2020 Highlights Publication | January 2020

2020 Highlights

ACE Cultural Tours

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ACE CULTURAL TOURS

Front cover image: Traditional pattachitra painting on fabric, an ancient craft of the Odisha region IMAGE BY MIKE PRINCE, LICENSED UNDER CC BY 2.0

For more information about our tour to Odisha in November 2020, please see page 50.

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Contents New Releases

Shakespeare at Stratford: Birthday Weekend Tour 4 Mid-Century Modern in the Heart of England 5 Country Houses of North Norfolk 6 Art on the Côte d’Azur 7

Cruises

Provence River Cruise 8 Danube River Cruise 10

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese Albania: From the Illyrians to the Ottomans The Dordogne Ancient Sicily Cyclades: Ancient Islands of the Aegean Prehistoric & Roman Anglesey & Snowdonia

Art & Architecture

Introduction ACE is pleased to present a curated selection of tours taking place throughout 2020 across a wide range of subject areas and destinations.

We are delighted to announce the release of two brand-new UK tours, exploring the fine country houses of North Norfolk and the fascinating modern architecture of the East Midlands respectively. We also look forward to a special edition of our theatre tour to Stratford-upon-Avon taking in productions and celebrations over Shakespeare’s birthday weekend.

Further afield, highlights of our 2020 collection will include explorations of the stunning natural landscapes and wildlife of Austria, Borneo and Arctic Finland and Norway; archaeology in the Dordogne and the Cyclades; and art and culture in South Korea, Odisha and West Japan.

Read on to discover these and further highlights, and visit the ACE website or contact the office to book a place on your next cultural adventure.

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Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens The Golden Age of Dutch Painting Camino de Santiago: Pilgrims, Cathedrals & Castles Northamptonshire Country Houses Great Bardfield & Beyond: Mid-Century Art & Design in East Anglia Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels The Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design Artists of the North

Houses & Gardens

Gardens of the Republic of Ireland Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders

Nature

Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans Wild Poland: From Ancient Rivers to Primeval Forest Isles of Scilly Wild & Ancient Dartmoor Donegal & Tory Island The Shetland Islands Wildlife of the Austrian Alps Arctic Finland & Norway Borneo

Distant Destinations

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Jordan In Search of China’s White Gold West Japan & the Inland Sea: Art & Pilgrimage South Korea Odisha

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2020 Schedule

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ACE CULTURAL TOURS

Archaeology

UNITED KINGDOM important buildings in the whole of Britain”. We will also make an excursion to Blenheim Palace, designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and today a UNESCO World Heritage site.

April 23–26, 2020 from £995 per person | with Vivien Heilbron Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

NEW RELEASES

• Enjoy a special tour to Stratford over Shakespeare’s birthday weekend, with the opportunity to partake in commemorative events • Experience the 2020 birthday performance of The Comedy of Errors, as well as an adaptation of the playful historical novel Europeana • Make an excursion to UNESCOlisted Blenheim Palace, an outstanding country house and national monument ACE is pleased to present a special tour to Stratford-upon-Avon, coinciding with the month of Shakespeare’s birth.

Although the exact date of the event is not recorded, most celebrate the great playwright’s birth on 23 April. The Royal Shakespeare Company will mark the occasion with two performances over the birthday weekend, which we look forward to attending in the company of Tour Director and Shakespearean actress Vivien Heilbron.

The birthday performance will be The Comedy of Errors, staged at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and described by the RSC as “a fairytale farce of everyday miracles”. Directed by Phillip Breen, this production will feature actor, writer and comedian Miles Jupp making his RSC debut in the role of Antipholus of Syracuse.

We also look forward to a performance of Maria Åberg and Judith Gerstenberg’s adaptation of Patrik Ouředník’s satirical novel Europeana, offering a fast-paced and eclectic overview of 20th century European history. Taking place at the 4

IMAGE BY DAVID TETT © RSC

Shakespeare at Stratford: Birthday Weekend Tour

Swan Theatre, this production forms part of the RSC’s ‘Projekt Europa’, a season celebrating the best of European theatre making.

In addition to the performances, we will enjoy talks and discussions with our Tour Director, and take the opportunity to experience highlights of Stratford’s annual celebrations in honour of Shakespeare’s birthday, including the town parade. Popular amongst locals and also attracting visitors from afar, the parade passes buildings and places of significance to Shakespeare’s life.

The procession features a number of traditions, from a fanfare to the unfurling of the Union Flag. Participants will also have the option to attend the Shakespeare Service at Holy Trinity Church, where the playwright’s grave is located. This special occasion has in the past featured sonnet recitals given by actors.

Our tour will also include cultural visits in and around Stratford-upon-Avon, including to Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, described by historian and broadcaster Michael Wood as “one of the most atmospheric, magical and Shakespeare at Stratford is one in a series of more gently paced tours, created specially by ACE for those who prefer a more relaxed, less physically demanding itinerary whilst retaining the same high level of academic content. Hotels will be situated in central locations to allow for ease of access to major amenities. Please note that our usual fitness criteria still apply for this tour.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Indigo in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Recently refurbished, this boutique hotel is located a few minutes’ walk from the Swan Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Our pre- and post-performance discussions will take place in nearby meeting rooms, including at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Please note that the plays are currently under development, and further information about casting will be released nearer to the tour departure. Whilst we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that Shakespeare’s birthday parade is well attended and the streets may be busy with visitors. Participation is optional for those who are interested.

This tour will be led by Shakespearean actress Vivien Heilbron, an Emmy nominee and Honorary Fellow of the Shakespeare Institute in Stratfordupon-Avon.Vivien has vast experience of acting in Shakespeare productions, including in the roles of Olivia in Twelfth Night and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1500 at Hotel Indigo, Stratford-upon-Avon for three nights. Afternoon visit to Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall.

Evening welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning excursion to Blenheim Palace including special talk. Afternoon: introduction to Europeana. Evening performance at the Swan Theatre: Europeana.

Day 3 Morning: opportunity to view Shakespeare’s birthday parade. Afternoon: post-performance discussion on Europeana and introduction to The Comedy of Errors. Evening performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre: The Comedy of Errors.

Day 4 Morning: post-performance discussion on The Comedy of Errors followed by option to attend Shakespeare Service at Holy Trinity Church. Tour disperses.

Cost of £995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £180.

TOUR CODE: SHST20

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UNITED KINGDOM

Engineering Building, University of Leicester

• Discover the fascinating 20th and 21st century public, commercial and domestic architecture of Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton and Coventry • View pioneering mid-century buildings at the universities of Leicester and Nottingham • Discover Leicester’s superlative collection of German Expressionist paintings and works of graphic art at the New Walk Museum & Art Gallery Across the East Midlands, many towns and cities developed distinctive manufacturing specialisms during the Industrial Revolution. Often overlooked by tourists, the region is home to a rewarding and varied array of Modernist buildings and art collections.

From a base in Leicester, we will span out across the region with a series of excursions to different towns and cities.

Our tour will focus particularly on the middle of the 20th century, while encompassing buildings from across the era, beginning with the Arts & Crafts and Expressionist collections at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester, and Stoneywell, a unique Arts & Crafts cottage designed by Ernest Gimson.

Our tour will feature a visit to the University of Leicester, home to the Engineering Building, designed by James Stirling and James Gowan. Considered one of the first postmodern buildings in Britain, it was followed by the Charles Wilson Building and the Attenborough Tower.

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At the University of Nottingham, Cripps Hall – a Hall of Residence designed in the 1950s – showcases the mid-century progressive classicism championed by architects Donald McMorran and George Whitby as a way forward for modern British architecture in tune with the monumental classicist style of the interwar years.

Later design is represented by Leicester’s Curve Theatre, built in 2008 as part of the city’s new ‘Cultural Quarter’, and Foreign Office Architects’ John Lewis & Partners, where the monumental glazed exterior appears to be wrapped in patterned fabric, nodding to Leicester’s historical hosiery industry. Also evoking the region’s industrial past, Nottingham Contemporary, a RIBA award-winning gallery designed in 2004 by Caruso St John Architects, features a lace-patterned concrete design that references the city’s historical Lace Market quarter.

Northampton offers a fascinating diversity of architecture – from the National Lift Tower, dominating the city’s skyline, to 78 Derngate, the only house in England designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and St Matthew’s Church, which tells a remarkable story of wartime patronage in connection with Henry Moore, Benjamin Britten and Graham Sutherland. Our tour finishes with an appreciation of the justlycelebrated unity of art and architecture at Coventry Cathedral.

We will stay throughout at the College Court Conference Centre & Hotel, a Grade II-listed former Hall of Residence built in the 1960s for the

Please note that the itinerary below represents a guide to what we plan to offer, and some elements may be subject to confirmation. We hope to complement our itinerary with a visit to a private house, to be confirmed nearer to the departure.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is not particularly strenuous, but will involve a moderate amount of walking and standing, so participants should have a good level of fitness. Please note that several of the rooms at Stoneywell are accessed via spiral staircase, and there are exposed stone slabs and grassy slopes in the grounds which can become slippery if wet.

This tour will be led by Alan Powers, PhD, one of the UK’s leading architectural historians, who has published widely on all aspects of 20th century architecture and design. Alan was Professor at the University of Greenwich School and lectures at New York University in London. His books include Modern:The Modern Movement in Britain and Bauhaus Goes West: Modern Art & Design in Britain & America.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1300 at College Court Conference Centre & Hotel, Leicester, or 1330 at Leicester Station. Afternoon visit to New Walk Museum & Art Gallery, Leicester. Four nights at College Court Conference Centre & Hotel.

Evening introductory lecture.

Day 2 University of Leicester, Curve Theatre and John Lewis & Partners (exterior). Afternoon: Stoneywell.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Nottingham: Cripps Hall, Council House (subject to confirmation), Nottingham Playhouse and Nottingham Contemporary (exterior).

Day 4 Whole day excursion to Northampton: National Lift Tower (exterior), Shoe & Boot Collection at Northampton Museum & Art Gallery (subject to confirmation), Charles Rennie Mackintosh House at 78 Derngate and St Matthew’s Church. Evening lecture: Art & the Church in the Post-War Period.

Day 5 Morning visit to Coventry Cathedral.

Tour disperses 1300 at hotel followed by 1340 at Leicester Station.

Cost of £1245 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded executive room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £130. Executive rooms on request.

TOUR CODE: MCMH20

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NEW RELEASES

September 8–12, 2020 from £1245 per person | with Alan Powers

IMAGE BY TOM PARNELL VIA FLICKR, LICENSED UNDER CC BY SA 2.0

Mid-Century Modern in the Heart of England

University of Leicester to designs by architects Sir Leslie Martin and Trevor Dannatt. Sympathetic to its heritage and innovative design history, College Court has now been transformed into a modern and comfortable centre for hospitality.

UNITED KINGDOM

Country Houses of North Norfolk September 21–25, 2020 from £1495 per person | with Oliver Gerrish Blickling Hall

NEW RELEASES

• Delve into the histories and aesthetics of fascinating country houses on this brand new tour developed with architectural historian Oliver Gerrish • Discover fine examples of Jacobean and Palladian architecture across North Norfolk, from Blickling Hall to Houghton Hall • Enjoy visits to coastal curiosities – including the enchanting Shell Museum in Glandford and St Margaret’s Church in Cley-next-theSea “This seat, on an open barren Estate Was planned, planted, built, decorated And inhabited the middle of the XVIIIth Century

By Tho’s Coke Earl of Leicester” So reads an inscription above the main entrance to the Marble Hall at the heart of the spectacular Palladian mansion of Holkham in North Norfolk. The sweeping landscapes and seascapes of this beautiful part of the county, with their endless vistas and wide skies, were populated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by a series of remarkable country houses built for notable patrons of the arts – including Thomas Coke, 1st Earl of Leicester, and Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first ‘Prime Minister’.

We will visit many properties showcasing the work of William Kent, that eminent architect of buildings, landscapes and interiors who pioneered the Palladian style in eighteenth-century Britain.

Raynham Hall, praised as one of Norfolk’s finest country houses, dates from the seventeenth century but its interiors were redesigned by Kent from 1725. His work is also evident at Holkham and Houghton.

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Houghton was built in the 1720s to house Walpole’s great collection of Old Master paintings, later sold to Catherine the Great; the estate is home to the Cholmondeley family who have in recent years commissioned a number of pieces of contemporary sculpture by artists including James Turrell for the eighteenth-century parkland designed by Charles Bridgeman.

Other highlights of our tour will include visits to two breathtaking Jacobean properties: Blickling Hall, once in the possession of the Boleyn family, and Felbrigg Hall, with its contrasting east and west wings exemplifying the architectural styles of the early and late seventeenth century respectively.

Meanwhile, Wiveton Hall – known as the setting for the BBC observational series Normal for Norfolk – provides an exquisite example of the style archetypal to Norfolk, with its flint facing and Dutch gables, nodding to the county’s historical relationship with the Low Countries. This style can be seen on a smaller scale at the charming Shell Museum in nearby Glandford, built in 1915 and reminiscent of a cabinet of curiosities.

This tour will take a holistic approach, considering the histories of the owners and families who have shaped these great estates, as well as the architecture, collections and individual works of art.

We will also enjoy the opportunity to explore grounds and gardens, which often tell their own important stories.

For instance, the renowned architectural designer Kit Martin restored the historic designed landscape at Gunton Park, winning a Country Life ‘Genius of the Place’ Award in 2007.

We begin and end in Norwich where a visit to the wonderful Romanesque cathedral will conclude our tour.

This tour will be based at the four-star Pheasant Hotel, a relaxing country house hotel close to Holt and Blakeney in the heart of North Norfolk.

Please note that whilst we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, due to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve periods of walking and standing within historical properties and their grounds, and participants must be prepared to traverse uneven terrain, steps and staircases, and potentially slippery surfaces. Please note that lifts are not always available at the sites we visit, and light levels are often kept low to conserve the collections.

This tour will be led by Oliver Gerrish, MSt, an architectural historian who studied at the University of Cambridge.

Oliver has written for Country Life, featured in a number of television series on architecture, and organised and led numerous tours to many of Britain’s historical buildings. He is the former Chairman of The Young Georgians, the youth chapter of The Georgian Group, which he refounded. Oliver is also a trustee of the Derbyshire Historic Buildings Trust.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1300 at Norwich Station. Afternoon visit to Blickling Hall (Jacobean mansion). Transfer to The Pheasant Hotel for four nights. Evening introductory lecture.

Day 2 Morning: Raynham Hall (17th century house with later additions and interiors by William Kent). Afternoon: Felbrigg Hall (17th century house with important historical library).

Day 3 Morning: Holkham Hall (18th century house designed in the Palladian style, ancestral home of the Coke family). Afternoon: Houghton Hall (18th century Palladian house built for Sir Robert Walpole, with fine interiors and grounds housing a contemporary sculpture collection).

Day 4 Morning: Gunton Park and historical sawmill. Afternoon: Wiveton Hall Gardens followed by St Margaret’s Church, Cley (whitecrowned sparrow window) and the Shell Museum, Glandford. Evening lecture.

Day 5 Morning visit to Norwich Cathedral. Tour disperses c 1200 at Norwich Station.

Cost of £1495 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, three lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £150.

TOUR CODE: CHNO20

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FRANCE

Art on the Côte d’Azur September 21–28, 2020 from £2495 per person | with Juliet Heslewood

This tour will be led by art historian and author Juliet Heslewood, MA, who lived in France for nearly 30 years, where she devised and led study tours in six different regions. She studied at the universities of London and Toulouse, and has written many books, including most recently Van Gogh: A Life in Places. Now returned to England, Juliet lectures frequently at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. She looks forward to returning to the Côte d’Azur with an ACE group in 2020.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0925, arriving Nice 1235. Transfer to Hotel Nice Riviera for seven nights. Afternoon walking tour of Nice.

• Enjoy the rich art collections of the Côte d’Azur in the landscape that inspired artists such as Monet and Bonnard • Explore museums dedicated to artists including Matisse and Chagall • Discover the varied collections held at the Fondation Maeght and the beautiful Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa

Above the walled village of St Paul de Vence (itself crowned by Rodin’s Thinker) lies the Fondation Maeght, its pinewooded grounds adorned with work

by Giacometti, Calder and Miró. The foundation possesses one of Europe’s most important collections of 20th century painting, drawing and sculpture: Bonnard, Braque, Chagall and Léger are all represented.

From the late 19th century onwards the vivid colours of the Côte d’Azur, not to mention the region’s enchanting architecture and the mildest of climates, captivated a succession of Europe’s leading artists.

The breathtakingly beautiful Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa and Gardens, erected between 1907 and 1912 in the style of a Venetian palace, displays the superb collection of Baroness Béatrice. Paintings by the masters are shown alongside porcelain, furniture and decorative items from the 15th to the 19th century.

Monet painted some 40 landscapes in Antibes, while Signac built a house in St Tropez, soon to be followed by Matisse and his fellow ‘Fauves’, Bonnard and Chagall. Renoir was resident in Cagnes from 1907 until his death in 1919, and Picasso spent the last four decades of his life amidst the glorious Mediterranean landscape. During our week in Nice and its environs we will consider the lasting legacy of this panoply of brilliant artists, as well as architectural delights ranging from the Baroque to the Belle Epoque.

A number of these artists have museums dedicated to them, amongst which are the Musée Matisse and the Musée Chagall. The latter is home to the 12 great paintings that make up the Biblical Message. The great strengths of the Musée de l’Annonciade in St Tropez are Signac and the neo-Impressionists, Bonnard and the Nabis, and Matisse and the Fauves.

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We will stay throughout at the fourstar Hotel Nice Riviera, a comfortable modern hotel ideally situated in heart of Nice close to the Promenade des Anglais.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some details may be subject to confirmation.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, as some visits will be made on foot and by boat. Participants must be prepared to navigate steps and walk for up to a mile at a time, occasionally uphill and on uneven ground. There is a steep walk from the square in Villefranche-sur-Mer to the Cocteau church, which takes approximately 15 minutes. To access the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice participants are required to traverse a number of steps, as there is no ramp, and the museum does not have a lift to reach the first floor. The longest coach journey is to St Tropez, taking approximately 2 ½ hours, and we hope to return by boat (weather permitting), although this can be choppy if windy.

Day 2 Morning lecture: French Artists and a Move towards the Sun. Afternoon: Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain and Musée des BeauxArts (Old Masters).

Day 3 Morning lecture: Three Chapels on the Côte d’Azur followed by visit to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa and Gardens (paintings, sculpture, furniture and magnificent gardens).

Afternoon: Musée Chagall (Biblical Message). Free evening.

Day 4 Morning: Fondation Maeght (20th century art including Miró, Chagall, Giacometti and Léger) and St Paul de Vence. Afternoon: Matisse’s celebrated Chapelle du Rosaire.

Day 5 Menton: Salle des Mariages and walking tour of old town. Afternoon: La Turbie (Roman monument) and Villefranche-sur-Mer (Cocteau murals in fishermen’s chapel).

Day 6 Via Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot to Antibes: Musée Picasso, Chateau de Vallauris (Picasso collection and chapel).

Day 7 Transfer by coach to St Tropez (favoured haunt of artists since the 1890s): walking tour of old port, Musée de l’Annonciade (Maillol, Matisse, Seurat and Signac) housed in former chapel of Pénitents Blancs. Return via boat (weather permitting) and coach to Nice.

Day 8 Morning: Musée Matisse. Depart Nice 1525, arriving Heathrow 1635.

Cost of £2495 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a classic twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, six dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £375.

TOUR CODE: ARC220

We will also be running another tour to the Côte d’Azur from March 2–9, 2020 with Tour Director Sarah Burles.

For further details, including the itinerary and cost, please see the ACE website or call the office.

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NEW RELEASES

Fondation Maeght

FRANCE

Provence River Cruise April 26 – May 2, 2020 June 21–27, 2020 from £2995 per person | with Peter Higginson

CRUISES

Avignon

• Discover centuries of history in the beautiful Provence region between Avignon and Aigues-Mortes • Visit museums of the region, including the Musée du Petit Palais with its outstanding art collection • Enjoy cruising through beautiful waterways and savour delicious onboard menus

Peaceful and picturesque, the inland waterways of Provence and the Camargue are one of the most enchanting places within which to savour the cultural inheritance and culinary traditions of southern France.

We will embark Le Phénicien in Avignon, the immaculately preserved 14th century capital of Christendom, and enjoy visits to the lavishly decorated Palais des Papes and the Musée du Petit Palais, home to a fine collection of Italian paintings.

Our cruise aboard Le Phénicien – renowned on the Rhône for its superior cuisine – will call at small Provençal villages and great centres of civilisation.

Our journey surveys the Roman antiquities of the former province of Gallia Narbonensis from the tripletiered Pont du Gard to the vast Flavian amphitheatre in Arles. The city walls

Carmargue Horses

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CRUISES

FRANCE

Trees in the Garden of Saint-Paul Hospital,Vincent Van Gogh (1889), painted during his stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence

of Arles also shelter the Church of St Trophime, where the 12th century portal is one of the crowning achievements of the Romanesque style.

Further highlights of our tour will include Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where Van Gogh painted his famous Starry Night as well as a great number of other works, and the Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction, France’s most extensive Carthusian monastery.

Beyond the ancient fortifications of the former Crusader stronghold of AiguesMortes lies the semi-mystical Camargue, where land, lake and lagoon merge into the Mediterranean.

Our Tour Director will be Peter Higginson, MA, PhD, expert in art history and consultant lecturer at Christie’s Education. Peter specialises in the art and culture of early modern Europe, and the Modern period. He has taught numerous university courses abroad in Rome, Florence,Venice, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, and has led a number of ACE tours to destinations in France, Italy and further afield.

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Our vessel: Le Phénicien Aboard the 130-ft long air-conditioned Le Phénicien, a maximum of 16 guests stay in eight ensuite cabins. Whilst the main deck is more spacious, please note that the cabin accommodation is more modest.

Le Phénicien’s chef devises all the menus using fresh, local ingredients, and the wines are selected from the finest vineyards in the Rhône Valley, Provence and the Languedoc. A complimentary bar is available throughout.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is taken at a relaxed pace, and we will have time to enjoy cruising on the boat. Please note some historical sites have uneven ground and steps that participants will be required to navigate.

Cost of £2995 includes: return travel, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded cabin, full board whilst on Le Phénicien (including complimentary bar), shore excursions & admissions, crew gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, cabin for single use supplement £1590.

Day 1 Depart London St Pancras 1024 on Eurostar and TGV via Paris, arriving Avignon 1817.

Embark Le Phénicien for six nights. Welcome reception. Overnight Avignon.

