APA922 92pp lo-res

JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY 

2023 

BE ENLIGHTENED

Alhambra Palace p58 

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

Welcome... 

November 2022 

Dear travellers, ‘students’ and friends, 

We’re pleased to announce that Art Pursuits, part of Arena Travel, was recently 

acquired by the Leger Shearings Group, ensuring that we can continue to operate 

the holidays you know and love. The Leger Shearings Group is the UK’s largest coach 

tour operator with over 40 years’ experience in planning escorted tours, so you can rest 

assured knowing that your holiday provider is now more financially secure. 

Our carefully planned 2023 collection offers enlightening tours both close to home and further afield. We hope 

that you will be inspired to join us on compelling experiences, discovering key movements and concepts, 

exploring major frameworks of art from antiquity to modern, each led by one of our expert lecturers who will 

strive to bring subjects to life and enhance your experience with Art Pursuits. 

Travel to Spain with Sue Rollin takes us to Andalucia to explore Moorish, Renaissance and Baroque art, and 

Isabelle Kent uncovers a rich tapestry of art in Mallorca. In Germany we visit Heidelberg with Dr Ulrike Ziegler, 

exploring German Romanticism on the delightful banks of the river Neckar. Discover the history of Rome before 

the Renaissance with our new expert lecturer, Richard Plant and further afield we travel on time-honoured Art 

Pursuits tours to Armenia and brand-new tour to Japan to discover the gardens, templates and the cutting-edge 

architecture with Nigel McGilchrist. 

We work whole-heartedly, striving to provide well-researched, enjoyable tours with a personalised service to give 

you a holiday that will enrich and inspire. 

With best wishes, 

Steve Goodenough 

Managing Director 

“ ” 

Tom Abbott was a really excellent 

leader, both in care and tutoring. 

I. Friedlaender 

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 

PRIVATE GROUP TRAVEL 12 

THE HIDDEN WOMEN 

Who Helped to Shape German Modern Art 

MEET OUR NEW LECTURER Dr Richard Plant 14-15 

FOUR PERSPECTIVES 

on Mediaeval Art & Architecture 

13 

16-17 

THE CHAMPAGNE TRAIL 18-19 

ART, TEMPLES & GARDENS in Japan 20-21 

FROM PALERMO TO AGRIGENTO 22-23 

ITALY 

UMBRIA From Giotto to Piero della Francesca 24-25 

ROME Before the Renaissance 26-27 

TERRAFERMA 

Artistic Treasures in Venice's Hinterland 

RENAISSANCE FLORENCE 

Art & History in the Time of the Medici 

GERMANY 

THE UPPER RHINE VALLEY 

A European Triangle of Art & Culture 

32-33 

34-35 

NEW 36-37 

HEIDELBERG THe Romantic Neckar Valley 38-39 

TRIER & THE MOSELLE 

Roman Ruins & Mediaeval Monuments 

MAKING MODERN 

Women of the German Modern Movement 

LAND OF THE BLUE RIDER Mediaeval to 

Modern in Southern Bavaria 

AUSTRIA 

AUSTRIA'S HEARTLAND 

1000 Years of Art & Culture 

FRANCE 

MEDIAEVAL CHAMPAGNE 

Monarchs & Merchants 

40-41 

NEW 42-43 

44-45 

46-47 

NEW 48-49 

PROVENCE School of the South 50-51 

SICILY Palermo & the West NEW 28-31 

BORDEAUX The Wealth of the Vine, Art & 

Architecture of the City 

NEW 52-53 


SPAIN 

PALMA The Rich Tapestry of Art & History 54-55 

LEON & BURGOS 

Power & Pilgrimage along the Camino 

ANDALUCIA 

Moors & More in Granada and Córdoba 

BELGIUM 

NEW 56-57 

NEW 58-59 

BELGIUM From Ensor to Magritte 60-61 

NETHERLANDS 

VERMEER 

Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist 

SWITZERLAND 

NEW 62-63 

BASEL Great Swiss Collectors 64-65 

GREECE 

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

MOROCCO 

MARRAKECH City of Palaces, Gardens, 

Artists & Artisans 

ARMENIA 

NEW 68-69 

JAPAN 

THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY Gardens, Temples 

& Cutting-edge Architecture in Japan 

UNITED KINGDOM 

GEORGIAN ARCADIA Great Georgian Country 

Houses & Landscape Gardens of Yorkshire 

WESSEX Mediaeval Trial & Triumph in the 

West Country 

TEMPTING THE IMAGINATION Charles 

Rennie Mackintosh & the Making of Glasgow 

WINE TOURS 

THE KENT WINE TRAIL 

Exploring Vineyards in the Garden of England 

THE SUSSEX WINE TRAIL 

Vineyards of the Great South Downs 

GENERAL INFORMATION 

NEW 72-75 

76-77 

NEW 78-79 

80-81 

NEW 82-83 

NEW 84-85 

EXCLUSIVE GARDEN TOURS 86-87 

HOW TO BOOK 88-89 

TOUR CALENDAR 90-91 

ARMENIA The Hidden Land 70-71 


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 MANAGERS 

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 

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com

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 

Your holiday will be safe, secure and fully bonded by ABTA 

and ATOL, giving you complete financial protection, so you 

can travel with peace of mind. 


SO MUCH INCLUDED ..... 

• Inclusive travel by air and selected tours by rail 

• Private executive coach travel throughout 

• Exquisite accommodation in carefully selected 4 & 5-star hotels 

• Many dinners and lunches with tea & coffee 

• Unique itineraries expertly planned 

• Guided visits and entrance fees 

• Services of our expert lecturers 

• Experienced Tour Managers to guide you around 

• Detailed programme and study notes 

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


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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

EMMA TALBOT 

Emma joined the team at the 

beginning of 2022 after a long career 

in corporate travel, where she looked 

after client accounts. She brings this 

experience with her, assisting in her 

role to put in place the timetable of 

visits planned for each tour. 

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. 

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. 

ABBIE McMULLEN 

Abbie has joined the Boxwood Team 

recently after leaving school and 

achieving some excellent A-Level 

results. Abbie has a strong passion for 

travel, art and photography which has 

led her around the UK, camera in hand, 

always looking for unique and picturesque scenery. Abbie is 

now looking to gain experience within the travel industry and 

joining the Art Pursuits team was the perfect opportunity. 


MEET OUR EXPERT LECTURERS 

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 

After studying History of Art at Trinity 

College, Cambridge, Isabelle worked as 

curatorial assistant of paintings at the 

Wallace Collection where she fell in love 

with teaching. She now lectures on adult 

courses for the V&A, Art Fund, Royal Academy 

and the University of Cambridge. Her book on 

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in Britain was recently published by 

CEEH. In 2021 she returned to Cambridge where she is currently 

completing her PhD on the Spanish Baroque. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

10 


DR JOHN RENNER 

Dr John Renner is an Associate Lecturer at 

The Courtauld, teaching Italian art of the 

later Middle Ages and early Renaissance. 

John has an MA in art history at Birkbeck 

College, University of London, and a PhD at 

The Courtauld, with a doctoral thesis on the 

changing imagery of St Francis of Assisi in the 

13th- and 14th-centuries 

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. Sally also lectures 

for the ARTscapades and the Arts Society. 

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 lectures widely to adult audiences. 

KIRSTY FERGUSSON 

Kirsty Fergusson exchanged a career 

in academia (she is a PhD specialising 

in French philosopher-novelists) for a 

life in gardening. In 2003 she moved to 

south west France, where she continues 

to explore the possibilities of her own 

(very forgiving) garden – when not travelling, 

writing or leading tours. 

RICHARD PLANT 

Richard is an Architectural historian 

specialising in the Middle Ages and with 

a strong interest in the modern. He has 

obtained an MA in the History of Art and 

a PhD on English Romanesque and the 

Holy Roman Empire. He went on to teach 

both mediaeval and modern architectural history. 

He has published on English and German architecture. 

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. 


PRIVATE GROUP TRAVEL 

Are you part of an art history study group, society or social club? We can tailor a 

perfect tour just for your group. 

Our specialist team will look after you 

from your first enquiry until the day you 

return home. 

You can simply travel on an itinerary within this 

brochure, choosing a date and travel option that 

suits you best or we will tailor make a holiday to 

any destination. We are here to meet your group 

travel needs. 

Group benefits with Arena Travel 

• Over 45 years of expertise 

• Experienced art history lecturers 

and Tour Leaders 

• A dedicated Groups Team 

• All visits are included 


• Accommodation to suit your group 

“ 

„ 

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

Lecture Justine and Tour Host Julie 

were excellent! Knowledgeable and 

considerate throughout. 

I. Chung

THE HIDDEN WOMEN 

who helped to shape 

GERMAN MODERN ART 

The early 20th-century was a thrilling period in German art, 

with artists such as Kandinsky, Klee and Marc celebrated 

for their influential role in the development of Modernism. 

However, there was a group of pioneering women artists 

working alongside them whose contributions are often 

overlooked. 

The Royal Academy of Arts in London is bringing these trailblazing 

women into the spotlight with an exhibition entitled Making 

Modernism, which runs from 12 November 2022 to 12 February 

2023. Focusing on works by Paula Modersohn-Becker, Käthe 

Kollwitz, Gabriele Münter and Marianne Werefkin, the exhibition 

examines some of the main themes of Modernism through the 

female perspective. 

Art Pursuits expert lecturer, Tom Abbott, has designed a new tour 

for us in 2023 that complements the Royal Academy exhibition. 

Focusing on three women artists of the German Modern – Paula 

Modersohn-Becker, Käthe Kollwitz and Gabriele Münter – Tom 

takes guests on an in-depth journey through the places, spaces and 

times that were so pertinent to the lives and art of these women, 

while comparing and contextualising their art with that of their 

male counterparts. 

The five-day Making Modern study tour explores the collections 

of three outstanding German art museums in Hamburg, Bremen 

and the New National Gallery in Berlin. It delves into private 

collections of Paula Modersohn-Becker and Käthe Kollwitz, visits 

the Worpswede artists’ colony located on the outskirts of Bremen, 

and also considers the importance of Bremen, a Hanseatic city in 

north-west Germany whose vibrant trade routes made it a hot bed 

for new ideas, materials and arts from around the world. 

The day trip to Worpswede is one of Tom’s personal highlights 

from this tour. This once-sleepy village was transformed in 1889 

when a group of artists sought refuge from city life to paint local 

landscapes, and founded an artists’ colony that continues to thrive 

to this day. Tom also singled out the exploration of Käthe Kollwitz’s 

empathetic art in Berlin as one of the tour’s special moments. 

We asked Tom if he has a favourite artist amongst these three 

incredible women. Diplomatically he replied no, stating that 

he recognises the singularity of each artist and their individual 

artistic style, just as these artists appreciated their commonality 

– a search for the new in art and the opening of a new world of 

art and creation. However, he did highlight two artworks that he’s 

particularly excited to share with his group: Paula Modersohn- 

Becker’s self portrait with a flower, part of the collection at Bremen 

Kunsthalle, and Käthe Kollwitz’s Pieta, also known as Mother with 

her dead son. This moving sculpture is on display in the Neue 

Wache War Memorial in Berlin. 

If you’d like to join Tom on his exploration of Making Modern: 

Women of the German Modern Movement, this five-day tour 

departs on Thursday 6 July 2023. See page 42. 

To book call 01280 736 115 or visit artpursuits.com 

13

MEET OUR NEW 

EXPERT GUIDE LECTURER, 

Dr Richard Plant 

Dr Richard Plant will be joining our team of expert lecturers in 2023, leading a number 

of tours throughout the year. We sat down with him recently to find out a little about his 

academic journey and interests, and what he hopes to bring to these new tours. 

Hi Richard. We’re delighted to add you to our list of experts 

for the 2023 season. Could you tell us a little bit about 

yourself please? 

Thank you, I’m very pleased to join you. I live in London, in 

Camberwell to be precise, and have been an architectural 

historian for 30 years. Before that I was a gardener. My PhD 

was on Romanesque architecture in England and the Holy 

Roman Empire, obtained at The Courtauld. 

When you’re not leading our tours, what can we find you 

doing? What are you working on at the moment? 

I probably do the sorts of things most Art Pursuits lecturers 

do – walks, art galleries, that sort of thing. Perhaps less 

usually I listen to a lot of jazz. I am just starting to edit a 

volume of essays (the fifth in the series published by the 

British Archaeological Association) on Romanesque art and 

architecture around the year 1000. 

What sparked your fascination with architectural history, 

and with the Middle Ages in particular? 

Architecture I have been interested in as long as I can 

remember. I was fascinated watching the National Theatre 

going up (it was probably the first building I loved). The 

Middle Ages came later – I was drawn in by Spanish 

Romanesque sculpture, and found both the formal 

inventiveness and the mix of sacred and profane imagery 

compelling. 

You’ll be leading three new tours for us in 2023. One of these 

tours covers the central stage of the great pilgrim route, the 

Camino de Santiago, travelling from Burgos to León. What 

can guests expect from this tour? 

Burgos and Leon are two cities full of interest – twin poles 

of power in Iberia in the Middle Ages. Perhaps they are too 

often seen as way stations on the road to Santiago, but they 

are much more about royal (and episcopal) power. I am 

particularly pleased that the tour ends with a visit to Oviedo, 

a city that was the centre of power of the earlier, Asturian, 

monarchs. 

Another of your tours takes us to Mediaeval Hampshire and 

Sussex, with a focus on Winchester. What makes Winchester 

such a compelling city? 

Well it was the capital of Wessex! While this is less apparent 

now, the Norman conquerors chose to construct a church of 

imperial scale there, and it is full of treasures. 

You’re off to Rome to explore the period between Roman 

antiquity and the Renaissance. The mediaeval period in 

Rome was a tempestuous time in the city's history, which 

resulted in some exquisite and often-overlooked artworks. Is 

there anything that you're particularly excited to share with 

your guests? 

San Clemente has it all! Mosaics and wall paintings, a fire 

caused by invading Normans, and what is said to be the first 

written vernacular Italian – and it is not particularly polite! 

What is likely to be among your personal highlights from 

these tours? 

To take one building from each of the tours: Romsey Abbey is 

an overlooked gem of English Romanesque, Quintanilla de las 

Viñas near Burgos is a wonderfully mysterious place, and the 

Pantheon is the finest building. It never fails to astonish. 

How would you like guests to feel during your tours? What 

would you like them to take away from their experience? 

The tours should be fun, but also I like it when I have a 

questioning group. It helps me in a way, but it also puts 

the guests more in control of what they learn, rather than 

spending a week being barked at by an architectural historian! 

Finally, what are you most looking forward to as an expert 

lecturer for Art Pursuits? 

I think taking a group to Rome – I went with students every 

year for about 15 years and I miss it, perhaps especially 

getting lost in the Case Romane del Celio! 

14 


Join Richard on an Art Pursuits study tour in 2023 

LEON AND BURGOS: Power and pilgrimage along the Camino Join us as we travel from 

Burgos to León on this culturally thrilling portion of the Camino de Santiago, packed with art 

and architecture, which threads across the northern plains of Castilla y León. 

WESSEX: Mediaeval Trial & Triumph in the West Country Join Art Pursuits on a fascinating 

new tour and discover a region littered with the vestiges of England’s long and complex 

history, that palpably reverberates with legend, antiquity and folklore. 

ROME: Before the Renaissance This tour will illuminate a captivating and turbulent 

historical epoch which confirms Rome’s title as the truly eternal City. 


15

Four Perspectives on 

Mediaeval Art & Architecture 

in Central Europe 

Dr Ulrike Ziegler 

Spanning around a thousand years from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the birth of 

the Renaissance, mediaeval art was influenced by the artistic heritage of the Roman era 

and the iconographic style of the early Christian church. Originating in Northern Europe, it 

encompasses a range of artistic mediums often found in churches, cathedrals and religious 

doctrine, such as sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, stained glass, mosaics, tapestries and 

metalwork, and is renowned for its use of valuable and precious materials. 

If you’re interested in mediaeval art, it’s likely you’ve undertaken – or are considering – one of 

the tours by art historian Dr Ulrike Ziegler. Focusing on Germany and Austria, Ulrike is offering 

four tours in 2023 spanning everything from late Antiquity to the influence of mediaeval art on 

German Romanticism. We spoke with Ulrike to get an insight into her tours, and find out what she’s 

most looking forward to exploring with her groups. 

Trier & the Moselle: Roman Ruins & 

Mediaeval Monuments 

As one of Germany’s oldest cities, Trier is a place where 

Antiquity is closely intertwined with the Middle Ages, 

resulting in an array of cultural treasures from magnificent 

Roman remains to Germany’s oldest cathedral. Among 

Ulrike’s highlights for this study tour is an exclusive visit 

to a late Roman burial ground beneath the former abbey 

church of St Maximin, the only site of its kind in Germany. In 

addition, guests have the opportunity to view rare illuminated 

manuscripts from one of the world’s most valuable private 

collections. 

Thanks to its proximity to the scenic Moselle Valley, this tour 

also offers the opportunity to taste local Rieslings, which Ulrike 

believes to be among the finest in the country. See page 40. 

The Upper Rhine Valley: A European Triangle 

of Art & Culture 

Straddling three countries – Germany, France and Switzerland – 

the Upper Rhine Valley was one of the most vibrant centres for 

art and culture during the Middle Ages. New for 2023, this study 

tour explores the development of mediaeval art in the region, and 

discusses the transition as art and culture blossomed into a golden 

age during the early Renaissance. Ulrike’s sister, herself a historian, 

lives in the region and will be acting as Ulrike’s tour manager for 

this trip, meaning the group will benefit from better access to 

normally closed off areas of churches. 

As an art historian with a particular focus on mediaeval cathedral 

architecture, Ulrike is thrilled to be showing her guests the 

cathedrals of Freiburg, Basel and Strasbourg – and is also looking 

forward to sampling the culinary specialities from each region. 

See page 36. 

16 


Austria's Heartland: 


Known as the historical heart of Austria, the region of Lower 

Austria is filled with cultural wonders, from historic monuments 

to first-class Austrian art. This study tour covers a broad range of 

historic periods, from the Middle Ages through to Art Nouveau. 

Among the highlights is the Cistercian abbey of Heiligenkreuz in a 

tranquil spot in the Vienna woods, which has been continuously 

inhabited by monks since 1133 and offers an outstanding example 

of unspoilt Romanesque architecture. In contrast, the church of 

St Leopold on the outskirts of Vienna is a 20th-century gem, built 

by Otto Wagner and furnished by Koloman Moser, two stars of the 

Viennese Art Nouveau. The iconic Wachau wine region is also part 

of Lower Austria, and in previous years lunch and a wine tasting at 

one of the region’s most renowned wineries was a definite highlight 

amongst our guests. See page 46. 

Heidelberg: The Romantic Neckar Valley 

The city of Heidelberg embodies the very essence of a mediaeval, 

fairy-tale village. Nestled between the Neckar River and Odenwald 

Forest, it’s best known for its striking old town and bridge, and the 

evocative ruins of Heidelberg Castle. The mediaeval heritage of this 

region along with its picturesque location inspired the development 

of German Romanticism. This study tour focuses on German 

Romantic art, and the mediaeval art and architecture that proved 

so influential. 

Dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, the extraordinarily wellpreserved 

mediaeval stained glass windows of two churches in 

Esslingen are among Ulrike’s highlights for this tour, along with 

Heidelberg Castle. Ulrike is hoping that her group will be able 

to view a set of watercolours in the local museum painted by 

Romantic artists that demonstrate why Heidelberg was so special 

for this artistic movement. See page 38. 


17

The Champagne Trail 

GOTHIC CATHEDRALS OF MEDIAEVAL CHAMPAGNE

Hello Sally. We’re thrilled to be offering this study tour on 

the architecture and stained glass of mediaeval Champagne. 

What’s so special about Gothic architecture in northern 

France? What it is that excites you about this spectacular 

style of architecture? 

The strategic importance and resulting economic prosperity of 

towns in 12th- and 13th-century Champagne attracted some of 

the most skilled masons of the day to the region. The cathedrals 

of Laon, Soissons, Reims, and Troyes are evidence of wealth 

and demonstrations of civic pride. Viewed sequentially, they 

chart neatly the development of Gothic, an architectural style 

characterised by increasingly lofty rib vaults and expansive 

clerestory windows filled with coloured glass. Today, each 

building is regarded as a tour de force of engineering expertise 

and monuments of aesthetic beauty, but their mediaeval 

audience also understood their soaring, brightly coloured 

interiors as a foretaste of the majesty of Heaven, 

on earth. 

This tour covers four of the most 

important cathedrals in the region, 

Reims, Laon, Soissons and Troyes. 

Do you have a favourite? If so, 

what’s behind your choice? 

It’s impossible to pick a 

favourite; each cathedral is 

special in its own way! 

Gothic is much more than an 

architectural style; the stained 

glass windows, sculpture and 

metalwork are equally exquisite. 

Are there any artworks you’re 

particularly looking forward to 

showing the group? 

“ „ 

Champagne. 

The tour offers much more than Gothic 

architecture! The portal sculpture of Reims 

Cathedral, including the famous pair of Visitation figures 

on the entrance facade, the Virgin Mary and Elizabeth, 

mother of John the Baptist, carved in the 1230s, demonstrate 

a classicising style that characterises much northern French 

art of the early 13th-century and is, in part, linked to Reims’ 

Roman past when the city was known as Durocortorum. 

In Troyes, the very recently re-opened museum of mediaeval 

stained glass, the Cité du Travail, gives the visitor the chance to 

look closely at windows extracted from their original context 

and displayed at ground level; a brilliant opportunity to think 

about the materials and complex techniques associated with 

the production of mediaeval stained glass. 

Are there any secrets or fascinating stories about any of 

these cathedrals that you wish were better known? 

Reims Cathedral is home to one of the earliest extant tomb 

monuments that commemorates and celebrates a mediaeval 

Hello Sally. We’re 

thrilled to be offering 

this study tour on the 

architecture and stained 

glass of mediaeval 

master mason, Hughes Libergier (d. 1263), who designed the 

now destroyed church of St Nicaise in Reims. Hughes is shown 

with his set square and compasses at his side! 

Pepin the Short, the first Carolingian ruler and Charlemagne’s 

father was anointed at Soissons in 752. 

The treasury at Troyes cathedral is full of fabulous, littleknown 

treasures that include 12th-century Mosan champlevé 

enamels, an imperial Byzantine elephant ivory casket looted 

from Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, 

and two exquisite, embroidered 14th-century silk purses or 

aumônières. 

The early 13th-century stone oxen that inhabit the western 

towers of Laon cathedral are there to celebrate the oxen that 

dragged countless carts of heavy stone to the hilltop cathedral 

site. 

What do you hope your guests walk away with 

after this tour? 

