Please take note of the Booking Notice at the foot of this page

The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds is delighted to offer members the opportunity to visit an area of Spain better known perhaps as a starting point rather than a destination. But it has a great deal to commend it, including the beautiful Picos mountains in Asturia, the astounding Palaeolithic caves in Cantabria, the iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, the Basque Country, and Santander, situated around a bay often described as the prettiest in the world. All these highpoints are on the itinerary, along with many more. Spain is for food lovers too and in the coastal north, the sea food is especially worthy of note. There will be ample opportunity for seeking out favourite culinary delights.

Accommodation for the period of our stay will be in the 4-star Olimpo, a beach-front hotel in Playa de Isla, Cantabria. We hope you will be joining us.

Rosie Varley

Day 1
Travel from Bury St Edmunds by coach to Stansted Airport for a Ryanair flight to Santander. There to meet our tour manager, then travel onward to the 4* Olimpo Hotel at Playa de Isla.

Day 2
A visit to the Altamira Museum, which houses a replica of the Altamira cave as it looked 35,000 to 13,000 years ago. It features its most notable Palaeolithic cave paintings of animals and human symbols, discovered by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola in 1879. 

In the afternoon, a visit to El Soplao Cave, which was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. It displays a spectacular array of formations. The tour includes a mine-train journey, followed by a walk through the galleries and chambers which form the cave complex. 

Day 3
A visit to the Picos de Europa mountain range, taking in Potes, a small, ancient town with old balconied houses lining the Quiviesa river and a main square dominated by a 15th century defensive tower. 

In the afternoon a 900 metre ascent in the Fuente Dé Cable Car is planned, from where there are spectacular panoramic views across the Picos’ peaks and valleys.

Day 4
A guided tour of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Designed by the renowned American architect Frank Gehry the museum displays a wonderful collection of modern and contemporary art. 

After a leisurely break for lunch in Bilbao, the remainder of the afternoon will be spent in the charming fishing town of Castro Urdiales. The town centre is medieval in origin; there is a Gothic church and medieval castle.

Day 5
A guided tour of Santander, Cantabria’s capital, takes in the Palacio de la Magdalena, a summer palace built for Alfonso XIII in 1912.

Afterwards, a short journey to Santillana del Mar, one of the prettiest towns in Spain, established around a monastery and surrounded by an ensemble of 15th to 17th century golden stone houses. Then a visit to the pretty resort of Comillas, famed for its unusual buildings designed by Catalan Modernista architects Antonio López y López. 

Finally to Santander Airport for a Ryanair flight to Stansted, and home.

For further information and a booking form, click here

Picture: The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

© Museo Guggenheim Bilbao

Booking Notice

Priority will be given to members. Members may be accompanied by their partner or a friend, as a guest, if sharing a double/twin room.

A completed booking form and non-refundable deposit of £200 per person should be sent to the address given on the booking form.

The tour is subject to minimum numbers. In the event of these not being reached within The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds it will be opened to members of neighbouring Arts Societies and then to non-members.

Non-members travelling independently will be expected to apply for membership of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds.

Please take note of the Booking Notice at the foot of this page

The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds is delighted to offer its members the opportunity to visit Umbria, one of Italy’s smaller and lesser known regions. Known as Italy’s Cuore Verde (Green Heart) Umbria is a land unto itself, being Italy’s only region that is not bordered by sea or another country. It is renowned for its medieval hill towns, dense forests, and excellent food and wine. Our programme concentrates on the smaller ‘hidden gems’ of Umbria, of which there are many, rather than on its capital Perugia or on Assisi, which sadly is overrun by tourists these days. We will stay in the centre of Spoleto, one of the region’s most beautiful and historic towns, and have a full and varied programme of visits as detailed in the itinerary below. I adore Umbria and look forward to sharing it with you.

Rosie Varley

Day 1
From Bury St Edmunds by coach to Stansted Airport for the flight to Rome. There to be joined by our tour manager and guide. From Rome, onward by coach to Spoleto and the centrally located Hotel San Luca.

Day 2
An introductory tour of Spoleto, taking in the imposing 14th century Ponte delle Torri and the magnificent Duomo. Begun in the 12th century, the Duomo is essentially an example of Romanesque architecture. Its frescoed apse has four scenes from the Life of the Virgin, begun in 1467 by Filippo Lippi and completed after his death in 1469.

An afternoon visit to the ancient fortified hill town of Spello will include the 13th century Santa Maria Maggiore Church, where the Baglioni Chapel is known for its Renaissance frescoes by Pinturicchio.

Day 3
In the spectacular medieval hill town of Gubbio, our visit will include the 14th century Palazzo dei Consoli. Considered by many to be one of the finest expressions of medieval city architecture in Italy, it is home to the 2nd century BC bronze Iguvine Tablets, written in an Umbrian language that predates Latin.

There will be time at leisure to explore the Piazza della Signoria overlooking the city, or simply to relax in a street-side café.

Day 4
Our visit begins in Sansepolcro, the birthplace of Piero della Francesca to see his masterpiece ‘The Resurrection’ in the Museo Civico. Then on to Arezzo, and the Church of San Francesco for further works by Piero della Francesca, including the ‘Legend of the True Cross’.