Day 2 Morning lecture: The Popes of Avignon followed by 14th century Palais des Papes.

Afternoon: Musée du Petit Palais (outstanding art collection). Overnight Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.

Day 3 Morning: walking tour of Villeneuve-lèsAvignon including Tour Philippe-le-Bel and Fort Saint-André (exteriors), Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction and Musée Pierre-de-Luxembourg (16th and 17th century Provençal painting).

Afternoon: Le Pont du Gard (great Roman monument and museum). Evening lecture: Provençalism. Overnight Aramon.

Day 4 Morning cruise to Arles. Afternoon: mausoleum and triumphal arch at Glanum, village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Van Gogh) and Les Alpilles hills. Overnight Arles.

Day 5 Morning in Arles: historical walking tour including St Trophime (Romanesque church with superb sculptures), Les Arènes (1st century BC amphitheatre) and Roman Theatre (exterior).

Afternoon cruise to Gallician for overnight.

Day 6 Morning excursion through the Camargue (wetlands, pastures, dunes and salt flats) with visit to working manade (Camargue horses and bulls) followed by Saint-Gilles. Afternoon cruise to Aigues-Mortes for walking tour including Ramparts and Tour de Constance. Overnight Avignon.

Day 6 Depart Avignon 1243 on TGV and Eurostar via Paris, arriving St Pancras 1832.

TOUR CODES: PRO120 / PRO220

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HUNGARY / AUSTRIA

Danube River Cruise August 31 – September 9, 2020 from £3295 per person | with Andrew Spira, John Bryden, Ashley Solomon, Lars Tharp, Emilie Capulet, Sarah Burles, Tom Abbott, Nicholas Wearne and Judy Brown

CRUISES

• Nine guest Tour Directors shine a spectrum of lights on the history of this commanding waterway, its artistic and musical heritage • Journey from Passau to Budapest, taking in the treasures of Melk, Vienna, Bratislava and Esztergom en route • Relax on board as we cruise alongside some of the most picturesque scenery the river has to offer Following ACE’s voyages along the Seine and Rhône, we are delighted to partner with luxury cruise company CroisiEurope once again for a brand new cultural adventure.

Bubbling up in the Black Forest town of Donaueschingen where the Brigach meets the Breg, the mighty River Danube strides across a vast stretch of Europe.

For centuries it has formed the borders of nations and empires, turning the tides of history and inspiring an untold number of writers, artists and musicians.

Europe’s second longest river, the Danube flows through or borders a multitude of modern nations before 10

reaching the Black Sea; and its banks have borne witness to an equally diverse array of languages, religions, ethnicities and ruling powers. Often a symbol of division, the river’s glittering waters have also come to represent a kind of unity through difference, a common thread in the evolution of European culture and identity.

celebrated opus of works inspired by the river. Meanwhile art historians Andrew Spira, Lars Tharp and Tom Abbott will prepare us for our daytime visits with a series of on-board lectures, while also guiding at several sites. We also hope to take in a performance on one of Vienna’s famous stages, subject to forthcoming programme announcements.

Our ten-day journey will illuminate this diverse, yet shared cultural heritage.

We will journey from the breath-taking abbey at Melk to the magnificence of Budapest’s Castle District, stopping at Vienna, Esztergom and Bratislava. Visits to some of the river’s most beautiful and important sites – from Vienna’s Kunsthistoriches Museum to the soaring interiors of Budapest’s Great Synagogue – will combine to shed light on the Danube’s story.

Visits will be taken at a leisurely pace, with several opportunities to explore locations independently, and to appreciate the river’s magical surroundings during relaxed stretches of cruising.

To mirror this variety, nine ACE Tour Directors will join us at different stages of our journey, supported by a variety of excellent local guides. Musicians including Ashley Solomon, John Bryden and Emilie Capulet will perform on board our chartered vessel, the aptly named MS Symphonie, giving life to the

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details may be adjusted nearer the time.

Our vessel: MS Symphonie Our vessel is the MS Symphonie, which has been completely refurbished to five-anchor standard (similar to a good four-star hotel standard). The MS Symphonie has two decks and a sun deck. At 110 metres long, the ship has a total of 55 cabins, with a group size restricted to 72 to maximise comfort.

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HUNGARY / AUSTRIA

Passau

ACE is pleased to offer customers the option to travel to and from either London Heathrow or Manchester International airports. Flights to and from Birmingham are available upon request. Please speak to the ACE office for further information.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0900 on British Airways, arriving Munich 1155, or depart Manchester International 1050 on Lufthansa, arriving Munich 1350. Transfer to Passau and board MS Symphonie. Welcome drink and introduction to the cruise. MS Symphonie cruises to Melk.

Day 2 Melk Bach before breakfast. Morning visit to Melk Abbey including guided tour and organ recital. Short stop in Durnstein before MS Symphonie cruises to Vienna. Evening baroque flute recital with Ashley Solomon.

Day 3 Vienna Bach before breakfast followed by visits in Vienna: Kunsthistoriches Museum and Hofburg Palace. MS Symphonie cruises to Esztergom.

Day 4 Esztergom Bach before breakfast followed by morning visits in Esztergom, including the basilica and treasury. Afternoon lecture as MS Symphonie cruises to Budapest. Evening piano recital with John Bryden.

Day 5 Budapest Bach before breakfast followed by visits including Buda Hill Castle District and the Great Synagogue.

Day 6 Budapest Bach before breakfast followed by free morning in Budapest. Afternoon lecture

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This tour will feature a variety of guest Tour Directors who will join us at different stages of our journey: Andrew Spira, MA, studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and City University, London. He has worked as a curator at the V&A Museum, and was subsequently Programme Director at Christie’s Education.

Scottish mezzo-soprano Judy Brown trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and is a much sought-after recitalist, opera and consort singer. She works with the Monteverdi Choir under Sir John Eliot Gardiner, the Dunedin Consort, the Academy of Ancient Music and Scottish Opera.

John Bryden, MA, ARCM, ARCO, is a member of the Dartington Piano Duo. He has given concerts from California to Kathmandu via Wigmore Hall. For many years John coached at the Dartington International Summer School.

Tom Abbott, MA, is an independent art and architectural historian with extensive experience directing cultural and art tours in Europe. He has a particular interest in Baroque and Rococo, the Romantic Movement, garden history and the musical heritage of Germany. on board as MS Symphonie cruises to Bratislava.

Evening piano recital with Emilie Capulet.

Day 7 Bratislava Walking tour of Bratislava Old Town before MS Symphonie cruises to Vienna.

Afternoon lecture-recital with Emilie Capulet and free time.

Day 8 Vienna Morning visit to the Belvedere Palace, followed by a free afternoon. Evening performance at Vienna State Opera (subject to confirmation). MS Symphonie cruises to Melk.

Day 9 Melk Morning visit to Arstetten Castle (last residence of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife). Afternoon lecture as MS Symphonie cruises to Passau. Farewell gala dinner, with after dinner music from Nicholas Wearne and Judy Brown.

Day 10 Passau Transfer to Munich for 1605 departure, arriving Heathrow 1725, or 1610 departure, arriving Manchester 1705.

Ashley Solomon, FRCM, FRAM, is a fellow of the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music, Chair and Head of Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music and Director of Florilegium.

Lars Tharp, MA, FSA, is a Danish-born art historian, lecturer and broadcaster with expertise in ceramics who is particularly well known for his work on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, as well as Hidden Treasures and Art of the Baroque.

Emilie Capulet, MA, MMus, PhD, is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Senior Lecturer and Head of Classical Performance at the London College of Music, University of West London.

Sarah Burles, MA, studied History of Art at Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education.

This included 12 years at the Fitzwilliam Museum as well as work in other Cambridge museums.

Nicholas Wearne, MPhil, is a tutor and Junior Fellow at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His career as a solo organist has taken him all over the world and he was winner of the Poul Ruders Prize at the 2011 Odense International Organ Competition.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour is not envisaged to be especially strenuous, however participants should be comfortable walking over cobbles and occasionally uneven terrain, ascending steps, and standing in museums and galleries.

Cost of £3295 includes: return travel, accommodation based on sharing a twin cabin (main deck), breakfast, seven lunches, nine dinners with unlimited wine, beer, soft drinks, tea & coffee, shore excursions & admissions, musical performance in Vienna (subject to confirmation), gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, upper deck twin cabin supplement of £250 per person, twin cabin for single use supplement of £600 for a main deck cabin or £1000 for an upper deck cabin.

Further supplements available on request.

TOUR CODE: DANC20

11

CRUISES

Melk Abbey

GREECE

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese April 6–16, 2020 from £2745 per person | with Andrew Wilson

Acrocorinth Fortress

• Explore Greece’s classical archaeology, taking in ancient temples, palaces and fortresses • Visit Delphi, located in striking surroundings beneath Mount Parnassus • Discover the Acropolis of Athens and the Acropolis Museum, containing the enchanting caryatid sculptures

ARCHAEOLOGY

Our journey across the Peloponnese embraces some of the most evocative names from ancient Greece: Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games; Mycenae, from where Agamemnon went to war against Troy; and, soaring above the Gulf of Corinth, Delphi, the ‘centre of the world’.

Beginning at the Acropolis Museum in Athens we explore fascinating finds from over two thousand years of history, including the mesmerising caryatid statues, followed by a visit to the impressive Parthenon Gallery. Our visit to the Acropolis itself will take in the Propylaia – the monumental gateway – together with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.

The wealth of Corinth is epitomised by the Doric Temple of Apollo and the magnificent buildings of the Roman forum. In the sanctuary at Epidaurus, the most celebrated healing centre of the ancient world, we will experience the sanctuary of Asklepios, god of healing; the striking tholos; and the well-preserved theatre, renowned for its harmonious proportions and wonderful acoustics.

Other visits include the Bronze Age site of Tiryns, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to an evocative fortress, 12

and Argos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The astonishing Lion Gate at Mycenae is where, tracing the footsteps of Heinrich Schliemann, we will view the grave circle and the palace megaron.

We will also explore Mystras, near Sparta, a former Frankish outpost, including the Palace of Despots, a rare example of Byzantine civic architecture, and numerous churches adorned with 14th and 15th century frescoes.

The spectacular sanctuaries of Olympia and Delphi will certainly form highlights of the tour, both sites holding central positions in the religious world of ancient Greece. The Archaeological Museum at Delphi holds some of the most magnificent artefacts from the Mediterranean world, including the bronze Charioteer of Delphi and the stone omphalos, or, ‘naval of the world’.

We will stay throughout in hotels of three and four-star quality.

This tour will be led by Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot, who studied archaeology then theology before working overseas as an archaeologist, specialising in Roman frontier systems and Byzantine mosaics. A member of the Society for Libyan Studies and the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, Andrew has led many tours for ACE in the Greco-Roman world as well as several in Britain, with a particular emphasis on the archaeology of his native Scotland.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that a good level of fitness is required for this tour, and participants must be prepared for spending time walking and standing, including on uneven terrain.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0855, arriving Athens 1435. Transfer to Hotel Herodion for two nights. Welcome and introductory talk.

Day 2 Whole day on foot visiting the Acropolis: Propylaia, Parthenon and Erechtheion. Afternoon: visits to the Agora and Acropolis Museum. Evening talk: Athenian Religion.

Day 3 Morning: National Archaeological Museum.

Depart for Nafplion visiting ancient Corinth en route. Transfer to Hotel Amalia, Nafplion, for three nights. Evening talk: Greek Theatre.

Day 4 Epidaurus. Return to Nafplion for short walking tour of the town followed by visit to Palamidi fortress (time permitting). Evening talk: Homer and the Mycenaean Age. Day 5 Visit to Tiryns followed by Argos. Continue to ancient Mycenae: Treasury of Atreus, Lion Gate, grave circle, palace megaron and museum. Evening talk: The Byzantine Church.

Day 6 Mystras: Palace of Despots, beautifully situated churches with 14th and 15th century frescoes. Continue to Pylos for two nights at Hotel Philip. Evening talk: Navarino Bay. Day 7 Nestor’s Palace at Pylos and Ottoman Neokastro fortress. Free afternoon in Pylos.

Day 8 Messini then continue to Olympia for two nights at Hotel Olympion Asty. Evening talk: The Olympic Games.

Day 9 Ancient Olympia: palaestra, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, stadium, Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Some free time. Evening talk: The Oracle at Delphi.

Day 10 Via Rio-Antirrio bridge to Delphi.

Medieval port of Nafpaktos and visits in Delphi: temples of Athena and Apollo, gymnasium, theatre and Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Overnight stay at Hotel Amalia Delphi.

Day 11 Further visits in Delphi (time permitting).

Depart Athens 1830, arriving Heathrow 2035.

Cost of £2745 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £465.

TOUR CODE: PELO20

aceculturaltours.co.uk

ALBANIA Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 1650, arriving Tirana 2045. Transfer to Durrës for three nights.

Albania: From the Illyrians to the Ottomans April 22 – May 1, 2020 from £2275 per person | with Carolyn Perry

Day 2 Morning lecture: An Introduction to Albania and the Illyrians. Morning walking tour of Durrës, including forum and amphitheatre. Afternoon: archaeological museum.

Day 3 Lezhë (Illyrian gate and burial site of Skanderbeg) followed by Rozafa Castle and Shkodër. Evening lecture: Skanderbeg followed by free evening.

Day 4 Morning visits in Krujë including Skanderbeg Museum, ethnographic museum and Ottoman bazaar. Afternoon in Berat including citadel, Church of St Mary and Onufri Museum (time permitting). Overnight in Berat.

Day 5 Morning visits in Berat including Mangalemi quarters (King’s mosque and Helveti tekke) and Gorica Bridge, followed by archaeological site at Byllis (walls, agora, theatre, early Christian basilicas).

Continue to Gjirokaster for visits to castle and ethnographic museum. Overnight in Gjirokaster.

• Travel the length of this mountainous country, discovering layers of historical wonders left behind by Illyrians and Greeks, Romans and Ottomans • Explore the complex of Apollonia, once home to a famous school of oratory • Delve into the extensive archaeological remains at Antigonea Naturally stunning, spanned by majestic mountains and dazzling coastlines, Albania is home to some of Europe’s most remarkable archaeological treasures.

Our journey begins in the bustling port city of Durrës. This multi-layered centre – which has assumed roles in both trade and conflict – began life as a Greek colony known as Epidamnos, and its walls have since witnessed centuries of Albanian history.

Originally an Illyrian settlement, Shkodër is one of Albania’s oldest towns, and played an important part in the resistance to the Ottoman invasion. Here we will take in the Great Mosque and English clock tower.

Moving south, we will journey on to Krujë, the city of George Kastrioti, or Skanderbeg, Albania’s national hero. It is paired in the afternoon with a visit to the city of a thousand windows: Berat.

A fine example of an Ottoman town, Berat houses a partially inhabited citadel alongside the Byzantine Church of St Mary and the Onufri Museum, which contains an absorbing collection of icons.

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Two further UNESCO-listed sites are included on our journey: Gjirokastër, originally an Illyrian settlement and now an impressively preserved Ottoman town dominated by its pre-12th century castle; and the ancient city of Buthrotum (Butrint), described by Virgil as ‘Troy in miniature’ and boasting remains from both Epirote and Roman times.

A scenic drive through the ‘Albanian Riviera’ takes us via the intriguing castle at Porto Palermo to Fier. From here we make our final excursions to the ancient site of Apollonia.

We stay throughout in comfortable hotels of three- and four-star quality.

Please note the below itinerary is a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details may be subject to adjustment.

Tour Director Carolyn Perry was Manager of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, and since then has worked as a museum consultant with public and private collections in Europe and the Middle East. She frequently lectures on various aspects of the ancient Mediterranean and Islamic world and is a regular contributor to the British Museum’s public programme. She also has experience as a practical archaeologist.

Carolyn is currently on the Advisory Board of the Ancient History Encyclopaedia, and a Trustee of the International Association for the Study of Arabia.

Day 6 Antigonea (extensive archaeological site) followed by ‘Blue Eye’ cold water spring. Continue to Saranda for two nights. Evening lecture: The Greeks & Romans in Illyria.

Day 7 Morning in Butrint: 4th century BC walls, sanctuary to Asklepios, theatre. Afternoon: Ksamil followed by free time in Saranda. Evening lecture: From the Byzantines to the Ottomans followed by free evening.

Day 8 Scenic drive through ‘Albanian Riviera’ to Porto Palermo Castle. Continue to Vlora for afternoon visits: Mosque of Sinan, Independence Square. Transfer to Fier for overnight stay. Evening lecture: The Long Road to Independence.

Day 9 Morning: Apollonia Archaeological Park (including agora and museum of Apollonia).

Afternoon: Monastery of Ardenica. Continue to Tirana for overnight stay.

Day 10 Morning visits in Tirana (time permitting) including Skanderbeg Square and National Museum of History. Depart Tirana 1300, arriving Gatwick 1510.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note this tour has a very full itinerary involving a significant amount of walking, often over uneven and rugged ground at extensive archaeological sites. Visits often include a lot of steps and relatively steep inclines, for example to visit castles, and the terrain requires careful negotiation. Participants should have a good level of overall fitness and be able to walk for up to 2 hours at a time. As our itinerary has been designed to make the very best out of our stay in Albania, we will be undertaking a lot of travel, and there will be a number of hotel changes across the tour.

Cost of £2275 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, eight lunches (some packed), refreshments on arrival, six dinners with water, wine or beer & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £165.

TOUR CODE: ALBN20

13

ARCHAEOLOGY

Butrint

FRANCE

The Dordogne April 20–27, 2020 from £2595 per person | with Juliet Heslewood and Moira Tait

ARCHAEOLOGY • View exceptional works of art preserved on the walls of the Pech Merle cave, featuring images of mammoths, bison and horses • Enjoy a guided tour of the Lascaux caves, viewing reproductions of famous prehistoric paintings • Discover the bastide towns of Monpazier and Domme

Dynastic disagreements following the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Aquitaine set the scene for almost 100 years of war throughout the Middle Ages, when the Dordogne witnessed much of the fighting between the French and the English. Churches were fortified and more castles were built, often crowning the rocky cliffs that border the river’s 14

valley. Monpazier, established in 1284

by Edward I, is a fine example of a quadrilateral plan bastide town, where the Place des Cornières still preserves a rich assembly of medieval and 17th century houses.

Millennia earlier, the many caves dotted across this limestone region were the home of some of the first modern humans. Extraordinary displays of prehistoric art adorn the cave walls, some around 25,000 years old, bearing rare witness to the lives of our ancient forebears. The Vézère valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site, in recognition of its unique wealth of prehistoric sites.

We will view the replicas of the famous cave paintings at Lascaux, the discovery

of which in 1940 revealed images of humans and animals remarkable for their detail and lifelike qualities. We will also visit the caves of Font-de-Gaume with their friezes depicting bison and reindeer, and the natural cave shelter at Cap Blanc harbouring superb life-size relief sculptures. The museum at Les Eyzies, with its compelling collection of portable art and early tools made from carved antler and bone, is a further treasure trove of Ice Age artefacts.

We will stay throughout at the elegant four-star Plaza Madeleine Hotel, which is located in the historical town of Sarlat, known for its warm-coloured stone and attractive streets revealing architectural features from the Romanesque through to the 18th century.

aceculturaltours.co.uk

FRANCE

Gabares on the Dordogne river at La Roque Gageac

Rock painting in the Lascaux caves

This tour will be led by Juliet Heslewood, MA, and Moira Tait, MA, FRAS. Juliet is an author and art historian who lived in the Dordogne area for over 30 years. Moira studied archaeology in London focusing on the Paleolithic and Mesolithic in Europe, with a particular interest in cave art.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will require a good level of fitness, and participants should be prepared for walking on uneven surfaces during the cave visits, two of which will require uphill walks of around 15 minutes. Our walking tour of Sarlat will involve approximately 45 minutes’ walking.

– ACE Tour Directors Juliet Heslewood and Moira Tait Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1400 on British Airways, arriving Toulouse 1650. Transfer to Sarlat for seven nights at Plaza Madeleine Hotel.

Périgueux (Church of St Etienne – subject to confirmation), Tour de Vésone and Vesunna GalloRoman Museum.

Day 2 Morning lecture: Prehistoric Art – Method & Meaning followed by walking tour of Sarlat.

Afternoon: cave of Rouffignac.

Day 7 Cénac (Romanesque church), bastide town of Domme (Prison des Templiers) and historical river port of La Roque Gageac for a scenic boat trip in a replica traditional gabare.

Day 3 Morning lecture: French Architecture – From Romanesque to Renaissance followed by caves of Cougnac (prehistoric paintings and stalactites).

Afternoon: Soulliac Abbey.

Day 4 Morning: Grotte du Pech Merle followed

by Cahors. Afternoon: short walking tour of Monpazier (bastide town) followed by Cistercian abbey at Cadouin.

Day 5 Whole day excursion to Les Eyzies: prehistoric site of Abri de Cap Blanc, Grotte du Sorcier, Abri Pataud and Font-de-Gaume (early animal paintings).

Day 6 Morning: Grotte de Lascaux (reproductions of famous prehistoric paintings). Afternoon:

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ARCHAEOLOGY

“We are thrilled to be returning to the stunning medieval town of Sarlat, so pleasant to wander around at all times. From our central hotel we will venture out into beautiful countryside of rivers, limestone cliffs and castles (there are said to be over 2000 in the Dordogne) to discover the region’s architectural delights of Romanesque churches, Roman sites and bastide towns.

We’ll also be going underground to explore the astonishing artistic achievements of our prehistoric ancestors who painted animals, symbols and handprints over 20,000 years ago. The Dordogne is justly celebrated for its gastronomy, which we enjoy each evening in a choice of restaurants close to the hotel.”

Day 8 Morning: Musée de la Préhistoire, Les Eyzies. Depart Toulouse 1730, arriving Heathrow 1820.

Cost of £2595 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £295.

TOUR CODE: DORD20

15

ITALY

Ancient Sicily May 13–22, 2020 from £2895 per person | with Philip Kenrick

This tour will be led by Philip Kenrick, MA, DPhil, an archaeologist who read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, where he also gained his doctorate.

Philip has worked on excavations near Agrigento in Sicily, and on other sites in Italy, Turkey and Jordan. Philip is a specialist in Roman pottery and has written archaeological guidebooks on Libya and Algeria.

Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 0700 on Easyjet, arriving Catania 1105. Transfer to Palermo for three nights at Eurostars Centrale Palace Hotel.

Day 2 Morning introductory talk followed by Palermo Cathedral and Palazzo dei Normanni (Palatine Chapel). Continue to Monreale for visit to cathedral (including cloister).

