For those who are particularly fond of exploring the art treasures of Europe, luxury holiday specialist Cox & Kings can offer the opportunity to visit some fascinating sites in the company of like-minded people, under the guidance of expert lecturers, on their art treasure tours.
All of the tours have been designed with an emphasis on the art, history and culture of the destinations visited and the essence of the Art Treasures Tours is to deepen your understanding of the places you visit. These holidays are especially good value for money, with a high degree of personal and attentive service.
Hotels on these holidays are selected with great care. Wherever possible, the emphasis is on properties with character, in a convenient location, allowing you the opportunity to explore independently from a centrally located base. Most clients enjoy the chance to sample the local cuisine and select restaurants to suit their own budget and appetite, so few lunches and dinners are included on most of the tours.
The lecturers are all of the highest calibre and are experts in their field. Their aim is to help you appreciate and understand more of the treasures you will see. With a blend of formal and informal talks, they will appeal to the well-informed and the less knowledgeable alike.
Experienced and well-qualified tour managers and guides, local to the country visited, will ensure the itinerary runs smoothly, allowing you time to relax with all the arrangements taken care of. They are also there to offer advice on places to visit and restaurants, and will ensure you need never dine alone.
Just a few examples of the European tours include:
Ravenna: Mosaics & Marble (4 Days / 3 Nights from £795)
The World’s Finest Mosaics • Expert Lecturer: Sally Dormer
Ravenna is the best place to see Early Christian and Byzantine church architecture and decoration of the 5th and 6th centuries. In 401 AD the city became the capital of the Western Roman Empire and mosaic-clad churches were constructed. Ravenna continued to flourish during the early 6th century under the Ostrogoths, who were responsible for commissioning further splendid monuments. In 540 AD it became the main outpost of the Byzantine Empire in Western Europe, experiencing yet another lavish period of patronage. The Lombards assumed control in 751 AD and decline seemed inevitable, but this apparent reversal of fortune was vital in ensuring the survival of the marble and mosaicencrusted monuments of Ravenna’s illustrious past, which will form the foci of this tour.
Berlin: Art & Architecture (5 Days / 4 Nights from £985)
Charlottenburg and Sanssouci Palaces • Gemäldegalerie and Pergamon Museums • Expert Lecturer: Clare Ford-Wille
Today, Berlin is home to some of the world’s most exciting museums, either recently refurbished, such as the Kulturforum, or completely new, as in Libeskind’s Jewish Museum. Collections of paintings, sculpture and antiquities abound on Museum Island, while the famous Brandenburg Gate is a fitting entrance to the elegant 18th and 19th centry architecture that lines the Unter den Linden. The splendid palaces of Charlottenburg and Sanssouci in nearby Potsdam are also outstanding examples of Baroque and Rococo architecture.
The Glory of Venice (5 Days / 4 Nights from £1455)
St Mark’s Square • The Islands of the Lagoon • The Grand Canal • Expert Lecturer: Douglas Skeggs
Despite the ravages of age and water, Venice remains a living masterpiece. Made up of over 100 islands linked by 400 bridges, the city can only be explored on foot or by boat. There are countless wonderful museums, galleries, churches and palaces, but a great part of the pleasure of Venice is simply to take in its labyrinthine canals, white Istrian stone, ivy covered stucco and peeling pastel paintwork.
Mozart's Salzburg (6 Days / 5 Nights from £1265)
Live Song and Piano Music • Golden City of High Baroque • Scenic Beauty of Salzkammergut • Expert Lecturer: Peter Medhurst
The city of Salzburg was the seat of a line of prince-archbishops, whose court was the centre of the city’s musical life. Many distinguished musicians and composers came and went over the years, and this musical pilgrimage to Salzburg marks just over 250 years since Mozart was born there. The tour includes visits to Mozart’s houses and monuments as well a series of evening performances, including a recital of the Master’s songs and arias by Mozart specialist, Peter Medhurst.
Vicenza: Palladio & Music (5 Days / 4 Nights from £1695)
Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico • Three Musical Performances • Expert Lecturer: Elizabeth Gordon
This tour is a musical celebration of Andrea Palladio’s 500th birthday. Internationally renowned pianist, Andras Schiff, plays and conducts three concerts of music by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and others in Palladio’s unique masterpiece, the Teatro Olimpico. Palladio transformed his adopted city, Vicenza, and the surrounding countryside by building town and country villas of unsurpassed elegance. Also, visit Padua to see Giotto’s famous frescoes, recently restored in the Scrovegni Chapel and the Franciscan Basilica of St Anthony.
There are also Art Treasure tours in the Middle East and Far East, as well as many more European destinations.
If you'd like to book an Art Treasure tour, call Andrea on 0845 475 0342.
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