The day concludes with a tour of Casa Vasari, a house built by the artist Giorgio Vasari in 1540. Richly decorated with frescoes and a priceless collection of Mannerist paintings, the interiors are a testimony to the highest expression of 16th century artistic civilisation in Italy.

This will be a long day with an ambitious programme. Those preferring a more relaxed day have the option of remaining in Spoleto and exploring its many attractions in more detail.

Day 5
Today we visit Montefalco whose magnificent views make it a popular destination. Our visit includes the Church-Museum of St Francis to see works by Perugino, Niccolo Alunno and a number of leading Umbrian artists including Benozzo Gozzoli’s ‘Life of St Francis’.

In the afternoon we move from hill town to flood plain and the delightful village of Bevagna. The medieval Piazza Silvestri is the setting for two Romanesque churches; the San Silvestro, and the San Michele Arcangelo.

Our day concludes with the Ancient Workshops in Bevagna to see how candles and paper were produced in the Middle Ages. 

Day 6
En route to Rome for our homeward flight, a pause to visit the charming Etruscan town of Orvieto. Gaining access to the town by cable car, there will be time for leisure, but the urge to see the stunning 13th century Duomo may prove irresistible! It is among the greatest of all Italy’s Romanesque Gothic cathedrals.

From Rome, the flight to Stansted and the onward journey to Bury St Edmunds completes our tour.

For further information and booking form, click here.

Picture: Hotel San Luca, Spoleto

Booking Notice

Priority will be given to members. Members may be accompanied by their partner or a friend, as a guest, if sharing a double/twin room.

A completed booking form and non-refundable deposit of £200 per person should be sent to the address given on the booking form.

The tour is subject to minimum numbers. In the event of these not being reached within The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds it will be opened to members of neighbouring Arts Societies and then to non-members.

Non-members travelling independently will be expected to apply for membership of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds.

Please read the Booking Notice at the foot of this page.

Day1
Travel by executive coach, via Club Class P&O ferry from Dover to Calais, to the 4-star Arsenaal Hotel in Delft, for a 5-night stay. After an included welcome dinner, accommodation will be on a B&B basis.

Day 2
In the morning, a guided tour of Delft city, a principal artistic centre of the northern Netherlands. Included is a visit to the Vermeer Centre for a visual introduction to the life, work and home of Johannes Vermeer.
In the afternoon, a visit to the Koninklijke Porceleyne Fles, better known as Royal Delft, for a grounding in the history of the famous Delft Blue earthenware. A tour of the factory, seeing a master painter at work and a visit to the museum, are included in this comprehensive visit.

Day 3
A short journey to The Hague for our tour of the Mauritshuis – The ‘Royal gallery of Paintings’. The recently restored and enlarged gallery is home to an outstanding collection of ‘Old Masters’, including Vermeer’s famous ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’.

In the afternoon, a guided tour of the Panorama Mesdag. This extraordinary work was painted inside a cylinder 120 metres in circumference and 14 metres in height by Hendrik Willem Mesdag in 1881 and depicts the seaside at Schevenigen.

Day 4
The Royal Palace of Het Loo is this morning’s destination. Built in 1685 as a country residence for William III and his wife, Mary Stuart, it was used as recently as 1962 by Wilhelmina as her royal residence.
After free time for lunch in the beautiful Palace gardens, a short drive will take us to the Kröller-Müller Museum. Home to a remarkable collection of late 19th century and early 20th century paintings, the museum includes a wealth of paintings and drawings by Van Gogh, an outstanding collection of Chinese porcelain and many hundreds of Delftware items.

Day 5
This morning’s visit is to Haarlem and the Frans Hals Museum, which specialises in works from the Dutch Golden Age. Frans Hals was a contemporary of Rembrandt and this museum, housed in a 17th century building, is home to some of his finest portraits.

The afternoon will be spent at leisure in Leiden.

Day 6
Return home via Calais and P&O Club Class channel crossing.

 For full information and a booking form, click here.

Picture: Detail from the Mesdag Panorama

Booking Notice

Priority will be given to members. Members may be accompanied by their partner or a friend, as a guest, if sharing a double/twin room.

A completed booking form and non-refundable deposit of £150 per person should be sent to the address given on the booking form.

The tour is subject to minimum numbers. In the event of these not being reached within The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds it will be opened to members of neighbouring Arts Societies and then to non-members.

Non-members travelling independently will be expected to apply for membership of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds.

Day 1

Depart from Ram Meadow, Bury St Edmunds, for Oxford. A guided walking tour of the ‘City of Dreaming Spires’, will take in the architecture and traditions of Oxford’s most famous buildings and institutions.
After a break for refreshment, the journey will continue to the centrally located 4* Double Tree by Hilton Stratford-upon-Avon Hotel for a four night stay.

Day 2

A Blue Badge guide will join the group for the next three days, firstly leading a walking tour of Stratford-upon-Avon. This will include Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried, and Shakespeare’s Birthplace, where there is an exhibition providing an introduction to his life and background.

