ACE Cultural Tours | Autumn Review

ACE CULTURAL TOURS SINCE 1958

AUTUMN REVIEW­ INCLUDING NEW 2019 TOUR RELEASES

ACE Cultural Tours

Welcome Welcome to ACE’s new publication showcasing selected 2019 tours spanning the genres of art history, archaeology, nature and music.

We hope you will be inspired within these pages to explore the Ancient Mediterranean, European art treasures or further-flung destinations with ACE in the upcoming year.

Featuring a tour of Athens, Delphi and the Peloponnese; a discovery of art and patronage in Renaissance Florence and Siena; a voyage in South Korea and Western Japan; and an exploration of Roman Kent, this brochure provides just a taster of our diverse collection of cultural tours, including some new releases.

The full 2019 ACE tour programme is available to view on pages 38-39 and full tour information is available on our website: www.aceculturaltours.co.uk.

Cover image: The Pantheon, Rome Inside cover: Tilya-Kori Madrasa, Uzbekistan

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Contents Ancient Mediterranean

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese 4 Ancient Sicily 6 Ancient Cyprus 8

European art treasures Art & Patronage in Renaissance Florence & Siena

10

The Route of Caravaggio 12 Art on the Côte d’Azur 14 Palaces of the Portuguese Kings 16

Eastern explorations South Korea & Western Japan: Ancient Connections, Modern World Heritage

18

Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road 20

Northern & Eastern Europe Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens 22 The Cold War in Berlin 24 Palaces of St Petersburg 26 Isles of Scilly 28 Roman Kent: Towns, Forts & Frescoes 30

New tour releases Bruges 32 Schubert in Schwarzenberg 34 Festtage: Opera in Berlin 36 Full 2019 schedule 38

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4 Ancient Mediterranean

Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese with Carolyn Perry

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ur 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’.

Visit Delphi, located in striking surroundings beneath Mount Parnassus.

Explore Greece’s classical archaeology, taking in ancient temples, palaces and fortresses.

Day 2 Whole day on foot visiting the Acropolis: Propylaia, Parthenon and Erechtheion. Afternoon: visits to the Agora and Acropolis Museum (Parthenon sculptures, Peplos Kore and caryatids).

Beginning at the Acropolis Museum in Athens, we explore fascinating finds from over 2000 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 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, we will experience the sanctuary of Asklepios, god of healing; the striking tholos; and the wellpreserved theatre.

Other visits include the Bronze Age site of Tiryns, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to an evocative fortress, and Argos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities.

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.

Carolyn Perry BA Carolyn is Chair of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia, a Committee member of the Friends of the Petrie Museum and a Board member of CAABU, and has worked at the British Museum.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0855, arriving Athens 1435.

Transfer to Hotel Herodion for two nights. Introductory talk.

Day 3 Morning: National Archaeological Museum. Depart for Nafplion visiting ancient Corinth (forum, Temple of Apollo, Archaeological Museum, South Stoa) en route. Transfer to Hotel Amalia, Nafplio, for three nights.

Day 4 Epidaurus (theatre with its remarkable acoustics, sanctuary of Asklepios). Return to Nafplion for walking tour of the town and optional visit to Palamidi fortress (time permitting). Evening talk: Heroes of the Greeks.

Day 5 Visit to Tiryns (Mycenaean fortress with cyclopean walls) followed by Argos (agora, bath complex, theatre). Continue to ancient Mycenae: Treasury of Atreus (beehive tomb), fortress and museum. Evening talk: Gods of the Greeks.

Day 6 Mystras: Palace of Despots, beautifully situated churches with 14th and 15th century frescoes. Continue to Pylos for two nights at Hotel Philip.

Day 7 Nestor’s Palace at Pylos and Ottoman Neokastro fortress (dramatic views over Navarino Bay). Free afternoon in Pylos.

Evening talk: Athens v Sparta.

Day 8 Messini (magnificent circuit of 4th century BC walls, sanctuary of Asklepios and stadium) then continue to Olympia for two nights at Hotel Olympion Asty. Evening talk: Panhellenic Games.

Day 9 Ancient Olympia (home of the Olympic Games): Palaestra, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, stadium, Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Evening talk: Oracles of the Greeks.

Day 10 Via Rio-Antirrio bridge to Delphi. Medieval port of Nafpaktos (Lepanto) and visits in Delphi: temples of Athena and Apollo, gymnasium, theatre and Archaeological Museum of Delphi. Overnight stay at Hotel Amalia Delphi.

Day 11 Via Orchomenus and the Lion of Chaeronea to Athens.

Depart Athens 1955, arriving Heathrow 2145.

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Tour dates:

September 8 – 18, 2019 | 11 Days

Cost of £2595 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine & water, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, single room supplement £420.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk The Temple of Athena Nike on the Athenian Acropolis

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Ancient Sicily with Philip Kenrick

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ur circuit of historical Sicily, starting in the heart of Palermo, travels via Agrigento and Syracuse to Taormina, 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 UNESCO-listed Norman-Byzantine cathedral of Monreale, built by William II.

Syracuse offers a wealth of cultural delights, including a Greek temple converted into a cathedral, and the Archaeological Park with its Roman amphitheatre, Greek theatre and forbidding quarries.

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 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 include the vast Archaeological Park and the island of Ortygia.

Meanwhile, the Roman Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina contains some of the finest mosaics in existence.

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

Philip Kenrick MA, DPhil

Philip is an archaeologist who read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, where he also gained his doctorate in connection with British excavations at Benghazi (ancient Berenice). He has also worked on excavations near Agrigento in Sicily and on other sites in Italy, Turkey and Jordan.

Uncover remarkable architectural fusions, from William II’s NormanByzantine cathedral of Monreale to the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, resplendent with Byzantine mosaics.

Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 1145 on Easyjet, arriving Catania 1555. Transfer to Palermo for three nights at Eurostars Centrale Palace Hotel.

Day 2 Introductory lecture. Morning: churches of La Martorana and San Cataldo, Palermo Cathedral, Palazzo dei Normanni (Palatine Chapel). Afternoon: Monreale Cathedral (including cloister).

Day 3 Morning: 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 lecture 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 Hotel Livingston. Free evening.

Day 7 Syracuse: Catacomb of San Giovanni, Museo Archaeologico Paolo Orsi, Archaeological Park. Optional early evening walking tour of Ortygia including sacred spring of Arethusa and Piazza Duomo (Temple of Athena).

Day 8 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). Free evening.

Day 9 Whole day excursion to ancient Naxos (early Greek colony) and Taormina (Greco-Roman theatre with superb coastal views).

Day 10 Transfer to Catania for 1135 departure, arriving Gatwick 1330.

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7 Mosaics in the Villa Romana del Casale

Tour dates:

May 20 – 29 / September 16 – 25, 2019 | 10 Days

Cost of £2745 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 £445.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

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8 Ancient Mediterranean

Ancient Cyprus with Philip Kenrick

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rom prehistoric times onwards, Cyprus has been either contested by invaders or influenced by traders from Anatolia, Greece, Syria, Phoenicia and Egypt.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1145 on British Airways, arriving Larnaca 1820. Transfer to Paphos for three nights at Hotel Aloe.

During the classical period, the settlement of Cyprus was essentially Greek in character, and remained so throughout the Roman and Byzantine eras. With the advent of Islam, Cyprus became a contested border zone.

Day 2 Morning lecture: Cyprus in Geography and History followed by visits in Paphos: Archaeological Park (Roman mosaics, Saranda Kolones medieval castle). Afternoon: Maa-Palaeokastro (Bronze Age settlement and Museum of Mycenaean Colonisation), Church of Agia Kyriaki Chrysopolitissa, St Paul’s Pillar.

Cross the border between north and south to examine the island’s historic role in the interaction between the cultures of Europe and the Middle East.

Day 3 Morning in Paphos: Hellenistic ‘Tombs of the Kings’.

Continue to Geroskipou for Church of Agia Paraskevi (9th to 15th century frescoes) and Folk Art Museum. Afternoon in Kouklia (main site, museum, Persian siege-mound, medieval sugar cane mill).

Our journey will begin in the southern (Greek) sector, home to exceptional classical remains, medieval castles and painted churches of many different periods.