Hopefully clients will grasp the 

combination of topographical and 

historical factors which made 

mediaeval Champagne such a 

prosperous mediaeval hub, as well 

as gaining a clear sense of how 

Gothic architecture developed 

from the late 12th-century 

when the present Early Gothic 

cathedral at Laon was begun, 

into the mid-13th century when 

the collegiate church of St Urbain, 

Troyes was under construction in 

the Rayonnant style. 

Are there any moments on the 

Mediaeval Champagne tour that you’re 

especially excited about? 

As someone with a specialism in mediaeval 

illuminated manuscripts, I am particularly excited at the 

prospect of visiting the abbey of St Pierre, Hautvillers, set 

amidst rolling vineyards not far from Reims. As well as being 

the home, and burial place, of the Benedictine monk, Dom 

Pérignon (1638-1715), famed for his links with champagne, 

it was where a lavishly illustrated psalter, now known as the 

Utrecht Psalter (it currently lives in the University Library in 

Utrecht), was produced in the 820s; probably commissioned 

by Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims, it was possibly intended as a 

gift, either for the Emperor Louis the Pious (son of the Emperor 

Charlemagne) or his wife, the Empress Judith. 

From the cradle of Gothic to the cradle of champagne, the tour 

draws to a sparkling conclusion with another of Champagne’s 

finest products: the world’s most famous sparkling wine! We’ll 

end with a sommelier-led tasting and lunch at Moët & Chandon. 

If you’d like to join Sally on her exploration of Mediaeval Champagne: Monarchs & Merchants, 

this five-day tour departs on Wednesday 8 March 2023. See page 48 


19

Impressions of Beauty 

Art, Temples & 

Gardens in Japan 

Hello Nigel. We’re really excited to offer this Japanese tour in 

2023. What is it about Japan that makes it such a compelling 

country for art and cultural tours? 

Believe me, I am really happy to be leading it, too…! Japan is 

not just a destination; it is another whole way of being – and 

a very beautiful one, too. In travelling to Japan, you visit a 

country with a heritage of exquisite art, but you also come 

into contact with a world and a spirit which aspires to a kind 

of perfection in everything from small to great – from the way 

that things you may purchase are wrapped and presented to 

you, to the miraculous way in which a vast modern city such 

as Tokyo (with more than 20 million inhabitants and all the 

problems that entails) can function quietly, cleanly, courteously 

and beautifully. In Japan, art is not just confined to museums; 

it is all around you in the way life is lived, and in the way 

people interact. It is profoundly reassuring. 

What can guests expect from this tour, and what is likely to 

be among your personal highlights? 

Time to reflect and to absorb deeply. Temples and gardens, 

and museums and collections, are mostly quite small by 

comparison with those in the West. They do not overwhelm. 

Their craftsmanship and beauty set you at peace so that 

you can contemplate them in quite new ways. It can be a 

revelation. 

I think the Miho Museum, high in the pine-clad hills between 

Nara and Kyoto, is a particular highlight for me. A small, 

exquisite collection; amazing views from every window, 

framing the works of art; and a uniquely dramatic arrival to the 

entrance, choreographed by the astonishing architectural ideas 

of I.M. Pei, make it surely one of the most striking museumvisits 

in the world. 

You’ll be visiting some of Japan’s most notable temples and 

shrines. Do you have any particular favourites? What makes 

them so special for you? 

You soon find that each garden and temple is more beautiful, 

more surprising than the last, once you get into the rhythm 

of looking at them in the right way. Each is wonderful in its 

own manner. We generally see them, furthermore, very much 

as they were intended to be seen by their creators, in the 

gentle autumn light or morning mist. But, in the month of 

November, the Shōren-in Temple and Garden opens for a short 

period after dark, with a very creative, subtle and changing 

20

illumination. This way you can enjoy the beauty of the original 

14th-century design and lay-out (with its 700-year-old camphor 

trees), with the quite unexpected artistic overlay of a special 

artistic alighting – classical and modern, exquisitely combined. 

The atmosphere is unforgettable. 

What are the characteristics of Japanese gardens? Why 

are Japanese religious practices linked so closely to 

garden design? 

Japanese gardens are first and foremost sacred precincts – 

places of contemplation, of spiritual repose and instruction, of 

peace and refuge from the rush of life. They can be demanding, 

however, because they can be approached on so many levels – 

intellectual, emotional, aesthetic, horticultural…Often they have 

literary allusions or mythological suggestions; sometimes they 

are almost disturbingly simple, while at other times, complex 

and involving. Yes, they need some explanation…but after that, 

it is a matter of just being receptive to their magic, listening to 

what they tell you. Buddhism always prioritises attentiveness 

and listening. And that is why the Japanese garden is the classic 

‘Buddhist space’. 

What kind of influence have traditional Japanese gardens 

and temples had on modern Japanese art, if at all? 

A very interesting question. Modern art in Japan (which for 

me can actually be found in almost all aspects of 21st-century 

life in Japan) is never gratuitously ‘grungy’ as so much Western 

modern art is; it is rarely ‘in your face’. It is exciting, yes, 

thought-provoking and cutting-edge (especially the architecture 

and museum designs), but it always harks back to those basic 

qualities of craftsmanship and apparent simplicity (I say 

‘apparent’ because in fact it is often very complex underneath!) 

which underpin the beauty of the Japanese garden. 

Japanese art comprises a wide variety of styles and 

materials. Are there any artworks you’re especially excited 

to share with your guests? 

Yes: I think, most of all, I would say the temples and sculptures 

of Nara. Nara is the old capital of Japan, pre-dating the much 

more famous and grander capitals of Kyoto and, later, Tokyo. 

It is much less visited by comparison with them, yet, in some 

ways, it offers a richer experience. The material of the arts here 

is mostly wood – different kinds of beautiful wood – crafted 

into very moving sculptures of the 9th- and -10th-Centuries, 

and into huge wooden temples that have survived from as 

early as the 7th and 8th centuries. They creak like vast wooden 

ships: they remind you are on a journey – but in a different 

element from the sea! 

Are there any elements of this tour that you feel may 

surprise people? 

Knowing what the weather in November is like in Europe, 

people may be surprised by our choice of timing. But, in Japan, 

November is generally a month of stable weather and clear 

skies, gentle sunlight and moderate temperatures – ideal for 

catching glimpses of the ever-elusive Mount Fuji. Few tourists 

and crowds, furthermore. And of course the gardens are still in 

the glory of their autumn colours. 

How would you like your guests to feel? What would you like 

them to take away from their experiences in Japan? 

A realisation that there is a small corner of the world where all 

things, from the most humble to the most important, are done 

with a consideration for beauty and courtesy – something that 

we could well learn to do better in the West! 

Join Nigel on this magnificent 12-day tour to Japan. See page 72 

21

from Palermo 

to Agrigento 

with Expert Guide Lecturer, Sue Rollin 

Located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Sicily is 

one of Europe’s most beguiling destinations. Throughout 

its long and often-tempestuous history, many 

civilisations have laid claim to this island – including 

the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, 

Normans, Germans, French, Spanish and Italians – 

leaving behind a dazzling array of cultural treasures 

and an exquisite culinary heritage. 

Art Pursuits expert lecturer, Sue Rollin, has created a nine-day 

tour, taking guests from the Sicilian capital, Palermo, to the Valley of 

the Temples in Agrigento. Through a combination of guided site visits, 

lectures and talks, this immersive tour brings to life the stories of the island’s 

past, and puts what you’re seeing into context. This is blended with time for independent 

exploration, along with private access to some special sites. Sicilian food and wine provide the 

perfect complement, with meals at specially chosen restaurants, a private dinner and drinks 

with the Duchess of Palma at the Palazzo Lanza Tomasi di Lampedusa, and the opportunity to 

sample excellent local wines and olive oil. 

Palermo offers the ideal introduction to Sicily. Revered for the beauty of its hillside position – 

‘the most beautiful city in the world’ according to Oscar Wilde – the capital is a melting pot of 

cultures with a rich heritage of art, architecture and archaeological remains. Here Byzantine 

mosaics sit alongside Arab-style domes, and Gothic palaces and Baroque churches rub 

shoulders with vibrant street markets. It’s a city ripe for wandering, feasting all of your senses, 

stumbling on treasures, sampling street food, and chatting with stallholders about their lives 

and their city. 

22 


Compared with the heady and hectic streets of Palermo, 

the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is an oasis of calm. 

Testament to the golden age of the Greeks in Sicily, this is the 

largest collection of Greek temples outside of Athens. The 

graceful ruins of these honey-coloured monuments sit atop a 

ridge, amongst almond, olive and orange groves. The largest 

of these, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, is an evocative ruin, 

while the Temple of Concordia is among the best preserved 

thanks to its conversion into a church dedicated to the 

apostles Peter and Paul by Gregorio, bishop of Agrigento, and 

known locally by the delightful name of San Gregorio delle 

Rape (St Gregory of the Turnips) 

There’s much to surprise and delight on this tour, from the 

diversity of sites and monuments, to the varied landscapes 

around the island. Sicilian food is a revelation too, the simple, 

fresh ingredients used to create a superb regional cuisine 

influenced by the flavours and culinary traditions of the 

various cultures that have called the island home. 

Sue has highlighted two statues that she’s particular excited 

to share with her group: the Mozia Youth, a masterpiece of 

early classical marble statuary on display on the island of 

Mozia (San Pantaleo) where it was discovered in 1976; and 

the Dancing Satyr, a rare Greek bronze discovered off the coast 

of Mazara del Vallo depicting a satyr in mid leap, performing 

a swirling orgiastic dance. If it’s your first time to Sicily, the 

beauty and intricacy of Sicilian Baroque architecture may 

catch you by surprise too. And the wonders of this enigmatic 

island are sure to entice you back again. 

If you’d like to join Sue on her exploration of Sicily: Palermo and the West, this nine-day 

tour departs on Saturday 21 October 2023. See page 28. 


23

ITALY 

UMBRIA 

From Giotto to Piero della Francesca 

Basilica of S.Fancesco 

According to Giorgio Vasari, the seeds of the Renaissance were sown when Giotto di Bondone broke with the Byzantine 

tradition prevailing in 13th-century Italian art, developing a revolutionary naturalism in place of the hidebound severity 

of mediaeval artists. Giotto’s treatment of line and volume, the Vasarian story continues, led directly to Masaccio, 

Michelangelo and Raphael, and to Florence becoming the acknowledged centre of the artistic world. Vasari’s biased 

account has been steadily unpicked by art historians over the centuries, but Giotto’s radiant brilliance has never been 

in question. His medium was fresco, and he left examples of his genius all over central Italy, including a cycle narrating 

the life of St Francis on the walls of the monumental basilica in Assisi. Giotto’s successors were inspired to works of an 

equal stature, from Piero della Francesca’s breathtaking Legend of the True Cross in Arezzo to Pinturicchio’s jewellike 

Baglioni Chapel at Spello and the serenity of Perugino’s Collegio del Cambio in Perugia. Perhaps the finest of all is the 

overwhelming vision of the Last Judgement in Orvieto by Luca Signorelli, the last great artist to work primarily in fresco 

form. These artistic delights are matched by some of the most entrancing landscapes Italy can offer. Here are the cypress 

trees and olive groves and slate-red hill towns of the Italophile’s imagination. Our tour is based in Perugia, the chief city 

of Umbria where Perugino was mostly active, a gorgeous location for exploring this timeless crucible of Renaissance art. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London to Rome Fiumicino airport. Transfer 

by coach to Perugia, stopping on the way in Todi to visit its High 

Renaissance landmark, the pilgrimage church of Santa Maria della 

Consolazione. We continue to Perugia and travel to our hotel where 

we are invited to a welcome drink on the hotel’s terrace followed by 

dinner in the restaurant. 

Day 2 

In the morning we travel by coach to follow Piero della Francesca’s 

trail in the upper Tiber valley: in the painter’s hometown of San 

Sepolcro, we will visit the Museo Civico to see his earliest work, 

the Madonna della Misericordia, and his haunting fresco of the 

Resurrection. After lunch at a local restaurant, we continue to 

Monterchi to admire the fresco of Piero’s Madonna del Parto, the only 

representation of a pregnant Mother of God in Renaissance art. 

Day 3 

Full-day excursion in Perugia, in the 7th-century BC one of the 

twelve city-states of Ancient Etruria. To this day the Etruscan walls 

encircle a historic city centre overflowing with artistic treasures. 

Manifestations of civic pride range from the monumental Fontana 

Maggiore by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano to the Collegio del Cambio 

with Perugino’s graceful frescoes. The Galleria Nazionale houses Piero 

della Francesca’s sensational Polyptych of St. Anthony. After lunch, we 

will visit the chapel of San Severo, containing Raphael’s early fresco 

of the Holy Trinity and Saints. 

Day 4 

Coach excursion to Assisi, dominated by the grandiose basilica of 

S. Francesco – a seemingly incongruous memorial to a man who 

preached and lived a simple life. Yet, the place is one of intense 

spirituality, greatly enhanced by the frescoes of Cimabue, Giotto, 

Simone Martini and the Lorenzetti brothers – all contributing to 

making this greatest of late mediaeval shrines one of the most 

splendid monuments of Italian art. After lunch, we continue to the 

delightful mediaeval town of Spello where the elaborate murals by 

Pinturicchio provide a wonderful complement to the morning’s more 

austere Trecento monumentality. 

Day 5 

Coach excursion to Arezzo, hometown of the 11th-century 

Benedictine monk Guido d’Arezzo, inventor of modern musical 

notation, the 14th-century poet Petrarch, and the 16th-century art 

historian Giorgio Vasari. Our stroll through the town will take us 

to the cathedral and the Pieve with an early polyptych by Pietro 

Lorenzetti, and past Vasari’s house. Highlight of our visit will be Piero 

della Francesca’s fresco cycle of the Legend of the True Cross in the 

church of San Francesco, a milestone of Quattrocento paintings. In 

the afternoon return to Perugia for some free time. 

Expert Lecturer, John Renner 

TOUR DATES 

21 – 27 May 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 

£3,450 per person 

Double room for sole use supplement: £455 

‘No flights’ price £3,300 per person 

Deposit: £450 per person 

WHAT IS INCLUDED 

• Return flight from London to Rome Fiumicino airport 

• Private coach travel for transfers and excursions 

• 6 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Hotel Brufani 

in Perugia 

• 2 evening meals and 2 lunches 

• Guided visits to sites listed in the programme 

• Services of your expert lecturer and Tour Manager 


• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers 

and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Hotel Brufani Palace, Perugia 

Built in 1884, The Hotel Brufani Palace is located at the far end 

of Perugia’s fashionable Corso Vannucci. Set on a scenic terrace 

overlooking the Umbrian Valley, the hotel is in the heart of the 

city centre very conveniently located to the major monuments 

of the city. It is furbished in a classical and elegant Italian 

style. It also boasts a rooftop terrace, a bar, restaurant, and an 

underground heated pool, with the remains of the mediaeval 

walls visible under its glass bottom. 

Day 6 

Full-day excursion to Orvieto whose historic centre is precariously 

placed on the flat summit of a steep tufa cliff and is nowadays 

reached by funicular. We will visit the spectacular 14th-century 

Cathedral, with magnificent 14th-century reliefs on the façade and 

superlative late Quattrocento frescoes by Luca Signorelli inside. 

The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo is home to works by Coppo di 

Marcovaldo, Simone Martini and Andrea Pisano. An afternoon walk 

will include the 1000-year-old church of San Giovenale, embellished 

with 13th-century murals. 

Day 7 

In the morning we depart Perugia by coach for Spoleto at the foot 

of the Umbrian Apennines. The Cathedral has outstanding frescoes 

by Filippo Lippi and Pinturicchio. After lunch, we continue to Rome 

Fiumicino airport for a late afternoon flight back to London Heathrow. 


ITALY 

ROME 

Before the Renaissance 

Pantheon 

The casual visitor to Rome could be forgiven for imagining that the city's history ground to a halt with the Fall of the 

Empire in the West in 476 and that it only re-ignited when Michelangelo took a paintbrush to the Sistine Chapel ceiling 

in 1508. But between Roman Antiquity and the Renaissance lie a thousand years of early Christian and mediaeval 

history whose complex and prestigious monuments are the objects of this Art Pursuits Tour. They may lie concealed 

behind and between those of earlier and later epochs, but nowhere is the period between the pagan world of Late 

Antiquity and the Christian Middle Ages more tangible than here, in the area between the Roman Forum and the Via 

Appia, the Capitoline, Aventine and Esquiline Hills. Up to thirteen metres of soil, rubble and later buildings separate 

the modern city from its Ancient and Early Christian past, and more than once one has to go underground to come face 

to face with this fascinating and mysterious world. The Roman Middle Ages saw barbarian invasions, from Goths to 

Lombards, civic strife, and the controversial rise of a belligerent papal court, yet despite prolonged periods of turmoil 

they produced stunningly beautiful works of art, from glowing mosaic vaults and intricately inlaid floors to sophisticated 

wall paintings which only recently have begun to be accorded their proper place in art history. This tour will illuminate 

a captivating and turbulent historical epoch which confirms Rome’s title as the truly Eternal City. 

26 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino. By private 

coach we reach our four-star hotel located in the heart of Rome. After 

some time to settle into our rooms, we leave the hotel on foot and walk 

across the Tiber to see two gems of mediaeval art. In Santa Cecilia 

are the remains of a fresco cycle by Pietro Cavallini. Cavallini is also 

represented at Santa Maria in Trastevere, but the main attractions 

here are an early icon of the virgin and child and the spectacular 

12th-century mosaic in the apse. We return to the hotel on foot before 

heading out again for a group dinner. 

Day 2 

The morning takes us to the heart of ancient Rome, but we start with 

a monument to the first Christian emperor, Constantine, whose arch 

inspired countless imitations. Apart from an overview of the ancient 

monuments, the morning concludes with the church of Santa Maria 

Antiqua. The Case Romane are among Rome’s most beguiling sights: 

a warren of excavated spaces, revealing changes in living patterns, 

artistic taste and religious belief. We follow this with a visit to Santo 

Stefano a 5th-century church built to an unusual, and circular, plan. 

Day 3 

We begin the day at the Pantheon, the finest building to have survived 

from antiquity. It has been a church since the 7th-century, dedicated 

to the Virgin. We then visit one of Rome’s few gothic churches, the 

richly painted Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The afternoon visits take 

us to the Baths of Diocletian, the best-preserved of the Imperial 

baths, partly due to their conversion into a church. The Museum in the 

Palazzo Massimo houses some of the greatest treasures of ancient 

art, the wall-paintings of the villa of Livia, the Boxer, and a fascinating 

collection of sarcophagi. 

Day 4 

San Clemente provides an ideal vision of the development of religion 

in Rome: at the very bottom, a temple of Mithras, at the top an 

ornate Baroque ceiling, but the real jewels (perhaps) are found in 

the frescoes – of the eleventh and fifteenth centuries – and the apse 

mosaic of the twelfth. The nearby church of SS. Quattro Coronati is a 

much-remodelled structure and preserves in the chapel of St Sylvester 

paintings reflecting the Pope’s struggles with secular power from the 

13th-century. The afternoon takes us to the quiet of the Aventine Hill, 

and the best-preserved early Christian church, Santa Sabina with its 

carved wooden doors. 

Day 5 

The morning is taken up with three of the most interesting of Rome’s 

churches: Santa Pudenziana which retains its late-antique apse 

mosaic showing Christ among the apostles, Santa Maria Maggiore, 

the first great Roman church dedicated to the Virgin containing very 

early (and some later) mosaics and Santa Prassede a fine example 

of how the early Middle Ages sought to recapture the glories of early 

mediaeval art. 

San Clemente mosaic 

Expert Lecturer, Richard Plant 

TOUR DATES 

15 – 21 October 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flight from London Heathrow to Rome Fiumicino 


• 6 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Ponte 

Sisto, Rome 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Hotel Ponte Sisto, Rome 

Hotel Ponte Sisto is a comfortable 4-star hotel conveniently 

located in a largely pedestrianised area in the heart of Rome 

within walking distance of the relaxed Trastevere district and 

the colourful Campo dei Fiori – the hotel is modern with welllit 

interiors and with a spacious courtyard garden adjacent to 

the bar. Room facilities include en suite bathroom, flat screen 

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

Day 6 

We spend the day outside the centre of Rome, visiting the tombs 

of the great (and not so great). Catacombs always intrigue, and 

the catacombs of Domitilla have some of the finest early Christian 

funerary art. We visit the Circus of Maxentius (with the mausoleum 

which housed his son), and, after lunch on the Appian way, we travel 

by coach to visit the church of Sant’Agnese, and the mausoleum of 

Costanza, Constantine’s daughter, with its intriguing mix of Christian 

and pagan mosaics. 

Day 7 

We conclude our tour visiting the Lateran, Rome’s first Cathedral, with 

the 4th- and 5th-century Baptistery, and an enchanting mediaeval 

cloister. After an independent lunch, we travel by coach to Rome 

Fiumicino airport for a mid-afternoon flight to London Heathrow. 


ITALY 

SICILY 

Palermo & the West 

Fountain of Shame 

For Oscar Wilde, Palermo was ‘the most beautifully situated town in the world – it dreams away its life in the Conca 

d’Oro, the exquisite valley that lies between two seas’. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8yh-century BC, called 

Panormus by the Greeks and known as Bal’harm under the Arabs, Palermo is an exciting and complex city with a rich 

cultural heritage. Sicily’s capital reflects the history and geography of the island, at the heart of the Mediterranean, a 

steppingstone between North Africa and Europe, where Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, 

Germans, French, Spanish and Italians have all passed through and left their mark. As well as giving you a thorough 

introduction to Palermo, its Norman architecture and exquisite mosaics, magnificent baroque churches and oratories, 

palaces, art collections, gardens and lively street markets, our tour will take you to some of the most beautiful sites in 

the west of Sicily. The Greek temples of Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta are among the grandest and best preserved 

anywhere and the Dancing Satyr at Mazaro del Vallo is one of the loveliest Greek bronze statues to survive. On display 

in the museum at Marsala is a rare example of a Punic ship, brought up from the coastal waters nearby, and just a 

short boat ride across the lagoon of Lo Stagnone the little island of San Pantaleo is the site of the ancient Phoenician 

settlement of Motya. Gastronomy should be a part of any Sicilian tour. We enjoy typical Sicilian cuisine and a variety of 

regional wines in our carefully chosen restaurants and visit an agriturismo near Agrigento where we sample the local 

olive oil and have a light lunch focusing on local produce after our sightseeing of the temples. 

28 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Early flight from London to Palermo and travel by private coach to our 

hotel in the city centre. After an independent lunch, we commence 

our exploration of Palermo with a visit to the Duomo founded in the 

12th-century on the site of an earlier church which had been turned 

into a mosque in the 9th-century by the Arab rulers of the city. Within 

the cathedral, which has seen many additions over the centuries, are 

six royal tombs, including that of Roger II, the first King of Sicily, who 

was crowned here on Christmas Day 1130. We check into our hotel and 

dinner is served at the hotel tonight. 