After free time for lunch there will be an included short scenic cruise on the River Avon.
The tour continues afterwards with a visit to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. The world-famous thatched cottage continued to be owned by Anne’s descendants until the late 19th century and it still contains many items of furniture owned by the family.

Day 3

Today the group will have a guided tour of the Compton Verney Art Gallery. Located in the setting of a Grade 1 listed Robert Adam mansion, Compton Verney contains an outstanding collection of British, Neopolitan, Germanic and Chinese paintings.

The tour will continue at the National Trust, Charlecote Park, home to the Lucy family for over 900 years. Built in the 1550s of warm red brick and decorated in Warwickshire stone, the family's history is told throughout the house by the portraits, the objects they collected from around the world and the design influence they had, notably, how Mary Elizabeth Lucy remodelled the house in Victorian times.

This evening, dependent upon the theatre programme and timings, it may be possible for group members to attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Interested members should make their own enquiries and bookings in advance. Theatre tickets are not included in the cost of the tour.

Day 4

Our guide will this morning take the group on a behind-the-scenes tour at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The tour will inform about the origins of the RSC and the theatres in Stratford, and give insight about a production in more depth.

The afternoon visit will be to the National Trust, Packwood House. Originating in the 15th century but later falling into disrepair, the house was restored in the 1920s and 1930s by Graham Baron Ash and offers a wonderful insight into the taste, rich decoration and way of life of a wealthy connoisseur in the period between the Wars.

Day 5

The journey home will be broken for a guided tour of Blenheim Palace, home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill. The imposing scale of the Palace is beautifully balanced within, by the intricate detail and delicacy of the carvings, the hand painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed room by room. Set in beautiful parkland of 2100 acres, which was landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760’s, the Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns and formal gardens.

Afterwards, the journey continues to Bury St Edmunds, where the tour concludes.

For full information and a booking form, click here

Booking Notice

Priority will be given to members of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds. Members may be accompanied by their partner or a friend, as a guest, if sharing a double/twin room.

The tour is subject to minimum numbers. In the event of these not being reached within The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds it will be opened to members of neighbouring Arts Societies and then to non-members.

Non-members travelling independently will be expected to apply for membership of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds.

Picture: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

A unique opportunity to experience some of the finest Palladian architecture and the most remarkable and exquisite works of art of 14th Century Italy.

Day 1 Please see the booking notice at the foot of this page
Scheduled flight from Stansted to Venice or Verona and transfer to the 4-Star Terme Orviato Hotel in the charming spa town of Abano Terme, near Padova.

Day 2
To Maser, for a guided tour of Villa Barbaro designed by Palladio in collaboration with Veronese whose wonderful frescoes adorn the walls. On to Asolo, arguably one of the most beautiful hill towns in Italy; one Robert Browning liked so much he named a volume of poems after it.
Time for a breather in the peaceful town of Bassano del Grappa, located at the foot of Monte Grappa, then on to Villa Sandi, a Palladian style masterpiece dating from 1622, in the province of Valdobbiadene; also the headquarters of Villa Sandi Prosecco, where there will be an opportunity to enjoy a tasting.

Day 3
A guided tour of Padova, Urbs Picta (Padua, Painted City), declared a World Heritage site in 2021 for its wealth of 14th C frescoes in the historical centre. The visit includes Giotto’s masterpiece the Capella Degli Scrovegni and the Basilica Sant’Antonio with Donatello’s magnificent reliefs on the miracles of St Anthony.
Also on the itinerary, the Caffè Pedrocchi, dating from 1831, famous for diverse interior decorative styles, as a meeting place for intellectuals… and for its coffee!.

Day 4
Visiting islands of the Venetian Lagoon, including Murano, famous for its glass making; Burano, easily recognisable by the tilting tower of its church and for the brightly coloured houses which line the waterways! 
Torcello, in complete contrast, is barely inhabited, the central piazza and its ancient buildings present a haunting reminder of a bygone era.

Day 5
The day is focused on the architecture of Andrea Palladio and begins with a guided tour at the domed and porticoed Villa La Rotonda, the most famous of his buildings, just outside Vicenza.
Onward to the great Palladian city of Vicenza for a tour of a number of Palladio’s palaces and civic buildings including the Teatro Olimpico, Europe’s oldest surviving indoor theatre designed in 1579, and the exterior of the Basilica Palladiana to see one of the first examples of the Palladian window.
There will be leisure time in Vicenza, before visiting Palazzo Leoni Montanari, home to a wonderful collection of Russian icons and paintings.

Day 6
The guided tour at Villa Malcontenta is to experience another of Palladio’s finest villas. Built in 1560, the interior of the villa is adorned with magnificent frescoes by Zelotti.

The Italian tour ends with the direct scheduled flight from Venice or Verona to Stansted and return to Bury St Edmunds.

For further information and a booking form, click here or go to Our Society > Documents

Picture: Villa La Rotonda

PLEASE NOTE
Members (and their partners) will be given priority booking for this tour.

To be sure of a seat on the flights selected, please complete the booking form and send it with your deposit to Sue Leake, the Group Organiser, as soon as possible.