We will continue to Nicosia, to explore its monuments and museums, and cross into the Turkish-occupied sector to the former Christian cathedral, converted into a mosque in 1570.

We will venture further into the northern territories: the mountaintop St Hilarion Castle, the beautiful Bellapais Abbey, and the fortified Kyrenia Castle. A second day in the Turkishoccupied sector will take us to medieval Famagusta and ancient Salamis.

Our first base will be the Hotel Aloe, Paphos, before moving to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Limassol, and the Centrum Hotel, Nicosia.

Please note this tour requires a good level of fitness, and some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Philip Kenrick MA, DPhil

Philip is an archaeologist who read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, where he also gained his doctorate in connection with British excavations at Benghazi (ancient Berenice). He has also worked on excavations near Agrigento in Sicily and on other sites in Italy, Turkey and Jordan.

Day 4 Kourion (archaeological site including Sanctuary of Apollo Hylates and stadium), Kolossi Castle. Transfer to Limassol for three nights at Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Day 5 Morning: Amathous archaeological site, Limassol Castle (medieval museum). Free afternoon. Evening lecture: Cypriot Artefacts & Art. Day 6 Morning: Troodos Mountains, Church of Panagia tou Arakos in Lagoudera and Church of Panagia Phorviotissa in Asinou (visits subject to confirmation). Afternoon: churches of Panagia Podithou and Panagia Theotokos in Galata followed by Church of Agios Nikolaos tis Stegis in Kakopetria.

Day 7 Morning visits to Choirokoitia Neolithic settlement (UNESCO World Heritage site), Pano Lefkara (traditional lacemaking) then continue to Larnaca for District Archaeological Museum. Afternoon: Church of Agios Lazaros in Larnaca and Church of Panagia Angeloktisti in Kiti. Transfer to Nicosia for four nights at Centrum Hotel.

Day 8 Morning: Cyprus Museum, Byzantine Museum, Church of Agios Ioannis, House of Hadjigeorgakis Kornesios. Afternoon: Selimiye Mosque (formerly Cathedral of St Sophia), Bedesten (Church of St Nicholas – exterior) and Büyük Han (Ottoman caravanserai).

Day 9 Into northern Cyprus for St Hilarion Castle (mountaintop fortress) and Bellapais Abbey (probably the finest surviving Gothic monument in Cyprus). Afternoon: Kyrenia (castle and shipwreck museum).

Day 10 Morning: ancient Greek city of Salamis. Afternoon in medieval Famagusta (citadel and walking tour followed by some free time).

Day 11 Monastery of Agios Iraklidios in Politiko and Hala Sultan Tekke. Depart Larnaca 1730, arriving Heathrow 2030.

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Tour dates:

October 10 – 20, 2019 | 11 Days

Cost of £2395 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, nine lunches (some packed), dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, single room supplement £375.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Ancient Kourion

ACE Cultural Tours

10 European art treasures

Art & Patronage in Renaissance Florence & Siena with Sarah Burles

B

ased in the heart of Florence, close to the spectacular Duomo with Giotto’s dramatic campanile and Brunelleschi’s astonishing dome, we will be immersed in the city’s artistic and architectural treasures.

See major works of art by masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Michelangelo.

Highlights of the tour will include visits to the churches of Santa Maria Novella and Santa Maria Del Carmine, with fresco cycles by Masaccio and Ghirlandaio. We will also visit the Monastery of San Marco, home to the painter-friar Fra Angelico, and the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, created for the leading Florentine banker and patron Cosimo de Medici. Our tour also includes a view of Michelangelo’s famous sculptures in the Medici Chapel.

Our day excursion to Siena will offer the chance to see works by early Sienese masters, today housed in the city’s Palazzo Pubblico, Duomo and Piccolomini, and to explore civic, ecclesiastical and private patronage in Florence’s great rival city state. As well as examining the context in which artworks were made, we will explore their form, discuss their design, and decode their iconography.

We will stay at the four-star Grand Hotel Cavour in Florence.

Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Sarah Burles MA Sarah studied History of Art at Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education, including at the Accademia Italiana in London which specialised in Italian art, and at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Discover the influence of the Medici family and other leading patrons on artistic production during the Renaissance.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1100 on British Airways, arriving Pisa 1415. Transfer to Florence for seven nights at Grand Hotel Cavour. Welcome and introduction.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by Church and museum of Santa Croce (frescoes by Giotto and works by Cimabue, Donatello and Brunelleschi). Afternoon: Uffizi (Sienese and Florentine paintings).

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Siena: Jacopo della Quercia’s Fonte Gaia, Palazzo Pubblico (Museo Civico and fresco cycles), Pinacoteca Nazionale (early Sienese painting and sculpture).

Afternoon: Duomo (frescoes in the Piccolomini Library, Cathedral Baptistery and Museo dell’Opera del Duomo housing Duccio’s Maestà). Free evening.

Day 4 Morning lecture followed by Duomo and Dominican Church of Santa Maria Novella (Masaccio’s Trinity and frescoes

by Ghiralandaio and Uccello). Afternoon: Santa Maria del Carmine and Brancacci Chapel (frescoes of The Life of St Peter) followed by Santa Trinità (frescoes by Ghirlandaio).

Day 5 Morning lecture followed by Orsanmichele, Bargello National Museum (Florentine sculpture) and Cathedral Baptistery. Afternoon: Galleria dell’Accademia (Michelangelo’s David and important collection of Tuscan paintings). Free evening.

Day 6 Morning: San Lorenzo (Medici family’s parish church, commissioned from Brunelleschi), Cappelle Medicee (Michelangelo’s Sacristy containing Mannerist tombs). Afternoon: option of free time or second visit to the Uffizi with Tour Director.

Day 7 Morning: Palazzo Medici Riccardi (Medici family’s private chapel), Dominican Church of San Marco (frescoes by Ghirlandaio and Fra Angelico) and Brunelleschi’s Ospedale degli Innocenti (exterior). Afternoon: Palazzo Pitti.

Day 8 Depart Pisa 1510, arriving Heathrow 1630.

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Tour dates:

November 18 – 25, 2019 | 8 Days

Cost of £2295 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, five dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £380.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Piazza del Campo, Siena

ACE Cultural Tours

12 European art treasures

The Route of Caravaggio with Peter Higginson

W

e begin our tour in Rome, where the young Michelangelo Merisi’s career was flowering amid the Counter-Reformation search for new artistic styles worthy of representing the Church. Following Caravaggio’s 1606 flight from Rome, guilty of murder, we head to Naples, where the artist’s powerful naturalism took the city’s public by storm.

Journey through Rome, Naples, Sicily and Malta tracing the life and career of one of history’s finest painters: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio.

Whilst in Naples we skip forward to the last years of Caravaggio’s life. During this time he carried out a number of mature works epitomising his signature use of chiaroscuro, including the haunting Martyrdom of St Ursula, today housed in the Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1045 on British Airways, arriving Rome 1415. Transfer to Exe Hotel della Torre Argentina for three nights. Afternoon: Galleria Doria Pamphilj. Evening lecture: The Challenge of Mother Rome – Religion, Politics and Society, Patrons and Critics.

View a range of the artist’s most famous paintings in situ, including The Calling of St Matthew and The Beheading of St John the Baptist.

We then journey to Malta, where Caravaggio was invited to work for the Knights of St John. Despite this patronage, the illtempered artist once again fell foul of the authorities, leading to imprisonment and eventual escape to Sicily. On this island paradise, Caravaggio, ever fearful of the Maltese, executed paintings of a profound intensity, including his Adoration of the Shepherds.

Throughout our journey we will stay in comfortable city centre hotels in Rome, Naples, Syracuse and Valletta. Please note this tour requires a good level of fitness, and some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Peter Higginson MA, PhD

Peter has taught numerous university courses abroad in Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris and Madrid, and is currently a consultant lecturer at Christie’s Education, London.

He has published on the patronage of Caravaggio and art and society in 17th century Baroque Rome.

Day 2 Morning: Santa Maria del Popolo, San Luigi dei Francesi, Sant’Agostino. Afternoon: Vatican Pinacoteca and free time to visit other parts of the Vatican Museum.

Day 3 Morning: Galleria Borghese and Santa Maria della Concezione. Afternoon: Palazzo Barberini. Evening lecture: The Artist takes Flight – an Itinerant Artist in Naples and Sicily.

