Archive for the ‘Art Tours’ Category
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
The city of Madrid has so much to offer that is does not matter how many times you have been there, you can always find something new to explore. One of my favorite lesser known museums to visit or, should I say one that is not on most tour itineraries is the ‘Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas’. This quite but outstanding museum has a variety of collections. One of the specialties is the Chinese porcelain from the Ming and Qing Dynasty. There are also valuable artifacts that include Roman glass and Coptic fabrics, rare coins, and textiles. I was particularly interested in the collection of utensils, pottery and tiles. This is a little gem, and you will be surprised by how much you enjoy your visit.
People come back to Madrid because of all the wonderful museums and sites. Select Travel Service understands that return visitors want to discover those “off the beaten path” places to visit. This museum is just one of many unique experiences we can include in our next group tour to Madrid. Contact us for more information about your customized group itinerary.
Tags: Art Tours, Custom Group Tours, spain
Posted in Art Tours, Educational Tours, Student Tours | No Comments »
Friday, July 24th, 2009
This small Swiss church with historic significance is worthy of a visit for another reason. Though not included on many group tour itineraries, this church once a Benedictine convent (853) was closed at the Reformation and later held services for the Catholic and Protestant worshipers (1833-1844) was renovated in the 20th century.
The renovation is important because, the Frumunster became known not only for its beautiful spire but, also for the exceptional stain glass windows created by two of the world’s most renowned artist.
Giacometti (1940’s) designed a large stained-glass window in the north transept. This beautiful window depicting God and Christ, the eight prophets, the Four Evangelists and ten angles is worthy of much attention. However, it is Marc Chagall’s five stained-glass windows that have become the bigger attraction. The Chagall windows are around 33 feet tall and when the morning light shines through they are most spectacular. A symbolic color scheme, of blue, green, red and orange is used to represent the earth and the heavens. The five windows are titled, the Prophets, Jacob, Zion, Christ and Law. Marc Chagall had a very personal relationship with the city of Zurich and these windows allowed him to express how much he cared.
Even if you are only in Zurich for a short time this church is a must visit. Select will be sure to include the Fraumunster into your tour itinerary. Call us today for more information about unusual places to visit on your custom tour in Switzerland.
Tags: Art Tours, Custom Group Tours, European group tours, Switzerland
Posted in Art Tours, Educational Tours, History, Switzerland | No Comments »
Friday, July 17th, 2009
A Friday brain teazer for all you fans of literary tours of Britain…
“To be or not to be: that is the question, whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of ourageous fortune”
This is an anagram of:
“In one of the bard’s best thought-of-tragedies, our insistent hero, Hamlet, queries on two fronts about how life turns rotten”
Planning a literary tour of Britain is rather more simple than this with Select Travel Service!
Tags: Custom Group Tours Britain, european study tours, Literary Tours Britain, Theatre, Visit Britain
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Tuesday, July 14th, 2009
A generous donation and endowment from the Heather Trust has allowed the V&A to re-display the Gilbert Collection, one of the most important collections of works of art ever gifted to Britain. The Collection, previously displayed at Somerset House, was formed over four decades in Los Angeles by the late Sir Arthur Gilbert, a Briton by birth, and his wife Rosalinde. The result of their passion for great craftsmanship, it comprises breath-taking objects in the fields of English and Continental gold and silver, gold snuff-boxes, Italian micro-mosaics, pietre dure from Florence and Rome and enamel portrait miniatures. In each of these fields it is pre-eminent. The collection was given to the nation in 1996, an act of outstanding generosity for which Sir Arthur was awarded his Knighthood. Opening this month – June 2009 - the redisplay of this superb collection will provide an exciting and dramatic complement to the existing Whiteley Silver and Sacred Silver and Stained Glass Galleries. The displays will highlight the virtuoso quality of works in different media, emphasizing their technical achievement. A visit to this collection is an absolute must for any group interested in fine arts, and Select Travel can design wonderful art tours across the UK and Europe.
Tags: Art Museums, custom art tours, european art tours
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Monday, July 13th, 2009
Our Director of US Sales, Judee Kaplan reflects on a visit to Giverny, France. Years ago I had the pleasure of discovering a wonderful museum next door to Monet’s beautiful gardens and home in Giverny, The Museum of American Impressionism. It was upon visiting this outstanding museum that I learned Giverny was an American artist’s colony at the turn of the 20th century. American artists came to learn about and explore the new techniques of impressionism. A long lasting connection developed between French and American artists. In 1992, the Terra Foundation for the Arts opened this jewel of a museum. Exhibiting a fine collection of American Impressionist artists, their purpose was to explore the connection between the artist of France and the United States. I was sorry to learn that in 2006 the Terra Foundation ended the relation with the museum and it closed. Because of the importance of being able to display the variety in the impressionist movement the museum has just reopened. In May, 2009 the museum became the Museum of Impressionism Giverny under the control of local authorities and in partnership with the d’Orsay Museum in Paris the mission continues. I look forward to visiting again soon and to be able to enjoy the special collections.
Be sure not to miss including Giverny in your tour to France. What a wonderful day you will have visiting Monet’s famous gardens and home, and to complete your visit the Museum of Impressionism Giverny.
It is specific museum such as this one that the Select Travel Service design team includes in a custom itinerary. Contact us for more information about unusual places to visit.