Day 2 

A day in Palermo. In the morning we visit the royal apartments of the 

Palazzo dei Normanni and the 12th-century Cappella Palatina, with 

its splendid mosaics and painted wooden ceiling, a masterpiece of 

Arabo-Norman art. Not far from the palace is the charming church of 

San Giovanni degli Eremiti, also built by Roger II, which has five red 

domes, a pretty garden and little cloister. After a walk to the Ballarò 

market and independent lunch we see the Chiesa del Gesù with its 

exuberant baroque interior, decorated with sculpted figures, marble 

reliefs and coloured stone inlay. The crossroads of Quattro Canti, which 

displays statues of four Spanish kings of Sicily and the four patron 

saints of Palermo, was the heart of the 16th-century and 17th-century 

city, while in the nearby Piazza Pretoria is the monumental Fontana 

Pretoria, purchased from Florence in 1574 by the Senate of Palermo. 

Alongside is the Piazza Bellini with the lovely little 12th-century church 

of La Martorana, which was founded by George of Antioch, admiral and 

first minister under Roger II, and contains some fine mosaics. Dinner is 

independent. 

Day 3 

A morning excursion east of Palermo to Cefalù, where a walk through 

the old town takes us to the magnificent Norman cathedral, in a 

dramatic setting, with the high rock of the ancient Greek acropolis 

rising up behind it. The powerful mosaic figure of Christ Pantocrator 

in the apse is a masterpiece of Norman Byzantine art. In the Museo 

Madralisca is the Portrait of a Man by Antonello da Messina, Sicily’s 

great Renaissance painter. Our lunch is at a local restaurant near 

Cefalù, where we enjoy an aperitif and learn something of Sicilian 

cuisine. We return to Palermo mid-late afternoon. Dinner is 

independent. 

Day 4 

Today’s excursion takes us west to Marsala, famous for its sweet 

wines, where we visit the archaeological park of Lilybaeum by the 

seafront, which includes the Baglio Anselmi Museum, in a former 

Marsala distillery and wine cellar. One hall contains a Punic warship 

discovered by British underwater archaeologist Honor Frost in 1969. 

We drive a few kilometres to the landing stage for the short boat ride 

to the island of San Pantaleo. After lunch at the Whitaker Foundation 

café (included) we explore the ruins of Punic Motya and visit the small 

museum, which houses a remarkable marble statue known as the 

Selinunte 


Motya charioteer, a masterpiece of ancient Greek sculpture. We return 

by coach to Palermo and dinner is independent. 

Day 5 

A morning visit to Monreale on the mountain slopes overlooking 

Palermo and the Conca d’Oro, where the great 12th-century Norman 

cathedral built by William II is one of the most impressive buildings in 

Sicily. The interior glitters with over 6400sq.m of magnificent mosaics 

showing traditional scenes from the Old and New Testaments, while 

the adjoining cloister has over 200 double columns with figurative 

Romanesque capitals supporting Arab-Norman arches. We return to 

Palermo for an independent lunch and free afternoon. Private tour, 

drinks, and dinner with the Duchess Nicoletta Polo at the Palazzo 

Lanza Tomasi, by special arrangement. 

Day 6 

Our next stop is the Villa Malfitano, built for the Whitaker family at the 

end of the 19th-century, has an opulent interior and is surrounded by 

lovely gardens. We end the morning at La Zisa, a Moorish style pavilion 

that was once a summer retreat in the extensive pleasure park and 

hunting grounds bordering the royal palace to the west. After lunch 

(independent) we see the magnificent Oratorio del Rosario di Santa 

Cita, a masterpiece of the great stuccodore Giacomo Serpotta, and visit 

the Regional Art Gallery in the Palazzo Abatellis, the highlight of which 

is the Virgin Annunciate by Antonello da Messina. 

Day 7 

We leave Palermo this morning and drive south to Mazaro del Vallo, 

a lively fishing port with a distinct Arab character. In 1998 a superb 

Greek bronze statue of a dancing satyr, the jewel of the small local 

museum, was discovered in the waters off Mazaro by a local fisherman. 

We continue to the archaeological park of Selinunte, ancient Selinus, 

the most westerly of the Greek cities on Sicily, in a beautiful location 

overlooking the sea. The extensive ruins include an acropolis and 

several grand temples. Western Sicily is famous for its wines, and we 

have a light lunch and dégustation at a local winery before continuing 

to Agrigento for the first of two nights. Dinner is in our hotel, 

overlooking the Valley of the Temples. 

Day 8 

We spend the morning in the impressive Valley of the Temples. The 

Temple of Concord, which was converted into a church in the 6thcentury, 

is one of the best preserved of all Greek temples and the vast 

Temple of Olympian Zeus, now in ruins, is the largest Doric temple 

known. The archaeological museum houses a superb collection of finds 

from Agrigento and sites nearby, including a telamon from the Temple 

of Zeus, 7.6m high, reconstructed from fragments. Lunch is at a local 

fattoria in the countryside near Agrigento, where we also enjoy olive oil 

tasting. The afternoon is free. Dinner is in the hotel. 

Day 9 

This morning we leave Agrigento and travel to Burgio, a small town 

dominated by the ruins of an Arab castle and famous for its carved 

stone portals and local ceramics industry. Our visits include the 

ceramics museum, housed in the 16th-century former monastery 

of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the workshop of a local potter. We 

continue to Segesta, once an important Elymian city, with a beautifully 

located Doric temple, which has been admired by travellers for 

centuries. After lunch (included) we visit the temple as well as the small 

theatre which looks north towards the sea. We continue to Palermo 

airport for our flight to London Heathrow. 

Monreale Cathedral 


Expert Lecturer, Sue Rollin 

TOUR DATES 

21 – 29 October 2023 

9 days 

TOUR PRICES 






Valley of the Temples 

• Return flight from London to Palermo 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Grand Hotel 

Piazza Borsa, Palermo 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Park 

Colleverde, Agrigento 

• 5 evening meals and 4 lunches, plus including – 

private dinner by invitation at Palazzo Lanza Tomasi 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo 

A 4-star hotel centrally located that 

blends an ancient architecture with all 

necessary comforts. The hotel has many 

dining opportunities and a panoramic 

roof garden where breakfast is served 

during the summer months. All rooms 

are air conditioned and have free Wi-Fi 

Hotel Park Colleverde, Agrigento 

The recently restored resort is located 

within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 

the Archaeological Park of the Valley 

of the Temples. The atmosphere this 

5-star hotel provides conveys the noble 

traditions of the late 18th-century 

everywhere. From refined furniture to 

excellent service enhanced by the typical 

Sicilian warm welcome nothing can 

disturb your relaxed stay at Hotel Villa 

Athena. The restaurant has stunning 

views over the valley and serves Sicilian 

cuisine. Relax in the hotels charming 

gardens or lobby. 

Piazza Borsa Park Colleverde Park Colleverde 

Piazza Borsa 


ITALY 

TERRAFERMA 

Artistic Treasures in Venice’s Hinterland 

Teatro Olimpico 

The term dominio di terraferma refers to the historic mainland possession of the Republic of Venice in north-eastern 

Italy, annexed by the Serenissima in the course of the 14th and 15th Centuries. At its greatest extent, this included large 

parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the northeast, the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia in Lombardy up to the River Adda 

where it bordered on the Duchy of Milan in the west, while to the south it stretched beyond the Po delta to Ravenna. 

Our Study Tour will focus on the rich cultural heritage of Venice’s immediate hinterland, defined by the rivers Adige 

and Brenta, the foothills of the Alps and the Adriatic coast. From handsome Vicenza we will acquaint ourselves with 

the prosperous cities of this region: erudite Padua, cosmopolitan Verona and busy Bassano. They all feature great 

works of art and architecture – whether created by home-grown talent such as Andrea Palladio and Jacopo Bassano, 

internationally renowned masters from the capital Venice such as Bellini and Titian, or by ‘foreigners’, among them the 

Florentines Giotto and Donatello. In between the ‘big five’, delightful smaller towns like Castelfranco, Asolo or Possagno 

harbour masterpieces by Giorgione, Lorenzo Lotto and Antonio Canova, so that every day of this tour reveals highlights 

from a broad swathe of art history. 

32 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Venice. At Altino, only a 

short distance from the Venetian lagoon, we will visit the Museo 

Nazionale with important late Antique and early Christian 

archaeological remains from the Roman “Regio X Venetia et Histria”. 

We then continue by private coach to Vicenza and check into our 

hotel. 

Day 2 

Vicenza was given its unmistakable look by the buildings designed 

by Andrea Palladio: the town hall, better known as ‘basilica’, and the 

Teatro Olimpico are joined by handsome classicising palazzi, one of 

which we will explore from roof to basement. But there is more to 

this lively and liveable city than Palladio: the 4th-century church of 

SS Felice e Fortunato with early Christian floor mosaics and marble 

carvings, altarpieces by Giovanni Bellini and Veronese in the recently 

restored church of S. Corona and the fine Museo Civico including 

paintings by Piazzetta and Tiepolo. 

Day 3 

Full day excursion by coach in the Veneto Prealps. In the morning we 

visit Bassano del Grappa, where Palladio’s bridge dramatically spans 

the River Brenta between steeply rising embankments, making this 

busy Alpine market town a place of strategic importance. The town’s 

most prodigious artistic talents, Jacopo Bassano and his sons, are 

sometimes overlooked — unjustly so, as is borne out by the excellent 

collection of their work on display in the civic museum, while Palazzo 

Sturm houses an important collection of prints and ceramics. In the 

afternoon we will visit the enchanting hilltop borgo of Asolo has long 

been praised for its beautiful views: in 1500 Caterina Cornaro, exiled 

queen of Cyprus, held court here, making it a favourite destination for 

generations of poets in search of idylls, from Pietro Bembo to Robert 

Browning. Return via Castelfranco, a small walled outpost of Treviso 

against rival Padua. Tucked away in the cathedral is Giorgione’s 

groundbreaking Castelfranco Altarpiece. 

Day 4 

In the morning we will travel by coach to Verona for a full day 

excursion. Neatly set into a loop of the Adige river, Verona boasts 

superb Roman monuments: the huge amphitheatre of the Arena and 

marble city gates attest to the city’s significance in Antiquity. Verona’s 

continued importance from the early Middle Ages to the rule of the 

della Scala clan in the 14th-century is manifest in many outstanding 

works of art and architecture, from the historiated bronze doors of the 

basilica of San Zeno to the equestrian monument of Cangrande della 

Scala. Submitting to Venice in 1405, Verona continued to flourish; 

its churches and museums boasting works by Pisanello, Mantegna, 

Titian and Paolo Veronese, the city’s greatest native painter. 

TOUR DURATION 

6 days 


• Return flights from London Heathrow to Venice 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star Hotel Campo 

Marzio, Vicenza 

• 2 dinners and 3 lunches 




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

and waiters 

Bassano del Grappa 

ACCOMMODATION 

COMING SOON 

call to register your interest 

Hotel Campo Marzio, Vicenza 

The 4-star Hotel Campo Marzio is situated right in the city 

centre and borders the Campo Marzo gardens, the largest 

that can be found in Vicenza. Rooms are fully equipped and 

feature complimentary Wi-Fi, a safe, telephone, minibar, 

complimentary toiletries, satellite TV and air conditioning. 

Day 5 

All day excursion by coach to Padua. Claiming to owe its origins to the 

Trojan Antenor, is home to one of Italy’s oldest universities. Classical 

roots and learning brought fame far superior to that of the mercantile 

upstart, Venice – at least according to many Renaissance Paduans. 

The long list of luminaries in the city includes Dante and Petrarch. 

We will explore great buildings, such as the town hall and baptistery, 

but above all we will enjoy an extended visit to the Scrovegni Chapel 

with Giotto’s unparalleled fresco cycle. In and around the pilgrimage 

church of Sant’Antonio we will explore works by Altichiero, Donatello, 

Mantegna and Titian. 

Day 6 

After some free time in the morning, coach transfer to Venice Marco 

Polo for an early afternoon flight to London Heathrow. 


ITALY UK 

RENAISSANCE FLORENCE 

Art & History in the Time of the Medici 

Palazzo del Bargello 

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. 

34 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Flight from London Heathrow 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. 

Day 2 

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. 

Day 3 

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. 

Day 4 

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. 

Day 5 

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). 

TOUR DURATION 

6 days 


• Return flights from London Heathrow to Pisa 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel 

Regency, Firenze 

• 2 dinners and 1 lunch 





and waiters 

Last Supper fresco 

ACCOMMODATION 

COMING SOON 


Hotel Regency, Firenze 

Hotel Regency Florence situated in a quiet, residential area, 

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 air 

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

Day 6 

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, we will transfer to Pisa for a BA 

flight to London Heathrow. 

Uffizi gallery 


GERMANY 

THE UPPER RHINE VALLEY 

A European Triangle of Art & Culture 

Strasbourg Cathedral 

LIMITED 

AVAILABILITY 

Upper Rhine valley in Germany’s south-west, straddling the borders of France and Switzerland, constitutes one of Europe’s 

most vibrant cultural and artistic arteries since the Middle Ages. The cathedrals of Basel, Freiburg, and Strasbourg bear 

witness to the Upper Rhine valley as an architectural melting pot absorbing both German and French influences. During 

the 15th and 16th-centuries the Upper Rhine region experienced a true Golden Age. Powerful civic communities created 

an intellectual atmosphere in which artistry, ingenuity, and craftsmanship could thrive: Martin Schongauer, who raised 

engraving from a minor craft to a major art form, ran his workshop in Colmar. One of the most influential sculptors in 

the late 15th-century, Nicolas Gerhaert, was a citizen of Strasbourg. Hans Baldung Grien, an eccentric artist fascinated 

with witchcraft and superstition, pursued his craft in Strasbourg and Freiburg, and not to forget, Hans Holbein the 

Younger, who spent his formative early years in Basel. Graphic arts and book printing flourished in the spiritual centres 

of humanist learning along the Rhine. At the waning of the Middle Ages these techniques become catalytic for the 

Reformation that transforms the Upper Rhine region into a hotbed of religious turmoil and anxiety. This new Study 

Tour will explore the blossoming culture of the Upper Rhine region from Romanesque to Renaissance, embedded in the 

landscape between the Black Forest and the river plain. 

36 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Take a morning train from London St. Pancras to Strasbourg via 

Paris. Transfer by coach to Freiburg and the Hotel Victoria followed 

by dinner. 

Day 2 

In the morning we enjoy a leisurely walk through the historic centre 

of Freiburg including an extended visit to the Minster and its 

many treasures, including altarpieces by Hans Holbein the Younger 

and Hans Baldung Grien. The nearby Augustinermuseum allows 

detailed studies of the minster’s sculpture and stained glass. In the 

afternoon the coach takes us to Breisach and Niederrotweil where 

two magnificent wooden carved altarpieces by the Master HL whose 

ecstatic sculptures let us feel something of the turmoil and turbulence 

of the early 16th-century. 

Day 3 

Full-day coach excursion to Basel. The Kunstmuseum offers an 

amazing wealth of 16th-century painting including, of course, seminal 

works by Hans Holbein the Younger, but also by Mattis Grünewald. 

A private view of some extraordinary prints will intensify this 

experience. The minster in Basel is one the three grand cathedrals 

in this programme. The study of its architecture and sculpture 

illuminates the close contacts between the Upper Rhenish and French 

stone masons. 

Day 4 

Full-day coach excursion to Colmar. The day is dedicated to the 

painters Martin Schongauer and Mattis Grünewald. The Isenheim 

altarpiece is spectacularly presented in the Musée d’Unterlinden after 

recent cleaning as well as paintings and prints by Schongauer. His 

Madonna of the Rose Garden in the Dominican Church is a particular 

highlight in this master’s career. 

Day 5 

Full-day coach excursion. In the morning we return to Strasbourg for 

an extended visit to the cathedral, a most influential building for the 

development of Gothic architecture in the German-speaking lands. 

Together with stained glass in the cathedral of Freiburg, the Strasbourg 

windows are among the most important in this region. Special access 

is also granted to some chapels where sculpture, e.g., by Nikolaus 

Gerhaerts of Leyden, can be studied. On our way back to Freiburg, 

we stop by the pilgrimage church of Lautenbach im Renchtal where 

stained glass windows by the local star glass maker, Peter Hemmel 

von Andlau, and another wooden carved altarpiece, this time fully 

polychromed, are lesser-known highlight on the Upper Rhine. 

Day 6 

Transfer to Strasbourg. We visit the Musée l’Œuvre Notre-Dame to 

study the seminal early Gothic sculpture of Strasbourg cathedral and 

to deepen our understanding of the late Gothic sculptor Nikolaus 

Gerhaerts of Leyden. After lunch the coach will take us to the train 

station for a mid-afternoon train back to London St Pancras (via Paris). 

Expert Lecturer, Dr Ulrike Ziegler 

TOUR DATES 

27 March – 1 April 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 



‘No rail’ price £2,375 per person 



• Return Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Paris 

• Connecting rail journeys to Strasbourg 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Best Western 

Premier Hotel Victoria, Freiburg 

• 2 evening meals and 1 lunch 



• Detailed programme and Study Notes 


and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria, Freiburg 

The Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria is situated near the 

pedestrian zone, just 200 meters from the main station and 

300 meters from the Freiburger Muenster Cathedral and is 

opposite the Colombi Park. This charming environmentally 

friendly, historical hotel is furnished with care and offers 

visitors modern ambience, quiet rooms with air conditioned 

and non-smoking floors. 

Colmar 


GERMANY 

HEIDELBERG 

The Romantic Neckar Valley 

Heidelberg Castle 

“Long have I loved you and for my own delight... You, of all towns in our country, the loveliest that ever I saw” wrote German 

poet Friedrich Hölderlin, circa 1800, of the town of Heidelberg. Situated by the delightful banks of the river Neckar and 

watched over by its mighty castle ruin, Heidelberg played an important role in the development of German Romanticism. 

Descriptions and poems by a multitude of German writers celebrate Heidelberg’s picturesque location and the beauty 

of the city and its castle in the river valley that opens into the upper Rhine plane. The re-establishment of Heidelberg 

University in 1803 created an exciting intellectual climate in which literature and the arts could thrive. Important artists 

of the era were born here, while others came to Heidelberg to experience the atmospheric beauty of the local landscape 

and to indulge in reflections on a long-gone mediaeval past, woven with powerful emperors, mighty knights, and folklore. 

The mediaeval heritage of the Neckar valley, with its plethora of castles and hidden country churches surrounded by 

steep hill slopes, inspired not only German painters but also the British artists William Turner and George August Wallis. 

This Art Pursuits study tour invites you to explore one of Germany’s best loved cities and to uncover its Romantic past. 

Tucked away in charming half-timbered villages strung out along the banks of the Neckar River, discover the unexpected 

Mediaeval and Renaissance treasures that imbued a whole generation with the Romantic mood. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Late morning flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt Airport. On 

arrival the coach will transfer us to our hotel in Heidelberg. A pre-dinner 

introductory walk will acquaint us with Heidelberg’s atmospheric old 

town and its majestic castle ruin. Afterwards, an evening meal is served. 

Day 2 

After breakfast, we depart the hotel on foot for the Kurpfalz Museum. 

Here we will learn about the history of the Palatinate region, of which 

Heidelberg was the capital until the 18th-century, and the city’s 

subsequent transformation into a centre of German Romanticism. The 

afternoon is dedicated to the exploration of the labyrinthine ruins of 

Heidelberg castle – the spectacular architectural remains span styles 

from Mediaeval to Mannerist. The castle was once the residence of one 

of the seven electors, until the ill-fated attempt of Elector Frederick 

V of the Palatinate, the ‘Winterking’, and his Stuart wife Elisabeth to 

become rulers of Bohemia in 1619, which resulted in the forfeiture of 

the Palatine electoral title. 

Day 3 

Full day coach excursion along the southerly stretches of the River 

Neckar. Our first stop is Heilbronn, where the town church houses 

an exquisite late-mediaeval altarpiece by local star artist, the wood 

carver Hans Seyfer. The parish church of nearby Schwaigern offers 

an interesting contrast, with a sumptuously polychromed triptych. 

We continue to Besigheim, allegedly ‘Germany’s most beautiful wine 

village’. We will sample some of the local delights. The afternoon offers 

further artistic surprises in otherwise closed churches: a magnificently 

carved, fully intact wooden altarpiece by an anonymous master in 

the parish church of Besigheim, and before our return to Heidelberg, 

a Romanesque church with a mid-11th-century crypt in nearby 

Oberstenfeld. 

Day 4 

After breakfast, a leisurely morning cruise takes us to the solitude of 

the Cistercian abbey of Maulbronn and one of Europe’s best-preserved 

Mediaeval monastery complexes. Founded in the mid-12th-century, 

it retains its gothic appearance despite later alterations. Since its 

dissolution in the Reformation, larger parts of the abbey’s economic 

buildings have been home to a school. Famous alumni include 

Johannes Kepler, Herman Hesse and the Romantic poet Friedrich 

Hölderlin. In the afternoon we return to Heidelberg, where the rest of 

the day is free for your own explorations. 

Day 5 

A scenic coach journey this morning takes us upstream along the 

Neckar River – a modern approach to the Romantic ‘wanderlust’. Our 

first stop is Lobenfeld, to enjoy the Romanesque and Gothic frescoes 

in this remote country church. We continue to Schwetzingen for a 

complete change of scene: a splendid Rococo palace and garden. Built 

in the 18th-century as a summer residence for the Palatine electors. As 

an addition to the existing formal garden, leading landscape architects 

of the age created one of the earliest English-style landscape gardens 

in Germany. Its seemingly unforced ‘natural’ beauty was favoured over 

the Baroque garden at the dawn of the Romantic movement, when the 

atmospheric attraction of the landscape, the interplay between changes 

in colour and light throughout the day and the seasons was keenly 

felt by artists for the first time. Return to Heidelberg for a farewell 

group dinner. 


TOUR DATES 

25 – 30 April 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 



‘No flight’ price £2,500 per person 



• Return flight from London Heathrow to Frankfurt returning 

from Stuttgart 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Hotel 

Europa, Heidelberg 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Hotel Europa, Heidelberg 

This private, family-run hotel, now in its 4th generation, 

welcomes you with excellent service and will make your stay 

in this romantic town unique. It is one of the few remaining 

owner-managed 5-star hotels in Germany. 

Day 6 

After a final breakfast in our hotel, we bid farewell to Heidelberg and 

head south towards Stuttgart. Our last visit is to the little town of 

Esslingen am Neckar, a former free imperial city with a fully intact, 

charming old town boasting some of Germany’s oldest half-timbered 

houses dating back to the 13th-century. In the afternoon we continue to 

Stuttgart Airport for an evening flight to London Heathrow. 