Amphitheatre at Taormina

ARCHAEOLOGY

• Step into the Villa del Casale to view its stunning Roman mosaics, widely regarded as one of the richest collections in the world • Uncover remarkable architectural fusions, from William II’s NormanByzantine cathedral of Monreale to the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, resplendent with Byzantine mosaics • Syracuse offers a wealth of cultural delights including the Archaeological Park with its Roman amphitheatre, Greek theatre and forbidding quarries Even the most worldly surveyor of ancient civilisations is mesmerised by the monumental grandeur of Agrigento – “Athens with improvements”, according to one 19th century visitor. Our circuit of historical Sicily, starting in the heart of Palermo, travels via Agrigento and Syracuse to Taormina – Goethe’s “patch of paradise”, characterised by idyllic coastal vistas.

As well as absorbing the monumental magnificence of Sicily’s classical heritage, we will examine later cultural influences, from the extraordinary Arabo-Norman architecture of Palermo to the UNESCOlisted Norman-Byzantine cathedral of Monreale, built by William II. Palermo, like Monreale, reveals a fusion of Islamic, Byzantine, Norman and Romanesque traditions. The city’s Palatine Chapel in the Palazzo dei Normanni is distinguished, above all, by its overwhelming Byzantine mosaics – mosaics that are rivalled by the golden 16

masterpieces on display in the cathedral in Monreale.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus at Agrigento was amongst the largest in the entire Greek world, presenting an astonishing display of wealth and power.

The highlights of Syracuse, “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all” in the opinion of Cicero, include the vast Archaeological Park and the island of Ortygia, where the Baroque façade of the cathedral barely conceals the Doric columns of the ancient Temple of Athena.

The Roman Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina contains some of the finest mosaics in existence, with remarkable depictions of mythological figures and ancient life.

We will stay in hotels of four-star standard throughout the tour.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it involves a significant amount of walking. Please note that many sites have uneven ground or require walking through low-lying vegetation. Our tour is taken at a pace that allows for breaks and reflection.

We will also be running a tour to Ancient Sicily with Philip Kenrick from September 8–18, 2020. For further details, including the itinerary and cost, please see the ACE website or call the office.

Day 3 Morning: churches of La Martorana and San Cataldo, Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita, National Archaeological Museum. Afternoon excursion to ancient site of Solunto followed by Sicilian puppet show (recognised by UNESCO as part of World Intangible Cultural Heritage).

Day 4 Morning: Segesta, including temple and theatre. Continue to Marinella for visit to Selinunte.

Transfer to Agrigento for two nights at Colleverde Park Hotel.

Day 5 Morning talk followed by visits in Agrigento: temple ridge, Museo Archaeologico and adjoining excavation areas.

Day 6 Transfer to Piazza Armerina for Villa del Casale (famous for its remarkable mosaic floors depicting hunting scenes, mythological characters and sporting events) and Morgantina archaeological site. Continue to Syracuse for four nights at Grand Hotel Ortigia. Free evening.

Day 7 Morning talk followed by visits in Syracuse: Catacomb of San Giovanni, Museo Archaeologico Paolo Orsi, Archaeological Park. Early evening walking tour of Ortygia including sacred spring of Arethusa and Piazza Duomo (Temple of Athena).

Day 8 Whole day excursion to ancient Naxos (early Greek colony) and Taormina (Greco-Roman theatre with superb coastal views). Free evening.

Day 9 Visit to Temple of Apollo followed by excursion to town of Noto (fine example of Sicilian Baroque architecture). Afternoon: Villa del Tellaro (4th century with fine mosaics).

Day 10 Free morning. Transfer to Catania for 1630 departure, arriving Gatwick 1855.

Cost of £2895 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £575.

TOUR CODE: ANS120

aceculturaltours.co.uk

GREECE

May 20–30, 2020 from £2995 per person | with Andrew Wilson

Mykonos

• Sail to six of the ancient Cycladic islands on this tour through the Aegean: Tinos, Paros, Naxos, Delos, Mykonos and Santorini • Tread the paths of ancient towns made famous in Greek mythology and discover their wealth of Mycenaean, classical and Byzantine archaeological remains • Highlights include Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage site boasting exceptionally extensive archaeological remains, and the ruined Bronze Age city of Akrotiri, preserved under volcanic ash The Cycladic Islands, scattered across the Aegean south-east of Athens, are the timeless repository of countless myths: it was at Naxos that ungrateful Theseus abandoned Ariadne; the tiny island of Delos that nurtured Apollo and Artemis; and could the volcanic island of Santorini really be the lost city of Atlantis?

Over the course of our tour we sail to six of these ancient islands, taking a broad approach as we immerse ourselves in the history and character of this special region.

Today the Cyclades, inhabited since Neolithic times, preserve numerous Mycenaean and classical remains, Byzantine castles and Venetian fortifications – not to mention a series of beautiful churches, such as Tinos’s Panagia Evangelistria – one of Greece’s most important pilgrimage destinations.

Delos, the sacred centre of the Cyclades, once attracted pilgrims from all over Greece, and its wealth is reflected in the grandeur of its extensive archaeological remains.

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The history of Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cyclades, stretches back to 2700 BC. The Venetians, who governed the island from 1207 until the Turkish invasion of 1566, bequeathed to Hora a labyrinthine Kastro – a medieval Venetian citadel – which today houses the island’s fascinating Archaeological Museum. Paros’s elegant Byzantine cathedral, Panagia Ekatontapiliani, is one of Greece’s most important Christian monuments, and the Archaeological Museum shelters a fragment of the famous marble Parian Chronicle.

The volcanic landscape of Santorini, with its immense crater, is a wonder to behold, and the picturesque town of Oia offers stunning views over the caldera.

We will also explore the recently reopened ruins of Akrotiri, an ancient Bronze Age city buried and preserved under the layers of volcanic ash after the sudden eruption in Thera.

We stay throughout in hotels of three and four-star quality; on several occasions we will dine at local tavernas.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, precise arrangements are dependent on ferry schedules which are influenced by weather conditions, and therefore some elements may be subject to change.

Cost of £2995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £495.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: As much of the travel on this tour involves ferries, participants should be comfortable wheeling luggage up boarding ramps. Some of the archaeological visits will require a good level of fitness as we will be walking over uneven ground. At Delos, there will be an optional short ascent up a steep and poorly maintained pathway to visit the upper part of the island’s impressive remains.

Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 0800 on Easyjet, arriving Mykonos 1350. Depart by boat for two nights on Tinos. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Whole day in Tinos: 4th century BC Temple of Poseidon at Kionia, Archaeological Museum and marble Church of Panagia Evangelistria, Pyrgos and Volax. Evening talk: Greek Religion.

Day 3 Sail to Paros for afternoon visits to typical Aegean villages of Prodromos and Lefkés. Evening talk: Cycladic Art. Two nights on Paros.

Day 4 Visits by boat to small islands of Antiparos and Despotiko.

Day 5 Morning in Parikia: Byzantine church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani, Archaeological Museum and Venetian Fortress. Depart by boat to Naxos (home to Mount Zeus) for four nights on Naxos. Visits to Temple of Apollo and Grotta archaeological site. Evening talk: Delos.

Day 6 Whole day cruise to Delos (birthplace of Apollo and Artemis): Sacred Harbour, Agora of the Competialists, Sacred Way, House of the Naxians, Avenue of the Lions; followed by Mykonos: handsome Cycladic architecture, chapels and churches.

Day 7 Whole day in Naxos: 7th century Kouros statue at Melanes, Halki, tasting session at Kitro (citrus liqueur) distillery, Panagia Drossiani monastery.

Day 8 Further visits in Naxos: Venetian Quarter, museums and Catholic Cathedral. Some free time.

Day 9 Morning: Sanctuary of Dionysus at Yria, followed by Sanctuary of Demeter at Giroula. Afternoon: transfer by ferry to Santorini (spectacular geological setting with beautiful whitewashed buildings) for two nights. Some free time to explore Fira, Santorini’s dramatic cliff-top capital. Evening talk: Atlantis.

Day 10 Akrotiri, Panagia Episkopi and Museum of Prehistoric Thera. Afternoon in Oia. Day 11 Depart Santorini 1500, arriving Gatwick 1650.

TOUR CODE: CYCL20

17

ARCHAEOLOGY

Cyclades: Ancient Islands of the Aegean

This tour will be led by Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot, who studied archaeology then theology before working overseas as an archaeologist, specialising in Roman frontier systems and Byzantine mosaics. A member of the Society for Libyan Studies and the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies, Andrew has led many tours for ACE in the Greco-Roman world.

UNITED KINGDOM

Prehistoric & Roman Anglesey & Snowdonia

© RSTERIM64

July 13–17, 2020 from £995 per person | with Mark Corney

Bryn Celli Ddu

ARCHAEOLOGY

• On this evocative tour, explore the remnants of forts left behind by the Roman occupation of South Wales • Delve into Iron Age settlements including the ‘sacred lake’ at Llyn Cerrig Bach, where workmen discovered a large metalwork hoard • Discover the Neolithic chambered tomb of Bryn Celli Ddu, one of the most famous prehistoric sites in Anglesey North Wales and the island of Anglesey are rich in remains of the prehistoric and Roman periods, many set against the magnificent landscape of the Snowdonia National Park.

Journeying deep into Anglesey’s past, our tour will visit a rich variety of these sites and examine the wealth of the Iron Age societies who regarded the island as a sacred landscape.

The Roman occupation left behind many well-preserved remains of forts, spanning from the late first to early fifth centuries AD. At Tomen y Mur the visible outlines of a Roman fort, amphitheatre and parade ground evoke the power and ostentation of the Roman Army on the fringe of the Empire. At Holyhead, the walls of a late Roman coastal fort still stand to full height.

We shall visit the Iron Age huts at Ty Mawr and the ‘sacred lake’ at Llyn Cerrig 18

Bach where a large hoard of Iron Age metalwork was discovered during the Second World War. In addition to site visits, the tour will present the results of the latest archaeological research, and examine new theories on the Iron Age and Roman period in this evocative landscape.

This tour will be led by Mark Corney, BA, FSA, a specialist in Roman history and presenter on Channel 4’s Time Team. An honorary research fellow at Bristol University, Mark is a former investigator with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England.

We stay throughout in four-star accommodation at The Management Centre, a historical listed building that is part of Bangor University. Many of the rooms boast stunning views of the Menai Strait and Anglesey.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should be comfortable walking over open, rough pasture. A good level of fitness is required for this tour as sites can be located some distance from the road, sometimes involving an uphill climb.

Cost of £995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £120.

Day 2 Anglesey: Din Lligwy Hut Group (wellpreserved Romano-British settlement), Holyhead Roman Fort, Caer Gybi (late Roman fort), Ty Mawr (Iron Age settlement with well-preserved hut circles), Llyn Cerrig Bach (site of a Late Iron Age ‘sacred grove’), Bryn Celli Ddu (Neolithic chambered tomb).

TOUR CODE: PRAS20

Din Lligwy Hut Group

Day 1 Tour assembles from 1500 at The Management Centre, Bangor, for four nights. 1800 welcome and introductory lecture.

Day 3 Conwy Valley: Caerhun (former Canovium, Roman fort site), Church of St Tudclud (important early Christian inscribed stones), Tomen y Mur (Roman fort with extensive remaining earthworks including parade ground and military amphitheatre). Return via Llanberis Pass and remains of a Roman marching camp.

Day 4 Dinas Dinlle (hillfort), Segontium (Roman fort built to command the Menai Straits), Hen Wailiau (small Roman fort) and Caernarfon town walls and castle.

Day 5 Morning visit to Beaumaris Castle. Tour disperses c 1200 at Bangor Station followed by 1215 at the hotel.

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UNITED KINGDOM FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve some walking but this will be taken at a relaxed pace. Please note that our visit to Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute will involve travel by ferry. There are steps into some buildings, but generally lifts or ramps are available.

Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation

Day 1 Assemble 1345 at Radisson Blu Hotel, Glasgow, for six nights. Gentle orientation walk followed by tea and cake at the ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ tea rooms. Evening lecture: Glasgow’s History in Architecture.

April 14–20, 2020 from £1495 per person | with Evelyn Silber

• Follow the work of key figures including Robert Adam, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson and Charles Rennie Mackintosh • Take a trip to the Isle of Bute for Mount Stuart, one of the most lavish and individual late Victorian houses in Scotland • Enjoy a visit to Dumfries House, a Palladian mansion featuring an outstanding collection of 18th century furniture In recent years, Glasgow has re-emerged as a vibrant cultural city with year-round activity in every area of the arts, while several of the region’s museums and great country houses have benefitted from major conservation programmes.

Our focus on this tour will be the 18th to 20th centuries, as we consider the art, architecture, crafts, collectors and increasingly affluent consumers of this great industrial city. We will also take in the beautiful landscape settings of some of the grand houses of the Scottish aristocracy.

Highlights within Glasgow range from the modern Riverside Museum, designed

by Zaha Hadid, to the splendid and little-known neoclassical interiors of Holmwood House. Outside the city, Dumfries House, rescued from sale and the dispersal of its contents through the intervention of HRH The Prince of Wales, is a little-altered gem designed by Robert Adam and home to Chippendale furniture made specifically for the house.

01223 841055 Mackintosh at the Willow © Rachel Keenan

Mount Stuart, which we will visit on an excursion to the Isle of Bute, was built for the vastly wealthy 3rd Marquess of Bute, who also counted Dumfries House amongst his numerous properties.

The interiors at Mount Stuart reflect the Marquess’s own distinctive taste and the influence of his friend, the architect William Burges, and embody the wonderful craftsmanship of Welsh workshops.

Further highlights of our tour will include a visit to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, and tea at the beautifully restored ‘Mackintosh at the Willow’ tearooms.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel, situated in the city centre.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Dumfries House (18th century house with unrivalled collection of Chippendale furniture) for guided tour and free time.

Day 4 Morning: Hill House (Mackintosh’s finest domestic work, undergoing innovative renovation work). Afternoon: Hunterian Art Gallery and Mackintosh House (subject to confirmation). Free evening.

Day 5 Whole day excursion by coach and ferry to the Isle of Bute for visit to Mount Stuart (guided tour followed by free time to explore the gardens).

Day 6 Morning: some free time followed by visits to Scotland Street School Museum (building designed by Mackintosh) and House for an Art Lover (designed by Mackintosh as an international competition entry for an imaginary patron – visit subject to confirmation). Afternoon: Holmwood House.

Day 7 Morning: Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Tour disperses c 1230 at hotel.

Cost of £1495 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £330.

TOUR CODE: GLAS20

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

This tour will be led by art historian Evelyn Silber, MA, PhD, FMA, FSA, formerly Director of the Hunterian Museum and Chair of the Mackintosh Society. Evelyn studied at Cambridge before becoming curator at Birmingham Museums and Art Galleries, and Director of Leeds Museums and Galleries. She has been based in Scotland for some years, and currently works on the conservation, presentation and marketing of Scottish heritage.

Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation is one in a series of more gently paced tours, created specially by ACE for those who prefer a more relaxed, less physically demanding itinerary whilst retaining the same high level of academic content. Our usual fitness criteria still apply for this tour, however there will be more opportunity for downtime or private exploration. Hotels will be situated in central locations to allow for ease of access to major amenities; and group members are encouraged to enjoy each location at their own pace.

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ART & ARCHITECTURE

Mackintosh at the Willow

© RACHEL KEENAN

Day 2 Morning: Riverside Museum (exhibits of late 19th and 20th century industrial and social history, in a striking building designed by Zaha Hadid). Afternoon: Mackintosh Queen’s Cross (Mackintosh’s only church) and Tenement House.

Evening lecture: Art in Glasgow around 1900.

BELGIUM Detail from The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, by van Eyck

Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens April 15–19, 2020 from £1495 per person | with Rupert Dickens

ART & ARCHITECTURE

• Discover the Flemish Masters in ‘The Year of van Eyck’, including over half of the artist’s known works in a special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent • Visit Bruges, to see the newly refurbished Gruthuusemuseum and works by Memling in the Hospital of St John • Spend a day in historical Antwerp, where Rubens and van Dyck once worked No country – with the exception of Italy – has made such a profound contribution to European art as the land we know today as Belgium. With the development of oil painting in the 15th century onwards, Belgium played an essential role in the evolution of western painting, strongly influencing Italy itself.

The ‘golden age’ of Flemish art began with the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck. 2020 sees a special commemorative year in Belgium celebrating the work of the latter, and we look forward to seeing a “once-in-a-lifetime” new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, dedicated to the life and work of van Eyck.

Flemish painting continued to flourish thanks to Hans Memling in Bruges, Rogier van der Weyden in Brussels, and Hugo van der Goes in Ghent. Flemish Mannerist architects spread Renaissance 20

ideas throughout northern Europe, and in van Dyck and Rubens we have two of the most formidable of all Baroque artists.

The first stop on our tour will be Bruges, where we will enjoy a visit to the Gruthuusemuseum, a luxurious city palace housing a multitude of artistic treasures celebrating the glories of the Burgundian age. The museum reopened in 2019 after a major refurbishment.

We also look forward to visiting the Groeningemuseum, host to an enviable collection of van Eyck and van der Weyden, and the setting for Hieronymous Bosch’s Last Judgment, as well as the Memling Museum, housed in one of Europe’s oldest medieval hospitals. We will also pay homage to Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child in the Gothic Church of Our Lady.

In Antwerp, the great commercial port on the Scheldt, we will feel Rubens’s presence in his palatial house and studio, and explore the Mayer van den Bergh Museum, home to a collection of northern Renaissance art assembled during the 19th century, including paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder such as The Dulle Griet or ‘Mad Meg’.

We will stay throughout in the centre of Ghent at the four-star NH Gent Belfort, opposite the town hall.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation, and we cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks mentioned.

Both our Flemish Painting and Dutch Painting tours will be led by Rupert Dickens, MA, an art historian specialising in Dutch and Flemish art.

Rupert studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London, before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at UCL. Previously a BBC television and radio journalist for more than 20 years, Rupert is now a guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection and an accredited Arts Society lecturer. He has been visiting and working in the Netherlands and Belgium since the 1980s.

Rupert is looking forward to introducing another ACE group to the works of the Flemish Masters in 2020. He writes: “The exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent, will be particularly exciting as it includes many van Eyck loans from around the world.”

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BELGIUM / THE NETHERLANDS FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that this tour involves a fair amount of walking, including over cobbled streets.

Day 1 Depart London St Pancras 1058 on Eurostar, arriving Brussels 1405. Continue to Ghent for four nights at NH Gent Belfort. Evening lecture: Art in Bruges from Jan van Eyck to Hans Memling.

Day 2 Whole day excursion to Bruges: Gruthuusemuseum (recently refurbished), Groeningemuseum (works by van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, Memling, and special exhibition Jan van Eyck in Bruges), Church of Our Lady, Hospital of St John (Memling Museum, including special exhibition APOCALYPSE NOW: Hans Memling in Contemporary Art).

Day 3 Visits in Ghent: Cathedral of St Bavo and Museum of Fine Arts (including Optical Illusions exhibition featuring outer panels of van Eyck’s Adoration of the Mystic Lamb). Evening lecture: Peter Paul Rubens & his Antwerp Studio.

Day 4 Whole day excursion to Antwerp: Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady (Rubens altarpieces), Mayer van den Bergh’s Museum (Flemish primitives, major collection of late Gothic sculpture and Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Dulle Griet or ‘Mad Meg’), Rubens’s House.

Cost of £1495 includes: return travel, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £240.

TOUR CODE: FLMP20

Day 5 Morning lecture: Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Peasant or Scholar? followed by departure to Brussels for Musée d’Art Ancien (15th-18th century Belgian painting) and some free time.

Depart Brussels 1656, arriving St Pancras 1803.

The Golden Age of Dutch Painting • Discover the wealth of 17th century art in the famous collections of Amsterdam, Haarlem and The Hague • Enjoy a visit to the Lakenhal Museum in Leiden, reopened in 2019 after major restoration and expansion • Gain an understanding of Dutch patronage in the age of Rembrandt, Hals and Vermeer A golden age of Dutch art was heralded in the 17th century, under the patronage of a new merchant class. Dutch painting flourished as never before, as the middle classes commissioned portraits of themselves, and also bought pictures to decorate their homes of a sort rarely seen before: still lifes, flower paintings, marine scenes, landscapes, townscapes and genre paintings – scenes from everyday life. For the first time, artists painted themes of their own choosing, which they sold ‘on spec’ or through dealers.

From our base in Amsterdam, we will explore this great period of western art through visits to many important collections. These will include the worldfamous Rijksmuseum, which reopened in 2013 after years of closure, as well as two of the other major repositories of 17th century Dutch art: the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem and the grand Mauritshuis in The Hague.

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We also look forward to paying a visit to Lakenhal, Rembrandt’s birthplace, for the newly restored Lakenhal Museum, reopened in summer 2019. A threeyear renovation has enabled the 17th century façade of this museum (formerly the Cloth Hall) to be restored to its original appearance. Highlights from the collection include The Last Judgment by Lucas van Leyden and A Peddler Selling Spectacles, one of Rembrandt’s earliest known works.

A visit to Rembrandt’s beautifully restored house and studio will be a further highlight of our tour.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel Estheréa, housed in a 17th century building on the Singel, Amsterdam’s oldest major canal.

Whilst we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation and we cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will require a good level of fitness, as several sites will be visited on foot and Amsterdam is not easily navigable by taxi as an alternative to walking. Please note that pavements are uneven, and at some sites participants will be required to navigate stairs as lifts are not always available.

Detail from The Night Watch, by Rembrandt

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1145 on British Airways, arriving Amsterdam 1405. Transfer to Hotel Estheréa for four nights. Afternoon visit to the Amsterdam Museum.

Day 2 Morning lecture: Trade, Tolerance and Technology – Foundations of the Golden Age followed by visit to the Rijksmuseum (17th century collections including Rembrandt’s Night Watch – undergoing restoration but expected to be partially on view). Free afternoon (optional independent visits to Van Gogh Museum or Museum Van Loon).

Day 3 Morning lecture: Serenity, Still Life and the City followed by excursion to The Hague for Mauritshuis (Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring).

Afternoon: continue to Leiden for Lakenhal Museum and walking tour. Free evening.

Day 4 Morning lecture: Rembrandt, Hals & Dutch Portraiture followed by visits to Royal Palace (subject to confirmation) and Amsterdam Hermitage Museum. Afternoon: excursion to Haarlem for visit to Frans Hals Museum.

Day 5 Morning: Oude Kerk (14th century church – oldest building in the city), The Waag (15th century building – exterior) and Rembrandthuis.

