AMSTERDAM TO PARIS FROM VAN EYCK TO VAN GOGH MAY 11-27, 2018 TOUR LEADER: DR NICK GORDON

OVERVIEW

From the 15th century the Low Countries witnessed an extraordinary period of cultural brilliance. Brisk trade, merchant-based governments, humanistic education, religious dissent and a taste for luxury and everyday detail combined with an artisan culture to produce a period now known as the Northern Renaissance. The visual worlds and distinctive religious and political identities that emerged from the region continue to influence Western art. Landscape, still life, genre painting and the modern portrait were all developed in the Low Countries, starting with the innovations introduced to oil painting by Jan van Eyck and continuing through the work of Bosch, Brueghel, Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer and down to Van Gogh. But the political and religious map of Europe was reshaped here too, with the emergence of Protestant republics in the north and the struggles of peasants and burghers against the ambitious Holy Roman Empire. With the glory of the Dutch Golden Age, a vast colonial empire brought fabulous riches and ensured the posterity of the art and history of the Low Countries. This 17-day tour goes beyond the clichés of windmills and wooden shoes, taking us from Amsterdam to Delft, Brussels, Bruges and Paris, exploring the fascinating art and history of the Low Countries along the way. Visiting both the larger cities as well as smaller centres such as Utrecht and Ghent, we enjoy exceptional museums and galleries, and appreciate the cityscapes that have remained largely unchanged since the glory days of the Northern Renaissance

YOUR TOUR LEADER

Dr Nick Gordon holds a University Medal and PhD in History from the University of Sydney. He specialises in medieval and early modern European history and has taught at Australian universities for 10 years, on topics ranging from Ancient Greek democracy to the art and culture of Renaissance Italy, the French and industrial revolutions and the rise of modern psychology. He has presented numerous popular art history courses at the University

of Sydney’s Centre for Continuing Education, and is a regular speaker in the Nicholson Museum’s public lecture series. Nick’s academic expertise is complemented by the specialised knowledge he has gained as a practicing artist, and he brings these insights to the art enjoyed throughout this tour. Nick has been leading cultural tours to Europe since 2006 and his passion and for the extraordinary art and history of the region led him to develop this tour in 2014.

AMSTERDAM TO PARIS FROM VAN EYCK TO VAN GOGH

Tour dates: May 11-27, 2018

Tour leader: Dr Nick Gordon

Tour Price: $8,630 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $2,310 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airline: Emirates

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Amsterdam (4 nights), Delft (2 nights), Brussels (4 nights), Bruges (3 nights), Paris (3 nights)

Date published: August 16, 2017

ENQUIRIES AND BOOKINGS

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Kathy Wardrop at ADFAS Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email

kathy@academytravel.com.au

This tour is run in association with Academy Travel

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

THE DUTCH GOLDEN AGE Enjoy masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and others in world class collections, including the Rijksmuseum, the Brussels MFA and the Louvre. Explore how the artists of the Dutch Golden Age revolutionised painting and developed new types that remain popular to this day, such as landscape, still life and genre painting.

MODERN MASTERS The artistic traditions of the Low Countries continued well into the 20th century and are best known through the works of M. C. Escher, René Magritte and Vincent Van Gogh. The museums dedicated to these modern masters – In The Hague, Amsterdam and Brussels – have wonderful, extensive collections of their work.

MEDIEVAL AND GOLDEN AGE TOWNS From the Middle Ages until the late 1600s the towns of the Low Countries – such as Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Amsterdam – were the economic centres of Northern Europe. The well preserved Gothic palaces and town houses lining the canals of these cities are testament to the wealth and taste of their residents.

EXTRAORDINARY SMALL COLLECTIONS France and the Low Countries have exceptional less well visited and specialist collections. See the iconic Books of Hours of John Duke of Berry in the Chateau du Chantilly, some of Jan van Eyck’s most extraordinary works in the Groeninge Museum in Bruges, Golden Age art in Antwerp’s Rockox House, and the extensive collections of Rotterdam’s Boijmans van Beuningen.

WALLONIA AND THE MEUSE VALLEY Wallonia, the French-speaking south of Belgium, is off most tourists’ track and the region is largely untouched by modern development. Here rolling fields give way to the forests of the Ardennes and the quiet valleys of the Meuse and Ourthe rivers, and the region’s rich history is evident in its medieval abbeys, chateaux, and pretty hamlets.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.

