men and women would sit separately on two sides "so as not to cause embarrassment."

Today, the lobby is the place for the hotel's famous afternoon tea , held from 2-6 p.m. local time for a minimum cost of $350 Hong Kong dollars, or around $44. The all-day menu features an assortment of salads, pastas, sandwiches, and what they call "Asian specialties."

The lobby also houses an art installation by French artist Elise Morin. The art dune-shaped piece, titled "SOLI," comprises broken CDs, a nod to the piece's sustainable message.

The 300-room hotel has over 50 suites, including its finest, the Presidential Suite.

BI toured two of the hotel's suites, including the 4,000-square-foot Presidential Suite that's welcomed presidents, billionaires, and business leaders, according to Cheung.

The room, number 2608, is the picture of opulence thanks to marble floors, an executive dining table, a piano, and custom-made furniture.

Walking in, you're greeted by artwork, a 2011 wooden sculpture by Sun Yi titled "Dancer II." To the left is a media room where guests can relax and enjoy a movie.

If you'd rather look at the Harbour, floor-to-ceiling windows and a terrace offer the perfect unobstructed view.

A gym, specially requested by Madonna, sits in one of the suite's rooms.

As you move through the suite's dining room, if you walk too fast, you might miss the hidden full-sized kitchen, which features Miele appliances, a wine fridge, and an espresso machine .

Along with a bedroom comes a his-and-hers closet and bathroom. There's also a gym, the brainchild of Madonna. Yes, that Madonna.

When she stayed at The Peninsula, she didn't want to go downstairs to the gym, Cheung told BI, with the other hotel guests, and requested a gym be built inside the suite for her. It's stayed there ever since.

The cost for the entire suite? A mere $234,000 HKD or around $29,900 per night.

A smaller suite, costing about $2,000 per night, includes a spacious vanity area and closet.

If that price tag gave you a bit of sticker shock, don't worry. There are plenty of smaller, more affordable suites that aren't as grandiose as the Presidential Suite but are elegant all the same.

One of the smaller suites I saw included a dining room table, a living room with a faux fireplace, and a sitting area in the bedroom, along with a roomy closet and vanity area. The room even came with a nail dryer in case you need an impromptu manicure.

Outside The Verandah, a buffet-style restaurant, sits another art installation.

Lachlan Turczan, a native of Los Angeles, created one of my favorite art pieces with his water sculpture titled "Harmonic Resonance."

This kinetic sculpture moves water , thanks to submersible low-frequency vibrations.

When staring at the drum, I felt a sense of calm, feeling the remnants of the vibration through my feet. Looking at the sculpture reminded me that every cause has an effect.

A tucked-away music room also serves as the hotel's archive.

With such a history, the Peninsula Hotel also houses an archive of its achievements. It also serves as a soundproof room for the many musicians who've stayed at the hotel.

The hotel houses nine restaurants and lounges, featuring different cuisines.

Dining is one of the best aspects of staying at the Peninsula Hotel. The hotel boasts nine restaurants and lounges with two restaurants earning a Michelin star.

A Swiss chalet inspired Chesa, a manager told Business Insider. In fact, the entire interior of the restaurants was flown in from Switzerland.

There's also Spring Moon, which has earned a Michelin star and features Cantonese on its menu, a Japanese-inspired restaurant named Imasa, and Felix, which boasts "Contemporary European" cuisine, according to the hotel's website.

There are also two lounges, The Bar, and The Lobby, which I previously mentioned, and The Peninsula Boutique & Café that serves coffees and delicate pastries.

There's a reason Gaddi's has a Michelin star.

Business Insider tried a six-course meal at the French restaurant Gaddi's, led by Chef Albin Gobil. He recently earned a Michelin star, and it's easy to see why.

He's clearly a thoughtful artist who doesn't skip any detail regarding presentation. He also served a foie gras that was my best this year.

The experience is complemented by a dining room featuring chandeliers and textiles from the Ming dynasty, part of the private Kadoori family collection.