Day 4 Morning: Palazzo dei Conservatori followed by Galleria Corsini. Afternoon: Villa Ludovisi by special arrangement. Transfer by train to Naples for three nights at Decumani Hotel de Charme.

Day 5 Morning: Pio Monte della Misericordia and Galleria di Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano. Afternoon: Museo di Capodimonte.

Day 6 Morning walking tour. Afternoon: Certosa di San Martino.

Free evening.

Day 7 Morning flight to Catania, Sicily. Transfer to Messina for Museo Regionale. Afternoon: continue to Siracusa for overnight at Antico Hotel Roma 1880.

Day 8 Morning lecture: Caravaggio as Artist and Knight of the Order of St John of Malta followed by visits to Museo Regionale di Palazzo Bellomo and Santa Lucia alla Badia. Afternoon flight to Malta for two nights in Valletta at the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

Free evening.

Day 9 Morning: St John’s Co-Cathedral and Oratory followed by Sacra Infermeria. Afternoon: walking tour of old Valletta.

Day 10 Morning: Barrakka Gardens and Grandmaster’s Palace (royal armoury). Depart Malta 1705 on Air Malta, arriving Heathrow 1930.

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Tour dates:

October 16 – 25, 2019 | 10 Days

Cost of £2995 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £595.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk St Peter’s Basilica, Rome

ACE Cultural Tours

14 European art treasures

Art on the Côte d’Azur

with Sarah Burles / Suzanne Fagence Cooper

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Discover the varied collections held at the Fondation Maeght and the beautiful Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild.

Enjoy the rich art collections of the Côte d’Azur in the landscape that inspired artists such as Monet and Bonnard.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1150 on British Airways, arriving Nice 1500. Continue to Hotel Le Grimaldi for seven nights.

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

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 and Picasso also lived amidst the glorious Mediterranean landscape.

During our week in Nice and its environs we will consider the lasting legacy of these 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, Musée Jean Cocteau and Musée Chagall.

Above the walled village of St Paul de Vence (itself crowned

by Rodin’s Thinker) lies the Fondation Maeght, home to one of Europe’s most important collections of 20th century painting, drawing and sculpture: Bonnard, Braque, Chagall and Léger are all represented.

The breathtakingly beautiful Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa and Gardens displays paintings by the masters alongside porcelain, furniture and decorative items from the 15th to the 19th century. The Musée de l’Annonciade in St Tropez will be a further highlight of the tour.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Le Grimaldi in Nice.

Sarah Burles

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by walking tour of Nice.

Afternoon: Musée des Beaux-Arts (Old Masters) and Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain.

Day 3 Morning lecture followed by Musée Chagall (Biblical Message) and Musée Matisse. Afternoon: St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat for Ephrussi de Rothschild Villa and Gardens (paintings, sculpture, furniture and magnificent gardens).

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

Day 5 Menton: walking tour of old town, Salle des Mariages and Musée Jean Cocteau Collection Séverin Wunderman (murals by Jean Cocteau). La Turbie (Roman monument) and Villefranchesur-Mer (Cocteau murals in fishermen’s chapel).

Day 6 Via Musée National Fernand Léger in Biot to Antibes: free time, 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 (Bonnard, Maillol, Matisse and Signac) housed in former chapel of Pénitents Blancs. Return via boat and coach to Nice.

Day 8 Some free time. Depart Nice 1550, arriving Heathrow 1655.

Suzanne

MA

Fagence Cooper

Sarah studied History of Art at Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education, including at the Accademia Italiana in London which specialised in Italian art, and at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

Suzanne is a lecturer and historian who specialises in British art history. For 12 years, she was a curator and Research Fellow at the V&A Museum, working on major exhibitions and the British Galleries.

MA, PhD

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Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

March 4 – 11, 2019

September 16 – 23, 2019

Cost of £2375 includes:

Cost of £2475 includes:

Not included:

Not included:

with Sarah Burles 8 Days

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, dinner with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities. travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £255.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

with Suzanne Fagence Cooper 8 Days

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

travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £460.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

ACE Cultural Tours

16 European art treasures

Palaces of the Portuguese Kings with Christopher Catling

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estled in a crown of pine-crested hills, the Portuguese town of Sintra once beguiled the country’s rulers and foreign visitors alike with its European Romantic architecture and lush gardens.

Beloved by Hans Christian Andersen – who described Sintra as “the most beautiful place in Portugal” – the UNESCO-listed town has witnessed centuries of Portuguese history, reflected today in its array of captivating monuments.

Spend a day discovering the stunning palaces of the UNESCO-listed town of Sintra, favourite summer retreat of the kings of Portugal.

We hope to showcase this cultural depth and architectural splendour throughout our tour of some of Portugal’s most important centres. We begin in the Baroque city of Porto, one of the oldest urban centres in Europe, before moving to Guimarães, the ‘cradle of Portugal’, where the medieval castle testifies to the kingdom’s changing fortunes from the 10th to the 15th century.

The city’s austere 15th century Ducal Palace betrays a Burgundian influence, but the rich interior, with Flemish tapestries, Chinese porcelain and Persian carpets, speaks of Portugal’s trading success and the luxurious tastes of the country’s later rulers. Moving south, we will visit the ancient university town of Coimbra to explore one of the most enthralling libraries in the world, founded in 1724 by João V (Portugal’s ‘Sun King’).

Finally, we will delve into Lisbon’s iconic Belém district, including the imposing Jerónimos Monastery; while Portugal’s capital will also be our base for an excursion to the stunning Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira with its enchanting Italianate gardens.

We will stay at hotels of five-star standard.

Please note that flights will depart from London Gatwick and arrive back into London Heathrow. Some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation, and a good level of fitness is required for this tour.

Explore one of the world’s finest libraries at Coimbra University.

Day 1 Depart London Gatwick 1300 on TAP Portugal, arriving Porto 1515. Transfer to Pestana Palácio do Freixo Hotel for three nights. Introductory lecture.

Day 2 Morning: excursion to Serralves (1930s park and gardens) followed by tour of the 19th century Stock Exchange Palace and Church of St Francis in Porto. Afternoon: Ferreira Port Wine Lodge (guided tour and tasting).

Day 3 Whole day excursion to Guimarães (medieval castle and Ducal Palace), visiting Braga (Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte) en route. Evening lecture.

Day 4 Drive south to Coimbra: short walking tour with visit to Coimbra University (Joanina Library). Overnight stay at Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas. Evening lecture.

Day 5 Morning: Monastery of Batalha and Monastery of Alcobaça (UNESCO World Heritage site and masterpiece of Cistercian Gothic art). Afternoon: Queluz Palace (‘Portuguese Versailles’ for its rich interiors and extensive gardens). Three nights at Hotel Pousada de Lisboa.

Day 6 Whole day excursion to Sintra including Monserrate Palace (19th century palace with eclectic architecture and landscaped park) and Sintra National Palace. Free evening.

Day 7 Morning excursion to the Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira, with Italianate gardens famous for the azulejos (blue and white tiles) depicting the arts and mythological scenes.

Afternoon: Lisbon’s waterfront Belém district, including the Jerónimos Monastery.

Day 8 Optional early morning walk to the castle (exterior).

Depart Lisbon 1245, arriving London Heathrow 1530.

Christopher Catling MA, FSA, MCIfA

Christopher is an archaeologist who has worked on sites in Portugal and in the Portuguese African islands of Cape Verde. He is currently based in Aberystwyth as Secretary of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.

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Tour dates:

March 21 – 28, 2019 | 8 Days

Cost of £2645 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, six dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £560.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Palace of the Marquises of Fronteira

ACE Cultural Tours

18 Eastern explorations

South Korea &Western Japan: Ancient Connections, Modern World Heritage with Simon Kaner

O

ur journey begins in Seoul, South Korea’s capital on the river Han, where hyper-modernity meets Buddhist temples, royal palaces and ancient traditions. Moving south, we will follow the story of interactions between early kingdoms in Korea and Japan, and in particular the arrival of Buddhism in the Japanese archipelago.

Day 7 Via Beopjusa Temple to Andong area: Byeongsan Seowon Confucian Academy, Beongjeongsa Temple, Dosan Seowon Confucian Academy. Transfer to Hyuandai Hotel, Gyeongju for two nights.