Enjoy a 5-day tour visiting cultural gems of the Northeast

The Spanish Gallery, Bishop Auckland
Converted from a former school and bank in the heart of Bishop Auckland, and opened in 2021, the Spanish Gallery claims the UK's largest collection of 16th and 17th century Spanish artworks outside London. It focuses on art of the Spanish Golden Age during the 16th and 17th centuries and features a series of paintings by Francisco de Zurbarán which hung in Auckland Castle for over 250 years; it
tells the story of these masterpieces' journey from Spain to England, over 300 years ago. The gallery includes works by El Greco, Murillo and Velázquez.

Alnwick Castle, Alnwick
Dubbed the Windsor of the North, Alnwick has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, for over 700 years. Combining magnificent medieval architecture with sumptuous Italianate State Rooms, Alnwick Castle is one of the UK’s most significant heritage destinations.
The Castle’s rich history fizzes with drama, intrigue and extraordinary people; from a gunpowder plotter and visionary collectors, to decadent hosts and medieval  England’s most celebrated knight: Harry Hotspur.

Woodhorn Museum, Ashington
The museum is home to the Ashington Group Collection of artworks – commonly known as the ‘Pitmen Painters’. The iconic display showcases what daily life was like for miners in and around Ashington from the 1930s. It is reputed to be the first collection of amateur art to go on permanent display anywhere in the world.
Woodhorn brings life to Northumberland’s proud mining heritage, alongside an ever-changing contemporary arts and event programme.

Durham City
Bill Bryson called Durham ‘a perfect little city’. It is captivating, with winding cobbled streets and a prominent peninsula crowned with the dramatic Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site. Our guided walking tour, covering landmarks and legends, will include the external features of the Cathedral, regarded as one of the finest  examples of Norman architecture in Europe.  
The Norman castle, occupied since the 11th century, has been home to students of University College since 1837.

Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle
Set in beautiful parkland, the Bowes Museum, opened in 1892, was purpose-built by the philanthropists Joséphine and John Bowes. The Museum is home to some of the best examples of European fine and decorative arts in the UK with galleries dedicated to paintings, furniture, fashion & textiles, ceramics, silver & metals and more.
2023 marks the 250th birthday of a particular exhibit, an iconic Silver Swan automaton. The life-sized replica of a female swan containing 2,000 moving parts, featured in the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and has recently been restored.

Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island
From a former fort to the holiday home of a wealthy Edwardian bachelor seeking a quiet retreat from London, the idyllic location of Lindisfarne Castle has intrigued and inspired for centuries.  The renovation by Arts and Crafts architect Edwin Lutyens both hides and emphasises the old fort, all the while overlooking Gertrude Jekyll's enchanting walled garden and the unexpected grandeur of the Lime Kilns - an imposing and striking reminder of Lindisfarne's industrial past.
Our visit will include the option of a boat trip to Farne Island or the afternoon in Bamburgh and the opportunity to visit to the Castle.

The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
The Gallery, founded in 1901, was funded by Alexander Laing, a Newcastle businessman who made his money from his wine and spirit shop and beer bottling business. The gallery today is home to an internationally important collection of art; British paintings, ceramics, silver and glassware.  
The ground-floor Northern Spirit gallery displays outstanding works produced locally by artists including Thomas Bewick, Ralph Hedley and John Martin. In the beautiful Marble Hall are works of Henry Moore and Turner Prize nominee Paul Noble.  
Upstairs, the 18th and 19th century displays include internationally important paintings by John Martin, Paul Gauguin and Burne-Jones. This is also where William Holman-Hunt’s pre-Raphaelite masterpiece 'Isabella and the Pot of Basil', is to be found.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Set within the 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire, the Park is the leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture. Despite boasting a fantastic café and amazing indoor exhibitions, the 500 acres of parkland with world-class sculptures mark this as an outdoor experience, with much to explore.
Founded in 1977, Yorkshire Sculpture Park was the first sculpture park in the UK, and is the only place in Europe to see Barbara Hepworth’s 'The Family of Man' in its entirety alongside a significant collection of works by Henry Moore, and site-specific works by Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and James Turrell.

Picture: Durham Cathedral on the peninsula formed by the River Wear.

Booking priority will be given to members of The Arts Society Bury St Edmunds
For further information and  booking form, click here.

This tour includes visits to some of the finest houses in Cornwall:

¡  Kingston Lacy

¡  Eden Project – guided tour 

¡  The Lost Gardens of Heligan – guided tour 

¡  Tate St Ives – guided tour 

¡  Penlee House – guided tour 

¡  Trelissick Garden 

¡  St Michael’s Mount 

¡  Pencarrow House – guided tour 

¡  Padstow

¡  Prideaux Place – guided tour 

¡  Lanhydrock

The tour includes:

¡  Half board accommodation 

¡  All excursion travel & guided tours included 

¡  Entrance fees to non-National Trust properties included 

¡  Tour manager throughout 

¡  Executive coach throughout 

¡  Gratuities 

Accommodation 

We stay five nights on a half board basis at the 3* Penmere Manor Hotel in Falmouth (www.penmeremanorhotel.co.uk). Located a twenty minute walk from the centre of Falmouth, facilities at this Georgian hotel include a restaurant, bar, and an indoor swimming pool. All rooms are en suite and feature television, telephone, hairdryer, and tea & coffee making facilities. 