While shopping in the arcade, don't miss Saya Woolfalk's art installation.

According to on-site materials, Woolfalk's " Visionary Reality Portal ," is created by two kaleidoscope videos, 3D animation, live action, and hand-painted paper. The installation is meant to mimic the stained glass of churches.

Guests can skip Hong Kong traffic by landing at the hotel's private helipad.

Before walking out to the hotel's helipad, guests are treated to a small museum documenting the history of the China Clipper. The first plane, which could only go up about 10,000 feet in the air, lasted 10 years starting in 1935.

It's an area used for private dining and for going over safety precautions for anyone about to board the hotel's helicopter. And a few famous faces, including Tom Cruise and Bon Jovi, have walked this corridor since a helicopter is only an 18-minute ride from the city's airport, operator Paul Leigh, who's worked at the hotel for 30 years in various capacities, told Business Insider.

For any Batman fans, you might recognize the helipad from a 10-second shot in Christopher Nolan's 2008 film, "The Dark Knight," starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and the late Heath Ledger as Joker.

Today, the hotel's helicopter is also used for many proposals. Leigh told BI he's never seen anyone say no to a proposal in the sky.

Main content

Michelin Picks 24 Top Hotels in France in First-Ever Ranking

Only five of the 12 “palace” hotels in Paris got the top three-key distinction.

A room at the Cheval Blanc Paris, which was given three keys in Michelin’s first hotel awards

The Michelin guide awarded its first honors for hotels, giving just 24 establishments in France the highest three “keys” rating.

At an event on Monday, April 8 in Paris, the eponymous publication owned by the French tiremaker unveiled its selection of the 189 best places to stay in the nation, awarding them one, two or three key emblems. The company is capitalizing on its renown as an arbiter of fine dining through its annual “star” awards for restaurants—which similarly max out at three stars—to make further inroads into the hospitality sector.

Community events in San Diego County: From Fallbrook Avocado Festival to Earth Day tours

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Spring Bazaar & Plant Sale

Bonita Valley Garden Club is having its annual Spring Bazaar & Plant Sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 20 on the patio of the Bonita-Sunnyside Museum, 4355 Bonita Road. There will be handmade items and plants for Mother’s Day gifts. The nonprofit garden club provides scholarships for local colleges.

Earth Day tours at wildlife education center

Wild Wonders wildlife education center holds family-friendly Earth Day tours with animal “ambassadors” from rain forests, the wilds of Down Under and African savannahs along with Southern California. Each child will get a passport to fill in with answers provided by the tour guide, and they will receive a small prize at the end. Participants learn about adaptations that help the animals survive in diverse climates and find out how they can become a steward for the environment. Tours are at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 20 and last about an hour. Tickets are $39; $20 for children ages 5-11. Visit wildwonders.org .

Taste of Cardiff next month

Cardiff 101 Main Street puts on its 14th annual Taste of Cardiff culinary adventure, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. May 2 on San Elijo Avenue between Birmingham Drive and Chesterfield Drive and along South Coast Highway 101. The event will feature bites and sips from Cardiff’s restaurants, bars and retailers. During the event, participants will also cast their votes for the Morgan Mallory Golden Fork Award winner. Tickets are $50; Taste & Sip tickets are $55. Visit cardiff101.org .

Family Passover Seder on April 22

A First Night Community Family Passover Seder sponsored by Congregation B’nai Tikvah starts at 6 p.m. April 22 at Richard Walker’s Pancake House, 2656 Gateway Road. The 30-minute Seder led by Cantor Larry Kornit will be followed by food and fun activities. Cost if $75, including catered kosher-style dinner; special rates for military and children younger than 12. Bring canned food for Interfaith Community Services. Reserve at bnaitikvahsd.org . Call (760) 650-2262.