Explore an extraordinary assembly of UNESCO World Heritage sites set amidst breath-taking scenery, from royal palaces to ancient temples.

Day 9 Transfer to Busan for visits to Jagalchi Market and Gukje Market. Transfer to Fukouka by overnight ferry.

Gyeongju, capital of the Silla dynasty for almost 1000 years, features Buddhist monuments bearing testimony to centuries of flourishing cultural achievement.

Day 12 Transfer to Matsue along scenic coastal route, with visits to Iwami Ginzan and Izumo Shrine and Museum, for two nights at a traditional ryokan at Ushio-so.

We will cross from Korea to Japan by overnight ferry, and encounter one of the most exceptional of all Japanese gardens at the Adachi Museum of Art, as well as the fabled Izumo Grand Shrine. Perhaps the oldest and most important Shinto shrine in Japan, it has recently been refurbished. Moving on to Nara and Kyoto, our final focus will be the early Japanese state. Nijo-jo Castle, the imposing residence of the Tokugawa shoguns, will be a particular highlight, as will Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Day 13 Adachi Museum of Art and Adachi Gardens, Matsue Castle and Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum.

We will stay at hotels of mainly four-star standard (see the ACE website or contact the ACE office for further accommodation details). Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 2215 on Emirates for overnight flight via Dubai.

Day 2 Arrive Dubai 0805. Depart Dubai on Emirates 1000, arriving Seoul 2315, and transfer to Four Points by Sheraton Hotel for four nights.

Day 3 Introductory lecture followed by optional visit to the market in Seoul or free time.

Day 4 Seoul: National Museum of Korea, Jongmyo Ancestral Shrine, Changdeokgung Palace.

Day 5 Seoul: Gyeongbokgung Palace, National Folk Museum, Jogyesa Temple, Myeongdong Cathedral.

Day 6 Via Suwon Hwaseong Fortress to Gongju: National Museum, replica Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, Gongsanseong Fortress. Overnight stay at Lacky Hotel, Cheongju.

Day 8 Gyeongju (Silla sites): Bulguksa Temple, Seokguram Grotto, National Museum, Donggung Palace with Anapji Pond and Cheomseongdae Observatory.

Day 10 Arrive Fukouka for visits to Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and Kyushu National Museum. Transfer to New Otani Hakata Hotel, Fukouka for two nights.

Day 11 Whole day excursion to Takachiho Gorge. Free evening.

Day 14 Transfer to Nara for two nights at Nikko Nara Hotel.

Todaiji Temple (colossal bronze Buddha), Nara Deer Park and Kasuga Grand Shrine.

Day 15 Kashihara Jingu Shrine, Asuka Historical Museum, Kitora Tomb, Horyuji Temple.

Day 16 Byodo-in Temple, Fushimi Inari Shrine (thousands of vermillion torii gates), Nijo-jo Castle. Transfer to Royal Park Hotel, Kyoto for overnight stay.

Day 17 Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion exterior), Ryoanji Temple and some free time. Transfer to Kansai International Airport for overnight Emirates flight to Dubai, departing 2345.

Day 18 Arrive Dubai 0515. Depart Dubai on Emirates 0940, arriving Heathrow 1425.

Simon Kaner MA, PhD Simon is Director of the Centre for Japanese Studies at the University of East Anglia and Executive Director of the Sainsbury Institute. Simon is an archaeologist specialising in the prehistory of Japan.

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Tour dates:

May 2 – 19, 2019 | 18 Days

Cost of £4995 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one brunch, three lunches, twelve dinners with water, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, single room supplement (except two nights at Ushio-so ryokan) £650.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul

ACE Cultural Tours

20 Eastern explorations

Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road with Andrew Wilson

U

zbekistan has long been a prized territory: in the 4th century BC Alexander the Great married the daughter of a local chieftain, and in the 14th century Genghis Khan waged war over the region. It was Timur, better known to us as Tamerlane, who overpowered the Mongols and established Samarkand as the glittering capital of an empire encompassing much of Central Asia.

Journey to the heart of Central Asia to discover ancient history and culture.

Our tour begins in the modern capital, Tashkent, where the exhibits of the city’s museums will set our investigations in context. From there we head to the oasis town of Khiva – once the final stopping-point of caravan trains before they set out on the long journey across the desert for Persia – and traverse the Kyzylkum desert to Bukhara, a centre of culture and civilisation from the 6th century BC. The city of Samarkand is one of the oldest in all of Central Asia, and reached its zenith as the capital of the Timurid Empire. The archaeological site of Afrasiab is preserved, along with astonishing frescoes bearing testimony to the vanished Sogdian civilisation that dominated trade along the Silk Road for centuries.

A highlight is the awe-inspiring Registan, bordered on three sides by elaborate madrasas and one of the most important complexes of Islamic architecture in the world.

We will stay at comfortable three or four-star hotels. Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to change.

Andrew Wilson

BA, BD, FSAScot Andrew studied archaeology then theology before working overseas as an archaeologist, specialising in Roman frontier systems and Byzantine mosaics. Andrew is a member of the Society for Libyan Studies and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.

Experience Samarkand’s famed Registan Square, bordered by elegant madrasas in shades of gold and turquoise.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 2135 on Uzbekistan Airways.

Day 2 Arrive Tashkent 0915 and transfer to hotel for overnight stay. Morning tour of the city: Independence Square, Amir Temur monument, Museum of Applied Art. Afternoon: Khast-i-Imam complex (group of mosques and madrasas dating from the 16th to 20th centuries).

Day 3 Morning in Tashkent: State Museum of History of Uzbekistan (archaeological and ethnographical) followed by visit to Chorsu Bazaar. Afternoon: domestic flight to Urgench and transfer to city of Khiva for two nights.

Day 4 Khiva: Ichan Kala (ancient citadel surrounded by crenelated clay walls), Juma mosque, Muhammad Amin-Khan madrasa, Kalta Minor minaret, Kunya Ark fortress.

Day 5 Drive through the Kyzylkum desert, occasionally sighting the River Oxus (now the Amu-Darya) crossed by Alexander the Great in 329 BC. Three nights in Bukhara.

Day 6 Bukhara: Poi-Kalyan complex, Mir-i-Arab madrasa, Kalyan minaret, Ulugh Beg and Abdulaziz Khan madrasas. Afternoon: Lyabi-Hauz, madrasas and Ark Citadel.

Day 7 Bukhara: Tchor Minor mosque, Sitorai Mokhi Khossa, Bolo-Hauz mosque, 10th century Samanid mausoleum, Chashma-Ayub mausoleum (‘Job’s Spring’) and Ark Fortress.

Day 8 Drive to Samarkand via Gijduvan (ceramic workshop, protected by UNESCO), Rabati Malik caravanserai and Sardoba, medieval water keeper. Three nights in Samarkand.

Day 9 Samarkand: famed Registan Square with 15th and 17th century madrasas, Guri Amir mausoleum (burial place of Timur), Bibi Khanum mosque and colourful Siyob Bazaar.

Day 10 Whole day excursion to Shakhrisabz, hometown of Timur: portal of Ak-Saray palace, Dor-us Saodat Memorial Complex, Dor-ut Tilavat Ensemble.

Day 11 Samarkand: Shakhi-Zinda tiled funerary complex, observatory built by Ulugh Beg. Afternoon at ancient site of Afrasiab (rare 7th century Sogdian fresco), before train transfer to Tashkent for overnight stay.

Day 12 Free time in Tashkent. Depart Tashkent 1620, arriving Heathrow 2000.

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Tour dates:

March 22 – April 2, 2019 | 12 Days

Cost of £2495 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, full board with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities, visa support documentation.

Not included:

visa, travel insurance, single room supplement £245.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Gur-E Amir Mausoleum, Samarkand

ACE Cultural Tours

22 Northern & Eastern Europe

Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens with Rupert Dickens

N

o 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.

Discover Flemish art in the 450th anniversary year of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, viewing works including his Fall of Icarus.

The ‘golden age’ of Flemish art began with the brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, before being continued by Hans Memling in Bruges, Rogier van der Weyden in Brussels, and Hugo van der Goes in Ghent.

