continental europe

venetian art and architecture

5 or 6 day tour by air
The power and wealth of the Island Republic has left a legacy of artistic and architectural beauty unsurpassed anywhere else in the world. This tour is an introduction to the art and artists of the Venetian Renaissance and offers a full programme of visits. There will also be plenty of time for independent exploration of this unique open-air museum.

exploring the veneto

5 day tour by air
The plain whose name derives from Venice includes three famous provinces, Verona, Padua and Vicenza. The area prospered under Venetian rule and is rich in elegant cities, palaces and villas, many designed in the 16th century by the region's greatest architect Andrea Palladio and adorned by the great fresco painter Tiepolo

tuscany – cradle of the renaissance

4 day tour by air
Our Florence, Pisa, San Gimignano and Lucca tour reveals the artistic treasures of Tuscany. It includes fabulous countryside and a visit to the world-famous Uffizi Gallery

glories of rome

5 day tour by air
'Roma; non basta una vita' (one life is not enough). This tour covers the principal Ancient Roman, Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces

glories of ravenna

6 days by air - with visits to Faënza, Rimini and Bologna
Ravenna's World Heritage mosaics of glass and gold were inspired by the East but created in Italy. When Rome was ravaged by barbarian invasions in the 5th century, the sea port of Ravenna became the Roman Empire's last capital.

alternative paris

4 or 5 day tour by coach or air.
Like all great cities Paris is constantly re-inventing itself, as new galleries open and old favourites re-open after restoration. A tour beyond the Louvre and Musée Orsay

monet in close up

4 or 5 day tour by coach or air.

Based near Paris, this tour looks at the works of Monet in fascinating detail

treasures of the duchy of burgundy

5 day tour by coach or air.
Medieval Burgundy, our one-time ally, was wealthier and more powerful than either France or England and still boasts a wealth of art treasures. Her 15th century dukes also ruled Flanders and started a school of painters and sculptors specially to decorate their palaces

art of picardie and artois

3 or 4 day tour by coach or rail.
Picardie and Artois, famous for lace-making and tapestry weaving, are also a showcase for the fine arts and Flemish-style architecture. Lille, the lively capital of French Flanders was European City of Culture in 2003 and is easily reached on Eurostar

brittany, land of painters

7 days including ferry (Portsmouth to St Malo).
The Breton seaboard enjoys a unique quality of light which in the 1880’s drew Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard to the small town of Pont-Aven, where they created a revolution in art.

southwest france

5 day tour by air, coach or rail.
Based in the rose-red city of Toulouse, this tour features the architecture of the Albigensian crusade and pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela; some of the finest Romanesque sculpture in France; and the largest collection anywhere of Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings and posters

provence – the artists’ paradise

5 or 6 day tour by air.
From Monet to Van Gogh and Picasso, the pioneers of 20th century art have been enthralled by the light of southern France. This tour visits some of their masterpieces in the surroundings that inspired 20th century art

art nouveau and architecture in belgium and france

4 -5 days by coach or air.
Brussels and Nancy have the highest concentration and quality of Art Nouveau buildings in northern Europe. A two-city tour in Lorraine and Belgium

the dutch masters

4 or 5 day tour by coach or air.
The Low Countries have made a remarkable contribution to the world of art from the 14th century to the modern day.

masterpieces of the northern renaissance

4 day tour by coach or air.
After Italy, the greatest contribution to European Art came from Flanders, home of Memling, Van Eyck, Van der Weyden and Rubens

copenhagen – painters of the northern lights

5 DAYS by sea or air.
The most accessible of the Scandinavian capitals, Copenhagen showcases some spectacular painting from the early 19th century Golden Age of Denmark

route of the caliphs

5 day tour by air.
‘Al Andalus’ (Andalucia) in southern Spain, governed by Arab Caliphs from AD 711-1492, was then the most important centre of learning in the western world.

roman & golden age spain – madrid, toledo & merida

6 DAYS
A 2-centre tour beginning and ending in Madrid with 2 days in western Extremadura for the best Roman remains in Spain.

old castile

5 day tour by air.
Cities far older than Madrid, Unesco
World Heritage sites, dot the high plain of Castile. Based in Avila or Madrid, this tour explores the history and romance of a kingdom that created Don Quixote, Spain’s oldest university and the most spectacular castles