Museum of Making Music reopens

The Museum of Making Music reopens to the general public April 16 after renovation of its exhibitions. The museum, which originally opened in 2000, offers immersive musical instrument exhibitions along with a studio/classroom area. The museum is at the National Association of Music Merchants headquarters, 5790 Armada Drive. Visit museumofmakingmusic.org .

CHULA VISTA

Genealogy buffs discuss birth records.

The Chula Vista Genealogical Society holds its Education Meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. April 16 in the Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library Community Room, 4375 Bonita Road. The topic for discussion is birth records and how to use them in genealogy. Attendees can work with fellow genealogists and have questions answered. Bring your laptop or tablet. Walk-ins are welcome. Register at chulavistagenealogysociety.wildapricot.org.

EAST COUNTY

Sheriff’s stations seek volunteers.

The Santee and Lakeside sheriff’s stations are recruiting men and women 50 and older to join their Senior Volunteer Patrols. Duties include patrolling residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and schools and doing traffic control, home vacation and elderly welfare checks, citizen assists and working at public events requiring traffic and pedestrian management. After completing the 10-day academy, volunteers are asked to commit a minimum of one six-hour patrol shift each week and attend a one-hour monthly meeting. For information and eligibility requirements, go to sdsheriff.gov and click on “Recruiting,” then “Senior Volunteer Patrol,” or call (619) 972-6846.

Sorelle San Diego gives concert

Sorelle San Diego, a women’s chamber chorus, presents its spring concert, which “Explores Stories of War from the Voices of Women,” at 4 p.m. April 20 at San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdalena. The chorus with San Diego State University’s Treble Choir will perform a newly commissioned arrangement of “Armistice 1918: Everyone Sang” by Craig Carnahan. The suggested donation is $20; $10 for students, which benefits the International Rescue Committee in San Diego, helping refugees and asylum seekers. Visit sorellesandiego.com .

Happy Tales reading program at animal shelter

The Rancho Coastal Humane Society holds the Happy Tales reading program from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. April 20 for children age 6 and older to read aloud to the dogs, cats and rabbits at the animal shelter, 389 Requeza St. Each child must be supervised by a parent. Readers must wear closed-toed, rubber-soled shoes. They can bring their own pillow, blanket or towel to sit on, or the shelter can provide a towel. Participants can bring their own books or borrow a book from the shelter’s education library. Other sessions are May 18 and June 8. The cost is $10 per child. Preregistration is required at rchumanesociety.org . Happy Tales can be arranged for small groups; email [email protected].

Wildcoast puts on benefit dinner

The third annual Wildcoast Benefit Dinner in honor of Earth Day is at 6 p.m. April 21 at Herb & Sea, 131 W. D St. The event will be an interactive family-style seafood soiree on the Moonlight Deck, featuring a giant fish placed on a bed of hot coals, covered with seaweed and burlap, and buried in sand to roast inside a salt shell. The dinner is a part of Herb & Sea’s longtime partnership with Wildcoast to preserve coastlines and marine ecosystems. Tickets are $120. Visit wildcoast.org .

Avocado Festival on April 21

The Fallbrook Avocado Festival is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 21 on Main Avenue in downtown Fallbrook. Highlights include craft and food vendors, a beer and wine garden, live bands and a guacamole contest along with other competitions, such as an avocado attire contest and avocado holding competition. There will be an Artisan Walk on Alvarado Street, between Main and Vine Street, with handmade items from local artisans. For kids there will be the fun zone and Avo 500 races along with the Best Dressed Avocado and Little Miss and Mr. Avocado contest. Admission is free. Free shuttles will be available. Visit fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org .

Wildflower Show next month

The Julian Woman’s Club hosts the 98th annual Wildflower Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3-4 in its clubhouse, 2607 C St. The show features wildflowers from seven regions in and around Julian, and it will exhibit samples from many different flowering species that grow in the area. The clubhouse will be adorned with artwork by local students, and there will be items for sale, including a quilt made by club members to be raffled off in an opportunity drawing. The show is free to the public. Donations and sales are appreciated; proceeds go to the club’s scholarship fund and to support the community. Visit julianwomansclub.org .