Depart Amsterdam 1610, arriving Heathrow 1630.

Cost of £1875 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £325.

TOUR CODE: GADA20

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ART & ARCHITECTURE

July 2–6, 2020 from £1875 per person | with Rupert Dickens

SPAIN FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Journeys between towns and cities will be taken by private coach, with five separate hotel stays. We will enjoy several walking tours, taken at a relaxed pace and interspersed with visits and coffee breaks.

Participants should be comfortable spending time on their feet and occasionally experiencing dimly lit interiors in some of the churches. Traditional Spanish restaurants usually serve dinner from 2000 or 2030, so participants should expect slightly later meal times than on other tours.

Camino de Santiago: Pilgrims, Cathedrals & Castles April 17–26, 2020 from £2895 per person | with Martin Locker Monastery of Yuso

ART & ARCHITECTURE

• Trace the stories of generations of pilgrims along one of the world’s most ancient routes • Discover fascinating myths and legends that have grown up around the Camino over the centuries • Experience the unique combination of history, awe-inspiring landscapes and mouth-watering cuisine in Northern Spain Wonder, mystery and self-discovery form part of the essence of the Way of St James (known as the Camino de Santiago in Spanish). For centuries people have arrived from all over the world, driven by various and often deeply personal motives, to undertake this unique journey to one of the key pilgrimage sites of Western Christendom: Santiago de Compostela, home to St James’s shrine.

The cult of Santiago originated in the ninth century when a Galician shepherd is said to have come across the famous apostle’s relics. These remains – which came to be buried in the cathedral – were subsequently adopted as a major focal point by the early Christian monarchs of Asturias, León and Castille. Politics and religion became deeply interwoven as this pilgrimage route to the heart of Santiago de Compostela was harnessed to promote a sense of Christian unity in the struggle against the Muslim caliphate of Al-Ándalus in a process that came to be known as the Reconquista.

Our journey across the shifting landscapes of northern Spain will take a relaxed pace as we absorb the history, architecture, cuisine and hidden cultural 22

gems that line the pilgrimage route. We begin in the quaint mountain village of Roncesvalles, where we will have the opportunity to witness the ceremonial mass that has sent pilgrims safely on their way for over a thousand years. From there, we will venture down through the Pyrenees to Pamplona and on through Santo Domingo de la Calzada, Burgos, León, Astorga and Villafranca, to reach the UNESCO World Heritage site that is the Old Town of Santiago de Compostela. On our way we will savour the plethora of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals, churches, shrines and castles along our route, as well as sampling local cuisine and taking time to soak up the special ambience of the Camino.

We will stay in a series of comfortable, and often very historical, hotels. The Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro in León is within an eleventh century monastic complex, and the Parador Hostal dos Reis Católicos in Santiago de Compostela lays claim to being the oldest hotel in the world, dating back to 1499.

Please note while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, sites in Spain can close at short notice, and some details may need to be adjusted on the ground.

Cost of £2895 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, three lunches, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £365.

This tour will be led by Martin Locker, PhD. Martin completed his archaeology doctorate on the link between the landscape and the pilgrim in medieval England, and he has since worked in education, heritage tourism and publishing. He lives in the Pyrenees and runs an on-going research project focusing on the archaeology, history and folklore of the region.

Day 1 Depart London Stansted 1405 on Ryanair, arriving Biarritz 1700 . Transfer to Roncesvalles for two nights at Hotel Roncesvalles followed by introduction and optional pilgrimage mass at Santa María de Orreaga.

Day 2 Whole day excursion to Pamplona: walking tour, Navarre Museum, medieval city walls, interpretation centre, cathedral.

Day 3 Santo Domingo de la Calzada followed by the UNESCO-listed monasteries of San Millán Yuso and Suso. Continue to Burgos for two nights at Hotel Palacio de los Blasones.

Day 4 Morning lecture followed by Burgos walking tour including Santa Maria Arch and cathedral. Afternoon: San Lesmes Abad (14th century Gothic church).

Day 5 Morning: Santa María Real de las Huelgas.

Transfer to León for two nights at the Hotel Real Colegiata de San Isidoro. Visits in León: Basilica of San Isidoro, cathedral and museum.

Day 6 Morning lecture followed by whole day excursion to Astorga: Gaudí’s Episcopal Palace, Roman history, city walls, cathedral. Free evening.

Day 7 Transfer to Villafranca del Bierzo via Ponferrada (Templar Castle) for overnight at Parador de Turismo. Visits in Villafranca del Bierzo: Parador, churches, medieval bridge, castle (exterior).

Day 8 Morning lecture followed by transfer to Lugo for visits to the cathedral and excellent Domus Mitreo exhibition. Continue to Santiago for two nights at the Parador Hostal dos Reis Católicos. Free evening.

Day 9 Santiago: orientation walking tour of old quarter, including Church of Santa María Salome, Praza da Inmaculada, Monasterio de San Martino Pinario, cathedral and Collegiate Church of Santa María do Sar. Day 10 Depart Santiago 1315, arriving Stansted 1420.

TOUR CODE: CAMN20

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UNITED KINGDOM

“Excellent programme of private visits to country houses, all of which were outstanding and all different from one another”

Northamptonshire Country Houses

“Five stars for Adam White – he is so extremely good in every aspect”

May 6–10, 2020 from £1585 per person | with Adam White

Lamport Hall © Lamport Hall

• Enjoy visits to an array of stunning private houses and gardens, from Drayton House to Cottesbrooke Hall • Discover the beautiful Grade I-listed gardens at Holdenby • Visit Boughton House, seat of the Dukes of Buccleuch and home to a notable art collection Northamptonshire, known as the ‘County of the Spires and Squires’, offers a wealth of fine stately homes nestled amongst charming, gently rolling countryside in the heart of England. The county is notable for containing more privately owned historical houses than any other, several of which we will visit on our tour.

Drayton House, home of the StopfordSackville family, has evolved gradually over the centuries and boasts a magnificent Baroque frontispiece by the architect William Talman, while Holdenby House has a fascinating royal history. Originally built as a palace by Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor and favourite of Elizabeth I in 1583, it also served as prison to Charles I following his crushing military defeat at the nearby Battle of Naseby. The house contains a beautiful range of paintings and is surrounded by 20 acres of exquisite gardens.

Lamport Hall shows how an enlightened patron could remodel his house during the difficult years of the Commonwealth

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and adorn it with paintings, which remain in the house to this day.

Boughton House, the former seat of the Dukes of Montagu, is a French-style chateau with an extraordinary collection of artistic treasures, whilst Kirby Hall is a magnificent Renaissance ruin.

Northamptonshire has traditionally been a popular place in which the privileged have indulged their passion for country sports, and this is nowhere more evident than at the idyllic Cottesbrooke Hall, set in stunning 18th century gardens.

Rumoured to be the model for Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, this splendid Queen Anne house boasts arguably one of the finest collections of sporting art in Europe.

Lyveden New Bield and the Triangular Lodge at Rushton parade the beliefs of a Roman Catholic, whose faith was regarded as treason in late Elizabethan England.

The houses will be complemented with a selection of visits to estate churches, containing fascinating family memorials.

We will stay at the magnificent fourstar Rushton Hall Hotel & Spa, located close to Kettering. This Grade I-listed Victorian mansion is a former prep school whose architecture was influenced by nearby Kirby Hall, and our Tour Director will introduce us to its considerable historical interest.

This tour will be led by Adam White, PhD, an art historian and museum curator who is an expert in country house collections and one of Britain’s leading authorities on English sculpture of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods. He originally studied French and Philosophy at Oxford University before gaining a PhD in History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Adam is currently the Hon Curator of Collections at Lotherton Hall in Yorkshire.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A lot of the walking on this tour is over uneven ground, including flagstones and cobblestones that can be slippery when wet. There is a narrow iron staircase to access the viewpoint at Lyveden New Bield.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1330 at Kettering Station followed by 1400 at Rushton Hall Hotel & Spa. Afternoon: St Peter’s Church, Deene, followed by Deene Park (house and gardens). Four nights at Rushton Hall Hotel & Spa. Day 2 Morning: Drayton House and St Peter’s Church, Lowick. Afternoon: Holdenby House & Gardens. Evening lecture.

Day 3 Morning: All Saints’ Church, Lamport and Lamport Hall (house and gardens). Afternoon: Cottesbrooke Hall (house and gardens) and All Saints’ Church, Cottesbrooke.

Day 4 Morning: St Edmund’s Church, Warkton and Boughton House & Gardens. Afternoon: Kirby Hall, Lyveden New Bield and Rushton Triangular Lodge.

Day 5 Tour disperses after breakfast at hotel or c 1000 at Kettering Station.

Cost of £1585 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, three lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £220.

TOUR CODE: NHCH20

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ART & ARCHITECTURE

– ACE customers on previous Northamptonshire Country Houses tour

UNITED KINGDOM

Great Bardfield & Beyond: Mid-Century Art & Design in East Anglia May 12–16, 2020 from £1295 per person | with Alan Powers

Two Women in a Garden, Eric Ravilious

ART & ARCHITECTURE

• Discover the Great Bardfield artists and the environments within which they lived and worked • Enjoy a special visit to the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden, home of the North West Essex Collection of Great Bardfield works • Gain an in-depth understanding of mid-century art and design across visits in Cambridge, Braintree and Bedford From 1930 to the early 1970s, the Essex village of Great Bardfield was home to a number of artists whose output has received growing recognition in recent years – most notably Eric Ravilious and Edward Bawden. Their work spanned painting, illustration and design, and they used traditional imagery and techniques with a modern inflexion.

The artists’ homes and gardens and the nearby scenery often served as the subject matter for their works, and the details of their lives and connections have come close to displacing the Bloomsbury Group as a subject of curiosity.

This tour adopts Cambridge as a base for exploring the sites, collections and private houses associated with the Great Bardfield artists, their contacts, and the parallel movements of their time.

Starting at the Fitzwilliam Museum, we will make a special study of watercolours and drawings by members of the group, and view items that reveal some of their influences.

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Our tour continues with a visit to the Fry Art Gallery in Saffron Walden, which has done more than any other institution to showcase this network of artists, and we will also enjoy a walking tour of Great Bardfield itself.

A further highlight will be a visit to the Warner Textile Archive, an important resource for textiles of the 1930s, and home to work by Marianne Straub, who lived at Great Bardfield. We will continue with a visit to Silver End, the garden village built between the wars, partly in a Modern style, by the Crittal family who were supporters of the Great Bardfield movement.

We also look forward to taking in the principal collection of Bawden’s graphic work at The Higgins Bedford, followed by a study session at Cambridge University Library. Here, we will discover the archive of the Curwen Press, which commissioned some of the earliest design work by Bawden and Ravilious, and acted as a major patron for other artists.

Our tour concludes with a special visit to Jim Ede’s Kettle’s Yard, where paintings and sculptures in a domestic setting tell a parallel story of interwar art and taste.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hilton Cambridge City Centre Hotel, conveniently located in the heart of Cambridge.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, due to the special nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

This tour will be led by Alan Powers, PhD, who studied at the University of Cambridge and is one of the UK’s leading architectural historians. A former Chairman of the 20th Century Society, Alan has published widely on all aspects of 20th century architecture and design. He was Professor at the University of Greenwich School, and has lectured at New York University in London. His publications include Modern: The Modern Movement in Britain, and Bauhaus Goes West.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve a moderate amount of walking, so a good level of fitness is required, and it also involves coach journeys of up to an hour.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1400 at the Hilton Cambridge City Centre Hotel for four nights.

Afternoon visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum to view items from the Prints and Drawings Archive (sources of inspiration for the Great Bardfield artists, and works by Bawden, Ravilious and others).

Introductory lecture.

Day 2 Morning excursion to Saffron Walden for visit to Fry Art Gallery. Afternoon walking tour of Great Bardfield (visiting Cottage Museum and viewing sites related to the artists).

Day 3 Morning excursion to Braintree for visit to Warner Textile Archive. Afternoon: Silver End Village (nationally important village of 1920s ‘Modern Movement’ architecture) for walking tour and visits to Heritage Centre and a private house.

Free evening.

Day 4 Morning: The Higgins Bedford (focusing on Bawden). Afternoon: Cambridge University Library (viewing archival items from the Curwen Collection). Evening lecture.

Day 5 Morning: private visit to the house at Kettle’s Yard. Tour disperses c 1230.

Cost of £1295 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £310.

TOUR CODE: GRBB20

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UNITED KINGDOM All Saints’ Church, Bale

May 19–22, 2020 | September 22–25, 2020 from £875 per person | with Imogen Corrigan

• View the remarkable ‘Memento Mori’ panels of a surviving medieval rood screen, at St Mary in Sparham • St Botolph’s in Trunch offers a beautiful 15th century hammerbeam roof alongside fine medieval misericords and a stunning font canopy • Appreciate the stained glass at Bale alongside fascinating murals at Wickhampton and Hemblington Around one thousand medieval churches once stood in Norfolk, and over six hundred and fifty remain – the largest concentration anywhere in the world.

Rising above the gently rolling landscape, they survive from the time when East Anglia was the economic heartland of late medieval England, prospering from the wool trade, the wealth of its great landed families, and its thriving coastal port.

John Betjeman famously mused that “lovers of Norfolk churches can never agree which is the best and I think one is either a Salle or a Cawston man”. These churches represent two of Norfolk’s most spectacularly vast church buildings, but our exploration of the religious architecture, art and iconography of the Middle Ages will also encompass some smaller and lesser-known examples, many housing unexpected treasures.

We shall delve into the various media for church art, from misericords and woodcarving to wonderful stained

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glass at Bale, and fascinating murals at Wickhampton and Hemblington. St Botolph’s in Trunch presents a stunning collection of features from its beautiful 15th century hammerbeam roof to its superb oak font canopy, one of only four of its kind in England.

Also included will be the much-maligned doodling of the medieval graffiti artist, as seen at St Margaret’s in Cley, the grandest of the four churches which stood at the great harbour mouth of Blakeney Haven. Particular highlights will be those treasures that elucidate the rich pre-Reformation sacramental life of England’s parish churches, such as the splendid rood screens at Cawston and at Ranworth, where the 26 painted saints panels represent one of the great survivals of English medieval art.

We stay throughout at the historical fourstar Maids Head Hotel in the centre of Norwich.

Tour Director Imogen Corrigan, BA, is a medieval historian. Following almost 20 years in the army, from which she retired in the rank of Major, Imogen obtained a first-class degree in AngloSaxon and Medieval History from the University of Kent and has been studying and lecturing ever since. She was recently awarded her MPhil by the University of Birmingham. Imogen’s new book, Stone on Stone: The Men who Built the Cathedrals, was released in 2019.

“Very enjoyable, well organised, excellent lectures and accommodation” “Imogen was excellent.

Knowledgeable in depth and breadth” – ACE customers on previous Churches of Norfolk tours

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that on this tour, some of the sites visited will contain uneven flooring, steps, ramps and dimly lit interiors.

Our hotel, the Maids Head, is one of the oldest and most characterful in Norwich. Accordingly, it does contain some areas of uneven flooring as well as several staircases, although some of the rooms are accessible by lift.

Day 1 Assemble 1330 at the Maids Head Hotel, Norwich, for three nights. Welcome followed by free time to visit Norwich Cathedral including an introduction to the cloisters. Evening lecture: The Dregs of the People Remain – Black Death and its Aftermath.

Day 2 St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Knapton (extraordinary double-hammerbeam roof, rafters filled with angels); St Botolph’s Church, Trunch (14th century chancel, fine medieval misericords and stunning oak font canopy); Holt; St Margaret’s Church, Cley (medieval ship graffiti); All Saints’ Church, Bale (superb stained glass).

Day 3 All Saints’ Church, Weston Longville (mural and Apostles’ Creed screen); All Saints’ Church, Mattishall (beautiful 15th century painted rood screen dado); St Mary’s Church, Sparham (remarkable surviving ‘Memento Mori’ rood screen portion); St Peter and St Paul’s Church, Salle (magnificent wool church); St Agnes’s Church, Cawston (fine 15th century rood screen).

Day 4 All Saints’ Church, Hemblington (best surviving mural of St Christopher); St Helen’s Church, Ranworth (exquisite screen); St Edmund’s Church, Acle (plague inscription); St Andrew’s Church, Wickhampton (14th century murals). Tour disperses 1530 at Norwich Station followed by 1545 at hotel.

Cost of £875 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £150.

TOUR CODE: CHN120 / CHN220

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ART & ARCHITECTURE

Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels

“A well-paced tour with constant delights in unlikely places”

UNITED KINGDOM

The PreRaphaelites in Oxford June 1–4, 2020 from £995 per person | with Stella Lyons

ART & ARCHITECTURE The Afterglow in Eygpt, William Holman Hunt (1863)

• Discover the world of William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones in and around Oxford • View works of art of different media, including William Holman Hunt’s painting The Light of the World at Keble College, and stained glass at Christ Church Cathedral • View the Faringdon Collection at Buscot Park, containing a wealth of 19th century British art

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From a base in Oxford, this tour takes as its focus Victorian art, taste and design. We will concentrate on Morris and Company, the Pre-Raphaelites and the Gothic Revival’s medievalist Victorian vision in and around the ‘city of dreaming spires’.

Highlights will include the stained glass at Christ Church and Harris Manchester Colleges, the sumptuous Victorian chapel at Exeter College, and William Butterfield’s assertive Keble College with its intimate chapel, which houses William Holman Hunt’s The Light of the World.

This tour will be led by Stella Lyons, BA, MA, a freelance Art History lecturer and speaker accredited with the Arts Society, who lectures regularly throughout the UK, Europe and in Asia. Stella studied at the universities of Bristol and Warwick, and at the British Institute of Florence. Her particular interests include the Italian Renaissance, American figurative art from the 20th century and 19th century British art.

The Oxford Union, containing early and important murals by William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones, will be explored alongside the world-class collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and drawings at the Ashmolean Museum. A visit to the galleries and Print Room will set Oxford’s Victorian architectural highlights in a broader artistic context.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1545 at Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, Oxford for three nights. Afternoon lecture: The Radical & Scandalous Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood followed by optional walking tour through Christchurch Meadow.

From Oxford, we will make an excursion to Buscot Park, which includes an excellent collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings in Victorian surroundings.

We will also visit 13th century Great Coxwell Barn, a favourite of Morris’s, who described it as “unapproachable in its dignity”. Our tour will conclude with a visit to the Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum.

Day 3 Morning lecture: William Morris & Edward Burne-Jones followed by Christ Church Cathedral and Harris Manchester College Chapel (stained glass by Morris and Burne-Jones). Afternoon excursion to Buscot Park (spectacular works by Burne-Jones and Rossetti) and Great Coxwell Barn.

Option to attend Choral Evensong at Merton College.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, as access to colleges is subject to availability, we cannot confirm some visits until nearer the time.

We will stay at the three-star Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel, situated in the heart of the city.

Day 2 Morning: Oxford Union (library and debating chamber including Pre-Raphaelite murals) followed by Ashmolean Museum (Pre-Raphaelite gallery and Print Room). Afternoon: Keble College Chapel (designed by William Butterfield) and Exeter College Chapel. Option to attend Choral Evensong at New College.

Day 4 Morning: Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum. Tour disperses c 1200.

Cost of £995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded privilege room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, privilege double room for single use supplement £270.

TOUR CODE: WMOX20

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that this tour will involve a fair amount of walking across flat cobbled ground. Some chapels will require careful navigation of steps and can be dimly lit.

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GERMANY

June 23–28, 2020 from £2095 per person | with Alan Powers

The Bauhaus opened in 1919 under the directorship of Walter Gropius, taking over the Kunstgewerbeschule (School of Applied Arts) building, designed

by Henry van de Velde, its pre-1914 director. In Weimar, a city already famous for its associations with J W von Goethe and Friedrich Nietzsche, the Bauhaus can be seen in the context of German thinking about art, nature and politics.

In 1925, the school was transferred to Dessau, its most famous location, where Gropius designed a new building to house it that, in its restored state, powerfully evokes what it might have been like to study there. We look forward to visiting the new Bauhaus Museum in Dessau, opened in 2019 to celebrate the Bauhaus centenary.

On this tour, we will visit these major centres, but also other cities in Thuringia and Saxony that reveal a wealth of 20th century treasures. The Margarete Reichardt Haus in Erfurt displays the looms and workshop of Margarete Reichardt (1907–1984), who studied at the Bauhaus Dessau a year after its opening. In Gera and Jena, our visits will include a finely restored villa by Henry van de Velde as well as Gropius’s pioneering Haus Auerbach.

• Discover the highlights of the Bauhaus School and modernist design in Germany • Take in the major centres of Weimar and Dessau alongside the lesservisited but culturally rewarding towns of Chemnitz, Gera and Jena • Study the art, architecture and design of the Bauhaus School and related artists, including creations by Walter Gropius, Henry van de Velde and Erich Mendelsohn Of all the avant-garde enterprises in art and design between the wars, the Staatliches Bauhaus provides a paradigm of modernism. The school taught the unity of art, craft and design with the aim of breaking down traditional

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In Chemnitz, we will visit the Gunzenhauser Museum with its wide collection of interwar paintings and a well-preserved 1935 swimming pool complex by the City Architect, Fred Otto. An optional tour of the Schocken department store’s exterior provides an excellent example of the expressive yet functional designs for which its architect, Erich Mendelsohn, was renowned.

While briefly passing through Berlin, we will see the exterior of another of Cost of £2095 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £170.

Mendelsohn’s well-known designs, the Einstein Tower in Potsdam, still an operational solar observatory today.

Our journey will include stays in three or four-star hotels in the historical centres of Weimar, Chemnitz and Dessau.

Please note that the itinerary below represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some elements may be subject to change.

Tour Director Alan Powers, PhD, studied History of Art at Cambridge University and is a specialist in the art, architecture and design of the 20th century. A former Chairman of the 20th Century Society, Alan’s wide-ranging research, curation and publication on varied topics pertaining to British art – including the Arts & Crafts movement, the experiences of 1930s German émigrés and the teaching of art and design – form the basis of his interest in the Bauhaus and contemporary movements in Germany.

Alan’s latest book, Bauhaus Goes West, was published in spring 2019 to coincide with the centenary year.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour as it involves a significant amount of walking, including over cobbled streets.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1050 on British Airways, arriving Berlin 1340. Transfer to Weimar for three nights at Dorint Hotel Am Goethepark.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by short walking tour of central Weimar. Visits to former Bauhaus Building (including restored office of Walter Gropius), Walter Gropius monument, Nietzsche Archive and Haus am Horn. Afternoon: Neues Bauhaus Museum.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Erfurt and Jena: Margarete Reichardt Haus (former weaving workshop and museum), Walter Gropius’s Haus Auerbach and Ernst Abbe Mausoleum (by van der Velde).