NB: The single rooms carry a supplement of £59 per person. However, for a supplement of £159, there are a limited number of double rooms available for sole use which will be allocated on a first come first served basis. 

Extras

¡  Insurance (including Covid cover) £34 

¡  Single room supplement £59 

¡  Double room for sole use supplement (limited availability) £159 

¡  Entrance fees to National Trust properties (free to NT members) 

Price based on twin share. Minimum numbers required. Normal booking conditions apply

For more information or to book, please contact Sue Leake  01284 765 776. 

Visit Warwickshire to revel in the heart of Shakespeare’s England. In Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare and the Swan, theatres of the Royal Shakespeare Company welcome you to witness one of the Bard’s famous plays.
See signature motte-and-bailey forts and romantic Elizabethan love nests with gatehouses and towers. Miles of canals and stairway locks beckon you for pub lunches and picnics (on another occasion perhaps). Step back to the Middle Ages in Warwick with streets overhung by timber-framed houses and market squares.

The beautiful county of Oxfordshire sits securely between the Cotswolds and the Chilterns with the River Thames meandering through the centre. It is most famous for its county town of Oxford, ‘city of dreaming spires’. Oxford University is made up of a collection of colleges, the oldest of which date to the mid-13th century.

A number of historic mansions and stately homes are situated in Oxfordshire. In picturesque Woodstock, is Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Near Henley-on-Thames is Stonor Park, one of England’s oldest manor houses enjoying one of the most beautiful settings of any house in England.

Our Tour, Day 1
On our journey to Stratford upon Avon, we shall visit the National Trust’s Packwood House in Warwickshire. Originating in the 15th century but later falling into disrepair, the house was restored in the 1920s and 1930s by Graham Baron Ash. It offers a wonderful insight into the taste, rich decoration and way of life of a wealthy connoisseur in the period between the Wars.
We continue to the centrally located 4* Mercure Stratford upon Avon Shakespeare Hotel for a four night stay.

Day 2
Our Blue Badge guide will take us on a guided tour of Stratford, including such sights as the Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried, and his Birthplace, where there is an exhibition providing an introduction to his background and life.

We shall visit Hall’s Croft, 17th century home of Shakespeare's eldest daughter, Susanna, and her husband Dr John Hall, an eminent physician.
Our day concludes with a visit to Anne Hathaway’s cottage. This world-famous thatched cottage continued to be owned by Anne Hathaway’s descendants until the late 19th century; it still contains the Hathaway bed and many other items of furniture owned by the family.

Day3
We visit the Compton Verney Art Gallery for a guided tour. Located in the setting of a Grade 1 listed Robert Adam mansion, Compton Verney contains an outstanding collection of British, Neopolitan, Germanic and Chinese paintings.
We continue to the National Trust’s Charlecote Park, home to the Lucy family for over 900 years. Built in the 1550s, the house has a fascinating history which includes a royal visit from Queen Elizabeth I.
This evening there is the option to attend a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (subject to the timings and theatre programme which has not yet been finalised for the 2021 season).

Day 4
Our morning tour of Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires, takes in the architecture and traditions of the city’s most famous buildings and institutions.
We continue to Blenheim Palace home of the 12th Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill, for an audio guided tour. The imposing scale of the Palace is beautifully balanced within by the intricate detail and delicacy of the carvings, the hand painted ceilings and the amazing porcelain collections, tapestries and paintings displayed in each room. Set in beautiful parkland of 2100 acres, which was landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760’s, the Palace is surrounded by sweeping lawns and formal gardens.

Day 5
This morning we take a Behind the Scenes tour at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford upon Avon. During our tour we shall discover the origins of the RSC and their theatres in Stratford, and learn about a production in more depth. After some time at leisure in the town, for lunch, we enjoy a short scenic cruise on the River Avon, before beginning our journey home.

Picture: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

For further information and a booking form, click here

Nearer in flight time than many European cities, Morocco is at the north-west tip of Africa, opposite Gibraltar. The Atlantic and Mediterranean form its Western and Northern boundaries, whilst the Atlas Mountains to the south-east separate it from Algeria and the Sahara Desert.

Marrakech is an ancient capital known variously as the red, pink or rose city from the colour of the clay used in the buildings. What makes it so exciting, is the riot of contradictions and extremes – at once African and Arab, Eastern and Western, desert town and modern city, religious and secular, elegant and rough-edged. Marrakech may, at times, seem daunting; the best way to enjoy the City is to surrender to it.

In our tour over 5 days, we shall be based in Marrakech and visit many of its architectural treasures. We shall experience the souks - ancient market places which provide a feast for the senses with row after row of spices, perfumed oils, magic potions, silver and gold, leather goods, carpets and rugs.

Away from the City, we shall experience more of the contrasts that exist, from the ancient coastal port of Essaouira to the Ourika Valley, dotted with Berber villages, in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains.

It promises to be an exciting, revealing and rewarding journey.

For further information and a booking form, click here.

Picture credit: Starcevic

The Lake District
Arguably, England’s most beautiful scenery; inspiration for some of our best-loved writers; location for outstanding examples of domestic architecture and design, and habitat for a number of our most elusive wild animals.