Managing nonprofits subject of talk

The La Mesa-El Cajon Branch of the American Association of University Women meets at 9:30 a.m. April 13 and hosts guest speaker Carolyn Carpenter, who has formed three nonprofits. She will share strategies for managing a nonprofit, such as the local AAUW branch. The theme for the meeting is “Focus on Fundraising,” emphasizing branch financial sustainability. Meetings are open to the public in King Hall at Foothills United Methodist Church, 4031 Avocado Blvd.

OMFest’s Women of Note fundraiser

The Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation holds the Oceanside Music Fest’s fourth annual Women of Note Scholarship Fundraiser at 2 p.m. April 21 at the Oceana Clubhouse, 550 Vista Bella. The OMFest will host a historical fashion walk presented by Natalie J. Meyers, who will show samples of women’s fashion through the ages, revealing how taste in women’s fashion evolved and what foundation garments made those changes possible. There will be fashion-inspired song and dance numbers performed by scholarship recipients. Tickets are $15; $10 for seniors and students, including cold drinks, tea and sweets. Tickets are at ocaf.info/events and at the door.

San Diego district attorney to speak at meeting

The Republican Club of North County hosts San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan as keynote speaker on April 17 at a luncheon meeting at the Broken Yolk Cafe, 2434 Vista Way. Stephan will provide “An Update on the San Diego’s District Attorney’s Office.” The club believes in conservative values, individual responsibility, personal freedoms, limited government, a market economy, low taxes and strong national defense. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the meeting starts promptly at noon. Cost is $35; $30 for club members. Cash or check only at the door (credit cards not accepted). Call or text (760) 212-9995.

RANCHO BERNARDO

Church collecting items for infants, toddlers.

The Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church holds a drive-thru drop-off collection of new items for infants and toddlers from 9 to 11 a.m. April 20 at 17010 Pomerado Road. Donations will go to Solutions for Change, Serving the Enlisted Project (STEP) serving military families and Salvation Army’s Door of Hope. Items needed include diapers (all sizes, except newborn), wipes, baby lotions, shampoo, diaper rash creams, blankets, onesies, crib sheets, towels and pajamas. (The group cannot collect car seats, playpens, cribs or high chairs per California laws.) Checks can be made out to Door of Hope, Solutions for Change or STEP. Visit rbcommunity.org .

San Diego: Volunteers install free smoke alarms in area homes

Volunteers install smoke alarms in area homes

Paul Davis Restoration of South San Diego County was among volunteers who participated in the local “Sound the Alarm” program run by the American Red Cross. The initiative happens each spring and involves hundreds of volunteers installing free smoke alarms in neighborhood homes. The volunteers also gave fire safety information and evacuation tips. The Paul Davis team of six volunteers installed 86 alarms in 19 homes throughout the San Diego Bay area. In total, 200 volunteers installed 650 smoke alarms in 255 homes in San Diego as part of this year’s program.

International Orchid Show

The San Diego County Orchid Society will hold its annual International Show and Sale from April 19-21 in Casa del Prado’s Room 101 and Patio A, 1800 El Prado, in Balboa Park. The show, themed “Orchids of the Earth,” is slated to draw orchid enthusiasts, growers and vendors from the U.S. and abroad. Regional and international commercial growers and breeders will sell orchids, orchid supplies and other collectible plants. Also, San Diego County Orchid Society members with large private collections will sell plants. The society’s conservation committee will sell donated plants to raise money for its nonprofit conservation work around the world. There will be free, walk-up classes about how to grow an orchid, how to repot an orchid and how to rebloom an orchid. Volunteers will be on hand to answer orchid questions and hand out free care sheets for a dozen different types of orchids. The show is open from noon to 7 p.m. April 19 with early-bird sales at 10 a.m.; from 9 a.m. to 6 pm April 20 and from 10 a.m. to 4 pm. April 21. Admission is free. visit sdorchids.com .

