Historic New England Travel: Stockholm, Sweden: Venice of the North

Historic New England Travel STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Venice of the North September 11-17, 2024

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Venice of the North September 11-17, 2024

Join Historic New England and President and CEO Vin Cipolla on an exciting Patron trip exploring the architectural and cultural heritage of Stockholm, Sweden. From Renaissance and 18thcentury royal palaces to 20th and 21st-century contemporary designs, you will be immersed in Stockholm’s rich history.

Enjoy private visits and exclusive after-hour tours of magnificent icons and hidden gems. Explore Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovön; the modern Stockholm Public Library, designed

by Gunnar Asplund, a contemporary of Walter Gropius; the Vasa, Sweden’s 1628 royal flagship, a beautiful relic with an amazing restoration story; and much more! Your stay at The Grand, Sweden’s finest luxury hotel, offers the best waterfront location imaginable.

View full itinerary and how to book at: HistoricNewEngland.org/PatronTravel

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 1

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Wednesday, September 11

Stockholm Public Library

Arrival into Stockholm

A highlight of our tour will be the Stockholm Public Library, one of the city’s most notable structures, designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund and opened to the public in 1928.

A contemporary of Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, Asplund pursued a unique architecture that displayed a blend of classical tradition, vernacular architecture and Modernism. He achieved a sensitive understanding of the relationship between architecture and its surrounding landscape, and he is recognized as Sweden’s leading architect of the twentieth century.

A design scheme was proposed in 1922, and construction began in 1924.

Partly inspired by the Barrière Saint-Martin (Rotonde de la Villette) by Claude Nicolas Ledoux, Asplund abandoned earlier ideas for a dome in favor of a rotunda whose tall cylinder gives the exterior some monumentality. Here we see his gradual shift from classicism to functionalism, as he reduced elements of the classical order to their most abstract geometrical forms.

• Arrivals from the USA throughout the day.

• Transfers to the hotel arranged on request.

Check-in to the luxurious Grand Hotel, Stockholm.

4:30 p.m. Gather in the hotel lobby for an architectural overview tour of the city, which will include the Stockholm Public Library and a private after-hours visit to the Vasa Museum.

Dinner at Wedholms Fisk.

Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Vasa Museum The Vasa, Sweden’s royal flagship, sank within one mile of the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 before she even left the Stockholm archipelago. The ship was found in 1956 and it was finally raised in 1961. In the case of the Vasa, 95% of the present ship is the original. Now fully restored, it is a beautiful and astonishing relic, the finest of its kind in the world.

It took almost two years (1626-1627) to build the original Vasa. Intended to be a splendid reflection of the power of Sweden, with a hull built of more than a thousand oak trees, 64 cannon, masts over 170 feet high and hundreds of painted and gilded sculptures.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 2

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Thursday, September 12

Riddarholmen Church

Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

The Riddarholmen Church is foremost a burial and memorial church, maintained by the Office of the Marshal of the Realm and the National Property Board (SFV).

It is Stockholm’s only preserved mediaeval abbey.

This is the final resting place of Swedish Royals and with the exception of Queen Christina, all rulers of Sweden from Gustav II Adolf (d. 1632) to Gustaf V (d. 1950) are buried here. Several earlier kings also lie here including Magnus Ladulås (d. 1290) and Karl Knutson Bonde (d. 1470).

Visit Riddarholmen Church for a private tour.

Continue to the Masreliez Rooms.

Lunch at Restaurant Tradition.

Private visit to Tessin Palace.

Early evening after-hours visit to Svindersvik.

Dinner at Lilla Ego. Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Masreliez Rooms Louis Masreliez was the most talented painter in a family of distinguished French artists and decorators that achieved renown in Sweden in the second half of the 18th century, working in the court of King Gustav III. He was born in Paris, and moved to Sweden with his family at the age of five. The perfectly restored suite of rooms in the Old Town, created for the merchant Wilhelm Schwardz in 1795 is a little-known Neoclassical masterpiece.

Tessin Palace Between 1694 and 1700 architect Nicodemus Tessin built this stately private residence for himself and his family while he was simultaneously overseeing the construction work on the new Royal Palace across the street. Here Tessin had free rein for his desire for architectural experimentation. The regal three-level edifice was designed in a mix of French and Italian architectural styles, making it one of the more unique historical structures from that time.

Svindersvik Svindersvik was built in the early 1740s for mill owner Claes Grill, one of the most influential and wealthy financiers of the time and eventually a director of the Swedish East India Company. The architect Carl Hårleman designed the main building in a Frenchinspired rococo style. From the outset, it was designed as a country residence and not a permanent home. In this capacity, it is unique for its time and one of the oldest preserved residences in Sweden of this kind.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 3

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Friday, September 13

Örbyhus Castle

Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

First records of this estate date to the 14th century. During the 15th century, a stone keep was erected for defensive purposes by Johan Kristensson Vasa, grandfather of future king of Sweden Gustav Vasa. It subsequently stayed in the Vasa family and during the reign of Gustav Vasa was expanded into a fortress with a surrounding wall which is still partially preserved.