Day 4 Transfer to Chemnitz via Gera: Haus Schulenburg (by van de Velde). Afternoon in Chemnitz: Gunzenhauser Museum (Expressionist paintings), Chemnitz Public Baths (by Fred Otto).

Overnight at Hotel an der Oper, Chemnitz.

Day 6 Optional walking tour of Chemnitz including exterior of former Schocken department store (by Mendelsohn). Transfer to Dessau for visits to Masters’ Houses, Bauhaus buildings and new Bauhaus Museum followed by Törten housing estate (by Gropius). Overnight at Radisson Blu Fürst Leopold Hotel, Dessau.

Day 6 Transfer to Berlin via Mendelsohn’s Einstein Tower (exterior). Depart Berlin 1645, arriving Heathrow 1740.

TOUR CODE: GBAU20

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ART & ARCHITECTURE

Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design

disciplinary boundaries to achieve material and spiritual welfare. This tour offers the opportunity to explore not only the Bauhaus but also the wider artistic context of the movement.

UNITED KINGDOM Work, Ford Madox Brown

Artists of the North July 6–9, 2020 from £995 per person | with Stella Lyons

ART & ARCHITECTURE • Learn about the artistic heritage of Yorkshire and Lancashire, home to four of Britain’s most important 20th century artists: Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, David Hockney and L S Lowry • See works by Henry Moore in the open air at Yorkshire Sculpture Park • Explore the Hepworth Wakefield, the Lowry, and the art galleries of Leeds and Manchester

The influence of the Yorkshire landscape on the work of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth is well known, and its geological forms have continued to inspire a contemporary generation of sculptors.

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Our tour of the northern counties visits galleries that have been dedicated to four of the most important British 20th century artists. The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds and the Hepworth Wakefield form part of the ‘Yorkshire triangle’ alongside the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Britain’s most celebrated collection of outdoor artworks. The Hepworth Wakefield was the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2017, while the Yorkshire Sculpture Park achieved the accolade in 2014.

The spectacular 18th century park includes permanent pieces by both Moore and Hepworth, and others including David Nash, Anthony Gormley and Andy Goldsworthy. Further north, Jonathan Silver, a close friend of

David Hockney, amassed a collection of over 300 pieces by the artist, which now occupies a converted mill in Sir Titus Salt’s model village of Saltaire.

Manchester Art Gallery also contains important 20th century works from Augustus John to Lucian Freud.

However, the strength of its collection lies in its late 18th and 19th century pieces, including paintings by the PreRaphaelites, and Ford Madox Brown’s iconic piece Work (1865). This work helped to inspire the commissioning of a series of paintings for Manchester Town Hall.

We will experience the largest public collection of works by the artist L S Lowry, including Coming from the Mill and Going to Work on our visit to the

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UNITED KINGDOM The Hepworth Wakefield © Mike Kirby

Nuria, James Plensa

ART & ARCHITECTURE

This tour will be led by Stella Lyons, BA, MA, a freelance Art History lecturer and speaker accredited with the Arts Society who lectures regularly throughout the UK, Europe and in Asia. Stella studied at the universities of Bristol and Warwick and at the British Institute of Florence. Her particular interests include the Italian Renaissance, 20th century American figurative art, and 19th century British art.

Day 1 Tour assembles 1430 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Leeds, for three nights. Afternoon visit to Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery. Evening introductory lecture.

Lowry, a quayside arts centre in Salford.

The artist spent much of his life in Salford and his works are closely linked to the city.

Our tour also includes a visit to the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, which is part of the University of Leeds and since 2008 has been home to an exceptional collection of art.

Our base will be the four-star Radisson Blu Hotel in the heart of Leeds, located very close to the Leeds Art Gallery and town hall.

Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some visits may be subject to change. We cannot guarantee the availability of all artworks listed.

Day 2 Morning: orientation walking tour of Leeds and visit to Leeds Art Gallery followed by optional independent visit to the Henry Moore Institute (world recognised centre for the study of sculpture, with contemporary exhibitions).

Afternoon excursion to Yorkshire Sculpture Park (landscaped park including work by Hepworth and Moore). Evening lecture.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Manchester: Manchester Art Gallery (featuring works by Gainsborough, the Pre-Raphaelites and Ford Madox Brown) followed by the Lowry (the largest public collection of the artist’s work in the world, including Coming from the Mill and Going to Work) and Salford Quays. Evening lecture.

Day 4 Morning: Saltaire (World Heritage Site).

Afternoon: Hepworth Wakefield. Tour disperses c 1700 at Leeds Station, followed by hotel.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: A good level of fitness is required for this tour, and participants should be prepared for a moderate amount of walking and standing during walking tours and gallery visits. There will be options for participants to take shorter routes on our visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Cost of £995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £175.

TOUR CODE: ARNH20

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IRELAND This tour will be led by Caroline Hannah, BA, who has a degree in English Literature & History of Art as well as a degree in Garden Design from Writtle University College. For many years and prior to joining the team at ACE Cultural Tours, Caroline ran her own garden design business and has undertaken both commercial and residential projects. She has given talks on garden design, and also conducted a live question and answer session on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

Gardens of the Republic of Ireland

© CAROLINE HANNAH

May 13–20, 2020 from £2385 per person | with Caroline Hannah

Mount Usher Gardens

HOUSES & GARDENS

• From Kilmacurragh to Dargle Glen, enjoy visits to some of Ireland’s most impressive gardens in the company of head gardeners, curators and owners • Explore a selection of private grounds, including June Blake’s beautiful country-style garden • Explore designs inspired by William Robinson at Altamont and Mount Usher The south-eastern region of the Republic of Ireland encompasses some of the most fertile and picturesque gardens in the country. A favourable climate gives rise to a huge diversity of plants from around the globe, ranging from champion trees to unusual bulbs and herbaceous plants.

Spanning grand, historical estates to 19th century botanical collections and more recently created, privately owned gardens, our tour will showcase a carefully chosen selection of the region’s most beautiful horticultural offerings. During our journey we will have the benefit of meeting a variety of owners, gardeners and curators, who will reveal the stories behind each garden, show us their unique botanical treasures, and discuss the maintenance and skill taken to preserve them today.

A particular highlight will be Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens: renowned for their rhododendrons and champion trees, these important 19th century grounds provided ideal growing conditions for plants brought back by explorers from all over the world.

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19th century visitors to Dargle Glen were frequently inspired to capture its dramatic scenery on paper. Surrounded by 57 acres of birch and oak woodland, this private landscape garden overlooking the River Dargle was restored by its new owner in 1998, and the grounds boast an award-winning cantilevered summerhouse built over the gorge. Today the garden features an extraordinary fusion of plants from Chile, Japan and America, alongside commissioned sculpture and unusual planting.

No exploration of the region would be complete without a visit to Huntington Castle, an irresistible castellated structure remodelled in the 1670s when the formal avenues were laid out. The gardens are famous for their ancient yews and Italianate style terraces, and our tour will include a visit to both the castle and grounds.

From the spectacular Powerscourt Gardens at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains, to the tranquil, William Robinson-inspired Altamont, we will come away with a nuanced appreciation of the horticulture of this inspiring region.

Timings and the nature of some visits may be adjusted on the ground by the Tour Director depending on local conditions, particularly the weather.

We will stay at the four star BrookLodge & Macreddin Village Hotel, based in a beautiful village setting and combining classic accommodation with awardwinning dining.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note this tour will involve a significant amount of outdoor walking, often over uneven ground, slopes, steps and bridges. Distances vary from garden to garden: some are very short and compact while others are very extensive. Participants should therefore have a good level of mobility, although there will be options to opt out of the more strenuous walks and join the group later.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1035 on British Airways, arriving Dublin 1210. Afternoon visit to Mount Usher Gardens (along the River Vartry, with over 5000 species). Continue to BrookLodge and Macreddin Village Hotel for seven nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning visit to Powerscourt Garden (Italian garden of the mid-18th century). Afternoon visit to Kilruddery Garden (late 17th century).

Evening lecture.

Day 3 Morning foraging experience at the hotel.

Afternoon visit to Kilmacurragh Botanic Gardens.

Day 4 Altamont Gardens (William Robinsoninspired garden with over 1500 species).

Afternoon: Huntington Castle including guided tour of the castle and grounds (ancient yews and Italianate terraces).

Day 5 Dargle Glen Gardens (romantic landscape garden with unusual plants, surrounded by oak and birch woodland) followed by Prospect House Gardens and K Club (Kildare champion trees).

Return to hotel via Sally Gap and scenic route through Wicklow Mountains. Free evening.

Day 6 Morning visit to Russborough House & Parkland followed by June Blake’s garden and Huntingbrook Gardens (experimental plantsman’s garden with woodland designed by owner Jimi Blake). Free evening.

Day 7 Morning visit to Dower House Garden (19th century with wild flower meadow and white garden), followed by Patthana Gardens (artist’s garden with bold planting and beautiful birches).

Day 8 Depart Dublin 1300, arriving Heathrow 1430.

Cost of £2385 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, four lunches (two packed), five dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £270.

TOUR CODE: GORI20

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UNITED KINGDOM

Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders July 20–24, 2020 from £1295 per person | with Jeffrey Haworth

innovative, complex and entertaining garden at The Laskett is very much a living garden, whilst the huge garden at Hampton Court Castle is a modern masterpiece, spilling out of two walled enclosures.

The area is also rich in churches dating from the first half of the 12th century: the time of the so-called Hereford School of Carvers. Besides the familiar dogtooth and chevron carving is much Christian symbolism. We will also visit Hereford Cathedral, with its Norman enrichments, and Ludlow, where we will glimpse the imposing castle ruins and perambulate two of the finest streets in England, the houses mostly Georgian-fronted.

We will stay throughout at the historical three-star Green Dragon Hotel, located in the heart of Hereford.

Stokesay Castle

• From a base in the cathedral city of Hereford, enjoy an array of private visits to houses and gardens not frequently open to the public, from Whitfield to Llanvihangel and Treberfydd • Explore some of the region’s fine churches, including the Romanesque Kilpeck Church • Discover wonderful gardens of the 20th century, including The Laskett Gardens Along the Welsh Border lies one of the most gentle and beautiful landscapes to be found in Britain. Hedgerow-lined fields are small and interspersed with wooded areas. It is hard to believe this peaceful region ever witnessed turbulent times, though surviving castles suggest otherwise. Although we will visit the mildly defensive Manor House at Stokesay, our tour will predominantly focus upon the products of a settled countryside featuring fine houses.

Much of our tour will spent at private country houses and gardens, viewing buildings dating from the 16th century onwards. The beautiful manor at Hellens is one of the oldest dwellings in England, with foundations dating from the 12th century, and also featuring later Tudor,

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Jacobean and Georgian architecture.

Llanvihangel Court, meanwhile, is a Tudor country house with medieval origins set in beautiful surroundings near the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons.

We will visit two major houses dating from the Victorian era: Gothic Revival Treberfydd is located in remote country near Brecon, and Stokesay Court contains a virtually untouched late Victorian interior and was used as the setting for the film Atonement.

We will visit three contrasting 20th century gardens, each highly detailed and in immaculate order. High Glanau was created before the First World War by H Avray Tipping, Architectural Editor of Country Life and highly adept garden designer whose work also includes the garden at Chequers. Sir Roy Strong’s This tour will be led by Jeffrey Haworth, who has worked as an architect for historical buildings and who spent over 20 years working for the National Trust as a Historic Buildings Representative and subsequently as a curator. Jeffrey was also Founder-Chairman of the Hereford and Worcester Gardens Trust.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that participants will need to be comfortable walking and standing for periods of time, including on uneven or slippery ground, and navigating steps and stairs.

Day 1 Assemble 1145 at Green Dragon Hotel, Hereford, for four nights. Afternoon: St Bartholomew’s Church, Much Marcle (13th century church with Norman tub font), Hellens Manor (house and gardens) and Church of St Mary & St David, Kilpeck (fine Romanesque church). Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Whitfield (gardens), High Glanau Manor (house and gardens) and The Laskett (gardens created by Sir Roy Strong). Free evening.

Day 3 Stokesay Court (house and gardens), Stokesay Castle and historical walking tour of Ludlow. Evening guest lecture with David Whitehead (expert on history of Hampton Court Castle): An Introduction to the Churches, Country Houses and Gardens of Herefordshire.

Day 4 Llanvihangel Court (house and gardens), tour of gardens at Llanover House and Treberfydd (house, gardens and church). Evening guest talk with the Dean of Hereford Cathedral.

Day 5 Hampton Court Castle (castle and gardens) followed by tour of Hereford Cathedral.

Tour disperses 1500 in Hereford.

Cost of £1295 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, four lunches, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £120.

TOUR CODE: HEWB20

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HOUSES & GARDENS

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, owing to the nature of the visits, some elements may be subject to confirmation.

ITALY

Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi April 7–14, 2020 from £1995 per person with Mark Welch and Harriet Allen

Sardinian landscape with nuraghi in the distance

NATURE

• Discover Sardinia’s wonderful flora and fauna in a variety of habitats including cork oak woodland and karstic mountain landscapes • Examine the island’s Bronze Age civilisation through their characteristic circular towers – nuraghi • The lagoons at Mari e Pauli and Sale Porcus offer opportunities to see uncommon water birds Based in the charming towns of Cabras and Cala Gonone, this tour takes in Sardinia’s coastal waters and rugged interior on an exploration of its natural history and archaeology.

At the lagoons of Marina di Torre Grande, we are likely to see flamingos, stilts and ospreys. At Mari e Pauli and Sale Porcus we may spot water birds like the purple gallinule, great white egret and red-crested pochard. On the high basalt plateau of Gesturi we will meander through forests of cork oaks looking for spring flowers and survey the streams for migrant birds. We also hope to encounter a variety of orchids and the island’s wild ponies, and look out for dung beetles rolling their dung balls.

The most striking evidence that survives of the island’s indigenous Bronze Age Nuraghic civilisation are the circular stone towers that are dotted across the island. The Nuraghic finds at the museum in Cabras are perhaps the most important in Sardinia and provide an ideal introduction to our nuraghi visits 32

on the island. We will also explore the UNESCO-protected complex at Su Nuraxi di Barumini, an unparalleled survival from the ancient world.

In Cabras we will stay at the three-star Villa Canu, a small and simple familyrun hotel, and in Cala Gonone at the four-star Hotel Costa Dorada.

Please note that the itinerary below represents what we hope to offer, but some visits and excursions may be weather dependent and subject to change.

This tour will be led by Mark Welch, BSc, PhD, and Harriet Allen, MA, MSc, PhD. Mark is a professional research scientist in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Natural History Museum in London. He has a PhD in geosciences from Edinburgh University and has held research fellowships at Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities.

Harriet is a Geographer and Fellow and Director of Studies at Girton College, Cambridge. Harriet has been leading field excursions for over thirty years, and has extensive experience of flora and birds across the world.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will be taken at a relaxed pace however there will be a number of walks over rugged terrain, as well as visits to sites with uneven steps and surfaces.

Participants should be comfortable standing and walking for two hours at a time, and also with embarking and disembarking small sea-going boats.

Day 1 Depart London Stansted 1255 on Ryanair, arriving Alghero 1625. Continue to lakeside town of Cabras for four nights at Villa Canu.

Day 2 Morning: lagoons at Marina di Torre Grande (flamingos, stilts, ospreys, saltwater plants, bees and other insects), 5th century Church of San Giovanni di Sinis. Afternoon: Tharros (substantial Punic and Roman ruins) on beautiful Mediterranean peninsula (Posidonia beds, insects), Cabras Museum (introduction to mysterious prehistoric Nuraghic civilisation).

Day 3 Lagoons of Mari e Pauli and Sale Porcus (purple gallinule, great white egret, red-crested pochard, violet-winged mining bee), Su Pallosu for walk through coastal garrigue vegetation of dunes and cliffs to Aragonese defensive tower (coastal macchia, Dartford warbler, Sardinian warbler, shearwaters, and possibility of rare slender-billed gull). Church of San Salvatore (underground pagan sanctuary, pilgrim huts).

Day 4 Good Friday Morning: Barumini Museum, Casa Zapata and high basalt plateau of Gesturi for walk through cork oak woodland (sand crocus, streams, pools, migrant birds, woodlarks, dung beetles, mantids and wild ponies). Afternoon: Su Nuraxi (impressive Nuraghic site with huge towers).

Day 5 Via Nuraghic site of Santa Cristina (sacred well, orchids, butterflies and bees) and giant’s tomb of S’Ena e Thomes to beautiful coastal village of Cala Gonone for three nights at Hotel Costa Dorada.

Day 6 Easter Sunday Day spent exploring the surroundings of Cala Gonone.

Day 7 Easter Monday Supramonte Mountains: eagles, Barbary partridge, wildflowers (wild cyclamen and peonies) followed by walk around clifftop site of Nuraghe Mannu with Nuraghic tower and village (superb views). Evening: traditional dinner on local farm.

Day 8 Transfer to Alghero via impressive nuraghe at Santu Antine for 1650 return flight, arriving Stansted 1825.

Purple Gallinule

Cost of £1995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £90, double room for single use supplement £135.

TOUR CODE: SARD20

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GREECE

Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans April 14–21, 2020 from £1995 per person | with Kevin Hand

Lassithi plateau

Its mountains and gorges alive with wildlife, Crete possesses a magical quality that entrances every visitor. One of the most exceptional botanical areas in the Mediterranean, Crete boasts a superb flora containing at least 160 endemic species, including ebony, rock lettuce and birthwort. Myriad orchids grace archaeological sites, and fields sparkle with wild gladioli and irises.

Crete is also well known for its fauna, from the kri-kri – the wild ancestor of the domestic goat – to the rare bearded vulture that haunts the island’s mountain passes. During our walks across the Cretan landscape we will enjoy breathtaking views, particularly at the Lassithi Plateau, a fertile mountain expanse where raptors glide in the valley below. At the head of the precipitous Samaria Gorge, where centuries-old cypresses stand sentinel, we will seek out mountain plants such as aubretia and yellow Star-of-Bethlehem.

Although the emphasis of our programme will be on flowers and birds,

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there will also be a guided tour of the famous Minoan site of Knossos and visits to the smaller remains at Gournia and Malia. The majestic Selinari Gorge, meanwhile, offers opportunities to visit an old chapel and newly founded monastery. Our tour to Crete coincides with Orthodox Easter, and we will take in local events and celebrations on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of our stay.

Our first five nights are spent at the Hotel Miramare, a small hotel close to the sea near Agios Nikolaos. In Omalos we stay at the Neos Omalos, a mountain resort hotel. Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be adjusted nearer the time owing to changing local conditions.

Tour Director Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM, is a conservationist and environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. He has led many projects linking nature and communities. In April 2017 he was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour requires a good level of fitness as it involves a significant amount of walking, including over uneven, rough and steep terrain. In some instances, participants can take alternative routes if they do not wish to join the main group walks.

Our itinerary also includes a short boat trip so participants must feel comfortable travelling by boat.

Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 0710 on Easyjet, arriving Heraklion 1310. Transfer to Agios Nikolaos for five nights at Hotel Miramare.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by coastal town of Elounda (waders, migrant pipits, larks in former salt-pans) and peninsula of Spinalonga (sunken city of Olous) for cliff walk (wild gladioli, endemic orchids, birds of prey) followed by boat trip to Venetian island fortress of Spinalonga.

Day 3 Minoan Palace of Malia (marsh shore with short turf covered in Cretan camomile and catch fly). Afternoon visit to the famous Minoan Palace at Knossos.

Day 4 Lassithi Plateau (large, fertile mountain plateau with panoramic views) for orchids, upland plants, fruit groves with optional visit to Dhiktean Cave (birthplace of Zeus).

Day 5 Morning: ruins of Gournia (unusual Minoan town), rocky coastline in search of Cretan ebony.

Afternoon: gigantic gorge mouth at Monastiraki (chough, Alpine swift).

Day 6 Selinari Gorge (chapel, monastery and vulture colony), Rethymnon, Agia Lake (waders and migrant water-birds) then transfer for two nights at Neos Omalos Hotel in mountains of western Crete.

Day 7 Across Omalos plateau to Samaria Gorge, exploring little-known paths, searching for mountain plants (endemic Cretan tulip, aubretia, yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, centuries-old cypresses), with possible sightings of bearded vulture and agrimi (wild goat).

Day 8 Depart Chania 1435, arriving Gatwick 1635.

Cost of £1995 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £155.

TOUR CODE: CRET20

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NATURE

• Absorb captivating views across the Cretan landscape from the beautiful Lassithi Plateau • Explore the Minoan palace at Knossos in addition to the remains at Gournia and Malia • Look out for waders, migrant pipits and larks in the coastal town of Elounda, followed by a nearby cliff walk where wild gladioli and endemic orchids grow above the sea

POLAND

Wild Poland: From Ancient Rivers to Primeval Forest April 28 – May 5, 2020 from £1785 per person | with Kevin Hand

Narew National Park

NATURE

• Explore the truly unique environment of Bialowieza, the greatest primeval deciduous and coniferous forest on the continent, home to wild boar, red deer and wild bison • Journey up the Narew River – where the reed marshes are known as the ‘Polish Amazonia’ – looking out for corncrakes, little bitterns, black storks and short eared owls • The magical dawn chorus will greet us on a special early morning outing, complemented by evening walks to observe beavers and the forest nightlife On the eastern Polish borders with Lithuania and Belarus lies the green lung of Poland. It is a region of great ecological interest, filled with untouched landscapes, pristine habitats and some of the best wildlife in Europe.

Our tour concentrates on the wildlife and habitats of this spectacular and yet rarely visited region, which is of particular interest to bird lovers who will find a number of rare species filling the skies. There is a wealth of wild flowers, an abundance of storks, as well as villages made up of traditional wooden houses.

Red breasted flycatcher

Bialowieza is the greatest primeval mixed deciduous and coniferous forest on the continent and the last home of the European bison. Formerly the hunting grounds of the Czars of Russia, the woodland was declared a national park by the newly independent state of Poland in 1921. During our time exploring the trails through ancient limes, oaks and Norway spruces we will discover the unparalleled diversity of plants and fungi and may glimpse bison, boar and even the shy wolf.

At this time of year the cool forests are alive with birdsong, and we will be looking out for red-breasted flycatcher and the nine species of woodpeckers found here all year round, which may be feeding young in their holes. Special early morning and evening excursions will be made to experience the dawn chorus and observe pygmy owl and beaver.