Author discussion to benefit Arc of San Diego

The StarLarcs, an auxiliary group supporting nonprofit The Arc of San Diego, which serves people with disabilities, hosts an event at 1 p.m. April 27 featuring a discussion led by San Diego author Jennifer Coburn about her historical novel “Cradles of the Reich.” Coburn is known for her mother-daughter memoir and collection of contemporary women’s novels. Proceeds benefit community members with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are receiving services at The Arc of San Diego’s Sol and Ruth Gerber Family Center in Chula Vista. The event will be at the center, 1280 Nolan Ave. Tickets are $30. Reserve by April 22 at (619) 370-1892.

Springtime Carnival at museum

The WNDR Museum puts on a Springtime Carnival from 6 to 10 p.m. April 18 and night of Music, Art & More from 7 to 10 p.m. April 20 at 422 Market St. The carnival features stilt walkers from the San Diego-based circus performance academy Art in Flexion along with other performers. There will be snacks from Bigfoot Corndogs. This event is for 21 and older. Tickets are $38. A Music, Art & More event will be curated by Bad Vibes Good Friends and live visuals presented by SD Liquid Light Society. There will be dancing and a lineup of musicians along with handcrafted goods from local artisans and vendors. This is for 18 and older. Tickets are $41. Visit wndrmuseum.com .

Alesmith Brewery celebrates Anvil of Hope anniversary

Alesmith Brewery’s nonprofit charity arm, Anvil of Hope, celebrates its fourth anniversary from 6 to 10 p.m. April 20 at 9990 Alesmith Court. This 1980s-themed party includes a live band, food, drinks and dance performances along with a 1980s arcade, a costume contest and dancing. Proceeds benefit children experiencing poverty in San Diego. General admission tickets are $80 at bit.ly/anvilofhope4th while supplies last.

Earth Day celebration at nature reserve

The Torrey Pines Docent Society holds an Earth Day Celebration from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 21 in front of the lodge area near the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve upper parking lot in La Jolla. There will be wildflower hikes, live raptors and reptile exhibits along with information about Kumeyaay history, native bees and invasive plants. Visit torreypine.org .

International Dance Day celebrate

In honor of International Dance Day on April 29, Queen Bee’s Art and Cultural Center hosts a variety of dance socials, classes and events. Swing Tuesdays feature music of blues and swing at 6:30 p.m., with a swing dance lesson. On April 16, there will be a special performance from the Backwater Blues Band. Line Dancing Wednesdays is at 7 p.m. and includes a lesson — wear your cowboy boots. Salsa Sundays is at 7 p.m. with instruction. Tickets start at $15 online or at the door. Visit queenbeessd.com .

Sharp holds Women’s Health Conference

The annual Sharp Women’s Health Conference to “inspire women to live a healthier and more balanced life” is from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, 1380 Harbor Island Drive. The event features keynote speakers Dr. Marisa Franco and Dr. Nora McInerny, along with 24 breakout sessions on various health and lifestyle topics. Attendees can have free health screenings and assessments. Admission also includes breakfast, lunch, opportunity drawings and a gift bag. Fee is $85. Register at sharp.com/womensevent or call (800) 827-4277 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

5K walk supports mental health services

NAMI Walks San Diego and Imperial Counties, a community awareness and fundraising event, will be held April 27 at Preble Field, which is part of NTC Park in Liberty Station. The event — a 5K that begins at 8 a.m. — benefits NAMI San Diego and Imperial Counties, which provides free, mental health programs and resources to support people living with mental health challenges and their families. Visit namiwalks.org.

Pucks & Pints Charity Hockey

A group of San Diego breweries will host the sixth annual Pucks & Pints Charity Hockey Game and Festival on April 20 at Pechanga Arena and neighboring Modern Times Beer’s Fortress of Raditude. The event includes a hockey game with staff members of San Diego craft breweries at 12:30 p.m., the beer-and-BBQ festival from 2 to 5 p.m., and the San Diego Gulls game with the Coachella Valley Firebirds at 6 p.m. Tickets, which include entry to all three segments of the day, are $65. Proceeds benefit five local nonprofit organizations. Visit tickets.sdbeer.com/e/pucks-pints-2024.