Our short tour will provide the opportunity to enjoy several cultural highlights of the English Lakes, in delightful surroundings, in comfort and in good company. The following is a brief outline of the itinerary.

Monday 16 September
Travel from Bury St Edmunds to the Lakes via Dunham Massey, a National Trust property near Altringham, Greater Manchester, then on to Damson Dene Hotel, Crosthwaite, near Lake Windermere, for a three-night stay.

Tuesday 17 September
Visit Grasmere and Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth from 1799 to 1809, then to Rydal Mount and gardens, the family home from 1823 to 1859. After lunch, on to Brantwood, home of John Ruskin.

The day’s programme ends with a trip on Coniston Water on the steam yacht ‘Gondola’.

Wednesday 18 September
Journey to Cartmel, for a guided tour of Holker Hall. Dating from the early 16th century, generations of the three families in successive ownership have left their mark, with outstanding workmanship to be admired today. There will be free time to visit the beautiful gardens, and to take lunch.

In the afternoon there is a visit to Blackwell House at Bowness on Windermere. Designed by the architect M H Baillie Scott, it is a superb example of Arts and Crafts movement architecture, with most of the original decorative interiors still intact.

Thursday 19 September
After checkout from the hotel, the journey home is broken by a visit to the National Arboretum at Alrewas, near Lichfield. The arboretum covering 150 acres, is devoted to the theme of remembrance. It is home to the Armed Forces Memorial, designed by Liam O’Connor, and is of national significance in providing recognition for all those who have given their lives in the service of their country since the Second World War.

For the detailed brochure, click here
For the booking form, click here

Picture: Blackwell House interior

Japan is a magical land of contrasts. Even its hyper-modern capital Tokyo manages to surprise with ancient traditions, culture and architectural heritage, overseen by the 634 metre high ‘Skytree’ broadcasting and observation tower. On each of the 11 days of our time there, we shall visit many places rich in quite different aspects of geography, culture and heritage. We shall be given insight into the world of the Shoguns and Emperors, visits to temples and shrines, castles and gardens, and time to enjoy the calming influence of Japan’s famous cherry blossom (subject, of course, to seasonal variation). Our travel by luxury coach will be augmented by trips on the famous Bullet Train; a visit to Hiroshima, where the first atomic bomb was used in anger, will be a poignant contributor to our sense of history.

It promises to be a most memorable tour: to see the colourfully illustrated and detailed brochure, click here

For a booking form, click here

Picture: Cherry blossom in Tokyo

Sicily For over 3000 years, Sicily has been a crossroads in the path of European culture: it is a distillation of all things Italian, to which Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, French, Germans, Spanish, and British, have contributed an enormous collective legacy. The island is a vast open-air museum, a testament to nearly every Mediterranean civilisation of the past.

Sicily has natural wonders in abundance: Etna, whose volcanic incandescence may light up the night sky, mountain ranges jostling for supremacy, delightful vistas and, where the land meets the sea, a coastline of stunning variety and beauty.

Picture: Mount Etna viewed from the Greek theatre in Taormina

What we shall see on our 7-day tour

• Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils around the base support extensive agriculture, with vneyards and orchards.

• On a rocky plateau of Mount Tauro, Taormina overlooks the Ionian Sea. It has a rich artistic, historical and cultural heritage. We visit the Greek theatre, converted in Roman times into an amphitheatre, the Duomo-Cathedral of San Nicola, built in the 13th century, rebuilt in the 15th and 16th centuries, remodelled in the 18th! (As a consequence it bears significant architectural features and paintings from different periods); the Palazzo Corvaia, a palace built in three stages from the 11th to 15th centuries around a structure dating from the Arabic Age; The former San Maria di Gesù convent that retains its early sixteenth century cloister.

• Siracusa. Syracuse dates from 734 BC, when Corinthian colonists landed on the island of Ortigia and founded a settlement, setting up the mainland city four years later. Almost three millennia later, the ruins of that city constitute the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, one of Sicily's greatest archaeological sites. We visit the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, built in the VII to VI century BC; the Roman amphitheatre; the Altar of Heiron II - the largest surviving altar of Greek antiquity; the Greek Theatre, built in the fifth century BC, was reconstructed under Hiero, and has remained almost as it was since that time.

• Across the water from the mainland, Ortigia remains the city's most beautiful locality. We have free time here for exploration or simply to soak up the history.

• En route to Agrigento, we shall visit Piazza Armerina and the Villa Romana del Casale to see the amazing Roman mosaics. Created in the 4th century AD, they extend to over 3,500 square metres, and depict many aspects of daily Roman life.

• The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is an unmissable feature of our Sicily tour. Just outside the modern city are at least 7 well preserved Doric places of worship from Greek antiquity, the best preserved being the Tempio della Concordia.

• At Segesta we visit the Greek temple, which although unfinished from around 430 BC, looks as though it were ‘built yesterday’ and can claim to be the best preserved in the world.

• Erice is in a spectacular, naturally fortified position high above the natural harbour of Trapani and it is not surprising that the site has been occupied for millennia. We visit the Matrice church which dates back to 1426, and is a true blend of architectural styles.