GERMANY 

TRIER & THE MOSELLE 

Roman Ruins & Mediaeval Monuments 

Abbey of St Mathias 

Trier, one of Germany’s oldest cities and the only imperial Roman residence north of the Alps, is home to 7 Roman 

UNESCO World Heritage sites, a monumental mediaeval double-church complex, and exquisite archaeological museums 

and treasuries. Trier’s imperial status is reflected in its mighty Roman architecture: vast, intricate mosaic floors, largescale 

sculpted monuments and delicate glassware of the finest quality. At the end of the 5th-century, nothing was left of 

the once pulsating urban life of Trier and its 50,000 inhabitants. But the seed of Christianity sown in its glory days had 

put down strong roots and the bishops of Trier, soon to be archbishops, filled the power vacuum and emerged as secular 

rulers. The “Holy City” of Trier was soon filled with churches, convents and collegiate foundations and the Archbishop of 

Trier became one of the 7 prince-electors who exerted great political influence. The sturdy Romanesque cathedral and 

the Church of Our Lady, an imitation of French Gothic style, bear witness to this period. Likewise, the imperial abbey of 

St Maximin evolved as an institution resonant with political and cultural impact. Its political status ensured that Trier 

became an artistic treasure-chest enshrining intriguing, illuminated manuscripts, resplendent goldsmiths’ work, enamels 

and acclaimed sculpture in wood and stone. The city is embedded in the panoramic Moselle valley with scenery that 

changes from steep slopes to soft terraces encircled by the meandering river. Discover small, wine-growing villages with 

romantic timbered houses, a maze of small cobblestone alleys and excellent Moselle Rießlings. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

A late morning train from London St. Pancras to Luxembourg via 

Brussels. An introductory lecture in the hotel will be followed by 

dinner in a local restaurant and wine tavern, where we will taste 

Moselle wine. 

Day 2 

A day on foot in Trier, dedicated to the clerical heart of Trier, the 

cathedral of St Peter and the church of Our Lady. A highlight of 

the tour is the late Roman burial ground beneath the former abbey 

church of St Maximin with its astonishing abundance of rich 

Roman sarcophagi (by special arrangement, but please be prepared 

for very uneven surfaces in the underground site). These sites will 

be complemented by a visit to the cathedral museum displaying 

Constantinian and Carolingian wall paintings, mediaeval sculpture 

and architectural models of Trier’s imposing church complex. 

Day 3 

The morning is dedicated to the Museum am Dom, displaying 

finds from Roman to mediaeval Trier including mosaics and fresco 

painting. Afterwards the coach takes us to delightful Bernkastel- 

Kues, home to some of the most renown Moselle wineries. After 

lunch in a traditional restaurant, stroll through town to savour the 

picturesque views of Bernkastel and explore the hometown of one 

of the most eminent mediaeval philosophers, Cardinal Nikolaus von 

Kues. Spend the afternoon on a boat along the Moselle River to see 

the vineyards, before visiting a prestigious Bernkastel wine-grower to 

taste some renowned wines. 

Day 4 

A second day in Trier starts with a drive to the outskirts of the city 

to visit the Abbey of St Matthias with the only Apostle’s tomb north 

of the Alps. We have private admittance (subject to confirmation) to 

the inner sanctum of this still-working abbey to visit the beautiful 

cloister, marvel at a Byzantine reliquary of the Holy Cross and 

descend into a mausoleum of a Roman noblewoman. Return to 

central Trier to visit the Rheinisches Landesmuseum containing a 

collection of Roman artefacts unique in scale, diversity, and quality. 

Imposing burial monuments, a multitude of coloured mosaic floors 

and spectacular glassware illustrate Roman life and activity on 

the Moselle. The collection also contains outstanding mediaeval 

sculpture and architectural elements from Trier churches and abbeys. 

Another highlight of this tour is the recently reopened Treasury of the 

Trier City Research Library. It holds rare books of the greatest value 

and international status including the Carolingian “Ada Evangeliary”, 

the Ottonian “Codex Egberti” and an illuminated copy of Gutenberg’s 

Bible. The so-called Basilica built as a magnificent imperial throne 

room by Constantine the Great is well preserved and remains an 

impressive site. 

Day 5 

Excursion to the city of Luxembourg. Enclosed by a densely forested 

mountain landscape Luxembourg offers a rich cultural-historical 

heritage. The city of Luxembourg rose from a Roman foundation 

whose artistic wealth is displayed at the Musée National d’Histoire 

et d’Art. The remains of the Carolingian abbey of Echternach, once an 

eminent religious and cultural centre, are housed in this museum. By 

1307, the royal House of Luxembourg was propelled onto the stage of 

imperial politics when its kings became Holy Roman Emperors and 

produced one of the most influential of all Trier archbishops, Baldwin 

of Trier. In the afternoon we return to London via Brussels. 


TOUR DATES 

23 – 27 May 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 



‘No rail' price £2,050 per person 



• Return Eurostar from London St. Pancras to Brussels 

• Connecting rail journeys with interciti to Luxembourg 


• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Superior Park 

Plaza, Trier 






and waiters 

Our tour includes travel by rail, please enquire if you would 

prefer alternative travel arrangements by flight. 

ACCOMMODATION 

Park Plaza, Trier 

Built on historic ground, right in the centre of Trier and 

surrounded by famous Roman monuments such as the Porta 

Nigra, the amphitheatre and imperial baths, parts of the 

original Roman building found during excavations of the hotel 

have been incorporated into the architecture here. This hotel 

features a restaurant and lounge bar. Rooms contain satellite 

TV, a minibar, tea and coffee-making facilities, telephone, air 

conditioning and a safe. 


41

GERMANY 

MAKING MODERN 

Women of the German Modern Movement 

Boettcherstrasse 

Although the rise of German Modern was shaped by contributions from men and women in all its cultural manifestations, 

it is the masculine contribution that has been most celebrated and closely examined. Yet to enter this world through the 

eyes of the women who participated in it offers a wholly different experience, often challenging the male-centric narratives 

of Expressionism and the seismic events of the early 20th-century. One of the few female artists to gain recognition during 

her lifetime was Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945). A committed pacifist, her work advocated for social change and justice, 

often charting the struggles of the poorest and most marginalised members of society. Working as a painter, sculptor and 

printmaker, she found ways to disseminate her ideas to the masses and was fearless in her political standpoint; there is 

a compassion and intimacy to her work that is innately, movingly and fascinatingly feminine. In contrast to Kollwitz’s 

career, Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876-1907) remained relatively unknown during her short lifetime but is posthumously 

credited with ushering in the great German Expressionist movement. This is in part due to her openness and curiosity 

towards the work of her international contemporaries, a curiosity that drew her to study in Paris for periods of her 

life, where she adored the work of the post-impressionists, an admiration that was not shared by many of her artistic 

colleagues at Worpswede. Amongst others, discover the work of these bold, female pioneers on this essential new Art 

Pursuits tour, a unique chance to consider the synthesis of gender, politics and art in one of the most transformative 

moments in modern history. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Hamburg. Transfer by 

private coach to the Hamburger Kunsthalle, one of Germany’s largest 

art galleries. After a group lunch at the museum, we will explore its 

collection, giving particular focus to the work of Paula Modersohn- 

Becker. Continue to Bremen and check in to our hotel, where we will 

enjoy a meal together. 

Day 2 

A day in Bremen on foot. Our first visit is to the Bremen Kunsthalle, 

which houses a collection spanning 700 years of art. Highlights 

include works by Franz Marc, Edvard Munch, Paula Modersohn- 

Becker and Käthe Kollwitz. After an independent lunch, we discover 

historic Bremen: the majestic cathedral, which rises from one 

end of a picturesque market square, and the Bremen Roland, the 

oldest surviving statue of Roland, paladin of Holy Roman Emperor 

Charlemagne, erected in 1404. Nearby, the unusual Böttcherstraße 

– a street designed in the Expressionist style – is home to the Paula 

Modersohn-Becker Museum and the Roselius Museum, which 

houses the private collection of the coffee merchant Ludwig Roselius, 

who was largely responsible for the Böttcherstraße remodelling 

initiative between 1922 and 1931. There will be time to visit both 

before we return to our hotel for an evening at leisure. 

Day 3 

By coach to Worpswede to spend the day exploring the artists’ colony 

established at the end of the 19th-century. Art Nouveau painter Fritz 

Mackensen and landscape painter Otto Modersohn were the first to 

arrive, in the late 1880s, followed by Paula Becker, who later married 

Modersohn, and others. Many of the historic artists’ homes and 

studios have been preserved as museums and galleries. The Große 

Kunstschau holds some of the most famous works created by this 

first generation of artist settlers and we will explore this collection 

in the morning, as well as the Barkenhoff, which celebrates the life’s 

work of painter, designer and architect Heinrich Vogeler. After lunch, 

visit the romantic Haus im Schluh, former home of Vogeler’s first 

wife, Martha, filled with art and furniture designed by Vogeler. Finally, 

the Worpsweder Kunsthalle houses an impressive collection of 

work by multiple generations of Worpswede artists, charting how the 

colony’s spirit has mutated through the ages. Return to Bremen. 

Day 4 

Depart Bremen for Berlin, checking in to our new hotel before 

enjoying a group lunch. In the afternoon, a visit to the New 

National Gallery will reveal works by the likes of Lotte Laserstein, 

the Jewish painter who fled Germany for Sweden in 1937, Paula 

Modersohn-Becker, Dada artist Hannah Höch, one of the originators 

of photomontage, and contemporary visual artist Rebecca Horn. 

Works by the likes of Edvard Munch, Max Beckmann and Paul 

Klee are also on display. Short coach transfer to Unter den Linden, 

Berlin’s landmark 19th-century promenade, where the Neue Wache 

war memorial is home to Käthe Kollwitz’s deeply moving sculpture, 

‘Mother with her Dead Son’. The artist began work on the sculpture in 

1937 and it is an enlarged casting of this original piece that occupies 

the space today. Return to our hotel. 

Expert Lecturer, Tom Abbott 

TOUR DATES 

6 – 10 July 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Hamburg, returning 

from Berlin 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Radisson Blu, Bremen 

• 1 night bed and breakfast in the Maritim ProArte 

Hotel, Berlin 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Radisson Blu, Bremen 

Located in Bremen’s heart, you’ll wake up each morning in 

Böttcherstraße – a work of art in its own right – and enjoy 

the central location of Bremen's old town between the Weser 

River and the Market Square. You’ll also be staying at the city’s 

most sustainable hotel with an official Green Key and BREEAM 

certification. 

Maritim ProArte Hotel, Berlin 

The Maritim proArte Hotel Berlin is located on the famous 

Friedrichstrasse, with the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, the 

Galeries Lafayette and the Gendarmenmarkt only a brief walk 

away. Indulge in culinary delight in the evening or a cocktail in 

the Checkpoint Bar. 

Day 5 

A morning to explore the Käthe Kollwitz Museum. Berlin’s most 

famous female artist, she encountered much hardship and suffering 

in her lifetime and is perhaps best known for her intimate and 

harrowing depictions of human torment, hauntingly universal and 

timeless in their themes. The collection presents more than 200 

examples of sculpture, drawing, woodcuts and prints. After lunch we 

visit the Berlinische Galerie, where our focus will be the works of 

Hannah Höch and the German Modern movement. Coach transfer to 

Berlin Tegel for our flight to London Heathrow. 

Blu Bremen 

Maritim proArte 


43

GERMANY 

LAND OF THE BLUE RIDER 

Mediaeval to Modern in Southern Bavaria 

Schlossmuseum 

The symbiosis of art and nature in the land between Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen provides an intense experience. 

Lakes, moors and woods are bathed in ever-changing light, and occasionally the entire Alpine Mountain range to the south 

appears in infinite hues of pastel blues. This atmospheric palette was not lost on artists of the Expressionist group of the 

Blue Rider – Vassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter and, above all, Franz Marc who coined the term of ‘das Blaue Land’. They 

were drawn to this enchanted landscape around Murnau, and no fewer than 4 museums in the area provide a stunning 

overview of German Expressionism. Somewhat paradoxically, the country which inspired their radically modern style on 

the eve of World War I is a land steeped in tradition on which powerful abbots and fabled princes have left their mark. 

The glorious churches which dot the countryside have given the area its other epithet: ‘Pfaffenwinkel’ – priests’ corner. 

Their onion domes are a characteristic feature, sometimes marking ancient monasteries, sometimes pilgrimage churches 

set in lush meadows. With its sumptuous, nature-inspired ornamentation, Bavarian Baroque perfectly complements the 

lush landscape. Even in the tiniest villages, the style manifests itself. Economic prosperity after the recovery from the 

Thirty Years’ War gave rise to a flood of architectural commissions and continued well into the 19th-century, when the 

Bavarian kings built their extravagant castles. Our Study Tour will allow you to enjoy the natural and artistic highlights 

of this reassuringly old-fashioned part of the world. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Munich. By coach to Kloster 

Schäftlarn south of Munich for a Brotzeit, a ‘light’ savoury lunch in 

the pleasant beer garden. A visit to the church will introduce you to 

the joyful exuberance of Bavarian Baroque and Rococo architecture, 

designed and embellished here by Munich’s finest court artists. Stroll 

through the little Prelates Garden before continuing to Murnau and 

your 5-star hotel. 

Day 2 

In the morning, coach excursion through the ‘Pfaffenwinkel’, stopping 

at some of the region’s most outstanding religious foundations: 

Wessobrunn and Steingaden, two mediaeval abbeys in Baroque 

‘dress’, the former once training ground of many 18th-century stucco 

artists, above all Dominikus Zimmermann. Continue to Füssen, past 

the castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, fairy-tale 

creations for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The dazzling pilgrimage 

church of the Wies, set in the midst of luxuriant meadows against a 

stunning Alpine panorama, epitomises Rococo art. 

Day 3 

A day dedicated to the German Expressionist artists of the Blue 

Rider and their contemporaries. At Bad Kochel visit the Franz Marc 

Museum, with an outstanding collection housed in a contemporary 

building. In Murnau, the Schlossmuseum features works by Gabriele 

Münter and Vassily Kandinsky, as does the idyllic ‘Russian House’ 

where the couple spent much time between 1908 and 1914. 

Day 4 

Morning walk through a dramatic gorge (a cable car alternative is 

available) to one of the majestic summits surrounding Garmisch- 

Partenkirchen to enjoy the stunning scenery and a view of the 

Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. At the top, a light lunch will 

be provided in a typical mountain hut, before returning to Garmisch- 

Partenkirchen by cable car. Free afternoon in Murnau. 

Day 5 

A boat excursion on the Starnberger See, weekend domain of 

Munich’s rich, will take us to Bernried, and the Buchheim Museum 

whose collection centres on works by artists of the Expressionist 

association of The Bridge (‘Die Brücke’), founded in Dresden in 1905. 

The museum in Penzberg focuses again on artists of the Blue Rider 

group active in this area. Landscape, nature, art and culture come 

together singularly in a lake district of scenic beauty where painters 

of the early 20th-century discovered a new means of pictorial 

expression, developing with particular intensity the vivid and 

powerful images of Expressionism in all its facets. 

Day 6 

All-day coach excursion: at Schloss Linderhof, Ludwig II’s first and 

most complete fantasy creation, experience the over-the-top Louis 

XIV revival palace and explore the beautiful gardens and follies, such 

as a Turkish Kiosk and an extravagant grotto, the latter created as 

the enchanted abode of Venus for Wagner’s early opera Tannhäuser. 

In nearby Oberammergau, world-famous for its passion play, walk 

through the historic centre past the many painted house façades. 

From there, continue to the Benedictine monastery at Ettal, a 14thcentury 

foundation rebuilt in the 1700s with a spectacular domed 

church at its centre. 


TOUR DATES 

12 – 18 July 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London Heathrow to Munich 


• 6 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Hotel Alpenhof, 

Murnau on Staffelsee 

• 3 evening meals and 3 lunches included 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Hotel Alpenhof, Murnau on Staffelsee 

Set in the Bavarian Alpine countryside, this spa hotel 

offers breathtaking views of the Bavarian Alps and is set in 

beautiful grounds has an outdoor pool and terrace, as well 

as a luxurious health centre with indoor pool. The restaurant 

serving fine Bavarian cuisine and there is a bar and lounge 

area. The elegant rooms feature satellite television, safe, 

bathrobe, slippers, complementary internet connection and 

a hairdryer. 

Day 7 

By coach to Munich for a visit to the Lenbachhaus with its famous 

collection of German art of the 19th-and 20th-Centuries. After lunch, 

transfer to Munich airport for our flight to London Heathrow. 


AUSTRIA 

AUSTRIA’S HEARTLAND 


Schlossmuseum 

The historical and cultural heartbeat of Austria began to pulse 25,000 years ago in an area roughly located between Linz 

and Vienna, in the present-day states of Upper and Lower Austria. Its main artery, the river Danube, has carved out a 

picturesque landscape, from the narrow Wachau valley dominated by bountiful vineyards and orchards, to the wide 

Vienna basin where the forested highlands of the Vienna Woods are bounded by the Danube. After the fall of Roman 

power, the region was reorganised by the Carolingians who established a march, or borderland, at the eastern outpost of 

the Frankish Empire named the Marcha Orientalis or ‘Ostarrichi’ (Austria). The noble Babenberg family, enfeoffed with 

‘Ostarrichi’ in 976, further cultivated the land through the foundation of well-endowed abbeys such as Heiligenkreuz and 

Klosterneuburg, where the seat of government was initially established. Later relocated to Vienna, Austria was elevated 

to the rank of an independent duchy in 1156. The Babenberg dukes of Austria fostered a Vienna that further flourished 

under successors from the House of Habsburg but before long, the expansion of the Ottoman Empire developed into a 

constant threat for all of Austria’s eastern lands. The Battle of Vienna in 1683 marked a turning point in the success of the 

Ottomans, who were forced to retreat, and a building boom rolled across Austria. Ancient abbeys like St Florian, Melk and 

Klosterneuburg, now in a deplorable state, were rebuilt in awe-inspiring Baroque dimensions and decoration. The dawn 

of the 19th-century heralded a new artistic era: glorious historicist architecture, from the neo-Gothic Castle Franzensburg 

in Laxenburg, to the spectacular buildings of the Vienna Ringstrasse, shaped not just the capital but also neighbouring 

St. Pölten. At the turn of the 20th-century, both cities began to temper this eclectic aesthetic with the new Art Nouveau 

style, becoming prominent proponents of the movement’s art and architecture. This Art Pursuits study tour spans a period 

of 1000 years and reveals a broad selection of treasures, from a secluded Romanesque abbey to splendid Art Nouveau 

artefacts and architecture and explores the genesis of art and culture in Austria’s heartland. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Vienna. Coach transfer from 

Vienna airport to the Cistercian abbey of Heiligenkreuz. The abbey 

church and cloister retain a Romanesque and early Gothic appearance, 

including some fine stained-glass windows dated c.1295. We continue 

to our hotel for the first of three nights. In the evening, we enjoy a meal 

together. 

Day 2 

After breakfast, we set out on foot to explore the old town of St. Pölten. 

Originally founded by the Romans and resettled by the Franks, St. 

Pölten has a rich catalogue of archaeological finds, many of which are 

on display in the Stadtmuseum. In the afternoon visit to the 18thcentury 

cathedral and neighbouring diocesan museum. Partly housed 

in the delightful Rococo library of the former Episcopal Palace, the 

museum’s collection boasts liturgical vestments worked by Empress 

Maria Theresa herself. 

Day 3 

Our first stop is the Baroque abbey of St Florian, dedicated to the 

first recognised Christian in Austria. We will immerse ourselves in 

the artistic delights on offer: a fabulous collection of Danube School 

paintings by Albrecht Altdorfer, who created two altarpieces for St. 

Florian, a frescoed Baroque library and festive marble hall. The day is 

concluded with a visit to the country church of Mauer bei Melk, which 

houses a stunning, expressively carved wooden altarpiece considered 

one of the best sculptural examples of the Danube School. Return to St. 

Pölten for a group meal and our third and final night in the city. 

Day 4 

In the morning, we bid farewell to St. Pölten and head north into the 

beautiful Wachau valley. Soon Melk abbey, impressively comes into 

sight. We spend the morning roaming this vast abbey complex with its 

museum and yet another splendid Baroque library and marble hall. 

After the visit, we continue to wind our way along the Danube passing 

through charming wine villages. A group lunch will offer the chance to 

sample the culinary delights of the region and its famous wines, made 

from the Grüner Veltliner grape. From here we head for Vienna, our 

base for the next three nights of the tour. 

Day 5 

The morning is dedicated to the work of Otto Wagner, master architect 

of the Art Nouveau style. We take the coach to Hütteldorf, a Vienna 

suburb where Wagner built himself two private neighbouring homes, 

conveniently allowing us to study his artistic development. Nearby is 

Wagner’s Kirche am Steinhof, one of the most important Art Nouveau 

churches ever built. Spectacularly perched atop a hill, it has been 

meticulously restored with gleaming contemporary furnishings. In the 

afternoon, we return to the city centre for an afternoon to spend as you 

wish. 

Day 6 

After breakfast we travel to Klosterneuburg. Founded in 1114 by 

Margrave Leopold III and his wife at the site of a purported miracle, 

the abbey has been one of Austria’s most important centres of art 

and culture for more than 900 years. The abbey was a residence of the 

Babenberg and Habsburg dynasties and an outstanding document of 

the Babenberg dynasty in the abbey’s art gallery is a four by eight metre 

large family tree, painted in the late 15th-century. Return to Vienna for 

a farewell dinner. 

Day 7 

We travel to Laxenburg, land transformed into a romantic English 

landscape garden with a great lake dotted with islands at its centre. On 

one of these islands, an enchanting neo-Gothic castle, Franzensburg. 

We walk (or take a little train) through the shady expanses of the park 

to reach the small ferry that takes visitors to the island. After lunch, 

our coach takes us on to nearby Vienna airport for a flight to London 

Heathrow. 


TOUR DATES 

18 – 24 October 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London Heathrow to Vienna 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star City Hotel Design 

& Classic, St. Pölten 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star 

Hotel Beethoven, Vienna 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

City Hotel Design & Classic, St. Pölten 

The 4-star City Hotel D&C is located in the heart of St. 

Pölten. In just a few minutes you can be in the middle of the 

colourful hustle and bustle of the baroque city centre with 

its countless shops, cafés, and cultural institutions. You can 

enjoy fine dining and Lower Austrian hospitality in the bar and 

restaurant and relax in the hotel’s wellness oasis. 

Hotel Beethoven, Vienna 

The 4-star Hotel Beethoven lies ensconced in culture 

and cuisine on the 'bohemian' Naschmarkt, opposite the 

Papagenotor at Theater an der Wien, just a few minutes’ walk 

from the Opera, the Musikverein, the Museumsquartier, the 

most traditional Viennese coffeehouses and shopping streets. 