Flemish Mannerist architects spread Renaissance 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 Flemish Painting tour will be Bruges’s Groeningemuseum, host to an enviable collection of van Eyck and van der Weyden and the setting for Hieronymus Bosch’s Last Judgment. We will also taste the delights of the Memling Museum, housed in one of Europe’s oldest medieval hospitals.

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.

We will enjoy a special lecture on Bruegel the Elder, as 2019 marks 450 years since the artist’s death.

We will stay throughout at the four-star NH Gent Belfort, in the centre of Ghent. Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Spend a day in historical Antwerp, where Rubens and van Dyck worked.

Take in Flemish and Belgian paintings from the 15th to the 18th centuries at the Musée d’Art Ancien in Brussels.

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: canal boat trip, Groeningemuseum (van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden, Hieronymus Bosch, Memling), Church of Our Lady (Michelangelo), Hospital of St John (Memling Museum).

Day 3 Visits in Ghent: Cathedral of St Bavo (van Eyck’s altarpiece Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), Museum of Fine Arts. Evening lecture: Peter Paul Rubens and 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), Rubens’s House. Evening lecture: Pieter Bruegel the Elder at 450.

Day 5 Brussels: Musée d’Art Ancien (15th–18th century Belgian painting) followed by some free time. Depart Brussels 1759, arriving London St Pancras 1906.

Rupert Dickens BA, MA

Rupert studied art history at Birkbeck, University of London before gaining a Masters degree in Dutch Golden Age Studies at University College London.

He now works as a guide lecturer at the Wallace Collection. Before that, Rupert was a BBC television and radio journalist for more than 20 years and has been working in Belgium since the 1980s.

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Tour dates:

August 7 – 11, 2019 | 5 Days

Cost of £1365 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 £200.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1569) Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c 1558

ACE Cultural Tours

24 Northern & Eastern Europe

The Cold War in Berlin with John Greenacre

019 marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Before 1989, states, societies, communities and individuals across the globe had felt the effects of the Cold War for nearly 45 years. But it was in Berlin where the conflict was most sharply in focus.

2

See the last authentic remains of the Berlin Wall and cross from East to West at Checkpoint Charlie.

From the initial division of the city between the Soviet, American, British and French sectors of control following the Second World War, through to the events of the Berlin airlift in 1948–9, the pattern of the Cold War was established early in Berlin.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1255, arriving Berlin 1550.

Transfer to Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz Hotel for five nights. Evening introductory lecture: Der Untergang – The Downfall of Berlin, 1945.

Explore the history of the Cold War in the 30th anniversary year of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We begin our tour by considering the start of the Cold War at Karlshorst, in the building where the Germans surrendered to the Soviets in May 1945, and by walking through the colossal Soviet memorial in Treptower Park.

In East Berlin, the population was brought under the pernicious control of the state security system of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Stasi. We will spend a day in the hands of the Stasi, on guided tours of the organisation’s headquarters and the dreaded Stasi prison in Hohenschönhausen. Finally, we will undertake a walking tour to get a feel for how East Berliners lived, worked and socialised under the communist regime.

During our tour we will stay in the heart of East Berlin at Alexanderplatz, at the comfortable four-star Park Inn by Radisson Berlin Alexanderplatz Hotel.

This historically significant hotel is the former GDR run Interhotel Stadt, originally designed for guests from nonsocialist states and monitored by the Stasi. Today, the 37 storey Park Inn is still the tallest hotel in Germany and is fully refurbished for the 21st century.

Our tour will keep us in the historical and architecturally diverse centre of Berlin, which we will frequently explore on foot and by public transport for an authentic look at this marvellous city.

Please note that a good level of fitness is required, and that some elements of the tour involve being at height and going underground. Some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Day 2 Morning: site of the Führerbunker, Reichstag (visit to roof terrace and Norman Foster’s dome). Afternoon: Karlshorst for German-Russian Museum followed by Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park.

Day 3 Morning: Bernauerstrasse (last authentic stretch of the Berlin Wall), Mauer Museum, Checkpoint Charlie and Asisi Panorama. Afternoon: Gesundbrunnen for Berlin Unterwelten tour of Cold War nuclear shelters. Evening lecture: The Nuclear Arms Race.

Day 4 Morning: Tränenpalast (former border checkpoint) and former Stasi Headquarters. Afternoon: Hohenschönhausen (former Stasi Prison). Free evening.

Day 5 DDR Museum followed by social and cultural tour of East Berlin (exploring lives, work, home and social activities of ordinary citizens). Evening lecture: The End of the Cold War followed by dinner at the top of the Fernsehturm (TV Tower).

Day 6 Some free time. Depart Berlin 1435, arriving Heathrow 1540.

John Greenacre PhD John joined the British Army during the last throes of the Cold War. He left the Army to pursue an academic career having gained a PhD in history from the University of Leeds. John is now an established lecturer and speaker on a variety of 20th century historical subjects, a published author and frequent tour guide.

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Tour dates:

September 11 – 16, 2019 | 6 Days

Cost of £1745 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, four dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

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

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Checkpoint Charlie

ACE Cultural Tours

26 Northern & Eastern Europe

Palaces of St Petersburg with Charles Hind

P

eter the Great’s legendary capital still bears witness to its glorious pre-revolutionary past. Peter summoned skilled designers and craftsmen from Italy, France and Britain as he aspired to rival the capitals of Europe in the layout of avenues and embankments, prospects, parks and promenades.

Examine the architecture of St Petersburg’s ducal and princely palaces, and consider the architectural legacy of Peter the Great.

Our itinerary examines the rich architectural heritage of the city, and centres on a series of ducal and princely palaces in and around St Petersburg. We will enjoy visits to some of the less frequently visited royal residences. Italian architect Antonio Rinaldi originally designed Gatchina Palace in 1765 for Catherine the Great, and the impressive 18th century Baroque Anichkov Palace was designed for Empress Elizabeth.

One of the major architects of St Petersburg was Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli, whose majestic Winter Palace is the setting for the incomparable Hermitage Museum, and following a visit concentrating on the architecture, we will have the opportunity to return to examine works by the Old Masters and the Impressionists.

A further highlight of our tour will be an excursion south of St Petersburg to Tsarskoe Selo (Pushkin). Here, Rastrelli transformed the Catherine Palace into a Baroque masterpiece for Empress Elizabeth; Charles Cameron later remodelled it for Catherine the Great, and we will also see the latter’s work at Pavlovsk. At Peterhof, on the Gulf of Finland, we will discover Peter the Great’s ornate Grand Palace.

Visit some of St Petersburg’s finest museums and galleries, including the Hermitage.

We will stay throughout at the four-star Hotel Angleterre.

Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0920 on British Airways, arriving St Petersburg 1435. Transfer to Hotel Angleterre for eight nights.

Day 2 Visits in St Petersburg: Bronze Horseman, Menshikov Palace, Fabergé Museum and Yusupov Palace.

Day 3 Morning: first tour of the Hermitage (concentrating on Rastrelli’s Winter Palace). Afternoon: Peter and Paul Fortress and Cathedral (birthplace of St Petersburg), Log Cabin of Peter the Great, St Isaac’s Cathedral.

Day 4 Morning: Gatchina Palace and park (including Birch Log Pavilion – weather permitting). Afternoon: St Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art & Design and Smolny Convent. Free evening.

Day 5 Morning: Charles Cameron’s palace at Pavlovsk (English park and garden buildings). Afternoon: Rastrelli’s Rococo Catherine Palace (including the recreated Amber Room).

Day 6 Peterhof: Grand Palace and famous fountain gardens, Tsarina’s and Olga’s Pavilions (weather permitting).

Day 7 Morning: Anichkov Palace and Grand Duke Vladimir’s Palace (subject to confirmation). Afternoon: State Russian Museum in the Mikhailovsky Palace and Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood.

Day 8 Morning: second visit to the Hermitage (concentrating on Old Masters followed by free time to view works by the Impressionists). Afternoon: Alexander Nevsky Monastery complex (site of the graves of Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and other great 19th century writers and composers).

Day 9 Stroganov Palace, boat trip on St Petersburg Canals (subject to confirmation), Chesma Church (time permitting).

Depart St Petersburg 1550, arriving Heathrow 1725.