• Monreale would be a fairly non-descript town were it not for the Duomo, one of the world’s most stunning architectural treasures. Principally Norman, from reconstruction begun in 1174, the very best Arabic, Byzantine and Norman craftsmen worked on the building, the result being a fabulous fusion of architectural styles, artistic traditions and religious symbolism.

• In our guided tour of Palermo, we take in such sights as the 12th century La Martorana. This luminously beautiful 12th-century church was endowed by King Roger's Syrian emir, George of Antioch, and was originally planned as a mosque. The interior is best seen when sunlight illuminates the magnificent Byzantine mosaics. Next to La Martorana is The Church of San Cataldo, an example of wonderful Arabian-Norman architecture.

For the detailed itinerary and a booking form, click here

Berlin, capital city of Germany

Ravaged by war, divided, isolated, West Berlin remained a beacon of hope and defiance. When the wall came down and the country reunited, the city burgeoned as a world city of culture, politics, media and science. With hundreds of art galleries, a rich history of theatre, cabaret and the performance arts, a whole island dedicated to museums, and a world famous film festival, it is a natural destination for Bury St Edmunds Decorative and Fine Arts Society members!

Photo: The Ishtar Gate from Babylon reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum

Our tour will include:

The Brandenburg Gate, an iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany, standing as a symbol of eventful European history and of unity and peace.

The Reichstag, the traditional seat of the German Parliament, was remodelled by British architect Norman Foster in the 1990s and features a vast glass dome over the session area.

Museum Island, in the River Spree, houses five museums built from 1830 to 1930. Berlin's most important treasure trove spans 6000 years' worth of art, artefacts, sculpture and architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We shall visit:

The Pergamon Museum

Opening a fascinating window on to the ancient world, this palatial complex unites a rich feast of classical sculpture and monumental architecture from Greece, Rome, Babylon and the Middle East, including the radiant-blue Ishtar Gate from Babylon, the Roman Market Gate of Miletus and the Caliph's Palace of Mshatta.

The Neues Museum

David Chipperfield's reconstruction of the bombed-out Neues Museum houses a limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti, and is the showstopper of the Egyptian Museum.

Competing with the exhibits, the museum building is like a giant jigsaw puzzle, Chipperfield's design incorporated every original shard, scrap and brick he could find into this dynamic space, which juxtaposes massive stairwells, intimate domed rooms, mural walls and airy, high-ceilinged halls.

The East Side Gallery

In 1989, after 28 years, the Berlin Wall finally came down. Most of it was quickly dismantled, but along Mühlenstrasse, paralleling the Spree, a 1.3km stretch became the East Side Gallery, the world’s largest open-air mural collection. In more than 100 paintings, dozens of international artists translated the era’s global euphoria and optimism into a mix of political statements, drug-induced musings and truly artistic visions.

Gemäldegalerie (Picture Gallery)

In this gallery, the most important paintings belonging to the Berlin State Museums are displayed. It holds one of the world's leading collections of European paintings from the 13th to the 18th centuries. The collection includes masterpieces from such artists as Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, Hans Holbein, Rogier van der Weyden, Jan van Eyck, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Caravaggio, Giambattista Pittoni, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, and Antonio Viviani.

Jewish Museum

The Jewish Museum Berlin (Jüdisches Museum Berlin) is one of the largest Jewish Museums in Europe. In three buildings, two of which are new additions specifically built for the museum by architect Daniel Libeskind, two millennia of German-Jewish history are on display in the permanent exhibition, and in various changing exhibitions.

Potsdam, capital city of the federal state of Brandenburg

Potsdam is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region and is situated on the River Havel, 24 kilometres (15 miles) southwest of Berlin city centre. It was, until 1918, a residence of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser. Its planning embodied ideas of The Age of Enlightenment: through a careful balance of architecture and landscape Potsdam was envisioned as "a picturesque, pastoral dream" reminding residents of their relationship with Nature and Reason. We shall visit:

Sanssouci Palace

Frederick the Great's famous summer palace; this rococo gem was designed by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff in 1747 and sits above vine-draped terraces with the king's grave nearby. Features include the concert hall, the gilded sunburst ceiling of the library and the Marble Room, an elegant white Carrara marble symphony modelled after the Pantheon in Rome.

Cecilienhof Palace

This English-style country palace, completed in 1917 for crown prince Wilhelm and his wife Cecilie, was the last palace built by the Hohenzollern clan. It is best known for hosting the 1945 Potsdam Conference where Stalin, Truman and Churchill hammered out Germany’s post-war fate.

Charlottenburg Palace - Knobelsdorff Wing

Charlottenburg Palace still reflects the one-time grandeur of the Hohenzollern clan that ruled the region from 1415 to 1918. Originally a petite summer retreat, it grew into an exquisite baroque pile with opulent private apartments, richly festooned festival halls, collections of precious porcelain and paintings by French 18th-century masters.