Nearby lie the Biebrza Marshes, one of Europe’s most important breeding areas for wetland birdlife. This maze of channels, flooded meadows and marshland offers a contrasting habitat for animals and birds including elk, otter, aquatic warbler and great snipe.

We spend four nights at the three-star Hotel Bialowieski situated in the heart of Bialowieza primeval forest, before transferring to the Bartlowizna Hotel, Goniadz.

While we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, please note that some aspects may be adjusted nearer the time, and we cannot guarantee the availability of all the wildlife mentioned.

Tour Director Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM, conservationist, ornithologist and environmental consultant, has been leading wildlife tours throughout the world for 30 years. Organisations he has worked with include the Tree Council, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Forestry Commission. Kevin is President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will be taken at a relaxed pace, usually over flat ground.

Please note, however, that participants should be capable of walking over rough terrain and for extended periods of time.

Day 1 Depart Heathrow 1015 on LOT Polish Airlines, arriving Warsaw 1345. Transfer to Bialowieza via the Holy Mount of Grabarka (sacred building surrounded by forest) for four nights at Hotel Bialowieski.

Day 2 Early morning field trip in the National Park of Bialowieza forest (wild boar, red deer and the possibility of wild bison). Afternoon: National History Museum and small Skansen Open-Air Museum (traditional wooden architecture).

Evening introduction to tomorrow’s special visit by National Park staff.

Day 3 Early morning dawn chorus excursion through the strictly protected zone of the National Park (world famous primeval forest). Some free time at the hotel followed by an evening excursion into the Bialowieza Forest (night life of the forest, possible bison and owls).

Day 4 Optional early morning dawn chorus river walk followed by further exploration of the forest including walks in spruce woods (red-breasted flycatcher, woodpeckers, possible bison, boar and wolf).

Day 5 Journey northwards to the Narwianski National Park for Narew River trip in punts through reed marshes and flood plain (the ‘Polish Amazonia’ with corncrake, little bittern, black stork, short-eared owl and rare dragonflies). Continue for three nights at the Bartlowizna Hotel, Goniadz.

Day 6 Visits in the area looking for orchids, butterflies and wetland birds. Afternoon: Tykocin village including Jewish museum (the Great Synagogue built 1642).

Day 7 Excursion to the Biebrza Marshes, looking out for aquatic warbler, harriers, eagles, elk and beaver. Afternoon visit to the site of the Battle of Wizna (1939), sometimes referred to as the ‘Polish Thermopylae’. Evening river visit to spot beaver colonies and crakes.

Day 8 Depart Warsaw 1530, arriving Heathrow 1720.

Cost of £1785 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin bedded room, breakfast, six lunches (two packed), dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £115.

TOUR CODE: WPOL20

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UNITED KINGDOM

Isles of Scilly May 12–19, 2020 from £1995 per person | with Peter Exley and Diana Ward

Isles of Scilly Headland

More peaceful and relaxed than mainland Britain, Scilly embraces five inhabited islands and dozens of rocky outcrops, rich in sea birds.

The archipelago’s location and singular maritime micro-climate endows this Atlantic haven with great botanical and ornithological interest; with over 350 days of the year warm enough for plant growth, flora from the Canaries, South Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand flourish across the islands, and a unique list of migratory birds find a feeding refuge on the last outpost of south western Britain.

We will take in the islands’ spring highlights, with a particular focus upon their flora, in the company of ecologists Peter Exley and Diana Ward. On coastal paths and nature trails, we will discover the exotic vegetation that makes these islands the subject of such great botanical interest. A particular highlight will be Bryher, the smallest community on the Isles of Scilly: the west and north coasts are wild and rugged with superb coastal

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vegetation and wind-pruned ‘waves’ of heather; the east, sheltered and mild, flourishes with exotic vegetation.

We stay at the three-star St Mary’s Hall Hotel on St Mary’s, an elegant townhouse originally built for an Italian noble family.

Please note the itinerary below represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and will be flexible to allow for tides, weather conditions and local reports of bird arrivals.

Travel to and from St Mary’s is not included in the cost of this tour.

This tour will be led by Peter Exley, BSc, and Diana Ward, MSc, CBiol, MCIEEM. Peter is an ecologist and ornithologist who works for the RSPB, and has previously held posts with BirdLife International and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa. Diana is an ecologist and wildlife specialist: her company, Ward Ecology Ltd, carried out ecological assessment work, and she has worked for many years on Sites of Special Scientific Interest and river restoration projects.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants must be able to walk for a minimum of four miles over uneven ground, and a good level of fitness is required for this tour.

Day 1 Assemble 1800 at St Mary’s Hall Hotel and check in for seven nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 By ferry across St Mary’s Sound to St Agnes (superb maritime heath) and Gugh (spectacular coastline walks).

Day 3 Walk (wetland birdlife and coastal vegetation) to Bant’s Carn (Bronze Age burial chamber), Halangy Down (Iron Age settlement), Holy Vale, Higher Moors, Porth Hellick Down (Bronze Age grave and burial chamber). Return along coastal path over Salakee Down to Old Town and church.

Day 4 By charter boat to Western Rocks (seals, coastal birds) and Samson (largest of uninhabited isles with abandoned village) – sea and weather conditions permitting.

Day 5 By ferry to Bryher: superb coastal vegetation (search for rare dwarf pansies) and heather moorland on Shipman Head Down with visits to prehistoric entrance graves and promontory fort.

Day 6 Morning: excursion by ferry to Tresco Abbey Garden (sub-tropical gardens). Afternoon free in St Mary’s or optional walk on Castle Down, Tresco.

Day 7 By charter boat to Eastern Isles (cobble bars linking small isles, undisturbed coastal and heath vegetation, seals, birds) with visit (sea conditions dependent) to island of St Helen’s: remains of St Elid’s hermitage (8th century chapel), 18th century Pest House.

Day 8 Tour disperses after breakfast.

Cost of £1995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: return travel, travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £145.

TOUR CODE: ISCY20

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NATURE

• Explore the botanical and ornithological highlights of the tranquil Isles of Scilly in the company of expert ecologists • Visit the famous sub-tropical gardens of Tresco, home to a rich diversity of exotic plants • Take in archaeological sites, wetland birdlife and maritime-influenced vegetation

UNITED KINGDOM

Wild & Ancient Dartmoor May 26–29, 2020 from £995 per person | with Peter Exley

Hound Tor

NATURE

• The UK’s most southerly upland boasts stunning views and rich wildlife, interwoven with a fascinating mix of archaeology, history, myth and legend • Visit Wistman’s Wood, one of three rare remnants of high-altitude ancient oak woodland • Take a tour of Higher Uppacott medieval farmhouse, guided by a member of the restoration team Dartmoor is the last, and largest, remaining wilderness in southern England, a landscape steeped in history and culture, made famous by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles.

It is astonishingly rich in wildlife – lush oak woodlands teeming with songbirds, rolling moorlands where the song of the skylark and the call of the cuckoo are still widely heard, high mire systems where dunlin breed, and fast flowing rivers where trout and dippers thrive.

Redstart

Today it is one of our most popular national parks, yet Dartmoor owes its present appearance to millennia of human influence. Our tour shall venture beyond the picture-postcard image of ponies and cream teas to explore Neolithic villages, medieval farms, ancient droves and track ways, and the abandoned industrial landscapes shaped by tin, lead and granite extraction.

At Yarner Wood National Nature Reserve we will look out for pied flycatchers, redstarts and wood warblers, and investigate the unique granite tramway once used to transport hewn granite blocks to the Teign Estuary to be shipped for construction around the world. A trip to the high moor will take us to eerie Wistman’s Wood, where lichens cling to the boughs of ancient oaks, and we also walk amongst some of the flower-rich hay meadows still to be found here.

Please note that itinerary changes are possible owing to changeable weather conditions.

We stay throughout at the three-star Two Bridges Hotel in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, perched on the banks of the West Dart River.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: As we will explore the area largely on foot, participants should be prepared for walks of around three miles over paths that can be uneven, rocky and muddy. Participants should have a good overall level of fitness.

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This tour will be led by Peter Exley, BSc, a conservationist and ornithologist who works for the RSPB. Peter lives on the edge of Dartmoor, and is a Board Member of the Moor than Meets the Eye project to restore the landscapes and support the communities of the Moor.

Day 1 Assemble for coach pickup at Exeter St David’s Station at 1530, then transfer to Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor for three nights.

Welcome and introductory lecture. Optional evening walk on Trendlebere Down to listen for nightjars (weather permitting).

Day 2 Rich oak woodlands at Yarner Wood National Nature Reserve (possible pied flycatchers, redstarts and wood warblers, Haytor Granite Tramway), Trendlebere Down (sundews, orchids, Dartford warblers, butterflies), Hound Tor (abandoned medieval village).

Day 3 Holne Moor (rich historical landscape, home to whinchats, cuckoos and adders), Higher Uppacott (restored medieval longhouse) and Wistman’s Wood (atmospheric ancient oak woodland).

Day 4 Walk from Bronze Age settlement of Grimspound through Challacombe (abandoned medieval village) and Soussons Down (wildlife rich valley) to Headland Warren (former commercial rabbit warren). Tour disperses 1300 at the hotel or c1400 at Exeter St David’s Station.

Cost of £995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £150.

TOUR CODE: DART20

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IRELAND

Donegal & Tory Island June 21–29, 2020 from £2195 per person | with Kevin Hand

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will move at a relaxed pace with a mixture of cultural visits and longer walks taking in the best of the landscape and natural history. Participants should be comfortable both with heights and walking over sometimes rugged and uneven terrain. Longer walks will be between two and three hours. Please note that all visits on Tory Island will be made on foot.

This tour provides the perfect introduction to the landscapes, wildlife and cultural history of one of Ireland’s most striking coastal regions. We will follow in the footsteps of Donegal’s most famous son, St Columba, born in 521 AD, with visits to the saint’s birthplace, chapel and holy well near Lough Gartan. We will uncover the legend of the Flagstones of Loneliness, a mystical megalith that legend says has the power to cure the sorrows of those – most notably Columba himself – who fall asleep on it.

Our itinerary includes the beautiful coastal scenery around Slieve League, the highest sea-cliffs in Europe, where – for those with a head for heights and a fit pair of legs – the reward will be stunning views and an abundance of seabirds.

During our stay we hope to spot redthroated divers, corncrakes, choughs, puffins and perhaps even golden eagles, recently reintroduced to the region.

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Orchids and various bog plants should also lie along our route.

As well as headland and moorland walks, we will enjoy coastal strolls along miles of deserted beaches and rocky coves.

From Bunbeg we will take a scenic cruise to Tory Island, the country’s most remote inhabited island. Once home to a monastery founded by St Columba, the island – an important bird area – was also a favourite location for recently deceased artist Derek Hill, who painted many evocative landscapes of the island.

Indeed, primitive painting is another of the themes of our tour, with a visit to Glebe House, Hill’s former home and gallery, and the James Dixon Gallery.

Our first two nights are spent at the three-star Bay View Hotel, a recently refurbished establishment in the charming fishing town of Killybegs, followed by three nights near Bunbeg at the four-star An Chúirt Gweedore Court Hotel. Our tour concludes with three nights at the Tory Harbour View Hotel, at the heart of the island’s community life, with simple ensuite rooms.

Cost of £2195 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, six lunches (four packed), dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £120.

TOUR CODE: DNTI20

Day 1 Depart London Stansted 1205 on Loganair, arriving Derry 1330. Transfer to Bay View Hotel, Killybegs for two nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning: through beautiful coastal scenery to high sea-cliffs of Slieve League (views and seabirds). Afternoon in Glencolmcille: folk village museum, Stone Age megaliths associated with St Columba.

Day 3 Morning: Blue Stack Mountains and Colmcille Heritage Centre (saint’s birthplace, chapel, holy well). Afternoon: Gaeltacht region (where Gaelic is still the first language): Glebe House, home and gallery of Primitive painter Derek Hill. Transfer to An Chúirt Gweedore Court Hotel for three nights.

Day 4 Morning: coastal walks along deserted beaches and rocky coves. Afternoon: Horn Head with dramatic views to Tory Island and Malin Head – cliff edge and headland walks, seabirds, moorland flowers.

Day 5 Glenveagh National Park with walk along nature trail beside lough and onto moorland (spotting red-throated divers, golden eagles, orchids, bog plants). Visitor Centre with excellent displays on landlords and evictions, ecology and geology. Afternoon: 19th century Glenveagh Castle and gardens (neo-Gothic architecture complete with ramparts, turrets, round tower).

Day 6 Morning ferry to Tory Island with cruise past island and deserted villages. Afternoon: walk along the west of the island – lighthouse, Derek Hill’s remote hut. Three nights at Tory Harbour View Hotel.

Day 7 Cliff walks in search of seabird colonies (including puffins).

Day 8 Further walks on Tory Island and free time to wander.

Day 9 Return ferry to mainland. Transfer to Derry airport for 1730 departure, arriving Stansted 1855.

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NATURE

Slieve League, County Donegal

• Discover the beautiful views, fascinating landscape and intriguing culture of County Donegal • Trace the footsteps of St Columba as we take a short voyage to Tory Island, remote but still inhabited • Explore the impressions this part of Ireland made on artists including Derek Hill, founder of the Primitive painters’ group on Tory Island

Tour Director Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM, is a conservationist and environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. Kevin has led many projects linking nature and communities, and was a Director of the Tree Council in the UK for 13 years.

Kevin recently led a team providing access to the British countryside for hard to reach groups, and is currently leading a project on eagles, vultures and other wildlife in Albania. In April 2017 he was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

UNITED KINGDOM

The Shetland Islands June 22–29, 2020 from £1995 per person | with Peter Exley

NATURE

Sumburgh Head

• Explore the wonderfully atmospheric, uninhabited Isle of Mousa, home to seabirds and waders including storm petrels • Absorb the remarkable history of Shetland, from Neolithic settlements to Viking remains • Make an excursion to the island of Unst to visit the Keen of Hamar Nature Reserve, with its otherworldly appearance and rare plantlife

The Shetland Islands remain little changed since man first set foot on their far-flung shores. This remote, unspoilt archipelago is an ideal place to study seabirds, observe sea mammals and identify wild flowers – the three main themes of our summer tour.

Our tour will cover the full length of Shetland, from Sumburgh Head in the south where we will look for colourful puffins, to the northern island of Unst.

Here we will visit the remote Hermaness Reserve, over 2000 acres of dramatic coastal scenery and wild moorland with thousands of nesting seabirds, including 38

the UK’s largest great skua colony. Just south of here lies the Keen of Hamar, a unique lunar-like landscape of fractured serpentine rock home to some of Britain’s rarest plants.

The Isle of Mousa welcomes many seabirds and waders, notably the storm petrel. We will look at the vegetation and geo-morphology of the spectacular sandy causeway – known as a tombolo – that leads to St Ninian’s Isle, famed for the hoard of Pictish treasure uncovered in the ruins of the 12th century church.

We will also see something of Shetland’s Neolithic farms, Viking houses and Iron Age brochs, including Jarlshof, where the original Stone Age dwellings are topped by Pictish wheelhouses, Viking longhouses and the remains of a 16th century mansion.

While we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary, visits in Shetland depend heavily on weather conditions; to make the most of our stay, the Tour Director may need to adjust the order and nature of the visits on the ground.

Please note travel to and from Shetland is not included in the cost of this tour.

This tour will be led by Peter Exley, BSc, an ecologist and ornithologist who currently works for the RSPB. Peter has also held posts with BirdLife International and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa. He has led and managed many ACE tours in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Algarve, New England, Madeira, the Faroes and Shetland.

Our first five nights are spent in Lerwick (accommodation to be confirmed). We then transfer to the Baltasound Hotel in Unst, Britain’s most northerly hotel, which offers comfortable accommodation in cosy log-cabin style rooms equipped with all the usual amenities.

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UNITED KINGDOM

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will involve frequent walks, some short and others of up to two miles, mostly over paths but occasionally along cliff tops and over rough ground. Participants should be able to walk for up to 90 minutes and stand for 30 minutes.

Day 1 Tour assembles early afternoon at Sumburgh Airport (subject to 2020 flight schedules – to be confirmed) or midday at Lerwick Ferry Terminal. Afternoon: Sumburgh Head (puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes with possibility of seals, humpback whales). Transfer to Lerwick for five nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 South Mainland for Croft House Museum, St Ninian’s Isle then by boat from Sandwick to uninhabited island of Mousa (broch with towering walls), seals and seabirds.

Day 3 Tingwall: valley (wild flowers) and loch (whooper swans), Althing (Viking parliament), 18th century Tingwall Kirk then by ferry to island of Whalsay (centre of Shetland fishing industry): Yoxie and Beenie Hoose (Neolithic houses), restored Hanseatic booth (warehouse). Late night excursion to Mousa to view storm petrels (weather permitting).

Day 4 North mainland: moorland and coastal scenery around Ronas Hill with visits to Mavis Grind, Ollaberry (Great Glen fault) and Urraforth Ayre.

NATURE

Puffins

“The Shetland Islands in summer are one of our most exciting wildlife destinations. Teeming seabird cities crowd on towering cliffs, red-throated divers can be found on the myriad lochs, and it is the best place to see seals, porpoises, otters and even killer whales. Remote and beautiful, Britain’s rugged northernmost archipelago is rich in Viking history and Neolithic archaeology, and together we will explore this uniquely rich fusion of archaeology, history, culture, community and stunning wildlife.”

– ACE Tour Director Peter Exley

Day 5 By boat to bird cliffs of Noss (guillemot, gannet, Shetland wren, rock pipit) followed by walking tour and free time in historical Lerwick (esplanade, 17th century Fort Charlotte, Victorian town hall).

Day 8 Depart hotel by coach and ferry for Sumburgh via Jarlshof. Arrive Sumburgh Airport in time for Loganair flight departing 1635, arriving Aberdeen 1735.

Day 6 By boat from Toft to Fetlar (waders, whimbrels, serpentine moorland): Houbie, Loch of Funzie, serpentine moorland. By boat from Fetlar to Unst for two nights at Baltasound Hotel.

Optional evening walk in search of otters.

Day 7 Whole day excursion to Hermaness National Nature Reserve (puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes) and Keen of Hamar (serpentine desert landscape). Evening talk.

Cost of £1995 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, seven lunches (five packed), dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: return travel, travel insurance, single room supplement £285.

TOUR CODE: SHET20

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AUSTRIA

Wildlife of the Austrian Alps July 6–13, 2020 from £2575 per person | with Kevin Hand

Lünersee

NATURE

• Wander the meadows and forests of one of Europe’s most stunning regions, nestled between Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland • Look out for a rich variety of birdlife, from snowfinch and alpine chough to red crested pochard and golden oriole • Delve into the wetlands around Lake Constance and enjoy a relaxing boat trip Perched on the far western tip of Austria, nudging against the borders of Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein – all three of which are visited on this tour – the state of Vorarlberg is a cultural visitor’s paradise. Alpine meadows cluster around dramatic mountain peaks; inspiring modern architecture intermingles with medieval cityscapes; and stretches of tranquil forest still play host to a variety of traditional crafts and customs, not to mention a captivating array of wildlife.

Based in the charming medieval town of Feldkirch, this brand new tour will go in search of some of the most rewarding outlooks and natural environments the region has to offer. We will seek out a variety of birdlife, flowers, mammals and insects as well as cultural highlights, exploring the ways in which this predominantly mountainous landscape has harboured human life throughout its history.

A particular highlight will be an excursion to the area around Lake 40

Constance and the Rhine delta. Walking through the serene wetlands overlooking the lake, we may catch sight of red crested pochard, golden oriole, black kite, flycatchers, orchids and the rare yellowbellied toad. We will also take a boat trip on the lake from Friedrichshafen to Bregenz.

The flower-filled alpine meadows near Warth will be teeming with gentians and mountain butterflies during our visit, not to mention birdlife including nutcracker, water pipit and alpine chough. A wander through the beautiful nature reserve of Bangs-Matschels on the border of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, meanwhile, will introduce us to a remarkable variety of meadow flora and rare butterflies including the dryad.

Surrounded by awe-inspiring scenery, we will gaze at snowy alpine peaks reflected in the blue mirror of the Lünersee (Moon Lake), and the Kanisfluh massif, voted one of the most beautiful mountains in the Austrian Alps.

This region is particularly well known for its local produce, and we hope to include opportunities to sample the gastronomy of the region. Austria’s past, meanwhile, will come alive at the ancient convent of St Peter’s in Bludenz. Founded in 1286, the site has borne witness to stormy waves of human history.

We will stay throughout the tour at the Best Western Plus Central Hotel Leonhard. This comfortable four-star establishment is situated in a quiet area

in the medieval town of Feldkirch. A fascinating centre in itself, Feldkirch boasts historical sites including Schattenburg Castle, where we hope to enjoy a private tour.

This tour will be led by Kevin Hand, MSc, MCIEEM. A conservationist and environmental consultant, Kevin has a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. He has led many projects linking nature and communities, and was a Director of the Tree Council and ran National Tree Week in the UK for 13 years. In 2017 Kevin was appointed President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should have a good overall level of fitness for this tour. Vorarlberg is a mountainous region, however our visits will be taken at a leisurely pace, with high-up sites accessed by road or cable car.

Although most walks will be over flat ground, participants should be comfortable ascending mild slopes and walking across rugged terrain. They should also be prepared for walks at high altitude, which may be chilly even during the summer months.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0925 on British Airways, arriving Zurich 1220. Transfer to Best Western Plus Central Hotel Leonhard, Feldkirch, for seven nights. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Visits along the shore of Lake Constance: Rheinspitz (lake and woodland walk), Rohrspitz area, Bangs-Matschels nature reserve. Evening beaver watch (subject to confirmation).

Day 3 Excursion to Lünersee via cable car for guided walk (beautiful alpine lake) followed by late afternoon visit to St Peter’s Priory, Bludenz.

Day 4 Whole day excursion to Liechtenstein: walk along the Sassweg trail (alpine forest, seasonally grazed meadows) followed by local wine tasting at the Princely Wine Cellars.

Day 5 Visit to Eriskircher Ried followed by a Lake Constance ferry cruise from Friedrichshafen to Bregenz.

Day 6 Guided walk along the shores of Lake Korber, followed by afternoon visit to the Rüfikopf via cable car. Free evening.

Day 7 To Mellau for explorations in the Kanisfluh area.

Day 8 Depart Zurich 1550, arriving Heathrow 1640.

Cost of £2575 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, six dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £250.