Mission Valley Earth Day celebration

Mission Valley, an open-air shopping center, will host an educational Earth Day-themed event and clothing drive from noon to 3 p.m. April 20 in the center’s AMC Theatres Court. Highlights include painting take-home flower pots. The mall will also provide each guest with a packet of flower seeds to plant at home, while supplies last. Attendees can learn how to extend the life of their clothing and conserve resources. USAgain will provide a Clothing Drop Spot in Mission Valley’s Target parking, to drop off donations of gently used clothing, shoes, accessories and linens; visit usagain.com/dropspot. Registration is not required; to preregister, visit bit.ly/3VyYXL3 . For more information, visit bit.ly/43AtvOs .

Annual car show in La Jolla

The 18th annual La Jolla Concours d’Elegance, featuring a display of more than 170 international cars, is slated to return to La Jolla from April 19-21 at Ellen Browning Scripps Park, 1100 Coast Blvd. The show, themed “World Class Cars, World Class Experience,” will celebrate the “Timeless Elegance of the Roaring 20’s and the Glamorous 30’s.” Highlights include commemorative artwork by Scott Jacobs. There will also be a free Porsches on Prospect event from 5 to 9 pm. April 20. Tickets are at lajollaconcours.com .

Event focuses on art of James Hubbell

The Ilan-Lael Foundation is taking part in World Design Capital 2024 and will host a series of events this spring at the San Diego Central Library as part of the exhibition “Architecture of Jubilation: The Art and Vision of James Hubbell.” The exhibit is centered around modern architecture and design in San Diego and the influence of Hubbell. At 6 p.m. April 22, Dave Hampton presents “Jim Hubbell at Midcentury: His Early Years in the San Diego Art Community” at the library, 330 Park Blvd. Attendees will learn about Hubbell’s emergence in the San Diego art community in the late 1950s and early 1960s with rare archive photos of early art pieces and a look at significant exhibitions. Visit ilanlaelfoundation.org.

Pickleball tournament helps folks with disabilities

St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, a nonprofit that educates and empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will host a pickleball tournament from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 at San Diego Mission Bay Resort, 1775 E. Mission Bay Drive. The event is open to players at all skill levels. The first session will begin at 9 a.m. with an introductory lesson taught by an experienced pickleball instructor for first-time and novice players. The lesson will be followed by an interactive game for participants at this level. The second session will begin at 11 a.m. for experienced players. This session’s tournament will be round-robin format, with each competitor playing in turns against each other. Paddles will be provided for all participants. Register at stmsc.org/event/pickleball.

Point Loma Parkinson’s Support Group meets

The Point Loma Parkinson’s Support Group will gather from 10 a.m. to noon April 23 at Point Loma Café, 4865 N. Harbor Drive, to “Meet, Greet and Eat.” There will be a no-host brunch and discussion group for people with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. The meeting will feature speaker and movement disorder specialist Sandeep Thakkar for a presentation on “More Days with Good on Time: Explore a proven treatment that reduces off time and dyskinesia, giving you more good on time in your day.” Email reservations, to [email protected].

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

Upcoming blood drives.

The San Diego Blood Bank will hold blood drives in the following parking lots (unless otherwise noted):

Probation – South Bay Region, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 18 at 1095 Bay Blvd., Chula Vista.

San Diego Superior Court South County Division, West Parking Lot, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 18 at 500 Third Ave., Chula Vista.

Journey Community Church, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 21 at 8363 Center Drive, La Mesa.

Saint Pius X Church, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 21 at 1120 Cuyamaca Ave., Chula Vista.