Hotel Beethoven 

Hotel Beethoven 


47

FRANCE 

MEDIAEVAL CHAMPAGNE 

Monarchs & Merchants 

Troyes cathedral 

‘Gothic’ is one of the most recognisable forms of architecture. Northern France, where this innovative style originated, 

is the best place to experience its visionary character and feel the thrill of standing beneath soaring clerestories and 

majestic ribbed vaults, bathed in the iridescent light of stained glass. The highly communicative portal sculpture of Reims’ 

west façade marks the start of the classicizing trend that prevailed in the mid-13th-century. Laon comes a close second: 

the mention of its cathedral is found in a poem by Alcuin of York (735-804), although the surviving structure is later; the 

striking west façade was begun c.1190. Troyes cathedral arguably boasts the best 13th-century-stained glass in France 

after the Sainte-Chapelle. In addition to these magnificent buildings, our mediaeval melange will also include a full 

immersion in the delights of French cuisine, champagne included. From culture to viniculture, this Study Tour is bubbling 

with delights! 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris, with onwards 

travel by SNCF to Champagne-Ardenne. Transfer by private coach to 

Reims and check in to our hotel. After some time to settle in, we enjoy 

an introductory stroll through the streets of handsome Reims before 

dinner together in our hotel. 

Day 2 

A day on foot in Reims. A short walk from our hotel is the Palais 

du Tau, the ornate baroque seat of the archbishops of Reims, now 

home to the exceptional treasures of Reims Cathedral. After a coffee 

break, continue to the impressive Cathedral of Notre-Dame, where 

all but six French kings were crowned from 987 until the Revolution. 

The sculpture on the western entrance portals, carved in the 1220s 

and 1230s is particularly fine, including jamb figures of a sweetly 

“smiling” annunciate Angel Gabriel and a Visitation group on the 

responds of the central doorway. In the afternoon we visit the largely 

Romanesque abbey church of Saint-Remi, which held the precious 

Holy Ampulla containing oil used during the coronations of the 

French kings. 

Day 3 

Coach excursion to Troyes, home to one of the famous annual 

Champagne trade fairs and the site of a treaty signed at the height of 

the Hundred Years War in which Queen Isabeau, wife of the French 

king Charles VI, sealed the marriage of Catherine of France to Henry 

V of England. Following the occupation of the town by English troops, 

the town was liberated by Joan of Arc in 1429. Morning visit to the 

13th-century Cathedral of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul and its superb 

treasury, considered to be one of the most important in France. 

In the afternoon, we explore the church of Saint-Urbain, another 

Rayonnant Gothic masterpiece so splendidly proportioned it was 

nicknamed the ‘Parthenon of Champagne.’ Our final visit of the day 

is La Cité du Vitrail, a small, but dazzling, collection of stained glass, 

ranging from the 12th to the 21st-century, which has recently been 

redesigned. Return to Reims. 

Day 4 

By coach to Laon, where our first destination is the magnificent 

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, whose early 13th-century rose window 

is one of the most beautiful in Europe, to look at Early Gothic 

architecture. Continue to Soissons, which takes its name from the 

Suessiones, the Gaulish tribe that established the town as its capital 

in the 1st-century BCE. Visit the Cathedral of Saint-Gervais and 

Saint-Protais, built between the 12th- and 14th-centuries in the 

Gothic style. The solitary tower of its unusual asymmetrical façade 

was modelled on those of the Notre-Dame de Paris and treasures 

within include Rubens’ ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ and stainedglass 

windows by Raphael Lardeur. Finally, visit the 9th-century crypt 

of the Abbey of Saint Médard de Soissons, which was founded in 

557 and quickly rose to become one of the leading spiritual and 

political centres in early mediaeval France, Pepin the Short, father of 

Charlemagne was anointed here as King of the Franks in 752. Return 

to Reims. 

Expert Lecturer, Dr Sally Dormer 

TOUR DATES 

8 – 12 March 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris 

• Connecting rail journeys with SNCF 


• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Continental Reims 

• 2 evening meals and 1 lunch with wine tasting 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Continental Reims, Reims 

Located in the heart of Reims, the Continental Hôtel welcomes 

you to a unique high-class atmosphere. The building, a 

mansion from the 19th-century, was transformed into a hotel 

in 1880 and has kept its character. Today it offers the charm, 

comfort, and authenticity of a luxury hotel. At the Continental 

Hôtel, the art of hospitality acquires its meaning from 

attention to detail and great service. 

Day 5 

Depart Reims for Hautvillers, the delightful wine-making village 

also known as the ‘Cradle of Champagne.’ It was here that the 

monk, Dom Pérignon, discovered important developments in the 

champagne-making process in the 18th-century, during an age when 

the region was still predominantly producing red wines. The Abbey 

d’Hautvillers is the final resting place of the monk and we will visit 

his tomb before travelling on, by coach, to the Moët et Chandon 

Champagne House for a suitably sparkling conclusion to our tour, 

including a tasting and lunch. Afterwards, continue to Champagne- 

Ardenne station for our SNCF to Paris, and Eurostar on to London. 


49

FRANCE 

PROVENCE 

School of the South 

Bastide du Jas de Bouffan 

“What art needs is a Poussin made over according to nature.” Such was Cézanne’s ambition, as set out in a letter to his 

dealer Ambroise Vollard, and he set out to achieve it in the area around Aix-en-Provence, where he had grown up and 

where he would spend much of his working life. Cézanne never tired of painting the landscapes of Provence, and in this 

he was not alone. Between the 18th- and 20th-centuries generations of painters flocked to the area to depict its rolling 

vineyards, olive groves and lavender fields, all under a luminous Mediterranean sky. They also came in search of the 

artistic culture of Provence, the monuments of its classical past and its vibrant local life. Our base for this tour is Aix-en- 

Provence, often cited as one of the loveliest towns of France for its fine buildings, elegant squares, and beautiful fountains. 

This was Cézanne’s home, 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 the town of 

Arles on the Rhone River. In his own way, Van Gogh was as affected as Cézanne by the light, landscapes, and people 

of Provence. On this new Art Pursuits Abroad tour you will encounter the art and architecture of a remarkable region, 

together with dramatic scenery and a range of gastronomic pleasures. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Early afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Marseille. Transfer by 

private coach to Aix en Provence, where our hotel nestles in the heart 

of Provence’s former capital. Enjoy a short introductory walk around 

central Aix before a group dinner in the hotel restaurant. 

Day 2 

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. 

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. Dedicated to Victor Vasarely, ‘grandfather’ of 

the Optical Art (Op Art) movement, the highly unusual building was 

designed by the artist 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. 

Day 3 

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. 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, the artistic styles on display range from 

Derain’s vibrant Fauvist landscapes to Signac’s Pointillist visions of 

Marseille. Return to Aix via the coastal village of L’Estaque. 

Day 4 

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. 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 Jardins 

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. Return to Aix for an evening at leisure. 

Day 5 

After breakfast we travel by coach to Arles, once a Roman capital. 

A walking tour will take in some of the city’s most interesting 

sites. Beginning at Les Alyscamps, a large Roman necropolis, 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. The building immortalised 

in Van Gogh’s painting, The Yellow House, was badly bombed in the 

Second World War and later demolished but other buildings visible 

in the work still remain. 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. Van Gogh 

was a patient at the psychiatric hospital here between May 1889 and 

May 1890 and his artistic output was prolific. Paintings made during 

this period include The Starry Night and Irises. We return to Aix where 

we will enjoy a farewell dinner together. 

Expert Lecturer, Dr Kathy McLauchlan 

TOUR DATES 

12 – 17 June 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flight from London Heathrow to Marseille 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star 

Grand Hotel Roi Rene 

• 2 dinners and 1 lunch 





and waiters 

Arles 

ACCOMMODATION 

Cezanne's studio 

Grand Hôtel Roi Rene 

The 4-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 and have a hairdryer, Wi-Fi, bathrobe and 

slipper and tea and coffee-making facilities. 

Day 6 

After breakfast we check out of our hotel and head for the market. A 

final visit will be to the Hôtel de Caumont, a beautiful 18th-century 

mansion which now houses a lovely arts centre. We transfer to Marseille 

airport for our return flight, arriving in London Heathrow in the late 

afternoon. 


51

FRANCE 

BORDEAUX 

The Wealth of the Vine, Art & Architecture of the City 

Grand Théâtre 

Perhaps the quintessential French city, Bordeaux is famed for all that is most beloved of French culture: elegant architecture, 

a balmy climate, fine wines and fabulous gastronomy. The city has known two ‘Golden Ages’: Medieaval Bordeaux, 

governed by the Dukes of Aquitaine, drew wealth and prestige from its busy, crescent-shaped port on the Garonne. 

Following the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to King Henry II of England, the region’s wines found an appreciative 

new audience – and investors – in the British Isles and beyond. Thriving viticulture, supported by the international 

port reached a peak in the 18th-century, the city’s second Golden Age, creating a wealthy bourgeois population that 

sought to express itself in sublime architecture embellished with the finest decorative arts. Indeed, in later years, it was 

to Bordeaux that Baron Haussmann looked when tasked with transforming the snaking alleys of mediaeval Paris into 

the ‘modern’ capital that would signal France’s importance to the world. Falling from fashionable favour in the 19th 

and 20th centuries, Bordeaux gained the moniker ‘La Belle Endormie’ (The Sleeping Beauty), but renewed investment in 

recent years has brought it roaring back to life with an exciting resurgence in arts and infrastructure. Join Art Pursuits 

over a bottle of the region’s finest and drink in the uplifting elegance of this marvelous city, now undeniably enjoying a 

third Golden Age. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Eurostar from London to Bordeaux via Paris and transfer by private 

coach to our 4-star hotel in the heart of the city. After some time to 

settle in we reconvene for welcome drinks and an introductory talk 

with our host and local expert, Kirsty Fergusson, before enjoying a 

meal together in the evening. 

Day 2 

A day on foot, discovering the glories of Mediaeval and ancien régime 

Bordeaux. A short walk from our hotel is the magnificent Basilique 

Saint-Seurin, named after one of the city’s most venerated patron 

saints, St. Seurin, fourth bishop of the City. Built over a 4th-century 

necropolis, it is a masterful example of the Romanesque style, 

although subsequent additions have been made over the years. 

Following the footprint of the mediaeval ramparts we continue to the 

imposing Gothic cathedral of Saint-André before a break for coffee. 

Afterwards, we take in La Grosse Cloche, the mighty 15th-century bell 

that marks one of the mediaeval entrances to the city. Magistrates of 

the day would ring the bell to signal the harvest or offer alert in case 

of attack or fire. Our last stop before lunch is the handsome Porte 

Cailhau, the 15th-century defensive gate dedicated to King Charles 

VIII. Reconvene in the afternoon, to explore some of the 18th-century 

splendours of the city, pausing first to examine the beautiful façade 

of the Place de la Bourse and continuing to the Grand Théâtre, 

completed in 1780 to the designs of architect Victor Louis, and 

considered to be one of the finest theatres in France. Following a 

private tour of the theatre, we enjoy an aperitif in the colonnaded 

theatre restaurant before returning to our hotel just a short step away. 

The evening is at leisure for your own activities. 

Day 3 

Travel by coach to the Citadelle de Blaye, the impressive military 

fortification designed in the 17th-century by the famous French 

engineer Vauban. Sitting atop a rocky promontory overlooking the 

Gironde estuary, the perfectly preserved citadel was one of 3 forts 

constructed to control the flow of traffic along the estuary and protect 

the city of Bordeaux. After an introduction to the history of the 

citadel, you are invited to explore its charming alleys, now occupied 

with small shops and cafés, before regrouping at the foot of the 

ramparts where we continue by coach to the Château Monconseil- 

Gazin. This is a small, family-run estate producing award-winning 

Côtes de Blaye wines, where we are privileged to enjoy a tour and 

tasting followed by an invitation to lunch in the château with owners, 

Jean-Michel and Françoise Baudet. Return to Bordeaux in the 

afternoon, enjoying some free time before a late-afternoon visit to Les 

Bassins des Lumières, an enormous former WWII submarine base 

transformed into an awe-inspiring centre for digital art. Exhibitions 

are ever-changing but are dedicated to the great artists of the past, as 

well as contemporary works. 

Expert Lecturer, Kirsty Fergusson 

TOUR DATES 

10 – 13 October 2023 

4 days 

TOUR PRICES 



‘No train’ price £1,650 per person 



• Return Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris 

• Connecting rail journeys to Bordeaux St Jean 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the Hôtel de Sèze, Bordeaux 

• 1 evening meal, 1 lunch and wine tasting 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

La Grosse Cloche 

Hôtel de Sèze, Bordeaux 

Located in the heart of Bordeaux, in the famous Bordeaux 

Golden Triangle, a few steps from the Allées de Tourny and 

close to the famous Quinconces esplanade, the architecture 

of the Hôtel de Sèze is inspired by the 18th-century. Discreetly 

elegant, the relaxing rooms reflect the flamboyant past of the 

city, whilst being equipped with modern fixtures. 

Day 4 

After breakfast, walk to the Hotel Labottière, where we are privileged 

to have a private tour of the magnificent 18th-century townhouse 

with the current owner who has provided the ground floor rooms 

with fine examples of Louis XV and XVI furnishings and porcelain. 

Afterwards, walk through the delightful Jardin Public for a light lunch 

at L’Orangerie. Return to the hotel to collect our coach for transfer to 

the station. 


53

SPAIN 

PALMA 

The Rich Tapestry of Art & History 

Le Seu Cathedral 

Rising from the azure waters of the Badia de Palma, the golden stone of Palma de Majorca beckons alluringly to expectant 

travellers. Today an elegant city with a sophisticated cultural scene, Palma has a rich history. Inhabited since the Bronze 

Age, Palma became an important ancient Roman port, a Moorish stronghold, and an independent mediaeval kingdom. 

Under the warm, year-round sun, it is not hard to see why artists, architects and designers flocked to the city in droves 

in the early 20th-century; the distinctive Art Nouveau style developed by the Catalan Modernists during this period has 

particularly left its architectural mark. Artistic inspiration abounds, the white sails of the boats bobbing gently in the 

bay are echoed in the gleaming rooftop curves of the studio built by architect Josep Lluis Sert for his friend and fellow 

Catalan, Joan Miro in 1956. Inside the light-drenched studio, Miro’s surrealist works are propped on easels ready for 

the next brushstroke. The banker, Juan March also commissioned Sert to design the interior of his palace, with dramatic 

results. This modern symbol of wealth perches high above the city near the Gothic Royal Palace of Almundaina, once the 

centre of the mediaeval kingdom of Majorca and now the summer residence of the King of Spain. Palma is a city that has 

always embraced modern art. In 1901, the Bishop of Mallorca engaged Antoni Gaudí to transform the altar of the city’s 

Gothic cathedral. More recently, the Mallorcan artist Miquel Barceló’s cave-like remodelling of St Peter’s Chapel offers a 

dramatic take on a biblical scene. Discover all of this and more in a new Art Pursuits Abroad tour, which revels in the rich 

tapestry of old and new, art and history, in this compact and elegant city. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Flight from London to Palma. A private coach will take us into the 

heart of Palma, where we will check in to our hotel. Dinner is served 

in the hotel. 

Day 2 

Our first morning in Palma is dedicated to the mediaeval history of 

the island. We begin at La Seu, the city’s splendid Gothic cathedral 

perched high above the harbour. Remains from the Moorish period 

in Palma are rare, but nearby are the 10th-century Arab baths, an 

oasis of calm in the heart of the old city, set within a lush garden of 

wildflowers, orange trees and palms. After an independent lunch 

we reconvene for an afternoon devoted to the exploration of some 

more of Palma’s ecclesiastical jewels. The Basilica Sant Francesc 

was built in the 13th-century in the Gothic style but features a 17thcentury 

Baroque façade, the result of reconstruction following a 

lightning strike in 1580. The peaceful Gothic cloisters are particularly 

spectacular. Not far away is the Church of Santa Eulalia; constructed 

just a few years after the Catalan conquest of Mallorca in 1229, it was 

here that the son of James I, King of Aragon, was crowned James II of 

Mallorca. 

Day 3 

After breakfast we travel by coach to Valldemossa, a picturesque 

town in the Tramuntana Mountains. Surrounded by olive, oak, and 

almond forests, it was the Moors who settled here first. After the 

Moors were driven from Mallorca in the 13th-century, King James II 

had a palace built here for his son, Sancho, which we will learn more 

about as well as the broader history of this fascinating complex, on a 

visit this morning. Afterwards, an independent lunch is followed by 

some free time to explore the streets of Valldemossa before we travel 

on to the pretty coastal village of Deia to visit the home of the English 

poet and novelist, Robert Graves. Graves’ arrival in 1932 was followed 

by other artists, muses, and friends, solidifying the village’s reputation 

as a foreign artists’ colony. 

Day 4 

Our next stop is the unusual Bellver Castle, built just outside the city 

for King James II of Majorca in the 14th-century. The castle’s coastal 

vantage point also offers sweeping views across Palma’s wide bay. 

Returning to the heart of the city we headfirst for La Lonja, the Silk 

Exchange. Perhaps the finest example of mediaeval civic architecture 

on the island. The rest of afternoon will be spent at the Royal Palace 

of Almudaina, which was built over Roman ruins and the Moorish 

Alcazar in a mainly Gothic style between the 13th and 14th centuries 

and enjoys wonderful views across the bay. We reconvene later for a 

group dinner. 

Day 5 

An early start this morning will allow us to see the ‘Festival of 

Light’, a gorgeous biannual phenomenon in Palma Cathedral. For 

just a short period of time, the sun casts an image of the eastern 

rose window, the largest Gothic example in the world, onto the wall 

beneath its western counterpart to create a dazzling figure of eight. 

We then spend the rest of the morning tracing the footsteps of Joan 

Miró, one of Palma’s most famous artistic residents, who settled on 

the island where his mother and wife were born in 1956. His studio 

was designed by Joseph Lluís Sert in the same year and was used by 

the artist until his death in 1983. Next to the studio is the Pilar and 

Joan Miró Foundation, a beautiful, light-filled gallery built by Rafael 

Moneo in 1992, which displays collections of the artist’s work. After 

a farewell group lunch, our final hours in the city are free for your 

own activities. Visit Palau March to see the art collection amassed by 

the spectacularly wealthy March family, with works by Salvador Dalí, 

Henry Moore and Auguste Rodin among others, or visit the Museum 

of Mallorca, housed in a 17th-century palace, for a final blast of rich 

Mallorcan history. We travel to the airport for our return flight. 

Expert Lecturer, Isabelle Kent 

TOUR DATES 

29 January – 2 February 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Palma 


• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Sant Jaume 

Design Hotel, Palma 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Sant Jaume Design Hotel, Palma 

Set in an 18th-century mansion, the Sant Jaume Hotel is 

located on a tranquil cobbled alley in the bustling heart of 

Palma. Rooms are beautifully designed and filled with light, 

with comfortable shared spaces and a sun-dappled rooftop 

terrace. The hotel’s lobby features art and design features by a 

range of local artists, including a spectacular 12m installation 

by acclaimed artist, Robert Ferrer i Martonell, and illustrations 

by Victoria Masdeu which depict popular sites and attractions 

for visitors. Facilities include a bar, restaurant, fitness centre, 

spa, pool and rooftop terrace. 


55

SPAIN 

LEON & BURGOS 

Power & Pilgrimage along the Camino 

Monastery of Silos 

Of the hundreds of miles covered by the great pilgrim route, the Camino de Santiago, it is the portion that threads across 

the northern plains of Castilla y León, from Burgos to León, which is recognised as one of the most culturally thrilling, 

packed as it is with a true abundance of art and architecture. Burgos, historic capital of Castile, is dominated by its 

glorious Gothic cathedral, the final resting place of the semi-legendary El Cid. Surrounded by splendidly rich monasteries, 

reminders of the alliance of militant Catholicism and regal might that birthed the modern Spanish state, Burgos offers the 

perfect opening act to this tour. We continue to León, similarly, crowned by its spectacular cathedral. Founded c.29BC as 

the military encampment of Legio VI Victrix, it rose to prominence in 910, when the Christian princes of Asturias shifted 

the capital from nearby Oviedo to instate León as the capital of the Kingdom of León. During this era, the kingdom held an 

active role in the Reconquista against the Moors, subsequently becoming one of the most important in mediaeval Spain 

before it was consolidated with the Crown of Castile in 1301. Today, León wears its history lightly, its noble looks conceal 

an electrically lively Spanish atmosphere that is sure to enchant all who visit. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Bilbao. Transfer by private 

coach to Burgos to check in to our 4-star hotel. After some time to 

settle in and take an independent lunch, we travel by coach to Las 

Huelgas. Founded in 1187 by King Alfonso VIII and Queen Eleanor, 

this monastery features several impressive royal tombs and an 

unsurpassed collection of mediaeval textiles. 

Day 2 

Leave the hotel on foot to explore Burgos Cathedral, the city’s artistic 

jewel, featuring work by Simón de Colonia and Diego de Siloé, and 

the breathtaking Condestable’s Chapel. Afterwards, we continue our 

stroll through the streets of Burgos, taking in some of the vestiges 

of mediaeval splendour. In the afternoon, travel by coach to the 

stunning Miraflores Charterhouse, constructed by Isabella I of 

Castille. Fusing lavish decoration with both heraldic and dynastic 

display, the charterhouse represents the high point of the Hispano- 

Flemish artistic style. Return to Burgos for an evening at leisure. 

Day 3 

By coach to Santo Domingo de Silos to visit the impressive 

monastery, a masterpiece of Romanesque art. With its roots in the 

7th-century, it was significantly renovated in the 11th-century and 

is renowned for its magnificent two-storey cloister. Coach transfer 

to Covarrubias for a group lunch before continuing to the Church of 

Quintanilla de las Viñas. The humble exterior of this 7th-century 

Visigoth shrine belies a wonderful interior, rich in carved friezes and 

capitals depicting angels, birds, vines, and fantastical beasts.. 

Day 4 

Bid farewell to Burgos this morning as we journey west towards León, 

taking in several sites en route. Our first stop is Frómista, one of the 

key buildings in the formation of Iberian Romanesque, richly sculpted 

with a repertoire of forms to become widespread in the peninsular'. 

We continue to Carrión de los Condes, where we will see the beautiful 

Romanesque Church of Santa Maria, notable for its highly decorative 

façade, and visit the Monastery of San Zoilo. An emblematic stop 

for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago, this Cluniac monastery from 

the 11th – 12th-centuries was rebuilt in the 16th-century, when its 

famed Gothic cloister was added. After a group lunch, travel on to 

San Miguel de Escalada to visit the monastery there; founded by 

Cordoban monks in the 10th-century, it is a wonderful example of the 

Mozarabic style. We continue to León, checking into our hotel before 

enjoying an introductory walk through the centre of this picturesque 

city. The evening is free for your own activities. 

Day 5 

Set out on foot to explore León’s star attraction, its spectacular 

cathedral. Once the royal palace of King Ordoño II, after he defeated 

the Arabs in the Battle of San Esteban de Gormaz in 917, he had the 

palace rebuilt as a cathedral, a sign of gratitude to God for the victory. 