The castle stayed within the royal family until 1641 and its present furnishings date from this period. The property passed to the Banér family, who remained owners until 1729. During this time, the castle was transformed into a Baroque palace. The tower was incorporated into the Baroque edifice when this was built in the 1660s. The Baroque part of the castle is a three-story building built of brick. Inside, the castle displays rich interiors from several centuries.

Transfer to Örbyhus Castle.

Lunch in the Orangerie at the castle.

Continue to Linnaeus’s Hammarby.

Transfer back to Stockholm.

Evening at leisure. Possible performances: Opera, Ballet, Theatre, Symphony.

Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Linnaeus’s Hammarby Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carl Linnaeus (17071778) is known as the “father of modern taxonomy” having created the modern system of naming organisms. His summer home in Hammarby is one of Sweden’s most authentically preserved farms from the 1700s.

The household items and art tell us more about Linnaeus’ family life on the farm and the lush park is home to the world’s largest living collection of Linnaean plants.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 4

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Saturday, September 14

Drottningholm Palace

Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

Set in a delightful baroque garden, this UNESCO-listed palace of the Swedish Royal Family dates from the 1660s.

Walk through its French formal garden with sculptures by Adriaen de Vries, and view the palace’s Chinese Pavilion, whose interiors are adorned with hand-painted paper and silk wall coverings, lacquered screens, and Asian decorative objects.

Transfer to Drottningholm Palace.

Lunch at Karamellan Café and Restaurant, at Drottningholm.

Continue to Gustav III’s Pavilion.

Return to the hotel.

Private after-hours visit to the Artipelag Konsthall followed by drinks and dinner overlooking the forest and water.

Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Court Theatre The theatre was built in 1766 for Queen Louisa Ulrika by architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. Its heyday came under her son, King Gustav III, who helped create Swedish theatre and opera with German composers and French ballet masters.

After the king’s death, in 1792, the theater fell into oblivion. When it was rediscovered, in the early part of the 20th century, a complete 18thcentury theatre was discovered in its original form. The theater was restored and reopened and visitors today can view the original working 18th-century set machinery.

Gustav III’s Pavilion Gustav III’s pavilion at Haga is one of the most unusual royal buildings from the late 18th century. Architect Olof Tempelman drew up the plans for the pavilion in 1787 and the magnificent interior design was carried out by Louis Masreliez who studied for several years in Italy and was closely familiar with Roman antiquity.

Beside The Pavilion lie The Sultan’s Copper Tents, originally three buildings for the palace guard, designed by the painter Louis Jean Desprez and built during 1787 to 1790. Desprez proposed that all the façades of the buildings be designed as Turkish tents, clad in decoratively painted copper plate. However, tent façades were only built on the side facing the main lawns which still give the desired illusion of a sultan’s encampment.

Artipelag Konsthall From the dock near the hotel, we will board a private yacht to the island of Värmdö for a private after-hours visit to the Artipelag Konsthall with Director Bo Nilsson and Artipelag’s founders Björn and Lillemor Jakobson.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 5

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Sunday, September 15

Sturehov Manor

Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

Sturehov has been described as one of the most beautiful as well as best-preserved manor houses from the reign of Gustav III. The core of the main building dates from the late 18th century but its two wings date from the 17th century. Several cottages (called torps) that belonged to the estate dot the landscape. Above the portal, the coat of arms of the Liljencrantz family is displayed. Inside, the ground floor was designed to house kitchens and simpler living quarters.

The first, main floor displays an unusually rich and well-preserved décor with, at its center an octagonal dining room. The design is in strict Neoclassical style with green and grey faux marble wall paintings with golden festoon-like decoration.

Transfer to Sturehov Manor.

Continue to the privately owned Elghammar Castle for a visit with the owner.

Lunch with our hostess.

Continue to Gripsholm Castle.

Visit Fotografiska.

Dinner in the Chambre Séparée or the main dining room of the award winning Fotografiska Restaurant with views over the water to Skeppsholmen and Skansen.

Elghammar Castle

Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Elghammar Castle is in Södermanland County. Initially the property of the family Kruse of Elghammar, then of Johan Adolf Welander, the existing manor was sold in 1807 to Marshall Curt von Stedingk who ordered new constructions in the style of the French Empire.

Gripsholm Castle On the shores of Lake Mälaren, Gripsholm Castle built in 1537 towers powerfully over the idyllic small town of Mariefred.

Gripsholm was originally built as a secure fortress during a turbulent time and the main structure of the old castle still exists: four fortified towers with residential wings in between.

But as the royal power was strengthened and external threats grew fewer, the castle was gradually furnished with an increasing emphasis on comfort.

Fotografiska Founded in Stockholm in 2010, Fotografiska is a destination to discover world-class photography, eclectic programming, and surprising new perspectives.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ITINERARY Day 6 and 7

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Monday, September 16

Tureholm Castle

Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

There has been a manor-house at Tureholm since the 1300s. In the 17th century, a castle was erected but it was burned down by the Russian Navy in 1719. A few years later, Count Thure Gabriel Bielke, Marshal of the Realm, embarked on the reconstruction of what would become one of the 18th century’s most imposing castles.