Donors must be 17 and older, weigh at least 114 pounds, and be in good health. Photo identification is required. To make an appointment or find more drives, call (800) 469-7322 or visit sandiegobloodbank.org . Walk-ins are also welcome.

Volunteers needed to advocate for foster kids

Voices for Children is looking for volunteers to speak up for foster children in court, school and medical situations to make sure their needs are met. The San Diego nonprofit, which also serves Riverside County, started its annual campaign called “Your Voice, Their Future” to encourage community members from all walks of life to become Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA volunteers are trained and supported by the nonprofit to advocate for foster kids as they face court hearings, attorneys, social workers and new homes. To volunteer, visit speakupnow.org .

Volunteers sought to join crisis team

The Trauma Intervention Programs of San Diego, aka TIP, is looking for volunteers to join crisis teams and support trauma victims at emergency scenes. TIP is especially in need of volunteers in East County communities along with National City and Coronado. No experience is necessary; training will be provided. Training Academy and registration information is at tipsandiego.org or (855) TIPSD-HELP (855-847-7343).

SPRING VALLEY

Laurel & hardy club presents movies.

The Saps at Sea Laurel & Hardy club presents “Swiss Miss” and “Below Zero” on April 20 at Williams Hall next to Trinity Church, 3902 Kenwood Drive. The films start at 6 p.m., doors open at 5:30 p.m. The gathering includes a raffle with prizes. DVDs and movie- and TV-related books are available for purchase. The club will also show a “Popeye” cartoon, plus W.C. Fields in “The Fatal Glass of Beer.” Admission is $7 and includes dessert; free for kids younger than 12. Visit the Saps At Sea San Diego Facebook page at facebook.com/groups/149982858403776.

Earth Day Festival at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

The annual Earth Day Festival is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 20 at Alta Vista Botanical Gardens, 1270 Vale Terrace Drive. Highlights include a plant sale and several dozen vendors with items ranging from painted pots and organic fruits and vegetables to jewelry, art, crafts soaps, rocks, minerals and fossils. There will be children’s activities, including origami butterflies and bubble baskets. The Amigos de Vista Lions will sell their barbecue lunch with hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, chips and drinks. The event will also include Millie’s Snow Cone Pop-up. Vista Irrigation District will demonstrate how the local water system works, and Encina Wastewater Authority will show how wastewater is processed. Admission is free. Visit altavistabotanicalgardens.org/earth-day-festival .

Earth Day celebration at senior center

The Gloria McClellan Senior Center, 1400 Vale Terrace Drive, is hosting an Earth Day celebration before noon April 22 with an informative lunchtime presentation on the history and importance of Earth Day and current environmental programs in the City of Vista. A $4 contribution is suggested for guests 60 years and older and $8 fee for guests 59 and younger. Transportation can be provided for Vista residents age 60 and older with 48-hour advance notice. RSVP by April 19 at (760) 643-5288.

Sorority holds Founder’s Day

The Hidden Valley Vista City Council of Beta Sigma Phi International will celebrate its 93rd Founder’s Day, “Sisters Bloom,” at 10:30 a.m. April 27 at Shadow Ridge Golf Club, 1980 Gateway Drive. Cost is $34.50. Menu choices: Classic Cobb Salad, Turkey Club Sandwich or Vegetarian Cobb Salad. All Beta Sigma Phis — active, inactive, on leave, transferees and guests — are invited to make a reservation by April 17 at (760) 889-3552.