It is remarkable for its 130 stained glass windows, including three 

large rose windows that are considered to be some of the finest in 

existence. In the afternoon, visit the beautiful Basilica of San Isidoro, 

one of the most important examples of the Romanesque style in 

Spain. Inside, the Royal Pantheon, adorned with unusual Visigothic 

capitals and wonderfully preserved 12th-century murals 

Day 6 

Check out of our hotel after breakfast and travel by coach to Oviedo. 

Just outside the city lies the Church of Santa María del Naranco, 

a wonderfully preserved example of Spanish pre-Romanesque 

architecture with an unusually tall and narrow form and many fine 

sculptural adornments. Continue to the Church of San Julián de los 

Prado. Another fine example of the pre-Romanesque style, it was 

the largest Christian structure in Spain up until the 11th-century. 

Afterwards, enjoy a final lunch together before we continue to Bilbao 

airport for our return flight to London. 


TOUR DATES 

13 – 18 May 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Bilbao with Vueling 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star NH Collection 

Palacio de Burgos 

• 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star NH Collection 

Plaza Mayor Leon 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

NH Collection Palacio de Burgos 

The magnificent late-Gothic building that houses the NH 

Collection Palacio de Burgos hotel has served many different 

purposes over the last five hundred years. The hotel’s 110 

exquisite rooms are designed to reflect the grandeur of this 

historic building. Spacious and inviting, the Superior rooms and 

elegant Junior suite have river and cathedral views. 

NH Collection Plaza Mayor Leon 

The original 18th-century structure of the hotel was once 

a military building. Today the traditional façade houses a 

modern interior with stylish décor, creating a captivating blend 

of ancient and modern design. All rooms have hardwood 

floors, premium high-quality mattresses, and fine linens, with 

decorative elements that combine to create a peaceful and 

sophisticated ambience. 

Palacio de Burgos 

Plaza Mayor 


57

SPAIN 

ANDALUCIA 

Moors & More in Granada and Córdoba 

Palace of Alcazar 

Throughout thousands of years of history, Andalucia has built an exceptional cultural heritage. Due to the region’s unique 

location, its mild climate, and rich mineral resources, Andalucia has been continually inhabited since Prehistoric times, 

the Phoenicians, Iberians, and Carthaginians being among the first to settle there. The flourishing Roman period was 

followed by the Visigoths and Byzantines, culminating in the culturally rich epoch of Muslim rule, which was responsible 

for much of the most remarkable Andalucian art and architecture. Numerous monuments from this period have been 

declared UNESCO world heritage sites, including Cordoba’s magnificent Mezquita, the winding streets of its historic city 

centre and the unparalleled Alhambra, Generalife Gardens and Albayzin in Granada. Traces of Andalucia’s resplendent 

past are not only visible in these large centres; its artistic legacy can be discovered through countless towns and villages, 

where exquisite examples of Islamic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture illustrate the region’s varied history. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Flight from London to Malaga. Coach transfer to the city centre for a 

group dinner together and the first of three nights in Granada, staying at 

the Villa Oniria. 

Day 2 

A day on foot in Granada will take us through the Alcaicería past the 

Moorish Baths and the 14th-century Moorish caravanserai of the 

Corral del Carbón to the cathedral and the Chapel Royal, the lavishly 

embellished mausoleum of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of 

Aragon and Isabella I of Castille, begun in 1504. The Chapel’s sacristy 

and museum house panel paintings by Rogier van der Weyden and 

Botticelli as well as the monarchs’ personal jewels and ornaments. 

The afternoon will be spent at La Cartuja monastery, a foundation of 

Ferdinand and Isabella featuring a dazzling stucco interior followed by 

a walk through the winding streets of the medieval Albayazin district, 

rich in Moorish architecture. 

Day 3 

By coach for a morning visit to the Alhambra, the unrivalled palace 

complex of intricately ornamented buildings encircled by thickly 

forested mountains was described by Moorish poets as "a pearl set in 

emeralds". A leisurely walk through the Generalife gardens, the former 

rural residence of the emirs who ruled Andalucia in the 13th- and 

14th-centuries and today one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens. 

After lunch at the historic parador located within the gardens of the 

Alhambra, there will be free time for exploring Granada. 

Day 4 

By coach to Almedinilla, a dreamy white town that rises from a sea of 

olive trees. Visit the Villa Romano El Ruedo, one of the largest Roman 

villas on the Iberian Peninsula. The splendour of the magnificent 

residence was supported by the production of olive oil, wine, and 

cereals elsewhere on the estate and remnants of both villa and 

agricultural industry are impressively preserved. Coach transfer to 

Priego de Córdoba, Andalucia’s ‘Baroque Jewel’, where the many 

splendid Baroque churches will be our focus. Continue to Córdoba, 

arriving at our four-star hotel in the early evening, for the first of three 

nights. Some time to settle in will be followed by a group dinner. 

Day 5 

Morning walk through the internal flower-planted patios and the 

atmospheric alleys of the Jewish Quarter to Córdoba’s gem, the 

Mezquita, a splendid Renaissance Cathedral encased within a sprawling 

arcaded Mosque complex – one of the greatest and most impressive 

works of Muslim architecture, built from 784 on the ruins of a Visigothic 

church. In the afternoon, an independent lunch is followed by a private 

visit to the Palacio de Viana. Structured around twelve beautiful, plantfilled 

courtyards, the rooms of this 14th-century palace are filled with 

fabulous collections of pottery, artwork, furniture, and ornamental tiles. 

An evening talk with Sue is followed by independent dinner. 

Day 6 

The Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos was one of the main residences 

of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella, who converted much of the 

older Arab complex into torture and interrogation chambers of the 

Inquisition. After a stroll through the Alcazar gardens, we drive by coach 

a few kilometres west of Cordoba to Medina Azahara where we explore 

the ruins of the Moorish Palace complex, which dates back to 936, and 

visit the museum. We return to Cordoba where the rest of the afternoon 

is free for independent lunch and exploration but reconvene for a group 

dinner. 

Day 7 

Coach to Malaga stopping at Antequera, where we have a walking tour 

of the monumental quarter. Our visits include the municipal museum 

housed in an 18th-century palace and the prehistoric dolmens on the 

outskirts of town. After an independent lunch, coach transfer to airport 

for our return flight. 


TOUR DATES 

12 – 18 November 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Malaga 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Villa 

Oniria, Granada 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Las Casas 

de la Juderia, Córdoba 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Villa Oniria, Granada 

A 19th-century manor house, situated in the heart of the city 

centre, Villa Oniria has been carefully restored in a traditional 

Andalusian style. Its historical character, its interior spaces 

portray a Neoclassical, warm and balanced style whereas its 

exterior has a garden with fountains and aromatic plants which 

leads to the interior courtyard and the hotel spa, an invitation to 

relax or to have a coffee or dinner whilst enjoying the sound of 

the water fountain. 

Las Casas de la Juderia de Córdoba, Córdoba 

Boutique hotel situated in the heart of the Jewish Quarter 

overlooking the 10th-century Caliphate’s Baths. The hotel 

encompasses 5 noble houses and its repurposing was carried out 

while showing maximum respect for the building's architecture 

and history, resulting in a uniquely charming hotel with all the 

services and facilities any guest could need in a beautiful setting. 

Villa Oniria 

Las Casas 


59

BELGIUM 

BELGIUM 

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 architectdesigners 

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 new Art Pursuits tour will explore 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. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

In the morning, travel by Eurostar from London to Brussels. Transfer by 

private coach to our hotel. 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. 

Day 2 

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. 

Day 3 

By coach to the Musée Constantin Meunier, stopping en route to view 

Meunier’s Monument to Labour, a symbol of 19th-century industrial 

Belgium depicting the working man and woman in different settings. It 

is a theme that preoccupied the artist throughout his later, or ‘second’, 

life and the focus of the museum. In the afternoon, visit the Horta- 

Lambeaux Pavillon, the structure designed by a young Horta to house 

Jef Lambeaux's sculpture ‘The Human Passions’. Neoclassical in 

presentation, it nevertheless displays some interesting shadows of the 

Art Nouveau style. 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. 

Day 4 

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. 

Day 5 

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), whose eerie, luminous works frame lone, ghostly figures. 

Expert Lecturer, Dr Kathy McLauchlan 

TOUR DATES 

17 – 22 April 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Radisson 

Collection Hotel, Grand Place, Brussels 

• 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Cocoon, 

Oostende 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

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. 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 4-star Cocoon hotel has recently been entirely refurbished 

and sits in an ideal location close to the expansive beach and 

the vibrant Ostend city centre. Room facilities include tea and 

coffee-making facilities, Wi-Fi, a TV, mini fridge and safe. 

Day 6 

After breakfast we travel to 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. 


61

NETHERLANDS 

VERMEER 

Searching for Clues to an Enigmatic Artist 

Milkmaid by Vermeer 

During the 17th-century, the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Haarlem and Delft were international hubs 

from where the Dutch – expert seafarers and skilled mapmakers – developed a far-flung colonial empire and achieved 

prosperity unparalleled in the 1600s. This economic Golden Age was matched by an explosion of creativity in art. Of the 

many great artists that rose to prominence in this period, Johannes (Jan) Vermeer (1632-1675), remains by far the most 

mysterious. Born in Delft, where he spent the entirety of his relatively short life, on his death he left behind a remarkably 

small oeuvre of about 35 paintings, which is perhaps the reason that history was so swift to forget him until his eventual 

‘rediscovery’ in the 19th-century. In the spring of 2023, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, in collaboration with the Mauritshuis 

in The Hague, will present the largest retrospective of Vermeer’s work to date, uniting masterpieces on loan from around 

the world. Perhaps most exciting is the new research both museums are currently undertaking, which will shed new light 

on Vermeer’s artistry, his compositional motivations and his creative processes. Join Clare Ford-Wille on this once-in-alifetime 

chance to walk in the footsteps of one of history’s most enigmatic masters and examine the fullest assemblage 

ever achieved of Vermeer's exquisite legacy. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Amsterdam. On arrival, 

transfer by private coach to Haarlem. After some time to settle into 

our hotel, walk around the nearby Grote Markt and then to the Frans 

Hals Museum, which will offer us the marvelous opportunity to 

examine the work of one of Vermeer’s best-known contemporaries. 

Return to our hotel before a group dinner in the evening. 

Day 2 

A day in Amsterdam, our focus being the Rijksmuseum’s landmark 

Vermeer exhibition. The impressive number of artworks on 

international loan, coupled with their enormous fragility, will make 

this an unprecedented event. Paintings on display will include The 

Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Geographer (Städel Museum, Frankfurt 

am Main), Lady Writing a Letter with her Maid and Woman Holding a 

Balance. There will also be time to explore some of the other treasures 

of the Rijksmuseum collection, such as Rembrandt’s The Night Watch 

and The Wedding Portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen by 

Frans Hals. Return to Haarlem for an evening at leisure. 

Day 3 

Before making our way to Delft, we visit the Grote Kerk, the 

enormous mediaeval Gothic church which dominates the city 

skyline. The sumptuously decorated Müller organ, dating from 1738, 

dominates the interior and is one of the most depicted instruments 

in the world. Then a morning in Delft to explore the city in which 

Vermeer lived and worked. Our first visit is to the Nieuwe Kerk, 

which pierces the sky with its impressive Gothic tower. It has been 

the final resting place for all Dutch monarchs since the establishment 

of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. On the other side of 

Delft Market Square is the Oude Kerk; notable for its leaning tower 

and lovely stained glass. After a short break for coffee, we head for 

the Museum Prinsenhof Delft, which will be hosting a temporary 

exhibition exploring the relationship between Vermeer and his city. 

After an independent lunch in the museum, transfer by private coach 

to The Hague to visit the Mauritshuis Museum, which is located in a 

handsome 17th-century house. Return to Haarlem. 

Day 4 

Utrecht and Leiden are both university towns, the former of the 

country’s largest, the latter of the country’s oldest. Leiden was 

Rembrandt’s birthplace and the Lakenhal Museum, which houses 

some of his earliest works, will be our first visit today. Before 

departing Leiden, there will be time to visit the Botanical Gardens, 

the oldest in Western Europe. Continue to Utrecht, which has 

preserved its Golden Age appearance. Its Centraal Museum has an 

excellent collection of works by Utrecht Caravaggisti, such as Gerit van 

Honthorst and Hendrick ter Brugghen. 

Day 5 

Check out of our hotel after breakfast and transfer to Amsterdam, 

where there will be time for two final visits. At the Rembrandt House 

Museum, the artist’s former home contains recreations of his living 

quarters and studio space, alongside an almost complete collection 

of Rembrandt etchings. Some free time to explore Dam Square and 

enjoy an independent lunch before the second visit to the charming 

Our Lord in the Attic Museum. In this beautifully-preserved example 

of a 17th-century canal house, narrow corridors and winding stairs 

lead up through living quarters decorated in the period style to a 

complete church in the attic. Commissioned by a wealthy Catholic 

merchant in the 1660s, the church provided a secret space for 

Catholic worship at a time when the city was governed by Protestant 

rule. Transfer to the station for our afternoon Eurostar to London St 

Pancras. 

Expert Lecturer, Clare Ford-Wille 

TOUR DATES 

17 – 21 May 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels 

• Connecting rail journeys to Amsterdam 


• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Carlton 

Square Hotel, Harlem 

• 2 evening meals 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Carlton Square Hotel, Haarlem 

Located in the middle of Haarlem, which has been the 

historical centre of the Netherlands’ tulip bulb-growing district 

for centuries, the 4-star Carlton Square Hotel has 124 rooms 

and is set within walking distance of the Cathedral of Saint 

Bavo, Frans Hals Museum and Grote Markt. Deluxe rooms are 

complete with a minibar, coffee and tea facilities, bathrobes 

and slippers. The restaurant has an ever changing menu with 

all dishes made with fresh and local products 


63

SWITZERLAND 

BASEL 

Great Swiss Collectors 

Basel Town Hall 

Few cities merge history and tradition with cutting-edge design quite like Basel. Thanks to its position of the banks of the 

mighty Rhine, the city has been an important centre of trading, culture and learning since the Renaissance period. The 

University of Basel, Switzerland’s oldest, was founded here in 1460 by Pope Pius II. Such was its renown by the 16thcentury 

that the great Dutch scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam travelled to the city to teach at the institution for several 

years. Hans Holbein the Younger also arrived in the city during this period, finding a thriving paper and printing industry 

as well as a flourishing circle of humanist scholars and prosperous patricians, fertile ground for a young and ambitious 

artist. Holbein spent a decade working in the city and it was owing to this connection that in 1661 the city fathers 

purchased 20 works by the artist. Basel’s art collection has since swelled to an impressive 40 museums and galleries, and 

an established cultural status, coupled with a lucrative pharmaceuticals industry, has seen the construction of several 

landmark buildings designed by some of the most eminent contemporary architects of our time. Tom Abbott leads this 

new Art Pursuits Abroad tour, which explores the many layers of this intriguing city 


PROGRAMME 

“Basel is a city for art lovers, being rich in both culture and 

design. Nowhere else seamlessly blends history and tradition 

with the cutting-edge quite like this magnetic city.” Tom Abbott 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London Heathrow to Basel. Transfer by private 

coach to Goetheanum, the huge and otherworldly concrete structure 

designed by Rudolf Steiner in 1923 as a centre for his philosophy of 

Anthroposophy, which combines spirituality and science. Continue 

to Basel to check in to our hotel before enjoying an evening meal 

together. 

Day 2 

A day to explore Basel on foot and admire the handsome architecture 

of the Old Town. Our first stop is the Kunstmuseum, where we 

will pay particular attention to works of the German Renaissance, 

including the museum’s comprehensive Holbein collection. In the 

afternoon we wander on to the striking red sandstone minster, 

built in c. 1200 and housing the tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam. 

In the afternoon we experience the kinetic creations of Swiss artist 

Jean Tinguely at the Museum Tinguely along with some additional 

exhibits in the area. 

Day 3 

This morning we leave the city to visit the wonderful Foundation 

Beyeler in nearby Riehen. In the grounds of an idyllic park, the 

museum, designed by Renzo Piano to ‘serve art, and not the other 

way round’, houses an extensive collection of modern art, including 

works by Monet, Picasso, Matisse and Giacometti to name just a 

few. In the afternoon we cross the border into Germany to visit the 

spectacular Vitra Campus, a wonderland for lovers of modern design. 

The remarkable complex includes buildings designed by some of the 

most distinguished architects of the last century, such as Frank Gehry 

and Zaha Hadid. Vitra are manufacturers of some of the world’s 

most iconic examples of product design, which are on show in the 

VitraHaus, while exhibitions in the Vitra Design Museum explore the 

relationship between art, design and the everyday. Return to Basel. 

Day 4 

After breakfast at our hotel, we make our way to Basel Schifflande 

where we board a river cruise to enjoy the Rhine on a trip through 

the locks at Birsfelden on the way to Rheinfelden and discover the 

city and region from the water on a lunch cruise as far as the border 

triangle. After returning from our cruise in the mid-afternoon the rest 

of the day and evening is at leisure. 

Day 5 

A second day in Basel to further explore the rich cultural offerings of 

the city. Visit the Historisches Museum in the Barfüsserkirche, a 

former Franciscan church and home to the Treasury of Basel Minster. 

Highlights include fragments of the famous Dance of Death mural, 

painted around 1400, and an exquisite installation of a ‘Kunst und 

Wunderkammer’, a cabinet of art and curiosities. In the afternoon we 

will walk down to the riverbank where Basel’s historic paper mill was 

first established in 1453. After the Papal Council of 1431 to 1449 was 

staged in Basel, the need for writing material increased. The Paper 

Mill Museum gives a fascinating insight into historic procedures of 

paper making and book printing from the late Middle Ages. In the 

evening, we enjoy a farewell dinner together. 


TOUR DATES 

21 – 26 April 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Basel 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel Basel 





• All entrance fees, taxes and gratuities for coach 

drivers and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Hotel Basel 

The modern Hotel Basel is located in the heart of beautiful 

Basel’s old city, and is surrounded by fine historic buildings, 

sitting just above Market Square (Marktplatz) and the town hall 

(Rathaus). The central location in the pedestrian area allows 

guests to enjoy Basel’s sightseeing attractions or do some 

leisurely window-shopping on foot. Guests can dine on market 

fresh cuisine in the Brasserie restaurant and enjoy a relaxing 

drink in the Sperber Bar. In summer the Boulevard terrace 

is the perfect place to watch the world go by. Hotel facilities 

include an ensuite bathroom, TV with radio, safe, hairdryer, 

complimentary Wi-Fi, telephone and air conditioning. 

Day 6 

We check out of our hotel after breakfast and drive east of Basel, to 

the Roman archaeological site Augusta Raurica, a 2000-year-old 

settlement complete with amphitheatre. After some time to explore 

this remarkably well-preserved site, the largest in Switzerland, we 

continue to Basel airport for an afternoon flight to London Heathrow. 


65

GREECE 

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. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

An early afternoon flight from London Heathrow to Rhodes. Transfer 

by private coach to the Rodos Park Suites and Spa, a modern 5-star 

hotel just outside the walls of the mediaeval city. After some time 

to settle in our rooms, we then walk to Agios Phanourios Street for 

dinner in the courtyard of an old Rhodian mansion at the Marco Polo 

Hotel. 

Day 2 

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 

designed by Pietro Lombardi in 1927. We then continue to Afandou 

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. 

Day 3 

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 private visit to the exquisite garden of the Marc de 

Montalembert Foundation, which have 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. 

Day 4 

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. 

Tempietto Longobardo, Cividale 

Expert Lecturer, Nigel McGilchrist 

TOUR DATES 

25 – 30 September 2023 

6 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London Heathrow to Rhodes 


• 5 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Rodos Park Suites, 

Rhodes Town 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

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. 

Day 5 

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. 

Day 6 

After a morning and lunch at leisure we will leave by coach for the 

airport for a late afternoon flight to London Heathrow. 


67

MOROCCO 

MARRAKECH 

City of Palaces, Gardens, Artists & Artisans 

Majorelle gardens 

Founded almost 1,000 years ago by the Almoravids, an imperial Berber Muslim dynasty, Marrakech 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 19thcentury, 

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 Marrakech 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. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

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 hotel. 

Day 2 

After breakfast we head out for a full day of exploration around the 

city on foot. Our first destination is the Marrakech 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. 

Day 3 

After breakfast, our explorations of Marrakech 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 today, it is not hard to image the splendour that once was. 

The afternoon is yours today for independent explorations. 

Day 4 

All day excursion to Andre Heller’s Anima Garden and the beautiful 

Ourika Valley in the High Atlas. Opened in 2016, 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 – and we will 

have the opportunity to see some traditional Berber villages. 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. 

Day 5 

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 carpetmaking. 

Highlights include a gloriously decorated wedding chamber 

and a tranquil courtyard garden. The afternoon and evening are yours 

for independent exploration. 

Day 6 

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. 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 

Marrakech. In the evening, a farewell dinner together marks our final 

night in the city. 


TOUR DATES 

19 – 25 February 2023 

7 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Marrakech 


• 6 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Riyad el Cadi 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Riyad El Cadi 

A typical Marrakech Riad: at Riyad El Cadi. 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 Marrakech is not a hotel with 

indistinguishable rooms, but a guesthouse where all rooms are 

individually created. 

Day 7 

This morning our final visit of the tour takes us to the Thiemann 

Cactus Nursery, the largest succulent collection in Africa. Continue to 

the airport for our flight home. 


69

ARMENIA 

ARMENIA 

The Hidden Land 

Zvartnots pillars 

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 The Armenian Apostolic Church has been their national religion for over 1700 years. 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. In addition to Yerevan, the thirteenth 

Armenian capital and a city founded before Rome, we will visit the turquoise Lake Sevan in the east and the foothills of 

Turkish occupied Ararat in the west. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Morning flight from London via Paris to Yerevan. Transfer by private 

coach to your 4-star hotel in Yerevan. 

Day 2 

We start a coach tour of Armenia’s capital Yerevan with a panoramic 

view from the monument to Mother Armenia. Then visit the 

Manuscript Museum, the Matendaran, one of the world’s biggest 

depositories of ancient writings. Nearby is the giant stairway of 

the Cascade, begun under Soviet rule in the 1970s and still under 

construction, with its stunning sculptures. After lunch, visit the 

Armenian Genocide Memorial complex, built in 1967 on the hill of 

Tsitsernakaberd. Overnight in Yerevan. 

Day 3 

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 breathtaking natural 

beauty. The complex comprises two churches characterised by fine 

14th-century carvings. Overnight in Yerevan. 

Day 4 

Drive to 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. 

First of two nights in Dzogaret. 

Day 5 

From 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. 

Day 6 

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 and independent visits. Overnight in Yerevan. 

Day 7 

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. Overnight in Yerevan. 