Charles Hind MA, FSA

Charles is Chief Curator and H J Heinz Curator of Drawings at the Royal Institute of British Architects, and has curated several exhibitions in Europe and the USA. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

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Tour dates:

September 10 – 18, 2019 | 9 Days

Cost of £3195 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, breakfast, two lunches, seven dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

visa, travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £555.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Catherine Palace

ACE Cultural Tours

28 Northern & Eastern Europe

Isles of Scilly with Peter Exley & Diana Ward

M

ore 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 endow 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 finds a feeding refuge on the last outpost of south western Britain.

Explore the botanical and ornithological highlights of the tranquil Isles of Scilly in the company of expert ecologists.

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 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.

Please note the itinerary 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. A good level of fitness is required for this tour.

Diana Ward

Take in archaeological sites, wetland birdlife and maritime-influenced vegetation.

Day 1 Depart Exeter 1630 on Skybus, arriving St Mary’s 1730.

Transfer to St Mary’s Hall Hotel for seven nights. Introductory talk.

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).

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 Depart St Mary’s 0955, arriving Exeter 1055.

MSc, CBiol, MCIEEM

Peter Exley

Diana is an ecologist and wildlife specialist: her company, Ward Ecology Ltd, has carried out ecological assessment work across the UK and she has worked for many years on Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Peter is an ecologist and ornithologist who works for the RSPB. He has also held posts with BirdLife International and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa.

BSc

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Tour dates:

May 7 – 14, 2019 | 8 Days

Cost of £2295 includes:

return airfare, 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 £145.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Tresco, Isles of Scilly

ACE Cultural Tours

30 Northern & Eastern Europe

Roman Kent: Towns, Forts & Frescoes with Mark Corney

F

Explore the imprint of the Romans on the surrounding region, including Lullingstone Roman Villa and Delve into Canterbury’s ancient past with Richborough. visits to the Roman Museum, St Martin’s Day 1 Tour assembles 1800 at Canterbury Cathedral Lodge for Church and St Augustine’s Abbey. four nights. Welcome and introduction. rom the subterranean vestiges of Roman Canterbury to the singular Bacchic frescoes in Dover’s Painted House, Kent is steeped in Roman history.

Our tour begins with an exploration of ancient Canterbury – Durovernum Cantiacorum – first mentioned in the second century Antonine Itinerary. We trace the route of the Roman walls before visiting Canterbury’s Roman Museum, erected around the remains of a town house still adorned with in situ mosaics. Nor will we neglect the rich early Christian history of Canterbury: parts of St Martin’s Church date back to the sixth century.

The following day takes us beyond Canterbury to Lullingstone Roman Villa, whose remnants suggest tantalizing glimpses of its wealthy inhabitants – whether native Britons or occupying Romans, possibly enjoying a rural retreat.

Day 2 Morning: walk around walls (including Roman gateway) of Canterbury followed by Roman Museum (Roman town house with mosaics). Afternoon: 6th century St Martin’s Church and St Augustine’s Abbey.

Day 3 Excursion to Lullingstone Roman Villa followed by Faversham Stone Chapel (ruined medieval church incorporating Roman remains).

Day 4 Dover’s Roman Painted House (finest wall-paintings in Britain), Dover Museum (Bronze Age boat) and Richborough (occupied by Romans from the invasion to the late 5th century AD, site of a fort and ancient amphitheatre).

Day 5 Tour disperses after breakfast.

Faversham Stone Chapel, meanwhile, exhibits the remains of a flint-built medieval church lying partially above Roman ruins: possibly a mausoleum, temple or shrine.

Another highlight is Dover’s second century Painted House, which formed part of a large mansion or lodge for travellers about to cross the Channel. Whilst the tile and flint walls and elaborate hypocaust are worth a visit in themselves, it is the guesthouse’s colourful wall paintings – the most extensive in northern Europe – that steal the show.

We will also devote time to the fort of Richborough, which defiantly retains the walls of a magnificent Roman fortress and the foundations of a monument built to commemorate the conquest of Britain.

We stay at the three-star Canterbury Cathedral Lodge situated in the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral.

Dover’s Painted House offers some of the finest wall-paintings in Britain.

Mark Corney BA, FSA

Mark is a specialist in Roman history and presenter on Channel 4’s Time Team. Mark is a former investigator with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England.

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Tour dates:

July 1 – 5, 2019 | 5 Days

Cost of £945 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 £220.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk City Walls, Canterbury

ACE Cultural Tours

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NEW RELEASE

Bruges with Sarah Burles

T

he city of Bruges has been described as the ‘Manhattan of the 15th century’ – a vibrant trading metropolis that was the jewel in the crown of the Dukes of Burgundy. The city’s wealth and prosperity attracted large numbers of cosmopolitan traders, and provided patronage to some of the greatest artists of the period, whose work became famous throughout Europe.

Explore the delightful medieval town of Bruges, characterised by its fine churches, canals and cobbled streets, on this brand new tour based in the heart of the city.

The historical centre of Bruges is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, and retains much of its medieval character.

It is the perfect city to explore in a relaxed manner on foot, with all the main sites within a short distance of one another.

Walking through the Cloth Halls and out into the Markt, it is easy to imagine this square as the city’s medieval commercial hub. Look up, and you see Bruges’s unique skyline dominated by the towers and spires of St Saviour’s Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady.

We will visit the Groeningemuseum, home to a stunning collection of paintings by the Flemish Primitives, including Jan van Eyck’s famous Van der Paele altarpiece. St John’s Hospital, established in the 12th century, holds seven paintings by Hans Memling, four of which were commissioned by the Hospital itself.

Subject to the successful completion of the restoration works, we hope to visit the newly renovated Gruuthusemuseum (due to reopen in May 2019): this luxurious city palace of the Lords of Gruuthuse hosts outstanding collections of furniture, sculpture, tapestry, lace and silver.

The Treasury at St Saviour’s Cathedral contains a small but fascinating collection of paintings and applied arts, while the Church of Our Lady boasts Michelangelo’s beautiful Madonna and Child and a dramatic triptych over the altar by Bernard van Orley.

A little further afield, we will visit the extraordinary Jerusalem Chapel built by the Adornes family in the 15th century. We will enjoy a private reception in the Adornes mansion, still lived in by the family and not open to the public.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel De Tuilerieën in the heart of Bruges. Please note some elements of the itinerary may be subject to confirmation.

Discover the works of the Flemish Primitives, including Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling.

Day 1 Depart London St Pancras 1058 on Eurostar via Brussels, arriving Bruges 1549. Transfer to Hotel De Tuilerieën and check in for four nights. Short walking tour: Vismarkt, Burg, Markt, Belfort, Wollestraat.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by visit to Groeningemuseum (Flemish Primitives and later Bruges artists). Afternoon: St Saviour’s Cathedral (Bruges’s oldest parish church with Treasury).

Day 3 Morning lecture followed by visit to St John’s Hospital and Memling Museum. Afternoon: Church of Our Lady followed by gentle walk to Beguinage (founded in 1245). Free evening.

Day 4 Morning visit to Gruuthusemuseum (due to reopen in May 2019 – subject to restoration works). Afternoon: gentle walk to St Anne’s Church followed by visit to Adornes Domain and Jerusalem Chapel (tour with private visit to family house).

Day 5 Depart Bruges 1010 via Brussels, arriving London St Pancras 1405.

Bruges is one in a new series of more gently paced tours, created specially by ACE for those who prefer a more laid-back, less physically demanding itinerary while retaining the same high level of academic content. Walking distances are typically shorter, visits are more relaxed, and time is dedicated to the gradual appreciation of, and exploration within, our immediate surroundings. Hotels will usually be situated in central locations to allow for ease of access to major amenities; while group members are regularly encouraged to enjoy each location in their own way and at their own pace.

Sarah Burles MA Sarah studied History of Art at Cambridge before going on to a career in museum and gallery education, including at the Accademia Italiana in London which specialised in Italian art, and at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

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Tour dates:

September 30 – October 4, 2019 | 5 Days

Cost of £1375 includes:

return travel, accommodation based on sharing a classic twin or double bedded room, breakfast, one lunch, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, classic double room for single use supplement £185.

Rooms with a canal view are available at a supplement please contact the ACE office for more details.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk The ‘Dijver’ and Belfry of Bruges

ACE Cultural Tours

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NEW RELEASE

Schubert in Schwarzenberg with Nicholas Wearne

T

here are few more idyllic settings to appreciate some of the best song, chamber and piano concerts the classical music world has to offer than the charming Austrian village of Schwarzenberg which commands panoramic views across lush meadows to the soaring Alps.