Charlottenburg's most beautiful rooms are the flamboyant private chambers of Frederick the Great, designed in 1746 by the period's star architect Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff. Particularly noteworthy are the White Hall banquet room, the mirrored and gilded Golden Gallery and paintings by Watteau, Pesne and other 18th-century French masters. In the same wing, are the apartments of Queen Luise (1776–1810), wife of King Friedrich Wilhelm III, bedecked with lavish chandeliers, period furniture and hand-painted silk wall coverings.

For the detailed itinerary and a booking form, click here

Emilia-Romagna, an administrative area of northern Italy offers a fine distillation of the region’s charms: glorious countryside, plenty of historic architecture and local cuisine renowned across the rest of Italy. Most of its main sites are located along the Via Emilia, the dead-straight road first laid down by the Romans in 187 BC that splits the province along its east–west axis. Dotted along this road are proud, historic towns, filled with medieval and Renaissance gems.

Photo: Bologna

Places to be visited on this 7-day tour

• Bologna is the principal urban centre, the site of Europe’s first university, and today best known as the gastronomic capital of Italy. It is generally regarded as one of the country’s most beautiful cities with a network of porticoed, medieval streets. Our guided tour of the city includes a visit to the Pinacoteca Nazionale.
   
• Of all Emilia Romagna's artistic treasures, none shine more brilliantly than the Byzantine mosaics at the Basilica di San Vitale and the Mausoleo di galla Placidia in Ravenna. Dating from between the fourth and sixth centuries, they hark back to the city's golden age as capital of the Western Roman Empire and an important Byzantine outpost. Our tour includes the magnificent 6th century church of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, and the beautifully decorated Basilica di Sant’ Apollinare, dating back to the early 6th century, in nearby Classe.
   
• The single must-see cultural site in Mantua (Mantova), is the Palazzo Ducale. Having the appearance of a town within a city, rather than a mere palace it is the largest residence in Italy after the Vatican. It was for 400 years the home of the Gonzaga family, who ruled until the early 1700s.
   
• Parma, to the west of Bologna, has a centre rich in art, architecture and treasures - the Lombard-Romanesque Duomo, the Teatro Farnese, the Palazzo della Pilotta, which dates from the late 16th century and now houses several museums, the former Monastero di San Paolo housing the Camera di San Paolo, a 1519 masterpiece of fresco work by Correggio.
  Despite their being far more widely known, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese, which do not escape the purview of our visit, cannot overshadow such wonders.
   
• Away from the central artery and north of Bologna, Ferrara is one of the most important Renaissance centres in Italy. Still enclosed by a 6 mile defensive wall, and within the network of medieval and renaissance streets, are the Castello Estense, built as a defensive fortress in the late 14th century, the 12th century Cattedrale, medieval houses and palaces of the Este Dynasty.

For the detailed itinerary and a booking form, click here

For the detailed brochure, which includes a booking form, click here.

Liverpool, the European Capital of Culture in 2008, is a vibrant city with more galleries and national museums than any other city in the United Kingdom, except the Capital. Its architecture boasts several landmark buildings, among them, ‘The Three Graces’ - the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool building, which stand at the pier head and form part of the UNESCO world heritage site along with the Albert Dock, where the largest group of grade 1 listed buildings in the UK are to be found. It was transformed in the early 1980’s into a world class venue for culture and includes Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

The city’s 2 cathedrals, ‘one rooted in centuries of worship and reverence, the other conceived by men who thought we could dispense with the past - together make one of the great sights of our time’. Liverpool Cathedral is based on a design by Giles Gilbert Scott. The Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral was designed by Sir Frederick Gibbard and completed within 5 years, in 1967.

Over 6 days, our tour will include:

• (On the outward journey) A guided tour of the Barber Institute in Birmingham. One of the world’s truly great small art museums, it houses works by artists such as Monet, Manet, Renoir, Rubens, Rodin and van Dyck
• A Blue Badge guided tour of the City of Liverpool, including the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral and Liverpool Cathedral,
• The Walker Art Gallery, an introduction to one of the finest collections of fine and decorative art in Europe.
• A comprehensive visit to the Anderton Boat Lift Visitor Centre, which includes an excursion in the boat lift, designed to lift cargo boats the 50 feet from the river Weaver to the Trent and Mersey canal.
• The National Trust Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate near Wilmslow. The restored cotton mill presents the story of ‘King Cotton’, from a bale of raw cotton to the finished cloth. The original Apprentice House recreates the atmosphere of the lives of child workers in the 1830s.
• Tate Liverpool, home of the National Collection of Modern Art in the North of England. The Collection features the work of artists including Francis Bacon, Marcel Duchamp, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Andy Warhol.
• Free time to explore the Albert Dock area and stunning World Heritage waterfront setting; an opportunity to visit one of several museums in the area, or take a relaxing cruise on the Mersey.
• Port Sunlight Village, built by the Lever family for their workers, and the Lady Lever Art Gallery. Founded by William Hesketh Lever, the gallery was built to provide a home for his collection, especially paintings, furniture and porcelain, assembled during the life of its founder.
• Speke Hall, a National Trust property, one of the country's most famous timbered houses.
• (On the return journey) A visit to the restored, Edwardian Winterbourne House and beautiful Botanic Garden, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Photo: ‘The Three Graces’: l to r, the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building, the Port of Liverpool Building