TOUR CODE: WIAA20

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FINLAND / NORWAY

Arctic Finland & Norway August 7–15, 2020 from £2635 per person | with Kevin Hand

Lemmenjoki National Park

The most northerly extremes of mainland Europe are a sparsely populated realm of magical landscapes, unique culture and wonderful wildlife.

In Finnish Lapland we will explore the surrounding taiga forest, alive with reindeer, Siberian jays, woodpeckers and owls, and discover the homeland of the indigenous Sámi people. We will visit the Lemmenjoki National Park, Finland’s largest national park and one of the most extensive uninhabited wilderness areas in Europe, and watch for birds along the ‘river of gold’.

sea-eagles, kittiwakes and fulmars, as well as possible Steller’s eiders and skuas.

We stay first at Hotel Korpikartano in the heart of Finnish Lapland, located on the banks of the wilderness lake of Menesjärvi. Our second base will be the Vadsø Fjordhotell, situated on Vadsøya Island.

Please note that depending on the weather and changing local conditions, some visits and excursions may be subject to adjustment by the Tour Director.

This tour will be led by conservationist and ornithologist Kevin Hand, MSc MCIEEM. Kevin is an environmental consultant with a special interest in birds, mammals and ecotourism. He is President of the Cambridge Natural History Society.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Participants should be comfortable walking over sometimes rugged terrain, and a good level of fitness is required. The group size is limited to 15.

We continue our journey north into Norway, travelling alongside the Varanger Fjord where the forests give way to tundra and dramatic coastline. We will visit the Ekkerøy Nature Reserve, home to over 50 species of bird including thousands of pairs of breeding kittiwakes, and Varangerhalvøya National Park, where gyrfalcons and lemmings are among our possible sightings.

One of the highlights of our trip will be a drive to Hamningberg, one of the northernmost points of mainland Europe. From here we will look out for

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Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0825 on Finnair via Helsinki, arriving Ivalo 1755. Transfer to Menesjärvi for four nights at Hotel Korpikartano.

Day 2 Morning in Lemmenjoki National Park.

Afternoon boat trip to Ravadas Falls along River Lemmenjoki.

Day 3 Morning: guided tour of the Siida Sámi Museum and Nature Centre. Afternoon: boat trip to Ukko Island (Sámi sacrificial site until the 19th century).

Day 4 Morning: birdwatching in the Ivalo River delta (looking out for cranes, short-eared owls, wood sandpipers). Afternoon: guided tour of Sámi Cultural Centre Sajos and free time to explore Inari village.

Day 5 Travel north into Norway to Vadsø for four nights at Vadsø Fjordhotell, with stops for birdwatching and a guided tour of Varanger Sámi Museum en route.

Day 6 Whole day excursion to Ekkerøy Nature Reserve (chance to see Steller’s eiders, sea eagles, purple sandpipers, razorbills, Lapland buntings and many waders) followed by guided tour of Kjeldsenbruket Museum.

Day 7 Vardø for visit to Steilneset Memorial (dedicated to 91 people executed for witchcraft in the 17th century) followed by drive towards Hamningberg, stopping en route for rock formations, seabirds and walking.

Day 8 Whole day excursion to Varangerhalvøya National Park (searching for gyrfalcons, ptarmigans, mountain hares).

Day 9 Return to Ivalo for 1245 flight via Helsinki, arriving Heathrow 1805.

Reindeer

Cost of £2635 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, six lunches (two packed), dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £315.

TOUR CODE: AFNO20

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NATURE

• Travel above the Arctic Circle to explore some of Europe’s largest remaining wilderness landscapes: from taiga forest to sparse tundra and dramatic coastline • Investigate the fascinating Sámi culture and living traditions • Look out for arctic flora and fauna, including reindeer and a host of birdlife, from owls to seabirds

BORNEO

Borneo September 20 – October 3, 2020 from £5595 per person | with Marcus Kohler

Danum Valley

NATURE

• Step into one of the most stunning wildlife areas of the world, resplendent with a huge variety of flora and fauna, from forest kingfishers and flying squirrels to proboscis monkey and orangutan • Explore the rich history and culture of Borneo, including a visit to the magnificent ‘floating’ mosque of Kota Kinabalu • Learn more about the importance of conservation on this unique island, and discover how our rainforest lodges are taking measures to limit their mark on the landscape “An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.”

– Sir David Attenborough Borneo, the world’s third-largest island, belongs politically to Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia; yet its landscape is all its own, containing an extraordinary level of biodiversity that natural historians have admired and loved for generations.

Home to one of the oldest rainforests on earth – a “hazy-green blanket of jungle” – it was here that Sir David Attenborough witnessed his first wild orangutan, and he has since fought to preserve Borneo’s remarkable habitats.

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This new ACE tour has been specially designed to introduce travellers to the uniqueness of Borneo. Following a stay at the five-star Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in Kota Kinabalu, we will move on to a series of beautiful lodges set deep within Borneo’s majestic rainforest.

We begin at the Nepenthes Lodge, based in the World Heritage site of Kinabalu National Park surrounding Malaysia’s highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu.

Populated by an awe-inspiring array of flora and fauna – much of which is endemic to Borneo – the park provides the ideal introduction to the wildlife of our tour. From here we will make the journey via Poring Hot Spring with its canopy walkway and the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to the Kinabatangan River.

Perched on stilts amid raised wooden walkways, our riverside accommodation is the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, which has long been listed among National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World. Not only does it maintain an ecologically forward, sustainable relationship with its jungle surroundings – reducing light and sound pollution – but also draws on strong connections with local village communities, who staff and maintain the site. From here we will take several cruises along the life-sustaining river, where mammals

including orangutans, pygmy elephants and proboscis monkey gather, and discover the secrets of the nocturnal jungle on a series of night-time cruises and guided walks.

The Danum Valley Conservation Area is Sabah’s largest protected lowland rainforest, home to more than 340 species of bird, 124 species of mammal and 200 species of plants per hectare.

Here, the Borneo Rainforest Lodge, winner of multiple awards for luxury and ecotourism, will welcome us for the concluding segment of our tour, offering a gateway onto the rainforest and allowing us to explore this remarkable, pristine jungle landscape on foot and on a night drive.

The natural world is never far away, and our accommodation has been chosen to make the most of our environment.

Day and night time excursions will provide opportunities to spot a rich variety of birdlife including rhinoceros hornbill, helmeted hornbill, blackand-yellow broadbill, forest kingfisher, orange-backed woodpecker and endemic species such as Whitehead’s trogon and Whitehead’s hornbill. We are likely to catch sight of proboscis monkey, flying squirrel, and the wide-eyed tarsier, and hope to glimpse leopard cat, marbled cat, and perhaps even the rare clouded leopard. At the Gomantong Caves we

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BORNEO Day 5 Depart by coach for Poring Hot Spring (canopy walkway) then continue to Sepilok Nature Resort, Sandakan, for two nights. Evening walk at nearby Rainforest Discovery Centre, looking out for nocturnal wildlife.

Day 6 Morning: Rainforest Discovery Centre for canopy walk and botanical garden, followed by Sun Bear Conservation Centre (world’s smallest bear). Afternoon: Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (including afternoon feeding).

Day 7 Morning: visit to Sepilok orangutan nursery.

Afternoon: depart for Gomantong Cave (wild orangutans, languars and other wildlife) including dusk exodus of over two million bats pursued by raptors. Continue to Sukau Rainforest Lodge for three nights.

will linger at dusk to experience the famous ‘bat exodus’ – a soaring cloud pursued across the sky by raptors – while the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre will allow us to witness these magnificent ‘great apes’ during feeding time. We will also visit a project dedicated to the world’s smallest bear, the sunbear.

Complementing our experience of the wildlife – which forms the major part of our tour – we will seek to understand more about Borneo’s wider cultural and historical heritage. Visits will include Kota Kinabalu’s famous ‘floating’ mosque and serene Pu Toh Tze Temple, and at the nearby town of Kundasang we will walk the paths of four gardens dedicated to those who lost their lives here during the Second World War, including Australian and British servicemen as well as the civilians of Borneo.

Please note that weather patterns and other local conditions are likely to affect the precise nature of our itinerary and we cannot guarantee the availability of all the wildlife mentioned.

Please note that international travel between the UK and Koto Kinabalu is not included in the price of this tour.

Cost of £5595 includes: accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, full board (except lunch in Kota Kinabalu on day 2) with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: return travel, travel insurance, camera fees, single supplement £590.

TOUR CODE: BORN20

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This tour will be led by Marcus Kohler, BA, an ecologist and ornithologist.

Formerly of BirdLife International, Marcus now works as an international wildlife consultant, supporting international conservation projects as well as leading wildlife tours across the world. He is also Managing Director of MKA Ecology, an ecology consultancy he founded in 1998. A seasoned ACE Tour Director, Marcus is delighted to be bringing his expertise leading group tours to Borneo to ACE’s first tour to the island in 2020.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will include several walks, some of a strenuous nature, as well as a number of treetop canopy walkways (which can be made optional). Conditions will often be humid, and participants should have a good overall level of fitness.

Day 9 Morning, afternoon and evening cruises along the Kinabatangan River.

Day 10 Transfer via Lahad Datu to Danum Valley, the largest protected area of lowland dipterocarp rainforest in Sabah, for three nights at Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Afternoon jungle walk, including canopy walkway for views over the rainforest.

Evening: night drive looking out for nocturnal wildlife.

Day 11 Whole day exploring Danum Valley Conservation Area, including walk with local botanist Anthea Philips to discover how Danum Valley became one of the richest conservation areas in the world. Evening: night walk looking out for nocturnal wildlife.

Day 12 Whole day exploring Danum Valley, including special conservation session involving the creation of ‘mudballs’. Evening: night walk.

Day 13 Transfer to Lahad Datu for flight to Kota Kinabalu. Continue to Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa for overnight.

Day 14 Tour disperses.

Day 1 Tour assembles afternoon at Shangri-La Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu for overnight. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning visits in Kota Kinabalu including Sabah State Museum, City ‘floating’ Mosque, Pu Toh Tze Temple and Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre. Afternoon: transfer to UNESCO site of biodiversity, Kinabalu National Park, and check in to Nepenthes Lodge for three nights. Evening walk.

Day 3 Whole day in Kinabalu National Park: Timpohon Gate (observation deck) followed by walks looking out for flora and fauna including endemic birdlife such as Whitehead’s broadbill and Rajah Brooke’s birdwing (butterfly).

Day 4 Early morning bird walk followed by visit to town of Kundasang for War Memorial Park (beautiful gardens commemorating Australian and British servicemen and civilians of Borneo) followed by further explorations within Kinabalu National Park.

Proboscis Monkey

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NATURE

Mount Kinabalu

Day 8 Early morning cruise up the Kinabatangan river. Morning exploration of the rainforest along the Kinabatangan River, including the migratory path of Borneo pygmy elephants (subject to local conditions), looking out for a variety of local flora and fauna. Afternoon river cruise.

JORDAN

Jordan October 19–29, 2020 from £3245 per person | with Andrew Wilson

DISTANT DESTINATIONS

Apodyterium Fresco of Qasr Amra

• Delve into the rich layers of Jordan’s history, from the grand colonnades of Rome to the castles of the crusaders • Marvel at the awe-inspiring stronghold of Petra, carved from rock by the Nabataeans more than 2000 years ago • Journey through the desert landscape of western Arabia, discovering the prehistoric rock engravings of Wadi Rum

enjoy unrivalled panoramas of the Dead Sea and the River Jordan.

Western Asia and the birth of European civilization.

The superb Hellenistic and Roman city of Jerash was created at the end of the fourth century BC by the Greco-Roman confederation as one of the 10 cities of the Decapolis. Built to integrate Hellenic and local populations, it is one of Rome’s grandest imperial outposts and boasts a colonnaded oval forum, magnificent theatres, colonnaded Roman streets and the beautifully restored Precinct of Artemis.

Our journey south takes us into the Valley of the Moon (Wadi Rum Protected Area), a remarkable example of desert scenery, and part of the Hizma basin of western Arabia. Here we will take a ‘safari’ through the magnificent desert landscapes to see the wealth of prehistoric rock engravings and the first century Nabataean temple in Wadi Rum village.

From the remains of the Stone Age to the magnificence of the Ottomans, Jordan has long felt the tide of history. Today, the country is home to a spectacular array of archaeological sites offering tantalizing glimpses into some of the world’s most iconic cultures: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, Parthia, the Byzantines, the Umayyads, Abbasids, Crusaders and Ayyubids have all left their mark.

Petra, the imposing stronghold carved out of rock by the Nabataeans more than 2000 years ago, is a true marvel.

On our visit to the rose-red city we will journey through the towering Siq ravine and admire the stunning vista of soaring temples, dramatic halls and lofty altars hand-chiselled into the sandstone cliffs.

Highlights include Al Khazneh (the Treasury), the rock-cut theatre, the Great Temple and the Nabataean temple of Qasr al-Bint. Petra’s northern suburb of Siq al-Barid, often referred to as ‘Little Petra’, holds a further gathering of wellpreserved Nabataean tombs, and nearby the prehistoric site of Al-Beidha holds great significance for understanding the beginnings of the Neolithic period in

We begin our journey on the seven hills of Amman with the biblical city of Madaba, the centre of a Byzantine mosaic school in the sixth century, and home to the famous floor map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem. Meanwhile, at nearby Mount Nebo, site of the mosaic museum and Sanctuary of Moses, we will 44

Dotted throughout the steppe-like terrain of eastern Jordan is a string of fortified palaces, towers and caravanserais. These desert castles, eloquent examples of early Islamic art and architecture, include Qasr Amra, its interior adorned with lively frescoes and colourful mosaics, and the oasis and fortress of Azraq, where Lawrence of Arabia quartered during the Great Arab Revolt. We will also visit Kerak, home to the famous Crusader castle used as a stronghold by Reynald de Châtillon.

In Amman we will stay at the Amman Marriott Hotel, before transferring to the Mövenpick Resort at the very entrance to Petra. On the shores of the Dead Sea we will stay at the Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa.

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JORDAN Tour Director Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot, studied archaeology then theology before working overseas as an archaeologist. He has led many tours for ACE in the Greco-Roman world, and also several in Britain, with a particular emphasis on the archaeology of his native Scotland. Andrew is a member of the Society for Libyan Studies and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and the Society for Promotion of Byzantine Studies. He has led several ACE tours to Jordan and is thrilled to be returning with a group in 2020.

Jerash

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: Please note that some of the walks in Petra take in long, steep and demanding gradients, and a good level of fitness is required for this tour.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1705 on Royal Jordanian, arriving Amman 0010. Transfer to Amman Marriott Hotel for three nights.

DISTANT DESTINATIONS

Day 2 Whole day excursion to Madaba for Church of St George (6th century mosaic floor map of the Holy Land and Jerusalem) and Mount Nebo for mosaic museum, Sanctuary of Moses and decorated early churches.

Day 3 Whole day excursion to the Hellenistic and Roman city of Jerash in northern Jordan: early Byzantine remains, oval forum, theatres, colonnaded Roman streets and restored Precinct of Artemis.

Day 4 Transfer to Petra via Dhiban (where the famous Mesha Stele was found), Wadi Mujib river and the crusader town of Kerak. Four nights at Mövenpick Resort, Petra.

Day 5 Visits in Petra: rock-cut tombs, Al Khazneh (the Treasury), ancient Roman remains, theatre, colonnaded street, the Great Temple and the Nabataean temple of the Qasr al-Bint. Optional walk to Al Deir (rock-cut monastery with preserved tombs).

Day 6 Morning: Siq al-Barid (‘Little Petra’) for well-preserved Nabataean tombs and archaeological site of Al-Beidha (Neolithic ruins dating back 9000 years). Afternoon: optional return visit to Petra for ascent to the High Place of Sacrifice.

Day 7 Whole day excursion to southern Jordan into the Wadi Rum Protected Area (safari drive in 4x4s to see the prehistoric rock engravings and magnificent desert landscapes) and Nabataean temple.

Day 8 Transfer to the edge of the Dead Sea for visit to Bethany (traditional baptismal site of Jesus).

Overnight at Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa. Day 9 Return to Amman by road for two nights at Amman Marriott Hotel. Afternoon: Jordan Archaeological Museum, Roman Theatre and Citadel.

Day 10 Whole day excursion to the Umayyad Desert Castles of Qasr al-Kharana (8th century inscriptions) and Qasr al-Hallabat (2nd century mosaics); Azraq (oasis and headquarters of Lawrence of Arabia); and Shaumari Wildlife Reserve (chance to see Asiatic wild ass and Arabian oryx). Continue to Umayyad hunting lodge of Qasr Amra (remarkable frescoes).

Day 11 Depart Amman 1200, arriving Heathrow 1525.

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Cost of £3245 includes: return airfare, group visa, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, nine lunches, dinner with water, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £800.

TOUR CODE: JORD20

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CHINA Chinese Porcelain

In Search of China’s White Gold October 23 – November 10, 2020 | from £5895 per person with Elizabeth Morrell and Lars Tharp

DISTANT DESTINATIONS

• Discover the history of Chinese porcelain, which Europeans valued so highly that for centuries they have called it ‘white gold’ • Explore China’s sweeping landscapes, cities and villages with visits to stillfunctioning potteries and kilns • Spend time in Shanghai Museum, home to one of China’s finest ceramic public collections

figures, and visit the Grand Canal Museum.

Exquisite ceramics have been made in China for many thousands of years. This comprehensive tour traces the fascinating heritage of this art form, and also offers the opportunity to see the impressive mountain scenes and other landscapes that are depicted on so many porcelain treasures.

The Great Kiln outside Longquan is famous for its production of celadon ware since the 10th century, and we will also visit Shang Yang and see the new Celadon Centre project with its workshop, exhibitions and showrooms.

Travelling towards the Wu Yi Mountain scenic area, we look forward to a ride on bamboo rafts along the Nine Bends Creek with its dramatic scenery.

Our tour begins in Shanghai, where a visit to the Shanghai Museum focusing on early Chinese pottery and porcelain will set our investigations in context.

We will also have the chance to visit the museum’s collections of bronzes, calligraphy, painting, costumes and furniture. From Shanghai, we will travel to Hangzhou to discover the Lingyin Temple with its wall of carved Buddhist 46

Hongcun in Yixian Country is a unique example of an ancient rural settlement in an idyllic setting, while the city of Jingdezhan is known as the ‘porcelain capital’ of China. A visit to the Jia Yang Tao Ci Company, a long established porcelain producer, will offer an opportunity to see underglaze decoration and design.

Our study of Chinese ceramics continues in Dehua, home to the Qu Dou Gong local kiln site, the Temple to the God of the Kiln, Dehua Ceramics Museum and the Yueji kiln site, a working kiln.

During the tour we will be guided through the evolution of clay, from humble village pots to imperial palace

treasures. This will be an absorbing journey, not only tracing an art form but also exploring the wider culture of a nation of infinite riches.

Please note that while we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some elements may be subject to confirmation. Kiln sites are sometimes not open to visitors as they are state protected sites, and occasionally sites may close at short notice.

This tour will be led by Elizabeth Morrell, BA, a sinologist and Chinese speaker, and Lars Tharp, MA, FSA, a ceramics historian, author and broadcaster. Elizabeth has been visiting China since 1976 when she studied modern literature at Fudan University.

She is the author of one of the earliest guidebooks to China, published in 1984.

Lars is particularly well known for his work on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and The Treasures of Chinese Porcelain, and he has curated or overseen exhibitions at the Foundling Museum and York Art Gallery.

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Qing and Ming ancient pottery factory, Jingdezhen FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will require a good level of fitness as it will involve a significant amount of walking, around old kiln sites, villages and on mountain stairways and pathways.

Some archaeological sites will have uneven and steep surfaces. Please note that this tour will also involve some long journeys by coach of up to 4.5 hours in duration (approximately 400km), and we will also make use of the bullet train network.

In Huangshan we will take a cable car up the mountain to enjoy the views, and later in the tour we will take a ride on bamboo rafts along the Nine Bends Creek to see the dramatic scenery.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1335 on British Airways.

Day 2 Arrive Shanghai 0755. Transfer to Jin Jiang Hotel, Shanghai, for two nights. Visit to Old City, Yu Yuan Gardens. Evening introductory talk.

Day 3 Morning: Shanghai Museum (focus on Chinese early pottery and porcelain). Afternoon: walking tour of the Bund. Free evening.

Day 4 By coach and train to Hangzhou (West Lake). Visits to Lingyin Temple (Temple of Soul’s Retreat with its wall of carved Buddhist figures) and Dragon Well tea plantation. Continue to Lakeview Hotel for two nights. Free evening.

Day 5 Hangzhou: Grand Canal Museum and Grand Canal, followed by boat trip on West Lake.

Free evening.

Day 6 By coach and train to Huangshan. Visit to village of Chengkan. Continue to Tunxi (one of the districts near to Huangshan) for two nights at Crowne Plaza Huangshan Yucheng.

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Day 7 By coach to Huangshan scenic area to take cable car up the mountain to enjoy the views.

Return to Tunxi for visit to Hu Kai Wen ink stick mould factory and the old city. Free evening.

Day 8 By coach to Jingdezhen, the ‘porcelain capital’ of China, with visit en route to ancient village of Hongcun in Yixian County. Transfer to Tao Xi Chuan Traders Hotel for three nights.

Day 9 By coach through the countryside to Yaoli and Gaoling mountain (where ‘kaolin’ was mined) for visit to traditional village at the foot of the mountain with medieval alleys and waterfront. Free evening.

Day 10 Visits to Ceramic Cultural Exhibition area (chicken egg kilns and traditional wheel potting), Dragon Pearl Pavilion, Imperial Porcelain Kiln site and museum, Jia Yang Tao Ci Company (long established porcelain producer in new purpose built premises) and Jin Keng Song Dynasty Kiln site.

Free evening.

Day 11 By coach to Longquan (400km journey) returning to a remote corner of the wealthy Zhejiang province. Two nights at Longquan International Hotel.

Day 12 Visit to the site of the Great Kiln outside Longquan (famous for production of celadon ware since the 10th century), followed by visit to Da Yao Kiln site and village. Continue for visit to Long Quan Celadon Museum. Free evening.

Day 13 Visit to Shang Yang with new Celadon Centre project (workshop, exhibitions and showrooms). Continue towards Wu Yi Mountain scenic area, with visit en route to the Jian Yao Kiln

(Song dynasty ‘rabbit’s fur’ ware). Transfer to Wu Yi Mountain for two nights at Atour Hotel.

Day 14 Morning ride on bamboo rafts along the Nine Bends Creek with its dramatic scenery. Free afternoon with opportunity to learn about the teas of Wu Yi Shan or take an optional walk in the hills. Free evening.