Each summer, amidst the tranquil mountain scenery of the Bregenz Forest, specially selected musicians – from well-known performers to up-and-coming artists – gather to present a dynamic selection of Schubert’s music alongside works by other composers.

Enjoy a medley of daytime visits including excursions to Lake Constance and the wonderful Rieger Orgelbau workshop.

Our tour to the 2019 festival will take in a mix of afternoon and evening concerts ranging from intimate piano works to dramatic lieder and lively string quartets. Particular highlights will be a song recital from American operatic soprano Brenda Rae with pianist Malcolm Martineau and clarinettist Jörg Widmann, also known for his composing and conducting credits. Leading mezzosoprano Violeta Urmana will delight us with Schubert’s An die Musik alongside songs by Mahler and Richard Strauss; while pianists Francesco Piemontesi and the multi award-winning Kit Armstrong also feature.

The venue for the festival is the Angelika Kauffmann Hall, named after the 18th century Swiss-born painter and founding member of the Royal Academy in London. Kauffmann spent her early years in Schwarzenberg, where, aged 16, she composed medallions of the apostles in the village church – returning 44 years later to paint the picture above the high altar.

We will stay at the four-star Hotel Kreuz in Mellau, in the heart of the beautiful Bregenz Forest. Some itinerary details may be subject to change nearer the time.

Nicholas Wearne BA, MPhil

Nicholas is an ACE Bursary student who holds a Junior Fellowship at Birmingham Conservatoire. His career as a solo organist has taken him all over the world.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 0925 on British Airways, arriving Zurich 1220. Transfer to Mellau for seven nights at Hotel Kreuz. Orientation walking tour of Mellau followed by evening introductory lecture.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by visit to Rieger Orgelbau workshop and to Egg (spectacular views across the Vorarlberg mountains). Afternoon song recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Brenda Rae (soprano), Jörg Widmann (clarinet) and Malcolm Martineau (piano): songs by Schubert, Liszt, Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel and Richard Strauss. Evening chamber concert at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Schumann Quartet with Kit Armstrong (piano): Schubert String Quartet in G major, D 887; Franck Piano Quintet in F minor.

Day 3 Morning: depart by coach for Hohenems for guided tour of the Jewish Museum and visit to the Legge Museum.

Afternoon chamber concert at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Artemis Quartet: Tchaikovsky String Quartet in F major, Op 22; Schubert String Quartet in D minor, D 810 ‘Der Tod und das Mädchen’. Evening song recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Martin Mitterrutzner (tenor) and Gerold Huber (piano): Schubert ‘Die schöne Müllerin’.

Day 4 Morning lecture followed by guided tour of Schwarzenberg: Heimathaus Museum, church containing work

by Angelika Kauffmann. Afternoon piano recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Francesco Piemontesi: Schubert Four Impromptus, D 899, Sonata in D major, D 850. Evening song recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Violeta Urmana (mezzosoprano) and Helmut Deutsch (piano): songs by Schubert, Mahler and Richard Strauss.

Day 5 Morning excursion to Lindau by coach and ferry followed by afternoon chamber concert at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Baiba Skride (violin), Lise Berthaud (viola), Harriet Krijgh (cello) and Lauma Skride (piano): Schubert Adagio and Rondo Concertane in F major for piano quartet, D 487; Josef Suk Piano Quartet in A minor, Op 1; Brahms Piano Quartet in A major, Op 26.

Day 6 Morning excursion to north shore of Lake Constance, including visit to Birnau for Rococo pilgrimage church. Afternoon visit to Meersburg Old Castle before return to Mellau.

Day 7 Morning: optional gentle Alpine walk with local guide.

Afternoon song recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Sophie Rennert (mezzosoprano) and Helmut Deutsch (piano): songs by Schubert. Evening piano recital at the Kauffmann Hall featuring Igor Levit: Mendelssohn Six ‘Songs without Words’; Mahler Adagio from Symphony No 10; Schubert Sonata in B major, D 960.

Day 8 Depart for Zurich via Winterthur for visit to Museum Oskar Reinhart. Depart Zurich 1840, arriving Heathrow 1930.

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Tour dates:

August 25 – September 1, 2019 | 8 Days

Cost of £2795 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a double bedded room with a balcony, performances as described, breakfast, three lunches, dinner with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, single room with balcony supplement £45, double room (no balcony) for single use supplement £165.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Austrian Alps near Schwarzenberg

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NEW RELEASE

Festtage: Opera in Berlin with John Deathridge

A

s Berlin celebrates Easter 2019 with its renowned Festtage, join us for a programme of musical and operatic delights across six days. Our tour not only incorporates an array of splendid musical offerings, but also takes its cue from Wagner, delving into the complex history and cultural legacy of Germany and its famous capital.

Daniel Barenboim conducts two symphonic masterpieces in Berlin’s impressive Philharmonie.

Part of Berlin’s famous Kulturforum, which is also home to the Museum of Musical Instruments, the city’s striking Philharmonie arrests the attention with its brilliantly innovative, almost tent-like appearance; its architecture has inspired concert hall design all over the world. Here the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim will present two symphonic masterpieces by Prokofiev and Mahler.

A further treat from Prokofiev awaits us at the Berlin State Opera, where we will attend his only comic opera, Betrothal in a Monastery. Mischievously referencing the music of Rossini and Mozart, this four-act drama weaves a witty tapestry of love, jealousy and mistaken identity, incorporating both the traditional and progressive sounds of its time.

We return to Unter den Linden to experience Wagner’s towering yet controversial Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

A similarly lone comedic work for the composer, the opera has dazzled and provoked in equal measure since its first performance in 1868, reflecting on the artistic and cultural identity of Germany and its people. Our Tour Director will explore the opera’s themes and wider context in an extended lecture alongside a visit to the German Historical Museum.

An evening chamber concert in the Opera House’s beautiful Apollosaal rounds off our tour to this lively, wide-ranging festival.

We will stay at the three-star Hotel Albrechtshof, within walking distance of the State Opera House and Museum Island.

Please note that all performances are currently subject to confirmation and some itinerary details may be adjusted nearer the time.

Be captivated by Prokofiev’s sparkling lyric comedy, Betrothal in a Monastery.

Explore questions of art, culture and German identity through Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow 1050, arriving Berlin Tegel 1340. Transfer to Hotel Albrechtshof for five nights.

Day 2 Morning lecture followed by coach orientation and guided architectural tour: Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Friedrichstrasse, Nikolaiviertel, Unter den Linden, Reichstag, new Parliament buildings and Brandenburg Gate. Evening concert at the Philharmonie featuring Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim (conductor): Prokofiev Symphony No 1 in D major ‘Symphonie Classique’, Op 25; Mahler Symphony No 1 in D major.

Day 3 Lecture and daytime visits including guided tours of the Philharmonie (subject to confirmation) and the Museum of Musical Instruments. Evening performance at Berlin State Opera: Prokofiev Betrothal in a Monastery.

Day 4 Optional Sunday morning service at the Berliner Dom followed by guided visit to the Alte Nationalgalerie and some free time. Late afternoon performance at Berlin State Opera: Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

Day 5 Morning lecture. Afternoon visit to the Deutsches Historisches Museum followed by free time. Evening chamber concert at Berlin State Opera (Apollosaal): works by Jacques Ibert, André Jolivet, Jean Françaix, Sergei Prokofiev and Francis Poulenc.

Day 6 Depart Berlin 1435, arriving Heathrow 1535.

John Deathridge MA, DPhil, FRCO

A former organ scholar, graduate and postgraduate of Lincoln College, Oxford, John is currently Emeritus King Edward Professor of Music at King’s College London. Before that he taught at the universities of Princeton, Chicago and Cambridge and continues to be active as a performer and regular broadcaster.

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Tour dates:

April 11 – 16, 2019 | 6 Days

Cost of £2595 includes:

return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performances as described, breakfast, one lunch, two dinners with water & coffee, opera plates & drink at two performances, excursions & admissions, gratuities.

Not included:

travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £245.