FRIDAY 11 MAY ARRIVAL IN AMSTERDAM

After meeting in our hotel this afternoon we take a stroll through the historic heart of this lovely city which, at the beginning of the 17th century, grew from being just one of the many trading towns of the Low Countries into the cultural and economic centre of the Dutch Republic. The merchants, artists and religious minorities who flocked there made it one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities and today we walk along canals lined with the townhouses of the wealthy burghers who ushered in the Golden Age. Dinner tonight is in a local restaurant. Overnight Amsterdam. (D)

SATURDAY 12 MAY OLD AMSTERDAM

The Dutch Republic emerged from the conflict between Catholics and Protestants that reshaped Europe. Amsterdam became a haven for Protestants, protected by rings of fortifications extending far out into the countryside and by a formidable navy that patrolled trading outposts as far away as Indonesia and Japan. This morning we explore the transformation of architecture in the newly Protestant city, visiting redesigned Gothic churches and a clandestine Catholic chapel in the attic of a patrician’s palace. At Rembrandt’s House, the sitting room and shop, studio and living quarters, reveal how art was made and sold to wealthy upper and middle-class patrons. After a welcome lunch in one of Amsterdam’s fine restaurants the afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Amsterdam. (B, L)

SUNDAY 13 MAY UTRECHT AND THE VECHT CANAL ESTATES

Today we take a full day trip to Utrecht and the surrounding countryside, where feudal lords and the burghers of the Golden Age built their castles and estates. From the 8th century, Utrecht was the focal point of Catholicism in the Netherlands, and although it joined the Calvinist Dutch Republic it retained many of its Catholic values. We visit the 13th-century cathedral of St Martin, a magnificent French Gothic building and the largest cathedral in the Netherlands. We break for lunch on the Oudegracht, a pretty canal shaded by trees and lined with medieval warehouses and shops, now cafes and restaurants. In the afternoon we travel back through the Vechtstreek, the picturesque countryside between Utrecht and Amsterdam.

Images left: the Oudegracht, or “old canal” runs through the centre of Utrecht and the old warehouses now house a lively restaurant and cafe scene; and a detail from Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, 1642, one of many treasures in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

In the late afternoon, we return to Amsterdam. Overnight Amsterdam. (B)

MONDAY 14 MAY A WEALTH OF ART

In the 17th century, Dutch painters defined the characteristics of Old Masters and popularised new genres, such as still life and maritime scenes. This morning’s visit is to the recently renovated Rijksmuseum, where we see masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Ruisdael, Franz Hals and more. After an extended break for lunch we meet at the nearby Van Gogh Museum with its stunning collection of masterpieces: Sunflowers, Almond Blossom and nine self-portraits are here. To a modern eye, Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings seem to transcend time and place, yet they reflect the cosmopolitanism that had long been prized in The Netherlands. Overnight Amsterdam. (B)

TUESDAY 15 MAY THE HAGUE

We depart Amsterdam for Delft this morning, travelling via The Hague, the political centre of The Netherlands and a base for the United Nations’ justice programs. Here the broad streets, lined with the luxurious palaces of diplomats and the well-to-do, spread out from the 15th-century Binnenhof or seat of parliament. The Hague’s art collections are similarly impressive, ranging from Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, which we will see in the Mauritshaus, to an extraordinary collection of M.C. Escher’s work in a museum dedicated to the artist. In the mid-afternoon we continue on to nearby Delft, Vermeer’s hometown. The House of Orange, which led the Dutch revolt against the Spanish overlords in the 16th century, also had its headquarters here. Dinner and overnight Delft. (B, D)

WEDNESDAY 16 MAY DELFT AND BOIJMANS VAN BEUNINGEN

This morning, after a leisurely start, we explore Delft, which is the ancestral residence of the House of Orange, who led the Dutch revolt against the Spanish overlords in the 16th century. In the early afternoon, we travel the short distance to Rotterdam to visit the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, whose collection includes works by Bosch and Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Overnight Delft. (B)

THURSDAY 17 MAY ANTWERP

Today we travel to Brussels, via Antwerp, which became the focus of commercial activity in the region after Bruges’ principal canal silted and its harbours declined. Antwerp quickly became Europe’s largest port and richest city, and Flemish, French, German and Italian styles of art and architecture blended there. The vibrancy of the city is reflected in the guildhalls of the Grote Markt, whose

Images right: Sunflowers, 1889, Van Gogh Museum; The Milkmaid, Johannes Vermeer, c.1660, Rijksmuseum; and