Tags: Art Museums, Art Tours, custom art tours, European group tours
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Friday, May 15th, 2009
Enjoy a visit to the Palais Garnier in Paris. The unrivalled décor and richness of architecture is second to none. Built at the end of the 19th century, this world-famous palace of marble and gold has a spectacular grand staircase and foyers richly decorated with paintings and sculptures which makes it a living art theatre. The magnificent room where the productions take place is decorated in red and gold and its ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964 with scenes of world renowned performances.
Allow Select Travel to enhance your visit to Paris. A professional guide will take you around this fantastic venue and will relate its historical and social aspects as well as its architectural splendour and its artistic life. The visit includes the library museum, the Rotonda and Glacier Gallery, the Grand Foyer and the theatre itself.
Tags: Art Tours, Custom Group Tours, Dance, European group tours, Theatre
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Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Opening in June 2009, this wonderful new museum will enhance Amsterdam’s reputation as a world class city for the Arts. In 2004 the Neerlandia Building was opened in Amsterdam as a branch of the world famous Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the famous Russian state museum with an impressive collection of more than 3 million objects. Following a number of successful exhibitions, the brand new Amstelhof building will be opened in June, as the main branch. It will increase the exhibition space tenfold! The opening of the Hermitage Amsterdam will mean yet another top attraction of the caliber of the Rijksmuseum and the Concertgebouw(Concert Hall) for the Dutch capital and the works that will be presented in the museum will come from the vast collection of the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. But the Hermitage Amsterdam will be more than just a museum – it will also accommodate a study centre, where anyone visit the exhibitions will find information on different topics. Furthermore, it will contain a concert hall, an auditorium, lecture rooms and a restaurant. Check out the new Hermitage Amsterdam, along with the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and many other fine attractions on a tailored programme to Holland with Select Travel Service.
Tags: Art Museums, Art Tours, Custom Group Tours, european art tours, european study tours
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
When you think of Verona, Italy the first thing that most often comes to mind is Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. A visit to see the charming balcony is on every itinerary. Except, Verona has something else equally famous and that is an exceptional Opera Festival which is held every summer.
What makes this festival so exceptional is the remarkable opera house, the Arena di Verona. A Roman amphitheatre, 2000 years old with perfect sound creates an atmosphere that can not be forgotten. It is in this unique and historic open air setting that opera lovers can experience the finest productions and electrifying performances by many of the world’s renowned performers and musicians. One of the reasons for these outstanding productions is that, the Italian audience is extremely knowledgeable and demanding. When they like something in the preformance they will applaud and call out for a performer to repeat an aria. However, do not be concerned, not everyone in the audience is an aficionado, there are many, casual opera-goers who attend. The programme will have something that is familiar to all, making this a memorable experience for anyone who attends. The thing is, once you have attended a performance at the Arena di Verona you are spoiled, nothing else can compare. It is magical!
A group tour to Italy should include memorable experiences. A custom group tour with Select Travel Service is sure to do that. We especially want you to be absorbed into the culture and that is why we included unique opportunities such as the Verona Opera Festival into our tours. Contact Select Travel and find out more about our customize itineraries.
Tags: Art Tours, Choir Tours Italy, group tours italy
Posted in Art Tours, Educational Tours, Italy, Theatre | No Comments »
Thursday, April 30th, 2009
The combination of two great art forms in one place! Brussels has joined two of its renowned art forms together making for a very exiting and unusual museum to visit.
The Ninth Art, the art of the “comic strip” is well recognized in a wonderful museum in Brussels, The Belgian Comic Strip Center. Did you know that Brussels was the Comic Strip capital of the world? Though the wonderful exhibits in this unique museum, you trace the history of the birth and development of the important 9th Art, the comic strip.
However, this center is more than just a museum for the comic strip. The museum is housed in the grand Art Nouveau, Waucquez Warehouses, designed in 1906, by the famous architect, Victor Horta. This building is considered to be one of his masterpieces and is as important is see as the outstanding comic strip collections. The warehouse displays the principles of Horta’s style especially, the glass ceiling in the central hall that naturally lights the rest of the warehouse.
It is unusual museums like this one that Select Travel Service likes to include in our custom tours. We want you to experience something different, and to for you to discover something special you did not expect. Contact us and find out more about our custom group tours and what we can include.
Tags: Art Museums, Art Tours, Custom Group Tours, European group tours
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Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
Music lovers from across the globe decend on the Austrian Alpine city of Bregenz every summer for one of the world’s finest opera festivals. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Lake Constance, its a wonderfully informal festival suitable for both serious opera lovers and casual fans alike.
For the 2009 season, Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental opera Aida is to receive its first ever performance on the Bregenz Floating Stage. The story of the tragic love between the Ethiopian princess Aida - once brought to the Nile as a slave - and the Egyptian commander Radames was enthusiastically acclaimed at its premiere in Cairo in 1871. Since then Aida has gone on to become one of the most popular and most performed works in the opera repertoire.
An important scene in the latst James Bond movie Quantum of Solace takes place during an evening performance of the opera Tosca, in and around the stunning open air Opera building in Bregenz. The incredible stage, with its iconic enormous eye backdrop, was especially created for the Tosca performance, and according to the Bond producers, formed a perfect backdrop for an important scene in the Bond film. Whether you are a Bond follower or not, if you are planning a tour to central Europe which includes Lake Constance or Austria, be sure to ask Select Travel to include an evening performance at this unique theatre in its incomparable setting. After all…You Only Live Twice!!
Tags: Art Tours, Austria group tours, Bregenz Opera Festival, Custom Group Tours, European group tours, European Opera Tour
Posted in Art Tours, Festivals, Performing Arts, Theatre | No Comments »