Book now

Call 01223 841055 Email sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk Bronze near Berlin Staatsoper

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Full 2019 tour schedule January

April

5-11

Orthodox Christmas in Moscow

1-6

A White Garment of Churches

10-13

Shakespeare at Stratford

10-22

Cuba

1-8

Alentejo & Algarve: Landscapes & Wildlife

14-18

Wildlife in Norfolk

2-9

Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi

•

14-20 Valletta International Baroque Festival

•

•• •

3-12 Albania: From the Illyrians to the Ottomans

•

5-11

Lucca

•

29-2/2

Elgar, Birmingham & Worcester

8-14

Bologna, Mantua & Parma

29-3/2

Mozart Festival in Salzburg

10-16

Rhône River Cruise

29-12/2 New Zealand

11-16

Festtage: Opera in Berlin

February

14-1/5

Iran: Glories of Persia

17-23

Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Chemnitz

17-25

Leipzig at Easter

23-30

Crete: Birds, Flowers & Minoans

23-5/5

Algeria: Rome Meets the Sahara

2-17

Vietnam

11-16

Early Christian & Medieval Rome

12-19

New Zealand Murihiku Extension

13-16

Somerset Levels in Winter

21-24

Bath Bachfest

24-2/3

Pompeii with Herculaneum

26-28

Cambridge Churches, College Chapels & Organs

•

Wagner’s Ring Cycle in Leipzig

March 1-3

Cambridge Churches, College Chapels & Organs

4-8

Roman & Byzantine Ravenna

4-11

Art on the Côte d’Azur

8-15

Art Treasures of St Petersburg

11-16

Aquileia: City of Antiquity

• •

18-21 Hidden Cambridge: Collections & Connections 18-21 Liverpool: Private Wealth, Public Riches 18-24

Art in Berlin

18-24

Art in Naples

21-28

Palaces of the Portuguese Kings

21-28 Roussillon 22-2/4 Uzbekistan: Cities of the Silk Road 29-9/4

From New Orleans to Memphis: Jazz, Blues & the Making of Modern America

22-29

Art & Architecture of the Austrian Tyrol

•

24-31 Douro River Cruise on the Royal Barge

• •

•

•

Wild Poland: From Ancient Rivers to Primeval Forest

TBC

•

Melk Baroque Music Festival

June

•

1-5 Spiš: German Towns of Eastern Slovakia

24-29 Festival de Pâques in Aix-en- Provence 30-6/5

•

21-28

• • • •

2-8

Provence River Cruise

2-12

Ottoman Turkey

3-7

A Viking Raid on Copenhagen

3-8

Cornwall: St Ives & The Newlyn School of Painters

3-10

Hill Towns of Umbria

4-10

Lincolnshire Halls & Houses

5-12

From Yeats Country to the Fermanagh Lakes

12-16 Stockholm: A Royal & Noble Heritage 17-24

Bach Festival in Leipzig

17-29

Northern Greece

18-21

Artists of the North

18-25

Islay, Jura & Colonsay

19-25

Albi & the Languedoc

20-27

The Burren & Aran Islands

23-6/7

Baltic States

•

24-28 Country Houses of South Shropshire 24-29

2-19

South Korea & Western Japan: Ancient Connections, Modern World Heritage

4-10

Villas & Gardens in Lazio

7-10

Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels

•

7-13 Glasgow: Patrons, Art & Innovation 7-14

Isles of Scilly

8-15 Wildlife & Walking in Extremadura 13-27

Lycian Cruise

18-25 Villas & Gardens of the Italian Lakes 20-29

The Battle for Normandy: 75 Years On

•

25-30 Bauhaus: German Modern Art & Design

May

Ancient Sicily

•• •

TBC

Riga Opera Festival

TBC

Shakespeare at Stratford

TBC

Aldeburgh Festival

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July 1-5 Roman Kent: Towns, Forts & Frescoes

• •

2-5

Churches of Norfolk: An Appointment with Angels

4-8

The Golden Age of Dutch Painting

5-10

Verona Opera Festival

6-13

Wild & Ancient Orkney

7-13

Swedish Palaces & Castles

7-14

Iceland: History & Landscape

9-13

Buxton Opera Festival

15-20

Aquileia: City of Antiquity

21-28

Medieval Burgundy

22-26

Dorset Country Houses

24-1/8

The Hanseatic League

27-31

Gloucester Three Choirs Festival

29-1/8

Hadrian’s Wall

31-4/8

Gloucester Three Choirs Festival

TBC

Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival

TBC

Norfolk in Summer: From the Sea to the Sky

TBC

Beaune Music Festival

•• •

•

•

•

30-3/9 The Industrial Revolution in Middle England

17-26 Palladio & the Villas of the Veneto

30-13/9 South Africa: Flowers of Namaqualand

24-30

TBC

TBC

•

Lucca Puccini Festival

September 2-16

3-8 Great Bardfield & Beyond: Mid-

Century Art & Design in East Anglia

• • •

Mendelssohn in Scotland

5-10

Art Nouveau in Belgium

5-12

Wildlife of Andalucia

6-12

Seine River Cruise: From Honfleur to Paris

7-20

Churches & Monasteries of Armenia & Georgia

TBC

Moorish Spain

TBC

Wexford Opera Festival

TBC

Verdi Festival in Parma

Corsica: Rugged Isle of Beauty

8-18 Athens, Delphi & the Peloponnese

Imperial Rome, Ostia & Tivoli

2-18

Gujarat: Traditional Crafts & Tribal Communities

• •

•

8-24 Japan in Autumn: Art, Temples & Gardens 14-28 Ethiopia 16-29

Morocco: Archaeology of the Western Kingdom

17-21

Vienna: City of the Arts

18-25

Art & Patronage in Renaissance Florence & Siena

9-13

Derbyshire Halls & Houses

10-18

Palaces of St Petersburg

11-16

The Cold War in Berlin

27-10/12 Tasmania

12-19

Riviera di Levante: From Genoa to Pisa

TBC Syracuse

16-23

Art on the Côte d’Azur

TBC

Bath Mozartfest

16-25

Ancient Sicily

TBC

Georgian Dublin

23-27

•

•• • •

•

22-3/10 The Dodecanese Islands

•

2-7

6-8 Oxford College Chapels & Organs

8-15 Brittany: The Land Between Two Seas 8-15

China: The Silk Road

November

••

3-9

•

•• • • • • • •

TBC Glyndebourne

Lycian Cruise

•

Hidden Paris

28-4/11 Piero della Francesca

Roman & Byzantine Ravenna

23-29 Art Treasures of Copenhagen & Sjaelland

•••

23-7/10 Bulgarian Monasteries 30-4/10 Bruges

30-4/10 Isle of Wight

August 6-18

Teutonic Knights

7-11

Flemish Painting: From van Eyck to Rubens

8-12

International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in Harrogate

10-22

Karelia & Archangel: Architecture of Northern Russia

12-17

Chichester & the South Downs

•

13-19 Art & Architecture of Munich & Bavaria

•

18-24

In the Footsteps of Luther

25-1/9

Schubert in Schwarzenberg

27-31

Northumbria in the First Millenium

•

•

TBC

Sardinia: Birds, Flowers & Nuraghi

TBC

Beethoven in Bonn

October 1-8

The Great Spanish Masters: From El Greco to Sorolla & Picasso

6-23

Iran: Glories of Persia

•

7-14 Roussillon 8-14

Art & Architecture of Puglia

•

10-16 Arles: From the Romans to Van Gogh

•

10-20

Ancient Cyprus

14-24

The Jordan

16-25

The Route of Caravaggio

17-23

Music & Art in Germany

•

December 10-14

Tasmania: South Eastern Victoria & Melbourne Extension

Legend

•• ••

Gentler tour Lower single supplement Rail option Forthcoming release

ACE CULTURAL TOURS Stapleford Granary Bury Road Stapleford CAMBRIDGE CB22 5BP

01223 841055 ace@aceculturaltours.co.uk www.aceculturaltours.co.uk Association for Cultural Exchange ACE Cultural Tours is owned by the ACE Foundation (the Association for Cultural Exchange), an educational charity founded in 1958. Each year, the trustees of the ACE Foundation make substantial donations to charitable and educational projects in the regions we visit, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. We are proud to be the preferred travel provider for people who are committed to supporting local communities in the countries they visit.

ACE CULTURAL TOURS