Day 8 

In the morning, drive east of Yerevan to the 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 1stcentury 

AD – the only remaining monument of pre-Christian times in 

Armenia. Final night in Yerevan. 

Day 9 

Coach transfer from the hotel to the airport for a morning flight via 

Paris to London Heathrow, scheduled to arrive in the afternoon. 

Expert Lecturer, Dr William Taylor 

TOUR DATES 

4 – 12 September 2023 

9 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• Return flights from London to Yerevan via Paris 


• 6 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Armenia Marriott 

Hotel, Yerevan 

• 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Avan Dzoraget 

Hotel, Dzoraget 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Armenia Marriot Hotel Yerevan, 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, high-speed Wi-Fi 

and 24-hour room service. Savour distinctive Italian cuisine 

and innovative cocktails at our inviting restaurants and bar. 

Avan Dzoraget Hotel, Dzoraget 

Avan Dzoraget Hotel is a modern building designed in local 

style and constructed from basalt stone, typical of the area. 

Beautifully located beside the Debed River, this 4-star hotel has 

wonderful 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. 

Hotel Yerevan 

Avan Dzoraget Hotel 


71

JAPAN 

THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY 

Gardens, Temples & Cutting-edge Architecture in Japan 

Window of Enlightenment 

Japan is a country of exhilarating contrasts, where hyper-pop culture abuts ancient tradition, a country at the cutting 

edge of technology with a great admiration for traditional craftsmanship, a nation with the deepest reverence for nature 

that has built some of the world’s most futuristic cities. For many Western travellers, it beckons inexorably and yet it 

remains a mystery. Perhaps this can be explained by the fundamental difference between Western and Japanese pursuits 

of beauty; where the West is perhaps preoccupied with the final product, the Japanese ideal concerns itself far more with 

the process, to the extent that aesthetics are an integral part of daily life. The theme of our tour will take as its starting 

point this devotional approach to the pursuit of beauty. In gardens from Nara to Tokyo we shall see how some 1,600 

years of gardening tradition has evolved to highlight and express nature through the seasons in a deeply symbolic and 

almost painterly way. We will also encounter a kaleidoscope of architectural styles, from a 7th-century timbered temple 

to the contemporary ingenuity of I.M. Pei’s Miho Museum. There will, of course, be ample opportunity to sample Japan’s 

exquisite cuisine, an art form in its own right. This new tour is an unmissable chance to journey deep into the heart of 

a culture that can, at times, seem dauntingly different. In the company of an expert guide and tour manager, allow Art 

Pursuits to reveal the magic and beauty of this captivating country. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Depart London Heathrow in the afternoon. Nonstop flight to Kansai 

Airport, Osaka. 

Day 2 

Land in Osaka in the morning. Transfer by private coach to Nara, 

Japan’s ancient capital. Check in to the old-world, Edwardian luxury 

of the Nara Hotel, our base for the next three nights. After a light 

buffet lunch in the hotel, there will be some time for a much-needed 

rest. Later in the afternoon, walk into Nara Park, with its free-roaming 

deer, to visit the world’s largest and most magnificent surviving 

wooden structure, the 7th-century temple of Tōdai-ji with its great 

bronze Buddha effigy. In the evening, enjoy a Japanese tea before we 

retire for bed. 

Day 3 

Short journey by private coach to Hōryū-ji Temple. Built in the early 

7th-century, it is Japan’s oldest temple complex and contains some 

of the earliest examples of wooden buildings in the world, as well 

as a fine collection of artworks. After lunch together close to the 

temple, we return to Nara for a brief rest. In the afternoon, walk to 

the picturesque zen temple of Kadai-In, and to Kōfuku-ji for its 

magnificent example of pagoda architecture. Continue to downtown 

Nara for a simple dinner together in the market area. 

Day 4 

Our day begins at Shin-Yakushi-ji Temple, founded in 747 by 

Empress Kōmyō, to see its powerful wooden sculptures. Walk 

back through the park for our first visit to a traditional garden, the 

exquisite and compact Yoshiki-en. Independent lunch in downtown 

Nara or at the hotel. In the afternoon, travel by local train to visit two 

important early temples in the surroundings of Nara: Tōshōdai-ji and 

Yakushi-ji, which is dedicated to the healing buddha, Yakushi. Return 

to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Final night in Nara. 

Day 5 

Bid farewell to Nara in the morning and transfer by private coach 

to the Miho Museum, a masterpiece of choreographed architecture 

and design by architect I.M. Pei (who also conceptualised the Louvre 

pyramids), to view the small but exquisite art collection. The design 

was inspired by the ethereal utopia described in the ancient Chinese 

fable Taohua Yuan Ji (The Peach Blossom Spring), written by Tao 

Yuanming, and a visit is certainly a breath-taking experience. After 

lunch in the museum cafe, continue to the temple of Byōdō-In, set 

on the edge of water, to visit its impressive 11th-century Phoenix 

Hall and famous Amida image. Travel on to Kyoto and check in at 

the Celestine Hotel in Gion, the city’s ancient heart. After some time 

to settle in, enjoy a twilight walk through the streets of the traditional 

Gion area before returning to our hotel for dinner. First of four nights 

in Kyoto. 

Day 6 

Transfer by private coach to Ginkaku-ji (the Silver Pavilion) 

and its justly famous ‘moon-viewing’ garden. We begin the long 

‘Philosopher’s Path’ below the Eastern Hills of Kyoto, a pedestrian 

walk that follows a cherry-tree-lined canal, named for the 20thcentury 

Kyoto philosopher, Kitaro Nishida, who would walk along 

it on his way to university. Along the way, we will visit the temple of 

Hōnen-in and the important Nanzenji Temple complex, famed for 

its unusual aqueduct. After a Japanese tofu lunch, continue by foot to 

the Chion-in temple complex. Then back by private coach to the hotel 

for a rest. In the evening, cocktails and fine dinner at the Miyako 

Hotel. After dinner, an evocative night-time visit to the Shorenin 

temple with its subtle illumination. 

Day 7 

By coach to the shore of the wide Katsura river at Arashiyama – 

frequently drawn and painted by the Japanese masters. We will 

visit one of Kyoto’s most important gardens at the Temple of 

Tenryū-ji, which incorporates elements of distant landscape or 

‘borrowed scenery’ to enhance its beauty. Afterwards, a walk in the 

impressive bamboo grove and, if time permits, a visit to Jojakkoji 

temple and garden nearby. Independent lunch and shopping time 

in Arashiyama. After lunch, we visit gardens and some special 

windows in the north of the city: the garden of Daisen-in, one of 

Mount Fuji 


73

the most succinct and meaningful of all Zen gardens, and the great 

monumental buildings of Daitoku-ji Monastery. Continue to the 

garden of Entsu-ji, one of Kyoto’s least known, least-visited, but 

simplest gardens with a particularly fine ‘borrowed’ landscape. We 

finish with the ‘Infinity window’ at Genkō-an, perfectly designed 

for quiet contemplation. In the evening, there will be the option to 

reserve a Japanese fine-dining experience at tiny Ifuki in Gion, which 

has earned two Michelin stars. 

Day 8 

After breakfast, free time in central Kyoto for independent visits, 

shopping and exploring. For those that wish to join a curated visit, 

there will be the opportunity to depart the hotel early to visit the 

tiny and very famous Zen garden of Ryōan-ji. Reconvene in the late 

afternoon to travel by coach to the dramatic Tōfuku-ji monastic 

complex of gardens, temples and parkland. Dinner together in Gion 

in the evening. Last night in Kyoto. 

Day 9 

Check out of our hotel after breakfast, at which point, our luggage will 

be sent ahead to Tokyo. Transfer to Kyoto station where we board the 

Shinkansen ‘Bullet Train’ and travel east and north to the coastal city 

of Atami. Private transfer will meet us and take us to our next stateof-the-art 

museum (reached by seven escalators with varying light 

effects and works of art): the MOA Museum of Art, with a fascinating 

and eclectic collection of Japanese art. Independent lunch at the 

museum cafe. Our drive continues on up into the mountains to a 

potentially very good viewing point for Mt. Fuji, weather permitting! 

Then on to Hakone, situated in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. 

Here we will enjoy an afternoon visit to the stunning collection of 

the recently opened Okada Museum, where a large assortment of 

East Asian sculptures, paintings and ceramics make for fascinating 

viewing. Continue to Tokyo, arriving in the early evening, and check in 

to the Celestine Ginza, in the heart of the fashionable Ginza district. 

Day 10 

Our first of two tours of Tokyo, with our private vehicle, to include a 

whole panoply of fabulous art. Our first visit is to the Toyko National 

Museum, located in Ueno Park, which holds one of the best and 

most extensive collections of art and archaeological artefacts in 

Japan. Continue to view the Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures in Yoshio 

Taniguchi’s serene 1999 building, which is part of the same museum. 

The collection consists of some 300 pieces donated to the Imperial 

Household in 1878 by Horyuji Temple in Nara. Transfer to the 

Sumida Hokusai Museum, where the glorious works of Katsushika 

Hokusai and his disciples are exhibited within a remarkable building 

designed by Sejima Kazuyo. Afterwards, take in the Asakusa Shrine at 

Sensō-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple and the popular ‘heart’ of the city. Our 

day concludes at ‘teamLab Borderless’ in Koto City for a sensational 

and completely different experience of contemporary art in Tokyo. 

Day 11 

Our second tour of Tokyo takes place today, this time with a focus on 

the western side of the city. We begin at the the Meiji Jingū (National 

Shinto Shrine) and its surrounding park, a lush oasis of forest in the 

heart of Tokyo. Continue to the fashionable area of Omotesandō for 

window-gazing and shopping, a good chance to spot examples of 

Tokyo’s famed street style. Next stop is the beautiful Nezu Museum, 

with its private collection – a diverse selection of Japanese and Asian 

premodern art – and serene garden. Lunch at the Nezu Museum 

before an afternoon free for your own explorations. Meet in the 

evening for cocktails at the famous Imperial Hotel, followed by a 

delicious tempura dinner, an elegant way to mark our final evening in 

Japan. 

Day 12 

Check out of our hotel after breakfast and transfer to Tokyo Narita 

Airport for our return non-stop flight to London Heathrow. 

Miho museum 

Tenryu-ji zen garden 

Todaji Temple 

74 


COMING SOON 


Expert Lecturer, Nigel McGilchrist 

TOUR DURATION 

12 days 


• Return flights from London Heathrow to Kansai Airport, 

Osaka and return from Tokyo Narita Airport 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Nara Hotel, Nara 

• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 3-star Celestine Hotel, 

Kyoto Gion 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star Hotel the 

Celestine, Ginza 






and waiters 

Buddha, Todaji Temple 

ACCOMMODATION 

Nara Hotel, Nara 

The century old Nara Hotel features classic Japanese 

architecture and elegant rooms. Located on Nara 

Park’s beautiful hills, it overlooks the ancient capital’s 

historic sites. The rooms feature floor-to-ceiling 

windows and warm colours. 

Celestine Hotel, Kyoto Gion 

The 5-star Celestine Kyoto Gion is set in Kyoto, 

a 10-minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station. The 

restaurant, Tempura Endo Yasaka, serves Japanese 

cuisine including tempura and sushi. The modern 

rooms include Wi-Fi, toiletries, slippers and a 

hairdryer. 

Hotel The Celestine, Ginza 

The 4-star Celestine Ginza offers accommodation in 

Tokyo. It’s a 3-minute walk from Shinbashi Station 

and enjoy a walk around Hibiya Park. All rooms have 

air-conditioned and come with a flat-screen TV with 

satellite channels. You will find a minibar and coffee 

machine and you will find bathrobes, hairdryers, 

slippers and free toiletries including a toothbrush. 

Celestine Hotel 

Nara Hotel 

Hotel The Celestine, Ginza 


UK 

GEORGIAN ARCADIA 

Great Georgian Country Houses & Landscape Gardens of Yorkshire 

Castle Howard 

Yorkshire is architecturally the richest of England’s counties and remains the most Georgian part of England with 

magnificent estates, country houses and landscape parks. York was a fashionable provincial capital and possesses 

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 an excellent collection of Georgian furniture. 

Many Georgian terraces survive and a walk on our first afternoon will introduce us to the richness and variety of York’s 

Georgian inheritance, our base for this tour. We will have privileged private access to country houses that are some 

of the finest of their period, and which chart the development of the country house from the bravura of the Baroque to 

the exquisite late 18th-century Neo-classical interiors of Farnley Hall, and Robert Adam’s Newby Hall. Here we shall 

see how a new understanding of the legacy of Antiquity revolutionises the contemporary approach to the design of 

buildings and their interior decoration. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Independent arrival in York where we settle into our 4-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, before a private 

evening tour with the curator of Fairfax House, the magnificent former 

winter town house of Lord Fairfax with outstanding plasterwork and 

fine furniture. Afterwards, we return to our hotel for a group dinner. 

Day 2 

In the morning, a private visit to Castle Howard led by the curator. 

Castle Howard is one of the most important Baroque country houses 

in England, the result of collaboration between the great architects, 

Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor. After coffee, we stroll through part of the 

magnificent landscape park designed by Vanbrugh, one of the earliest 

landscape parks in Britain, with views to Hawksmoor’s powerfully 

evocative mausoleum to the Carlisle family. Our afternoon will be spent 

at Scampston Hall, one of the finest examples of a Regency country 

house in Yorkshire. Built c.1700, the house was remodelled by Thomas 

Leverton between 1795-1800, at which point the wonderful Regency 

interiors were added. An impressive art collection includes works by 

Gainsborough and Marlow. The estate is particularly thrilling: an 18thcentury 

‘Capability’ Brown parkland contrasts with a walled garden, 

designed by celebrated contemporary Dutch landscape designer, Piet 

Oudolf, a masterclass in the bold synthesis of old and new. 

Day 3 

Our morning will be spent at Studley Royal, possibly the most perfect 

of all surviving Georgian landscape gardens. Between 1716 and 1781, 

John Aisalbie and his son William created a beautiful water garden of 

still canals, cascades, woods, and artfully positioned temples here. 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. This afternoon, a private 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, and 

the house is still owned by the Horton-Fawkes family. 

Day 4 

Our final visit will take us to Newby Hall, which has spectacular 

interiors by Robert Adam, created 1767-1776 for William Weddell, one 

of the most important 18th-century cognoscenti. Much of the original 

furniture designed for the house by Adam survives, and the interiors 

illustrate the unity he sought between the interior decoration and 

the furnishings. The sculpture gallery is one of the finest surviving 

examples in the country of the ideal beauty sought after by the classical 

enthusiast. There will be time to explore the beautiful gardens before 

returning to York for a farewell lunch in the elegant 18th-century 

Assembly Rooms. Finally, we return to our hotel, where the tour 

concludes at c.3.00pm. 

Newby Hall Entrance Hall 

Expert Lecturer, Barbara Peacock 

TOUR DATES 

16 – 19 April 2023 

4 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star DoubleTree 

by Hilton, York 






and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

DoubleTree by Hilton, York 

Enjoy a relaxing stay in the heart of the city at the 4-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. Enjoy a delicious meal 

in the hotel’s restaurant and relax with an after-dinner drink in 

the bar. Each room features an ensuite bathroom, flat screen 

TV, desk, safe, complimentary Wi-Fi, and air conditioning. 

Castle Howard 


77

UK 

WESSEX 

Mediaeval Trial & Triumph in the West Country 

Salisbury Cathedral 

From 519 to 927AD, Wessex grew from modest beginnings to become the most powerful kingdom in the land, its 

heartland encompassing the modern counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Dorset and Somerset. Critical to our 

understanding of early mediaeval English history, Wessex was at the core of Alfred the Great’s kingdom and was pivotal 

in the establishment of the kingdom of England. Alfred’s reform of the region established a network of fortified settlements 

to better protect against invasion and to ensure that no one was ever more than a day’s ride from safety. It was thanks 

to such strong governing foundations that in 927 King Æthelstan, Alfred’s grandson, was able to unite the kingdoms 

of England under one banner for the first time. The notion of Wessex was re-established after the Danish king Canute’s 

conquest of England in 1016, when he created an earldom of Wessex for his faithful henchman, Godwin. The Norman 

invasion of 1066 marked the final elimination of Wessex as a political power, but a notion of the region lingers in the 

collective consciousness to this day. This is perhaps largely thanks to poet and writer Thomas Hardy’s ‘dream-country’, 

based on the historic Kingdom of Wessex, in which his works are mostly set. Join Art Pursuits on a fascinating new tour 

and discover a region littered with the vestiges of England’s long and complex history, that palpably reverberates with 

legend, antiquity and folklore. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Independent travel to Lyndhurst or pick-up from Southampton 

Parkway in the late morning, where our tour begins. Transfer by 

private coach to Romsey, where a light lunch will be followed by a 

visit to Romsey Abbey, a Benedictine monastery until Henry VIII’s 

dissolution of the monasteries. Founded in the 10th-century, the 

substantial abbey that stands today was built under Norman rule and 

is considered to be one of the finest examples of Norman architecture 

in Southern England. Return to Lyndhurst, where some time to relax 

will be followed by a group dinner in our hotel. 

Day 2 

A day in Winchester to explore the treasures of Alfred the Great’s 

capital. Our first stop is the mighty Winchester Cathedral, which 

was founded in 1079 but extensively remodelled over the ensuing 

five centuries. It displays a wealth of architectural styles, from an 

early Norman crypt to the lavish Renaissance chantry chapels and 

the Gothic nave, the longest of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. 

Our visit will allow us to thoroughly explore both exterior and 

interior, including a viewing of the Winchester Bible, an exquisitely 

illuminated 12th-century example. Break for some free time and 

an independent lunch in Winchester before walking via the 15thcentury 

Buttercross Monument to the Winchester Great Hall. The 

only standing remains of Winchester Castle, it is considered to be 

one of the finest surviving examples of a mediaeval aisled hall from 

the 13th-century. Transfer by coach to St Cross Church, which lies 

on the outskirts of Winchester. Described by Simon Jenkins as ‘a 

Norman cathedral in miniature’, the impressive structure is all that 

remains of the Hospital of St Cross, which was founded by Henry of 

Blois between 1132 and 1136. Return to Lyndhurst for an evening at 

leisure. 

Day 3 

Morning visit to Christchurch Priory. A parish church of remarkable 

stature – its nave is more than 311 feet in length – the current 

building dates back to 1094 but stands on the site of a 7th-century 

Saxon priory. The structure is swathed in legend, most notably its 

Miraculous Beam, a critical structural error that was astonishingly 

fixed by a mysterious carpenter, said to be Jesus Christ. Continue to 

Wimborne Minster, where some free time for lunch will be followed 

by an exploration of Wimborne Minster, which retains interesting 

elements of its Saxon and Norman incarnations. Coach to Breamore 

to visit St Mary’s Church, one of the most important Saxon churches 

in England. Most likely founded by King Ethelred II c.1000AD, it was 

probably constructed to serve a royal estate. Particularly special is the 

Saxon inscription over the south porticus. Return to our hotel where 

we will enjoy a meal together in the evening. 

Day 4 

By coach to Old Sarum, the enormous earthwork raised in c.400BC. It 

was continuously occupied throughout the Roman period, although 

little is known about this period and the ensuing Anglo-Saxon 

period. It was William the Conqueror who left the greatest mark on 

the site, establishing a cathedral, a motte, and a huge outer bailey, 

suggesting that the hillfort was modified for use as an army base in 

the early stages of the Norman conquest. Neither castle or cathedral 

remain, although the foundations of the latter can still be seen, it 

was superseded in 1226 when the cathedral was moved to Salisbury. 

Make the short journey to Salisbury, where we will examine Old 

Sarum’s ecclesiastical successor. An exquisite example of Early 

English Gothic architecture, amongst its many wonders, Salisbury 

Cathedral boasts the tallest spire in Britain and the best-preserved 

example of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. 

After an independent lunch, our final visit will be Salisbury Museum. 

Set within a handsome mediaeval building, exhibits narrate 500,000 

years of history, providing an excellent opportunity to contextualise 

all that we have explored on our visits. In the afternoon we return to 

Lyndhurst, where the tour concludes, with drop-off at Southampton 

Parkway. 


TOUR DATES 

4 – 7 June 2023 

4 days 

TOUR PRICES 





• All transportation from Lyndhurst 


• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 4-star The Crown Manor 

House Hotel, Lyndhurst 

• 2 evening meals with wine at the hotel 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

The Crown Manor House Hotel, Lyndhurst 

The Crown Manor House Hotel is perfectly located in the heart 

of Lyndhurst Village, capital of the New Forest. Designed for 

the 21st-century with contemporary fixtures and fittings yet 

remaining sympathetic to the beautiful 15th-century Grade 1 

listed building it occupies. Enjoy a full English breakfast in the 

morning, evening meals are all prepared using locally sourced 

products and are served in the Bar & Grill. Enjoy a refreshing 

drink in the library or the garden terrace. 


79

UK 

TEMPTING THE IMAGINATION 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh & the Making of Glasgow 

House for an Art Lover 

''All great and living architecture has been the direct expression of the needs and beliefs of man at the time of its creation.'' 

Mackintosh. 

Arguably the most original and accomplished architect and designer to emerge around the turn of the 19th-century, 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh travelled widely and enjoyed an international reputation from Vienna to New York. Yet his 

first love and the place where he always wanted to work was Glasgow, the city where he was born and lived the majority 

of his life. The Mackintosh style is immediately distinctive: a personal synthesis of styles and motifs, assembled partly 

by instinct and partly through a careful consideration of the practical requirements of each particular commission. 

And although in his lifetime he often had to battle against suspicion and disapproval, time has rewarded his refusal to 

compromise: today Glasgow Style is Mackintosh Style. His name is synonymous with the place, and his buildings, public 

and private, are counted among the city’s finest - loved and admired, featuring on posters and postage stamps - while 

their creator is celebrated with everything from museums to murals, teashops to statues. This tour explores the legacy 

of Mackintosh in Glasgow, from private buildings to public institutions, while also considering the ways in which the 

city itself shaped his unique and enduring vision. We shall also have a chance to enjoy some of the outstanding works 

of Margaret Macdonald, his fellow artist, partner and wife, whose intuitive flair for interior design led Mackintosh to 

declare that Margaret has genius, I have merely talent. 


PROGRAMME 

Day 1 

Independent arrival at the Grand Central Hotel, built during Mackintosh’s 

lifetime in the grand and picturesque Queen Anne style. After an 

introductory talk in the lobby, we will take the short walk to The 

Lighthouse, Mackintosh’s first building and former headquarters of 

the Glasgow Herald. Expansive views over the city are available from 

the Mackintosh Tower, and the Mackintosh Interpretation Centre 

provides an overview of his life and achievements. We will then travel 

to the People’s Palace, in historic Glasgow Green, opened in 1898 as a 

cultural centre for some of the poorest of Glasgow’s citizens and now 

a museum of the city’s social history. There will also be time to explore 

some of the other outstanding features of Glasgow’s oldest open space, 

including the McLennan Arch designed by James and Robert Adam, the 

exotic Templeton Carpets factory building and the impressive Doulton 

Fountain, the largest ceramic fountain ever constructed. 