If your nonprofit would like to submit an event listing or photos of events that have happened recently, please email [email protected]. Include the name of the group, date and time of event, address, cost and contact information for readers within the email text. Photos should be sent as JPEGs. Include the names of those in the photos from left to right along with the photo credit and permission from the photographer to use the photo in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Fine & Cultural Tours
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Fine & Cultural Tours
A short history. Fine and Cultural Tours was established as recently as 2023 as the new independent home of Art Pursuits and Boxwood Tours, delivering escorted Art History and exclusive Garden Tours. The team at fine and cultural tours has changed little in 10 years. We work together with a passion for maintaining the integrity of Art Pursuits ...
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Art Vacations: Create as you travel through Europe
April 6-12: Mixed Media Art Workshop in Portugal with Mary Beth Shaw (6 nights) from $3395. April 12-19: Art Workshop Vacation in Paris, France with Tammy Gilley (7 nights) from $3995. April 22 - May 4: Watercolor workshop with Angela Fehr in Greece (12 nights) from $4745. May 5-11: Watercolor workshop in Italy with Angela Fehr (6 nights) from ...
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Our trips are a special balance of: • And of course, lively conversation over great meals! Travel Pursuits are a collaborative effort. Classical Pursuits develops the themes and selects the leaders. Our partner Worldwide Quest (TICO Reg: #2667946) is in charge of production, looking after logistical arrangements and client care.
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Art Pursuits, Buckingham. 155 likes. Art Pursuits organise high quality Art History Study Tours to beautiful places - small, friendly gro
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Art Pursuits 2022 brochure
To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com. Welcome... December 2021. Dear travellers, 'students' and friends, We are looking forward to a full season of travel ahead of us in 2022 and. our new collection of tours brings an exciting array of once in a lifetime.
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Specialist Holidays & Tours to UK, Europe and Worldwide
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ARTnews and Academic Travel Abroad Launch All-Access Getaway Tours for 2022
View incomparable antiquities and Islamic art at the UNESCO site Museum Island and get a behind-the-scenes tour on a day trip to Meissen, Europe's oldest porcelain factory. South Korea: A ...
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Art Treasures of Dresden: Porcelain & Paintings | March 2024 18th Mar - 23rd Mar 2024 Tour Director: Lars Tharp. Art Treasures of Manchester | March 2024 25th Mar - 28th Mar 2024 Tour Director: Sarah Burles. Art in Berlin | April 2024 8th Apr - 14th Apr 2024 Tour Director: Tom Abbott.
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Kid Rock Tour Gets Unexpected Twist with Tucker Carlson Opening Act
Kid Rock is currently on the Rock the Country tour, which will make two-day stops across the United States from April through July. The tour will visit Louisiana, Florida, Missouri, Alabama ...
BoriCorridor tour brings Puerto Rican arts to Boston
Radio Boston spotlights BoriCorridor, an initiative aimed at bringing Puerto Rican artists from the island to the states for a tour.
Miranda Lambert Announces 2024 Solo Tour Across the US
Miranda Lambert 2024 Tour Dates. April 19 - Ashland, KY - Rock The Country Festival April 27 - Indio, CA - Stagecoach Festival May 24-26 - New Braunfels, TX - Whitewater Amphitheater
Brochures
Holiday Collection. Take part in a workshop run by one of our incredible crafting experts on a crafting holiday, discover and learn about incredible architecture and historic sites with our passionate Art History lecturers on an Art Pursuits tour, explore magnificent gardens with our horticultural experts.
The Peninsula Hong Kong 5-Star Luxury Hotel Tour, Photos
One of the oldest hotels in Hong Kong is the definition of luxury. 13 photos offer a glimpse inside Art Basel's hotel partner, The Peninsula. Joi-Marie McKenzie 2024-04-06T11:00:01Z
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Pursuits. Travel. Michelin Picks 24 Top Hotels in France in First-Ever Ranking. Only five of the 12 "palace" hotels in Paris got the top three-key distinction. A room at the Cheval Blanc Paris ...
Community events in San Diego County: From Fallbrook Avocado Festival
In honor of International Dance Day on April 29, Queen Bee's Art and Cultural Center hosts a variety of dance socials, classes and events. Swing Tuesdays feature music of blues and swing at 6:30 ...
Madonna's son Rocco debuts art show in Miami's Design District
Madonna with Ingrid Casares and Chris Paciello at Rocco Ritchie's solo art show in Miami's Design District Wednesday night. Ritchie is a London-based artist and Madonna's eldest son.