Join us for this 6 day tour of Berlin and Potsdam from 11th October to 16th October 2024. This tour is organised by Tailored Travel.

Cost: £1299

What you will see:

Guided city tour of Berlin

East Side Gallery

'Kaffee & Kuchen' visit to the Reichstag

Museum Island

Alte Nationalgalerie

Genaldegalerie

Jewish Museum Berlin

Potsdam

Sanssouci Palace

Cecilienhof Palace

Knobelsdorff Wing of Charlottenburg Palace

Contact: Christopher Rogers E: cjrogers43@gmail.com

Click here for the brochure

What you will see:

Bologna: guided city tour guided tour at the Pinacoteca Nazionale & the Anatomical Museum

Mantova: guided gour of Palazzo Ducale & Palazzo Te

Ravenna: guided city tour, mosaics of St. Vitale & Mausoleo di Galia Placidia, basilica of Sant' Apollinare at Classe

Ferrara: guide city tour.

5 nights at the 4* Hotel Touring in central Bologna. Located close to Piazza S. Domenico, facilities at this hotel include a breakfast room and a lounge. All rooms are en suite and feature television, telephone, hairdryer and mini bar.  A welcome set three course dinner without drinks is included at a restaurant close to the hotel on the first evening, and the remaining four nights of the tour are on a bed and breakfast basis.

Click this link for the booking form.

Our day will be:

THE TALOS GALLERY near Calne followed by an afternoon exploring the house and gardens at BOWOOD HOUSE

The Talos Gallery has an exhibition of bronzes, and the visit will also include a lecture on the technique of bronze casting.

More details to follow

A medieval fortress overlooking the Severn valley, converted into a comfortable home by generations of the Berkeley family who have lived here since the 12th century.  The castle is now surrounded by fine gardens.

Dr Jenner's House museum is a stone's throw from the castle and was the home of the famous physician. The museum charts the development of his concept of immunisation against smallpox. The fine church, containing many Berkeley tombs, lies between the  two locations. Berkeley itself is an attractive market town. 

Unfortunately cancelled because of Coronavirus restrictions

The day begins with a guided visit to SS Great Britain, Brunel's great ship, described at the time as 'the ship that changed the world' and when launched in 1843 'the greatest experiment since Creation'! It was the longest passenger ship built. Sadly its days of greatness were limited and it eventually ended up abandoned in the Falkland Islands. Rescued in 1970 and floated back to Bristol it has been comprehensively restored to its original splendour

The afternoon will be spent in Bristol Cathedral.  Formerly a Benedictine  Abbey, the church building was raised to the status of a cathedral by Henry VIII on creating the new diocese of Bristol in 1541. The Romanesque Chapter House survives from the 13th century, while the choir and transepts were built in the 14th century. The nave, already planned and with foundations already laid, was abandoned with the dissolution of the abbey, and it was not until 1888 that the magnificent nave and western towers were completed  by George Street and John Pearson.    We should be in the Catehdral in time for the Tuesday lunchtime recitial.

Wilton is a market town four miles west of Salisbury, The afternoon will be spent at Wilton House; hoe of the Earls of Pembroke since the 1540's. Set in magnificent grounds, the Tudor house was rebuilt in the early 117th century , the Single and Double Cube Rooms being two of the finest surviving interiors of the period.  The distinguished art  collection includes a series of family Van Dyck painting as well as paintings by Italian and Dutch masters, not least one fine portrait by Rembrandt.   Much of the interior has very recently been refurbished by the present Countess of Pembroke.

Although the emphasis of the visit is Wilton House, the day begins with a tour of the 'Italianate' church built in the 1840's at the expense of Sydney Herbert, MP and Minster for War during the Crimean War. Modelled on the Italian Romanesque basilica style, the interior contains fine carvings and mosaics. There is nothing quite like this church in the Salisbury Diocese!

After a six-month refurbishment a treat is in store as we visit the largest collection of Worcester porcelain. 

Worcester Cathedral, built overlooking the River Severn, is one of Britain’s greatest gothic cathedrals.  The spectacular interior contains many treasures including the tomb of King John.

We will be visiting the stunning collection of art at the Wallace Museum. At the time of our visit to mark the new exhibition space there is a special exhibition ‘ Sir Richard Wallace’ celebrating 200 years since the birth of the Museum’s founder.

THERE IS A VERY SPECIAL RESTAURANT WHERE LIGHT MEALS MAY BE TAKEN – IF YOU WISH TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PLEASE CONTACT THE MUSEUM DIRECTLY TO BOOK YOUR TABLE

 For those who would like to take advantage of being in London Oxford Street and Apsley House are within walking distance.

The National Trust’s West Green House Gardens, Hampshire is an 18th century house surrounded by a series of walled gardens. 

Highclere Castle is the beautiful country house of the 8th Earl of Carnarvon.  It is set in acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown.  It is also renowned as the location for the television series, Downton Abbey.

The day starts with a visit to the The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, an art gallery and concert hall situated in purpose-built premises on the campus of the University of Birmingham.

This is followed by a visit to Soho House, a Grade 11 listed house which was the home of entrepreneur Matthew Boulton

Hampton Court was originally built as a summer residence by Cardinal Wolsey.  After his 'disgrace' the palace became one of King Henry VIII's residences, and much spectacular work dates from his time.  The palace had a new lease of life when it became the favourite residence of the monarchs William III and Mary II. Sir Christopher Wren added two magnificent wings while gardens were laid out to match. There is a lot to see; magnificent interiors, tapestries, recreated gardens as well as the Geat Vine, once tended by the palace gardener, Lancelot Brown. There are also the Raphael cartoons.  .  

The morning was spent at the Pallant House Gallery where we saw the temporary exhibition 'Classicism in Modern British Art'. At a time of huge social, political and economic change after the cataclysmic World  War a group ot artists attempted to re-establish order and tranquility by reusing classical symbolism to underpin  new dimensions in modern art. These artists, include Piper and Revillious to name but two.  After lunch there is a tour of the Cathedral where the emphasis will be on the collection of modern religious art for which the Cathedral is renowned. There is glass by March Chagall, a great tapestry by John Piper and a famous pianting,  'Noli me Tangere' by Graham Sutherland.  There is a lunchtime recital in the Cathedral to which we were warmly bidden to attend (and eat our sandwiches at the same time!)