The reconstruction of Tureholm Castle that was begun in 1728 coincided almost exactly with the foundation of the Swedish East India Company. Few other Swedish castles and palaces bear such clear evidence of the new East Indian influences. What is now known as ‘Tureholm wallpaper’ bears motifs from the Far East, including exotic animals and birds. The most imposing room in the castle, the Parrot Room, has been preserved intact. Tureholm’s Chinoiserie, like most 18thcentury images of China, were painted by artists who never set foot in China, and thus had never seen the subjects they were painting.

They took their inspiration from books, stories and objects brought back from the mythical country.

Transfer to the privately owned Tureholm Castle for a visit with the owner.

Lunch with our host.

Transfer back to Stockholm for an afternoon exploring Swedish design, textile, glass and crafts: Galleri Glas, House of Gärsnäs, Tambur, and Astrid Textile Lab. Return to the hotel.

After-hours visit to the Nobel Prize Museum followed by dinner in the museum.

Overnight Grand Hotel, Stockholm Tuesday, September 17 Breakfast at leisure in the hotel.

Departures throughout the day to Stockholm Arlanda Airport.

This is a working itinerary and modifications may occur depending upon the ultimate availability of our hosts or certain events. The itinerary is subject to change.

Nobel Prize Museum The Nobel Prize Museum is located in the former Stock Exchange Building in Stockholm’s Old Town. The museum presents information on the founder of the prize Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) and features artifacts donated by Nobel Laureates and their personal life stories.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

ACCOMMODATION

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Program Costs

Grand Hotel, Stockholm

$9,950 per person based on double occupancy.

The Grand Hotel is the finest hotel in Stockholm. Built in 1874, the Grand has retained its original elegance and is perfectly located on the waterfront of the Strömmen in the center of the city. Its traditional style includes fine-dining restaurants, a bright cafe, a grand bar and a beautiful wine cellar. More recent additions include a fitness center, spa and pool.

$1,590 single supplement.

View full itinerary and how to book at: HistoricNewEngland.org/ PatronTravel

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com

TERMS & CONDITIONS

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Program Costs • $9,950 per person based in double occupancy.

• $1,590 single supplement.

Deposit and Final Payment • A deposit of US $3,500 per person is required to confirm your place on the program. The deposit is refundable up until January 19, 2024 less a $500 adminisrative fee. Balance of payment for the program is due 90 days prior to departure, June 13, 2024.

• If you should have to cancel after January 19, 2024, but prior to and including June 13, 2024 your deposit would be forfeited. For any cancellations after June 13, 2024, your full payment becomes nonrefundable.

• All payments may be made by American Express, VISA, Master Card, or check.

Cost includes: • 6 nights’ accommodation at the Grand Hotel, Stockholm in a Deluxe room.

• Full breakfast daily.

• 5 lunches with selected wines, mixed drinks, mineral water, coffee or tea.

• 5 dinners with selected wines, mixed drinks, mineral water, coffee or tea. Including private dinners at Artipelag Art Hall and the Nobel Prize Museum.

• All visits, entrance fees, speakers’ fees, and events including special private openings and curators’ tours.

• All land transport as outlined in the program in a comfortable, air-conditioned coach or minivans as required.

• All taxes for goods and services.

• All tips for personnel: hotel, restaurant, guiding staff and drivers.

• Trip accompanied by Historic New England President and CEO Vin Cipolla.

• On-site services of Benefactor Travel staff throughout the trip.

Not included: • International airfare.

• Arrival and departure transfers.

• Personal charges (laundry, minibar, telephone etc).

• Meals not included above.

• Travel Insurance.

Benefactor Travel strongly recommends that each traveler take out a fully comprehensive travel insurance policy.

Many companies offer travel insurance. A few we recommend: Travel Guard 1.800.826.5248 John Hancock Insurance Agency, Inc. 1.866.888.7803 Allianz Travel Insurance 1.866.884.3556 The price of travel protection is determined by factors such as your state of residence, region of travel, trip price and age. Please reach out to your travel insurance company of choice for an exact quote. We recommend that your policy includes coverage for pre-existing conditions. In our experience, this has been an important benefit. Please note some plans offer additional medical coverage plus additional benefits when purchased within 14 days of making your deposit, including coverage for pre-existing medical conditions, bankruptcy, and cancellation. You may also wish to check with your credit card company, as some card companies offer travel insurance, although it can be very limited.

We reserve the right to cancel the program due to insufficient participants. In the unlikely event that the tour is canceled, participants will be informed no later than June 13, 2024, and any trip payments will be refunded in full. We are not responsible for any collateral costs, including airfare or other personal expenses, incurred by travelers due to trip cancellation.

This is a working itinerary and modifications may occur depending upon the ultimate availability of our hosts or certain events. The itinerary is subject to change.

For more information about this trip, call 800-801-6147 or email dale@benefactortravel.com