Day 2 

We begin today with a walking tour of Glasgow’s contrasting 

architectural heritage, including Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s austere 

St Vincent Street Church, the soaring Gothic Revival of nearby St 

Columba Gaelic Church, and the opulent Beaux Arts style of the City 

Chambers, where a private tour will allow us to enjoy the grand interiors 

celebrating Glasgow’s prosperity as the “second city of empire”. We 

will also see Mackintosh’s idiosyncratic Daily Record Building with 

its superb ceramic and sculpted sandstone façade. In the afternoon a 

visit to Mackintosh’s only church, Queen’s Cross will be followed by the 

luxury of tea at the recently restored Mackintosh at the Willow, formerly 

Miss Cranston’s Willow Street Tea Rooms, and one of Mackintosh and 

Margaret Macdonald’s finest collaborations. The day ends with a visit to 

Andy Scott’s sculpture of Mackintosh on Argyle Street. 

Day 3 

We will spend the morning at the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, 

discovering the Mackintoshes’ own home in Southpark Avenue, 

ingeniously reconstructed with original furniture and fittings only a 

short distance from the now demolished original. The museum also 

contains other Mackintosh works. We will then proceed to Hill House, 

Helensburgh, with a brief detour to view the outside of Mackintosh’s 

distinctive Scotland Street School. Hill House, remains Mackintosh’s 

most authoritative and at the same time charming piece of domestic 

design. Inside Margaret’s flair for interior design adds to the striking 

assemblage of rooms and handling of space and light at which her 

husband excelled. 

Day 4 

We begin today with a visit to the faithfully restored Tenement House, 

which gives a glimpse of working-class conditions around the turn of the 

20th-century. We move on to Glasgow’s beautiful Botanic Gardens on 

the banks of the River Kelvin. With an extensive collection of native and 

tropical species, a notable herb garden stocked with medicinal species 

and the impressive Kibble Palace glasshouse, it makes a delightful 

contrast to the city so close by. After lunch we will visit the nearby 

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow’s favourite museum 

with something for everybody, from Egyptian mummies to a WW2 

Spitfire. Our particular focus will be on the works of Margaret Macdonald 

and her sister Frances, well represented here, but there will also be time 

to explore this intriguing collection more widely. Our final group dinner 

will be at Òran Mór: formerly Kelvinside Parish Church. 

Expert Lecturer, Dr Justine Hopkins 

TOUR DATES 

22 – 26 June 2023 

5 days 

TOUR PRICES 






• 4 nights’ bed and breakfast at the 5-star Grand Central 

Hotel, Glasgow 

• 2 evening meals and 1 afternoon tea 





and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow 

Relive the golden age of travel at voco ® Grand Central Glasgow, 

an enduring monument to Victorian glamour in an unbeatable 

central location. High ceilings, chandeliers and wood panelling 

embody the elegance that makes this hotel so special. The 

hotel features a magnificent, marble-clad Champagne bar, 

restaurant, and grand ballroom. 

Day 5 

The tour ends in grand style with a morning spent at the spectacular 

House for an Art Lover, designed by Mackintosh and Margaret 

Macdonald for an architectural competition run by a German design 

magazine in 1901, in Bellahouston Park on the South Side of Glasgow. 

The result is a tribute to the scope and modernity of Mackintosh’s vision, 

despite some controversy over whether the designs as used can ever 

reflect the changes he was notorious for making during the building 

process. We shall have ample time to consider the merits of both cases, 

followed by independent lunch at the award-winning Art Lover’s Café, 

before returning to the Grand Central where the tour concludes. 


81

UK 

THE KENT WINE TRAIL 

Exploring Vineyards in the Garden of England 

Balfour Hush Heath 

These are exciting times for the British wine industry. It has quickly moved from hobbyists, eccentrics and romantics 

producing amusing, strange and often undrinkable wine, to an emerging player on the world stage. It is a story of 

coming of age. English wines have been consistently winning international awards in competition with renowned and 

respected houses and Kent is at the heart of this renaissance. The Garden of England, once the county of apples, hops 

and soft fruit, is rapidly transforming into the engine room of this new era. An increasingly attractive microclimate 

for growing wine and a mixture of chalk, sandy loam and Wealden clay soils, make conditions ideal for winegrowers. 

This four-day tour aims to provide a strong representation of both large and small, family run and corporate wine 

producers. Our aim is to provide a leisurely and entertaining insight into the range and quality of wines now available 

and how the industry is likely to develop in coming years, in the company of Will Lyons, a recognised and accessible 

wine expert. The main emphasis of the tour will be on sparkling wines as they currently dominate production and have 

been the mainstay of developing an international reputation. We will taste vintage, non-vintage, luxury cuvées, Blanc 

de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Sparkling Rosé. Where available we may also sample still reds and whites. Set in an area 

of outstanding natural beauty, this tour combines a tour of bucolic countryside with ancient towns, whilst staying in 

comfort at the four-star Chilston Park Hotel. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

Arrive at Chilston Park Hotel by car or train (Ashford International 

– taxi transfer 15 minutes). Late morning private coach to Balfour – 

Hush Heath for a tour and lunch. This 400 acre estate run by Richard 

and Leslie Balfour- Lynn, first planted vineyards back in 2002 and 

is famed for its pink sparkling wine which became the first English 

wine to win a Trophy at the International Wine Challenge in 2007. We 

will have a ploughman’s lunch at their beautiful visitor centre while 

tasting their latest wines. In the afternoon we travel to Squerryes, 

home of the Warde family for over 300 years. It is the only English 

wine estate to have won a gold medal for six consecutive vintages 

in the World Championships of Champagne and Sparkling Wine, 

and in 2021 be crowned National Champion, a unique achievement 

for an English wine brand. Recently they also won the 'Best English 

Sparkling Wine' Trophy in the International Wine Challenge and 

'Best in Show' in the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, recognising 

Squerryes in the top 50 wines in the world. We will taste a selection of 

their wines before returning to the Chilston Park Hotel for dinner. 

Day 2 

We head for Rye, first stopping at Charles Palmer, a family run, 

single wine estate near Winchelsea. The winery is set within the 

grounds of the delightfully picturesque Wickham Manor, where we 

will taste up to three sparkling wines. Thereafter, we move down 

the road to Tillingham for lunch. Opening in 2018, it is gaining a 

reputation as a star of the future with its biodynamic approach and 

“natural” winemaking. In the afternoon we visit the Gusbourne 

Estate, created by the South African visionary Andrew Weeber. They 

produce exclusively vintage wines of very high and consistent quality. 

Here our visit will be hosted by Master Sommelier and Gusbourne 

Ambassador, Laura Rhys. 

Day 3 

A mid-morning trip to Biddenden, which has recently marked 50 

years of winemaking. This family-owned vineyard brings new grape 

varieties not commonly seen in the UK such as Ortega, Reichensteiner 

and Scheurebe. Not far up the road we will then visit the world 

famous Chapel Down Estate where we will have lunch at The Swann 

Restaurant, followed by a tour and tasting. 

Day 4 

In the morning we will travel to the ancient cathedral town of 

Canterbury, where we spend a few hours absorbing its rich history 

before heading to our final vineyard at Simpsons. Charles and Ruth 

Simpson have been making wine here since 2014 having learnt the 

trade making wine in southern France since 2002. We will have a 

leisurely picnic while sampling their Rose, Classic Cuvée and Blanc de 

Noirs. We will return mid-afternoon to Chilston Park Hotel where the 

tour will end. 

Join wine expert Will Lyons 

Described by The Spectator magazine as having one of the 

finest palates in Britain, Will Lyons is a wine writer, author 

and broadcaster. For more than a decade he has published a 

weekly column on drinks, formerly in the Wall Street journal 

and now the Sunday Times. His humorous, informed, down-toearth 

writing has been recognized in both the Glenfiddich and 

Roederer wine writing Awards. Will is an accomplished blind 

wine taster and has lectured on the art of wine appreciation at 

Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. 

TOUR DATES 

29 May – 1 June 2023 

4 days 

TOUR PRICES 





• Private coach transfers and excursions 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star Chilston Park Hotel 

• 3 evening meals with wine and 3 lunches 

• Wine tasting at all vineyards 



• Detailed programme and tasting notes 

• All tour fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers 

and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Chilston Park Hotel, Kent 

Over the years the 4-star Chilston Park Hotel has been home 

to eminent politicians, writers, lords and viscounts and today 

it is renowned as one of the best hotels in Kent. A classic 

British country house hotel set in 22 acres of Kentish parkland 

with style and charm to spare. Perhaps the most remarkable 

aspect of this four red star hotel is its unique styling, enhanced 

by antiques, some as old as the 17th-century manor house. 

Room facilities include hospitality tray offering a selection 

of Fairtrade teas, coffees, hot chocolate and biscuits, still and 

sparkling water, complimentary Wi‐Fi and the finest quality 

toiletries produced exclusively by Gilchrist and Soames. 


83

UK 

THE SUSSEX WINE TRAIL 

Vineyards of the Great South Downs 

Balfour Hush Heath 

Sussex contains more vineyards than anywhere else in England and is considered the engine room of the English wine 

revolution. Although East Sussex saw some of the early developments in winemaking, West Sussex has seen winemakers 

crowding round the chalky soils of the South Downs. This four-day tour intends to take you around East and West Sussex 

in comfort, visiting an interesting variety of vineyards. The main emphasis of the tour will be on sparkling wines as they 

currently dominate production and have been the mainstay of developing an international reputation. We will taste 

vintage, non-vintage, luxury cuvees, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Sparkling Rose. Where available, we may also 

sample still reds and whites. Staying at the luxurious Ockenden Manor, we will visit nine vineyards in the company of 

the highly respected wine writer and critic, Will Lyons. The tour will visit as far as Chichester to the west to Lewes in the 

east. Where possible we will sample a selection of other wines from the region at dinner each evening. 


PROGRAMME 

NEW 

Day 1 

We will meet at Ockenden Manor (10 minutes taxi from Haywards 

Heath train station) by 11.00am. The private luxury coach will leave 

for Bolney Wine Estate where we will have lunch and a tasting of 

their wines. This vineyard is a mid-sized producer aiming at around 

300,000 bottles a year. It is family run and a champion of Pinot 

Noir and very much a pioneer of English wine. We then visit Breaky 

Bottom, which turns most conventions about producing wine on its 

head. On only six acres, Peter Hall produces unbelievably original 

wines on north-facing vines. It is also impossibly beautiful. We will 

sample wines and listen to this maverick of the industry, before 

returning to Ockenden for dinner. 

Day 2 

We leave for the Tinwood Estate near Chichester. Vines were first 

planted on this farm back in 2007 and they produce a typically 

English range of Blanc de Blanc, Brut and Rosé. After sampling 

these, we set off for Wiston Estate Winery, where we will have lunch 

and a tasting in the magnificent setting of Wiston Estate, home of 

the Goring family for the last 300 years. It has only a small vineyard 

area of around 24 acres, but winemaker Dermot Sugrue is making 

some intriguing wines which we will sample in his company, before 

returning to Ockenden Manor for dinner. If time permits, we will 

detour to Stopham Estate Vineyard for a quick taste of their still 

whites. 

Day 3 

We leave for a morning visit to Plumpton College which has 20 acres 

under vine. It is Britain’s only winemaking school and represents an 

important though largely unrecognised role of producing many of 

the country’s current wine growers. As well as sampling a few wines 

we hope to learn more about how the changing climate might shape 

wine making in England and how research is helping to combat 

disease in British conditions. We then drive to the town Lewes, 

home of family brewer Harvey’s which has been brewing on the 

site since 1790. You are free to roam and find somewhere for lunch 

in this historic town for a few hours before we head to Rathfinny 

Wine Estate. This ambitious estate has planted over 226 acres. Mark 

Driver is keen to see his county have a separate PDO, or Protected 

Designation of Origin, so that wine drinkers will start asking for 

Sussex wine as one already does for other regions such as Burgundy 

or Marlborough. 

Day 4 

On our last day we will drive into the heart of East Sussex to visit a 

low profile, but nonetheless a medal winning, producer at Hidden 

Spring Vineyard followed by a wine tasting and picnic at Bluebell 

Vineyard, situated cheek by jowl to the Bluebell Steam Railway. Here 

we will find still wines and some surprising features such as the only 

place in the country growing Merlot. We then return to Ockenden 

Manor where the tour ends. 

Join wine expert Will Lyons 

Described by The Spectator magazine as having one of the 

finest palates in Britain, Will Lyons is a wine writer, author 

and broadcaster. For more than a decade he has published a 

weekly column on drinks, formerly in the Wall Street journal 

and now the Sunday Times. His humorous, informed, down-toearth 

writing has been recognized in both the Glenfiddich and 

Roederer wine writing Awards. Will is an accomplished blind 

wine taster and has lectured on the art of wine appreciation at 

Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. 

TOUR DATES 

4 – 7 September 2023 

4 days 

TOUR PRICES 





• Private coach transfers and excursions 

• 3 nights’ bed and breakfast in the 4-star 

Ockenden Manor Hotel 

• 3 evening meals with wine and 4 lunches 

• Wine tasting at all vineyards 



• Detailed programme and tasting notes 

• All tour fees, taxes and gratuities for coach drivers 

and waiters 

ACCOMMODATION 

Ockenden Manor Hotel, Haywards Heath 

Ockenden Manor is an exquisite Elizabethan manor house 

approximately an hour’s drive from central London. The 

peace and tranquillity of Ockenden Manor provides a stylish 

retreat with 28 lavishly decorated rooms, outstanding spa 

facilities, an award-winning restaurant, all set in 8-acres of 

beautiful grounds overlooking Cuckfield Park. Room facilities 

include Temple Spa bathroom products, fluffy dressing gowns, 

complimentary tea and coffee tray with home-made biscuits. 


85

Boxwood Tours 

Our 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. 

ALL TOURS INCLUDE 

• 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 

Upland Highlife 

Romantic gardens of the Peak & Derbyshire Dales 

4 – 7 September 2023 4 days from £2,500 

Surrounded by a tranquil backdrop of ancient hills, steep 

limestone valleys and stark moorland plateaus, journey 

with us as we explore the romantic gardens of the Peak 

District and Derbyshire Dales. 

• View the beautiful white roses at Bidulph Old Hall 

• Learn about the fascinating story of the “plague village” 

at Eyam 

• Visit the inspired Italianate gardens of Renishaw Hall 

• Tour the gardens of Chatsworth House, developed by three 

of the UK’s leading designers 


Sicilian Gardens 

From Taormina to Palermo 

8 – 12 May 2023 5 days from £4,950 

The slopes of mineral-rich Mount Etna support groves of 

citrus, olives, pistachios and palms: encounter all these and 

more on this tour of Sicily’s gardens. 

• Meet with passionate local gardeners and homeowners 

• Sample authentic Sicilian cuisine at delicious lunches 

• Visit the Orto Botanico in Palermo, the world-famous 

botanical garden 

Gardens of a Golden Afternoon 

Private Cotswolds Gardens of Distinction 


In the golden afternoon of the year, join our host, The 

Times garden writer Stephen Anderton, on an exclusive 

exploration of some of the finest gardens of the Cotswolds. 

• Visit gardens not usually open to the public 

• Explore Arts and Crafts principles at Rockcliffe 

• Appreciate a haven for wildlife at Whiteway 

The Shropshire Rose 

A celebration of roses in the Gardens of Shropshire 

26 – 29 June 2023 4 days from £2,795 

Join us for a celebration of the rose, doyenne of the English 

Garden, as we tour the beautiful county of Shropshire with 

our expert Michael Marriott. 

• Accompanied by an expert rosarian throughout 

• Visit the award-winning rose garden at Coughton Court 

• Explore both contemporary and classical rose gardens 

HORTUS Goes to Verangeville-sur-Mer 

Halcyon Hydrangea Days in Haute-Normandie 


Let our expert host Adam Wilkinson whisk you on a 

weekend away to the leafy village of Verangeville-sur-Mer to 

visit the region’s classical and contemporary gardens. 

• Meet the next generation of talented gardeners 

• Discover both classical and contemporary gardens 

• Explore the world’s most comprehensive collection 

of hydrangeas 

Gardens of the Côte d’Azur 

From Menton to Grasse, including a day with 

James Basson 

2 – 6 October 2023 5 days from £5,590 

In this exclusive tour we visit some of these remarkable 

gardens alongside exciting contemporary masterpieces. 

Join Kathryn Bradley-Hole on this tour of the French 

Riviera’s finest gardens. 

• Meet with James Basson and see his designs for private gardens 

• Fine dining in Michelin star restaurant 


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 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. 

FULL FINANCIAL PROTECTION 

Your holiday will be safe, secure and fully bonded 

by ABTA and ATOL, giving you complete financial 

protection, so you can travel with peace of mind. 

88 


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. 


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

p66-67

2023 TOUR CALENDAR 

2023 TOUR LECTURER PAGE 

29 JANUARY – 2 FEBRUARY PALMA THE RICH TAPESTRY OF ART AND HISTORY ISABELLE KENT 54-55 

19 – 25 FEBRUARY NEW MARRAKECH CITY OF PALACES, GARDENS, ARTISTS & ARTISANS SUE ROLLIN 68-69 

8 – 12 MARCH NEW MEDIAEVAL CHAMPAGNE MONARCHS & MERCHANTS SALLY DORMER 48-49 

27 MARCH – 1 APRIL NEW THE UPPER RHINE VALLEY A EUROPEAN TRIANGLE OF ART & CULTURE ULRIKE ZIEGLER 36-37 

16 – 19 APRIL 

GEORGIAN ARCADIA GREAT GEORGIAN COUNTRY HOUSES 

& LANDSCAPE GARDENS OF YORKSHIRE 

BARBARA PEACOCK 76-77 

17 – 22 APRIL BELGIUM FROM ENSOR TO MAGRITTE KATHY MCLAUGHLAN 60-61 

21 – 26 APRIL BASEL GREAT SWISS COLLECTORS TOM ABBOTT 64-65 

25 – 30 APRIL HEIDELBERG THE ROMANTIC NECKAR VALLEY ULRIKE ZIEGLER 38-39 

13 – 18 MAY NEW LEON & BURGOS POWER & PILGRIMAGE ALONG THE CAMINO RICHARD PLANT 56-57 

17 – 21 MAY NEW VERMEER SEARCHING FOR CLUES TO AN ENIGMATIC ARTIST CLARE FORD-WILLE 62-63 

21 – 27 MAY UMBRIA FROM GIOTTO TO PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA JOHN RENNER 24-25 

23 – 27 MAY TRIER & MOSELLE ROMAN RUINS & MEDIAEVAL MONUMENTS ULRIKE ZIEGLER 40-41 

4 – 7 JUNE NEW WESSEX MEDIAEVAL TRIAL & TRIUMPH IN THE WEST COUNTRY RICHARD PLANT 78-79 

12 – 17 JUNE PROVENCE SCHOOL OF THE SOUTH DR KATHY MACLAUGHLAN 50-51 

22 – 26 JUNE 

TEMPTING THE IMAGINATION CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH 

& THE MAKING OF GLASGOW 

DR JUSTINE HOPKINS 80-81 

6 – 10 JULY NEW MAKING MODERN WOMEN OF THE GERMAN MODERN MOVEMENT TOM ABBOTT 42-43 

12 – 18 JULY LAND OF THE BLUE RIDER MEDIAEVAL TO MODERN IN SOUTHERN BAVARIA TOM ABBOTT 44-45 

4 – 12 SEPTEMBER ARMENIA THE HIDDEN LAND DR WILLIAM TAYLOR 70-71 

25 – 30 SEPTEMBER NEW RHODES THE MEDITERRANEAN’S SCEPTER’D ISLE NIGEL MCGILCHRIST 66-67 

10 – 13 OCTOBER NEW BORDEAUX THE WEALTH OF THE VINE, ART & ARCHITECTURE OF THE CITY KIRSTY FERGUSSON 52-53 

15 – 21 OCTOBER ROME BEFORE THE RENAISSANCE RICHARD PLANT 26-27 

18 – 24 OCTOBER AUSTRIA'S HEARTLAND 1000 YEARS OF ART & CULTURE ULRIKE ZIEGLER 46-47 

21 – 29 OCTOBER NEW SICILY PALERMO & THE WEST SUE ROLLIN 28-31 

12 – 18 NOVEMBER NEW ANDALUCIA MOORS & MORE IN GRANADA & CORDÓBA SUE ROLLIN 58-59 

COMING SOON TERRAFERMA ARTISTIC TREASURES IN VENICE'S HINTERLAND – 32-33 

COMING SOON RENAISSANCE FLORENCE ART & HISTORY IN THE TIME OF THE MEDICI – 34-35 

COMING SOON 

NEW 

THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY 

GARDENS, TEMPLES & CUTTING-EDGE ARCHITECTURE IN JAPAN 

NIGEL MCGILCHRIST 72-75 


DISCOVER MORE 

Discover more 

REQUEST 

YOUR NEW 

BROCHURE 

TODAY! 

BOXWOOD 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. 

VOYAGES SMALL SHIP & LUXURY CRUISING 

We have partnered with some of the best cruise line companies in the business. 

Our collection of cruises, aboard small, luxury ships, represents the perfect exploration and coastal 

cruises on offer. Visit some of the world’s most beautiful destinations; relax in the Seychelles, sail 

the blue waters of the Mediterranean or see the very best sights on the British coast. 

FIRST FOR BRIDGE HOLIDAYS 

Club standard bridge holidays with EBU Masterpoints awarded and bridge 

holidays without Masterpoints. 

First for Bridge has over 20 years’ experience of organising bridge holidays and cruises in the UK 

and abroad. Our professional service and attention to detail sets us apart from other operators 

and creates the high standard our guests are used to. 

RIVER CRUISES 

Explore some of the classic waterways of Europe. 

Discover ever-changing landscapes whilst enjoying superb levels of service and excellent 

company on your floating hotel. 

HOLIDAYS BY RAIL 

Relax and enjoy one of our expertly planned fully escorted holidays by rail. 

Travel by Eurostar and regional trains throughout Europe and choose from a range of short 

breaks, classic tours or walking holidays plus our collection of Great British breaks too. 

CRAFT HOLIDAYS 

The ultimate holidays for knitters, stitchers, quilters and textile lovers. 

A selection of carefully crafted unique collection of holidays to a wide range of destinations. 

Call 01280 736 115 or visit arenatravel.com/brochure-request 

to request your free brochure 

Art Pursuits 

Sales & Marketing Office, 1 West Street, Buckingham, MK18 1HL 

artpursuits.com 

Leger Holidays Limited and Leger Air Holidays Limited trading as 

Arena Travel. Company Registration No. 01442476 & 02993529

APA922 92pp lo-res

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?