Day 15 By train to Quanzhou for two nights at Hilton Hotel. Visit to Quanzhou Maritime Museum.

Day 16 By coach to Dehua for visits to Qu Dou Gong local kiln site, Temple to the God of the Kiln, Dehua Ceramics Museum and the Yueji site (working kiln) and ceramics art centre and studio, followed by a visit to a modern factory. Free evening.

Day 17 Morning: Luoyang Bridge, Kaiyuan Temple, exterior view of Mosque, Confucian Temple and Wenxing Wharf. Flight from Quanzhou to Hong Kong. Overnight at Royal Pacific Hotel & Towers.

Day 18 Free day at leisure in Hong Kong. Depart Hong Kong 2330.

Day 19 Arrive Heathrow 0445.

Cost of £5895 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, sixteen lunches, six dinners with water, soft drinks, beer or Chinese tea, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: visa, travel insurance, single room supplement £845.

TOUR CODE: CNWG20

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DISTANT DESTINATIONS

CHINA

JAPAN

West Japan & the Inland Sea: Art & Pilgrimage November 1–14, 2020 from £5795 per person | with Richard Farmer

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1330 on British Airways.

Himeji Castle

DISTANT DESTINATIONS

• Visit the UNESCO-designated Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajama Island • Journey to the tiny Chikubishima Island in the middle of Japan’s largest freshwater lake • Cross the Inland Sea to Naoshima, the internationally famous ‘art island’ This brand new tour will focus on art in Japan from pre-modern to contemporary times, particularly in relation to the country’s religious landscape. Visits to castles, hot spring towns, strolling gardens and the pottery village of Imbe will provide insights into the history and culture of this fascinating and beautiful region of coastal Japan.

Our tour begins in Kyoto, where we will explore Myoshin-ji Temple and Horin-ji, a serene and little-known temple dedicated to Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism.

We will journey by bullet train and coach to Shinsho-ji, a Zen monastic complex in forested environs combining seventeenth century temple buildings with modern architecture and Kohtei, a contemporary art installation.

We will explore more recent history with a visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. From Hiroshima we will explore the sacred island of Miyajima, visiting the Itsukushima Shrine and the ‘floating’ gate, one of the ‘three great views of Japan’ surrounded by roaming deer, as well as the Daisho-in Temple, dedicated to a plethora of esoteric deities.

Through visits to Konpira-san, a shrine dedicated to the god of seafaring, and 48

This tour will be led by Richard Farmer, BA, who read Religion at SOAS and has lived in Japan for the last ten years, where he works leading tours full-time.

Richard’s principal area of interest is Japanese Buddhist art, particularly Edo period Zen ink painting, and the material and visual culture of the esoteric Shingon sect. He is also interested in the practice of Buddhist circulatory pilgrimage.

Day 2 Arrive Kansai International 1000 and transfer by coach to Kyoto for three nights. Free time followed by introductory lecture: Kyoto – The Heartland of Japanese Culture.

Day 3 Morning: Myoshin-ji Temple and Horin-ji.

Afternoon: Nijo-jo.

Zenstu-ji, birthplace of Kukai – the founder of the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism – we will learn more about the practice of pilgrimage in Japan from the Edo period to the present day.

Day 4 Excursion by coach and boat to Chikubushima on Lake Biwa. Continue to Otsu city via Umikido ‘floating’ temple hall at Mangetsu-ji (time permitting). Afternoon: Mii-dera and Otsu-e no Mise. Evening lecture: Japanese Buddhist Art – From A to Zen followed by free evening.

Our tour continues to Takamatsu, home to Ritsurin-koen, one of the most famous historical strolling gardens in Japan, with tea-houses scattered around the grounds.

Day 5 By bullet train to Fukuyama and coach to Shinsho-ji. Afternoon: continue by coach to Hiroshima for two nights. Evening visit to Okonomi-mura to taste Hiroshima’s most famous dish, Okonomivaki.

Further highlights of our tour will include a visit to Kurashiki, with its historical ‘Bikan’ quarter containing beautifully preserved Edo period buildings surrounding the willow-lined canal, and to Imbe, the locus of Bizenware pottery and one of the ‘six ancient kilns of Japan’.

Day 6 Morning excursion by train and ferry to Miyajima for visits to Itsukushima Shrine and Daisho-in Temple and some free time. Afternoon: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum. Free evening.

While we will endeavour to deliver the below itinerary in full, some details may be subject to confirmation. Please note that participants’ luggage will be forwarded separately on some occasions.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will require a good level of fitness, as it includes a substantial amount of walking. A number of sites in our itinerary involve navigating series of steps as the only means of access, however these will be climbed at a relaxed pace. We will travel by private coach and public transport, including bullet trains and ferries. Please note that the keep of Matsuyama Castle is accessed via a ski-style chairlift.

Cost of £5795 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, nine lunches, nine dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement £745.

Day 7 By coach and superjet ferry to Matsuyama for Dogo Onsen (please note there are some restoration works ongoing but baths will still be accessible). Afternoon: Matsuyama Castle. Evening lecture: Going Around – The History & Practice of Pilgrimage in Japan. Overnight in Matsuyama.

Day 8 Morning: Zentsu-ji. Continue to Kotohira for afternoon visit to Kanamaruza followed by optional ascent of Konpira-san (785 steps to the Kotohira-gu shrine complex). Continue to Takamatsu for three nights.

Day 9 Visits in Takamatsu: Ritsurin-koen, Yashima and Yashima-ji. Afternoon: Shikoku-Mura.

Day 10 Whole day excursion by coach and ferry to Naoshima for visits to Benesse House Museum and Chichu Museum and Art House Project properties. Free evening.

Day 11 Kurashiki: ‘Bikan’ historical quarter, Ohara Museum and some free time. Afternoon: Korakuen.

Two nights in Okayama.

Day 12 Excursion by train to Imbe (Bizen Pottery Museum and visit to kiln), Amatsu Shrine.

Day 13 Morning: Himeji Castle with opportunity to visit the adjacent Koko-en. Afternoon: Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum. Overnight in Osaka.

Day 14 Transfer to Kansai International for 1130 departure, arriving Heathrow 1500.

TOUR CODE: WJIS20

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SOUTH KOREA Day 6 Depart Tongyeong for visit to Jinju: Cheoksongnu. Continue to Naganeupseong Folk Village and Boseong. Transfer to Ecograd Hotel, Suncheon, for overnight.

South Korea November 17 – December 1, 2020 from £4395 per person | with Alex Koller

Day 7 Morning: Jogyesan Provincial Park. Continue to Jirisan National Park for temple programme at Hwaeomsa Temple with overnight temple stay or overnight stay at nearby Hanwha Resort Jirisan.

Day 8 Optional early morning service at Hwaeomsa Temple and walk to nearby hermitage and Shrine of the Mountain Spirit. Reconvene for visits to Ssanggyesa Temple and Haeinsa Temple.

Continue to Gyeongju for two nights at Hotel Hyundai.

Day 9 Visits in Gyeongju: National Museum, Anapji Pond, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, Bunhwangsa Pagoda and Tumuli Park.

• Explore the pagodas, palaces, temples and tumuli of South Korea • Discover maritime Hallyeo, a panoramic seascape strewn with hundreds of islands and rocky islets • Take in six UNESCO World Heritage sites: Changdeokgung, Gyeongju, Haeinsa, Jongmyo, Seokguram and Bulguksa Seoul, where our tour begins and ends, was the capital of the Joseon dynasty from 1392 until 1910. The ancient city’s royal palaces and sacred sites are better preserved than anything of their type in China, with 15th century Changdeokgung sheltering a particularly beautiful secret garden.

We will also spend time in Gyeongju, once the capital of the Silla empire.

It is heralded as one of Korea’s most traditional – and most striking – cities, akin to a bustle-free Kyoto. Dotted with dozens of royal tombs from the Silla era, Gyeongju parades a memorable array of historical attractions: not just the 8th century grotto of Seokguram with its monumental Buddha, but also Bulguksa Temple, where the remarkable twin pagodas were designed by the legendary 8th century master craftsman Asadal.

The secluded Temple of Haeinsa on the slopes of Mount Kaya safeguards the Tripitaka Koreana, the world’s most complete corpus of Buddhist texts, engraved in the mid 13th century on 80,000 wooden blocks. The Janggyeong Panjeon, which houses these superb feats of craftsmanship, is itself revered as an exceptional work of art.

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Please note that the below itinerary represents a guide to what we hope to offer, and some details may be subject to confirmation or time permitting.

This tour will be led by Alex Koller, PhD, an art historian who studied at Vienna, Salzburg and Cambridge.

Alex has been leading tours since 1998 and is an accomplished linguist.

His experience ranges from Eastern Europe, Russia and the Himalayas to Japan and Southeast Asia. His travels to the Far East have developed a keen interest in Buddhist art and architecture.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour has a full itinerary and requires a good level of fitness.

There are several hotel changes and a moderate amount of coach travel. Several sites are located in mountainous or forested areas and participants will be required to walk uphill, over steps (particularly at Beomeosa Temple) and across uneven ground.

There are longer walks at Beongjeongsa and Haeinsa temples.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1255 on British Airways.

Day 2 Arrive Seoul 0850 and transfer to Grand Ambassador Hotel for two nights. Some free time.

Day 3 Visits in Seoul: Gyeongbokgung, National Museum, Namsangol Hanok Maeul, 19th century Myeongdong Cathedral and Heunginjimun (East Gate).

Day 4 Depart Seoul by KTX high-speed train for Busan with visit to UN Cemetery. Afternoon excursion to Tongdosa and Beomeosa Temples.

Overnight at Golden Tulip Haeundae Hotel, Busan.

Day 5 Depart Busan via Chungnyeolsa and Sebyeongwan for Hallyeo Maritime National Park with boat trip to naval headquarters of Admiral Yi Sun Shin. Transfer to Tongyeong for visit to Tongyeong Harbour and overnight at Stanford Hotel & Resort.

Day 10 Depart Gyeongju via tomb of General Kim Yu Shin. Continue for visits to Yangdong Folk Village, Oksan, Byeongsanseowon and Hahoe Folk Village. Transfer to Andong for two nights at Richell Hotel.

Day 11 Visits in Andong area: Beongjeongsa Temple, Buseoksa Temple and Donsanseowan.

Day 12 Depart Andong for Gongju via Beopjusa Temple. Visits in Gongju: National Museum, King Muryeong’s Tomb and Fortress. Continue to Seoul for three nights at Grand Ambassador Hotel.

Day 13 Seoul: Jongmyo, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Sungkyunkwan University, Jogyesa Temple, Tapgol Park and Jeongneung royal tomb.

Day 14 Free day in Seoul for optional independent visits. Free evening.

Day 15 Depart Seoul 1045, arriving Heathrow 1415.

Cost of £4395 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, twelve dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: travel insurance, single room supplement (except overnight stay at Hwaeomsa Temple) £735.

TOUR CODE: SKOR20

ACCOMMODATION & OVERNIGHT TEMPLE STAY This tour includes the opportunity to partake in an overnight temple stay programme at Hwaeomsa Temple, where participants will be accommodated overnight in rooms of 3 to 4 people, split by gender. Rooms will be in traditional ondol style, with underfloor heating and a yo mattress (a soft sleeping mat on the floor).

Rooms have private bathrooms. A member of the Sales team can discuss this accommodation with you further upon booking; if you have any concerns, alternative accommodation options may be available.

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DISTANT DESTINATIONS

Throne Hall Courtyard, Gyeongbokgung Palace

INDIA Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0845 on Air India via Delhi. Arrive Delhi 2225 and check into Hotel Ibis for overnight.

Odisha

Day 2 Depart Delhi 1105, arriving Bhubaneswar 1305. Transfer to Mayfair Lagoon Hotel, Bhubaneswar for three nights. Introductory talk: The World of Orissa.

November 21 – December 5, 2020 from £4295 per person | with Annie Owen

Day 3 Excursion to Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary followed by visit to the early rock-cut Jain monastic cell of Udayagiri and Kala Bhoomi Crafts Museum.

Day 4 Morning: Lingaraja Temple, the 10th century Muktesvara Temple, and the 11th century Rajarani temple. Afternoon: optional visit to Sisupalgarh.

Day 5 Transfer to Puri via Pipili. Rickshaw tour of Puri including 12th century Jagannath temple.

Transfer to Puri for three nights at Mayfair Heritage Hotel.

Day 6 Excursion to Konark for Sun Temple followed by late afternoon drive deep into countryside.

Lingaraja Temple

DISTANT DESTINATIONS

• Explore the tribal heritage of the Indian state of Odisha • Discover craft villages including Dandasahi, to see Pattachitra painting, and the weaving village of Nuapatna • Watch the sunset rituals performed by the monks at the Joranda monastery One of India’s most distinctive regions, Odisha (Orissa) stretches along the Bay of Bengal and the flanking hill country.

Enriched by ambitious medieval kings but then neglected by both Mogul and British conquerors, it remains a byword for traditional oratory and poetry, dance, crafts, rites and religious architecture.

Less widely appreciated is that much of this heritage draws on tribal roots of the deepest antiquity.

The state capital, Bhubaneswar, is both a proud Modernist monument to India’s independence, and Odisha’s ancient ‘Temple City’, with scores of shrines and sacred ponds, from the towering Lingaraja sanctum to the Muktesvara Temple, known as the ‘gem of Odisha architecture’.

Puri is a busy coastal town with the large, soaring medieval temple of Lord Jagannath at its centre, drawing pilgrims and devotees from all parts of India as one of the subcontinent’s four axial shrines. Further up the coast we reach Konark’s unparalleled Sun Temple, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Further afield we explore ancient Jain rock carvings, find the remains of long-lost Buddhist universities and visit villages in shady tranquillity amidst fertile fields and coconut groves. The villagers preserve the region’s tradition in weaving, metalwork and cuisine. Some of them are still steeped unconsciously in tribal custom and traditional agricultural methods. We end our tour with a visit to the fringes of Chilika Lake, a beautiful, tranquil haven for countless migratory birds.

We will stay in comfortable hotels in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Dhenkanal.

Please note some details may be subject to confirmation nearer to departure.

This tour will be led by Annie Owen, BA, a photographer, illustrator and printmaker with a passion for the Indian subcontinent where she has travelled regularly and extensively, and where she has led many tours. Annie is a trustee of the Kariandusi School Trust, a small but active charity which builds primary schools in rural Kenya.

FITNESS / PRACTICALITIES: This tour will include some long journeys and visits that involve walking over rough, steep and uneven terrain.

Participiants must have a good level of fitness.

Day 7 Visit to Dandasahi village for visit to the house of master Pattachitra painter to see Pattachitra processes. Continue to view Gotipua dancers complete their make-up, then watch Gotipua dance performance in idyllic coconut grove setting.

Day 8 Return to Bhubaneswar for visit to Odisha State Museum, followed by visit to Tribal Research Institute Museum. Transfer to Mayfair Lagoon Hotel, Bhubaneswar for two nights. Evening lecture by special guest speaker.

Day 9 Excursion to Prachi Valley: Chaurasi and Madhava. Picnic lunch at Kenduli Sasan.

Day 10 Transfer to Dhenkanal via Nuapatna weaving village. Transfer to Dhenkanal Palace homestay for three nights. Late afternoon drive to Joranda monastery to watch sunset rituals performed by the monks.

Day 11 Visit to the ruins of the ancient Buddhist monasteries of Ratnagiri and Lalitgiri.

Day 12 Excursion to Kapilash followed by rural village walk through Santals and Saoras villages.

Free afternoon with optional drive to palace farm.

Day 13 Transfer to Trident Hotel, Bhubaneswar for overnight via tribal village making Dhokra. Late afternoon excursion to Tangi village and dusk at Chilika Lake (boat trip with possibility of seeing wildfowl).

Day 14 Visit to tantric temple at Hirapur, peace monument and Emperor Ashoka’s Kalinga War memorial at Dhauli. Depart Bhubaneswar 2120, via Delhi.

Day 15 Depart Delhi 0215, arriving Heathrow 0630.

Cost of £4295 includes: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, seven lunches (one packed), twelve dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included: visa, travel insurance, single room supplement £885.

TOUR CODE: ODIS20

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aceculturaltours.co.uk

Please visit www.aceculturaltours.co.uk for more details.

March 1 - 7 2-6 2 - 9 3-9 3 - 10 15 - 22 20 - 31 23 - 26 23 - 28 24 - 5/4 26 - 30 26 - 2/4 27 - 3/4 30 - 5/4 30 - 6/4

May Music & Opera in New York Roman & Byzantine Ravenna Art on the Côte d’Azur Venice: The Triumph of Light & Colour Vasari: Father of Art History Beethoven in Bonn: A Cycle of Symphonies Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road Art Collections of Liverpool Aquileia: City of Antiquity Algeria: Rome Meets the Sahara Eboracum: York & the Roman North Riviera di Levante: From Genoa to Pisa Isle of Man: A Wild & Ancient Heritage Art in Berlin Roussillon

6 - 10 6 - 13 8 - 13 9 - 16 12 - 16

12 - 19 13 - 18 13 - 20 13 - 20 13 - 22 17 - 2/6 19 - 22

Northamptonshire Country Houses Citadels of Transylvania Mahler Festival in Amsterdam Villas & Gardens of the Italian Lakes Great Bardfield & Beyond: MidCentury Art & Design in East Anglia Isles of Scilly Mahler Festival in Amsterdam Albi & the Languedoc Gardens of the Republic of Ireland Ancient Sicily Japan in Springtime: Art, Temples & Gardens Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels

22 - 29 26 - 29 28 - 2/6 31 - 14/6

Bergen International Festival Cyclades: Ancient Islands of the Aegean Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge Wild & Ancient Dartmoor Melk Baroque Music Festival Kazakhstan: From the Silk Road to Sir Norman Foster

June 1-4 2-8 7 - 20 8 - 13 15 - 22 15 - 27 16 - 22 19 - 26 21 - 27 21 - 29 22 - 29 23 - 28 25 - 4/7 29 - 2/7

The Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford Lincolnshire Halls & Houses Baltic States Riga Opera Festival Bach Festival in Leipzig Northern Greece Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Budapest St Magnus Music Festival Provence River Cruise Donegal & Tory Island The Shetland Islands Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design Lorraine Constable & Gainsborough in Suffolk Aldeburgh Festival

April 6 - 16 6 - 17 7 - 14 8 - 14 9 - 14 14 - 20 14 - 21 15 - 19 17 - 26 20 - 27 22 - 1/5 23 - 26 25 - 1/5 26 - 2/5 27 - 2/5 27 - 11/5 28 - 5/5

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese Jazz: From New Orleans to Memphis Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi Festival de Pâques in Aix-enProvence Festtage: Mozart & Beethoven in Berlin Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens Camino de Santiago: Pilgrims, Cathedrals & Castles The Dordogne Albania: From the Illyrians to the Ottomans Shakespeare at Stratford Bologna, Mantua & Parma Provence River Cruise Cornwall: St Ives & the Newlyn School of Painters Lycian Cruise Wild Poland: From Ancient Rivers to Primeval Forest

01223 841055

Puffins from the Shetland Islands (page 39)

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2020 TOUR SCHEDULE

2020 Schedule Overview

19 - 26 20 - 30

July 1 - 8 2 - 6 2-7 4 - 11 5 - 12 6-9 6 - 9 6 - 13 7 - 11 7 - 19 13 - 17 14 - 20 20 - 24

22 - 28

2020 TOUR SCHEDULE (CONT.)

23 - 27 25 - 29 29 - 2/8 29 - 6/8

Medieval Burgundy The Golden Age of Dutch Painting Verona Opera Festival Wild & Ancient Orkney Iceland: History & Landscape Artists of the North Norfolk in Summer Wildlife of the Austrian Alps Buxton Opera Festival Teutonic Knights Prehistoric & Roman Anglesey & Snowdonia Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival Houses & Gardens of Herefordshire & the Welsh Borders Farthest Frontier: Roman Scotland & the Antonine Wall Beaune Baroque Music Festival Worcester Three Choirs Festival Worcester Three Choirs Festival The Hanseatic League

August 4 - 7 4 - 12 4 - 15 7 - 15 10 - 14 10 - 14 13 - 17 22 - 29 25 - 6/9 31 - 7/9 31 - 9/9

Artists’ Houses in Sussex Denmark: Ancient & Modern Russia’s Golden Ring Arctic Finland & Norway Art Collections & Stately Homes of the West Country Roman Kent: Towns, Forts & Frescoes International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival Schubert in Schwarzenberg Pomerania Old Castile: From the Romans to El Cid Danube River Cruise

September 1 - 16 3 - 8 3 - 8 7 - 11 7 - 11 7 - 13 8 - 12 8 - 14 8 - 18 11 - 22 14 - 18

52

Flowers of the Fairest Cape: From the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean Art Nouveau in Belgium Edinburgh: Scottish Houses, Castles & Interiors Derbyshire Halls & Houses Northumbria in the First Millennium Oberammergau Passion Play Mid-Century Modern in the Heart of England Mendelssohn in Scotland Ancient Sicily Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road Roman & Byzantine Ravenna

14 - 21 14 - 21 20 - 3/10 21 - 25 21 - 25 21 - 26 21 - 26 21 - 28 21 - 2/10 22 - 25 22 - 28 25 - 2/10 28 - 3/10 30 - 6/10

Hill Towns of Umbria Lammermuir Music Festival Borneo Chichester & the South Downs Country Houses of North Norfolk Aquileia: City of Antiquity Yorkshire Country Houses Art on the Côte d’Azur Serbian Monasteries Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels Art & Architecture of Puglia Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge Imperial Rome, Ostia & Tivoli Verdi Festival in Parma

ACE CULTURAL TOURS

October 1-8 2-9 5 - 9 5 - 12 6 - 12 8 - 15

Syracuse Wildlife of Albania Bruges Roussillon Ancient Crete & Santorini International Chopin Piano Competition 9 - 15 Pompeii with Herculaneum 15 - 24 Palladio & the Villas of the Veneto 19 - 29 Jordan 22 - 1/11 Ancient Cyprus 23 - 10/11 In Search of China’s White Gold 26 - 2/11 Piero della Francesca Glyndebourne

Wexford Opera Festival

November 1 - 14 17 - 1/12 18 - 20 18 - 22 21 - 5/12

West Japan & the Inland Sea: Art & Pilgrimage South Korea Oxford College Chapels & Organs Bath Mozartfest: 30th Anniversary Tour Odisha Music & Opera in Vienna

ACE CULTURAL TOURS Stapleford Granary Bury Road Stapleford 01223 841055 CAMBRIDGE ace@aceculturaltours.co.uk CB22 5BP www.aceculturaltours.co.uk