The Grote Markt (Great Market Square) of Antwerp

architecture influenced a young Gaudí, and in the canvases by Rubens in the cathedral. In the afternoon we Rockox House, a patrician’s palace where art is displayed as its was by its 17th-century owner, Nicolas Rockox. In the late afternoon, we continue to Brussels. Dinner and overnight Brussels. (B, D)

FRIDAY 18 MAY GOTHIC AND RENAISSANCE ART IN FLANDERS

Northern Belgium was the centre of Flanders, the medieval county that extended into parts of modern-day France and Holland. In the 15th century, experimentation with oil painting and a distinctively new aesthetic here led to a revolutionary style of art. After a talk in the hotel, we visit the Royal Museums of Fine Arts to see the magnificent collection of Old Masters, with masterpieces by Rogier van der Weyden, Rubens and Hans Memling. The afternoon is at leisure, giving you the opportunity of exploring the Modern Museum, with works by David, Ingres, Mirò and Matisse, or you might like to sample local gastronomic specialties while sitting in the World Heritage-listed Grand Place. Overnight Brussels. (B)

SATURDAY 19 MAY MODERNITY IN BELGIUM

René Magritte is the perfect example of how modern Belgium combined international and uniquely local values and aesthetics. At the Magritte Museum, we see how the artist’s technical mastery of oil paint and attention to fine detail continue the tradition established by Van Eyck and van der Weyden, and appreciate the 20th-century ideas that inform his subject matter. This afternoon there is the option of visiting the Victor Horta Museum, the house and studio of this profoundly influential Belgian architect of the Art Nouveau. Overnight Brussels. (B)

SUNDAY 20 MAY WALLONIA AND THE MEUSE VALLEY

Southern Belgium formed part of the border between French and German cultures and is notable for the way it blended the two influences in a distinctive new style. Today we explore Wallonia and the Meuse Valley, stopping to visit the majestic ruins of Villers Abbey, and the beautiful Romanesque collegiate church in Nivelles. After lunch in a country restaurant, we have unhurried visits to some of the small towns for which the Meuse Valley is famous: tiny Durbay, the world’s smallest city, and Dinant, whose landscape inspired landscape painters such as Joachim Patenier. We end our tour of the region at Chateau Annevoie, known for its beautiful 18th-century gardens. Overnight Brussels. (B, L)

MONDAY 21 MAY THE WATERWAYS OF GHENT

Above: René Magritte Not to be Reproduced (La reproduction interdite, 1937), Museum Boijmans van Beuningen

Below: A detail from the Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), a complex polyptych panel painting commissioned from Hubert Van Eyck and completed by his better known brother Jan between 1430-1432

The cities of Northern Belgium were the economic and cultural powerhouses of 15th-century Europe. Today we travel to Ghent, one of the leading cities of the period thanks to its cloth trade. It is also the home of one of the most revolutionary artworks of the 1400s: the so-called Ghent Altarpiece of Hubert and Jan van Eyck, housed in the Cathedral of St Bavo. Much of the city’s medieval architecture also remains intact, giving us a clear idea of the wealth and pragmatism of the northern burghers. After lunch we continue to Bruges, known as the Venice of the North, with its perfectly preserved Flemish-Gothic architecture. Overnight Bruges. (B, D)

TUESDAY 22 MAY MEDIEVAL BRUGES

Bruges was a magnet for European merchants, with a major port and strong banking network. The traders who came here attracted artists in their turn, and Jan van Eyck, Gerard David and Hans Memling all worked in the town. Their masterpieces for foreign merchants would leave an indelible imprint on Western art, as merchants shipped them to Spain, France, Germany and Italy. After a morning talk in the hotel, we explore the historic cityscape of Bruges. We visit the Hans Memling Museum, housed in a medieval hospital, as well as the outstanding collection of works by Van Eyck, David, Bosch and van der Goes at the Groeninge Museum. The late afternoon and evening are at leisure. Overnight Bruges. (B)

WEDNESDAY 23 MAY TOURNAI

Today we travel to Tournai, the hometown of Robert Campin and Rogier van der Weyden. The town grew exceptionally wealthy from the production of fine cloth and tapestry in the Middle Ages and its economic boom brought a degree of self-governance. Our tour of the city takes in the well-preserved urban layout, World Heritage-listed cathedral with its blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles, and a visit to the Tapestry Museum, which has a fine collection of 16th-century tapestries and exhibitions of contemporary textile art. Returning to Bruges, the later afternoon and are at leisure. Overnight Bruges. (B)

THURSDAY 24 MAY CHATEAU DE CHANTILLY

We depart Bruges this morning for Paris, and spend the day at Chateau de Chantilly, which in addition to gardens by Le Nôtre, contains one of the finest art collections in France, with masterpieces by Raphael, Piero di Cosimo, Francois and Jean Clouet, Ingres and Watteau. The manuscript and incunabula collection also has some of Europe’s most beautiful illuminated manuscripts, including Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry by the Limbourg brothers and Jean Fouquet’s miniatures from Ettiene Chevalier’s Book of Hours. In the late afternoon, we continue on to Paris. Overnight Paris. (B, D)

Above: the view from Rozenhoedkaai, Bruges, where the Groenerei and Dijver canals meet

Below: detail from a work by Pieter Brueghel the Elder The Netherlandish Proverbs, 1559

FRIDAY 25 MAY OLD AND NEW ART IN PARIS This morning we visit the Musée d’Orsay, with its fine collection of Van Gogh’s displayed in context with contemporary modern masters. In the afternoon, there is an optional visit to the Musée de Cluny, France’s National Museum of the Middle Ages with its wonderful collection of medieval treasures from France, Burgundy and the Low Countries, including the celebrated tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn, Gothic statuary, jewellery and illuminated manuscripts.. Overnight Paris. (B)

SATURDAY 26 MAY THE LOW COUNTRIES IN THE LOUVRE The Louvre boasts an outstanding collection of Flemish and Dutch painting, and this morning we investigate key works by Van Eyck, van der Weyden, Rubens and others, placing them in the context of the French and German traditions also represented within the museum. The afternoon is at leisure and you may wish to continue enjoying the Louvre’s outstanding collections, before we meet in the early evening for our farewell dinner. Overnight Paris. (B, D)

SUNDAY 27 MAY DEPARTURE Our tour ends today. Transfers are available to those who have booked their flights through ADFAS travel to Charles de Gaulle airport. (B)

HOTELS

Throughout the tour we stay in 4-star and 4-star superior hotels in the city centres. The hotels combine modern comforts with easy access to major sites. • Amsterdam, Park Hotel (4 nights)

An elegant boutique hotel situated in the Museums district of Amsterdam, within easy walking distance of the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum. www.parkhotel.nl

• Delft, Museum Hotel (2 nights)

A comfortable modern hotel developed inside the medieval and Golden Age buildings for which Delft is famous. www.museumhotels.nl

• Brussels, Renaissance Marriott (4 nights)

Located in the European quarter, the hotel features contemporary design and comfort. www.marriott.com

• Bruges, Grand Hotel Casselbergh (3 nights)

The hotel is situated in the heart of Bruges, within walking distance of the city’s historical highlights. www.grandhotelcasselbergh.com

• Paris, Hotel to be advised (3 nights)

Above: a detail from The Virgin of Chancellor Rolin, 1435, by Jan van Eyck, held in the Musée du Louvre Below: the main hall of the Musée d’Orsay, a stunning conversion of one of the historic train stations of Paris

TOUR PRICE The tour price is $8,630 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $2,310 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour.

TOUR INCLUSIONS Included in the tour price • 16 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected three

and four-star hotels • All breakfasts, plus lunches and dinners as noted in

the itinerary • Land travel by air-conditioned coach • Extensive background notes • Background talks • Services of an Australian tour leader throughout tour • All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary • Qualified local guides where appropriate • Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels • Tips for all services included in the itinerary

Not included • International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see

below) • Travel insurance • Meals not mentioned in itinerary • Expenses of a personal nature

AIR TRAVEL OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only and dates in this itinerary are from arrival in Amsterdam to departure from Paris only. There are a number of options available for flying into Amsterdam and out of Paris. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through ADFAS Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

ENQUIRIES & BOOKINGS For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Kathy Wardrop at ADFAS Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email kathy@academytravel.com.au

WEATHER ON TOUR May in the Low Countries is a beautiful time to travel. The long northern days also give us plenty of opportunity to enjoy the historic town centres well into the evening. Be prepared for a little climatic unpredictability, however; there are likely to be a number of rainy days during the tour. Daytime temperatures will generally hover between 17 and 200C with night time lows of about 100C.

FITNESS REQUIREMENTS OF THIS TOUR

GRADE TWO

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. ADFAS Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights.

You should be able to:

keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries

and museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as

cold, humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train

or boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted ADFAS Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition.