2014
Heritage Tours
Contact: Barbara Zander Heritage Tours Co-ordinator Lange Voorhout, 35 2514 EC The Hague The Netherlands T: +31 70 302 40 54 F: +31 70 361 78 65 E: bz@europanostra.org
Heritage Tours Committe: Tom Henkemans (Chairman) Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen Robert Engels Dineke de Koster-Burgersdijk Jeanette Scholz Jane Wade Barbara Zander (Secretary)
Heritage Tours 2014: Barcelona: A City of Revival 8 - 13 April 2014 Private Houses & Castles of SkĂĽne 8 - 13 September 2014 Unknown Italy: Puglia & Basilicata 8 - 14 October 2014
Cover: Santa MarĂa del Mar, Barcelona
This page: Cathedral of San Nicola Pellegrino, Trani, Italy
2
Dear Members, In cooperation with our long-term travel partners, Specialtours, we can once again offer you three fascinating and authentic tours next year.
By the same token, through our various contacts, it is quite likely that some delightful extra private visits will materialise over the coming months.
We start in April with a visit to the great city of Barcelona, where a unique programme has been devised by our Iberian specialist and Member, the art historian Sofia Barroso. We are privileged to be accommodated in one of the most renowned and exclusive Spanish private clubs, and an outstanding selection of visits to places of culture, including many private homes and art collections, has been arranged for you, as well as an excursion to the striking town of Gerona.
I am pleased to note that recent tours have been well received by our Members, and even on basis of the flyer we sent you in early July, we have already received pre-registrations for 2014. Early booking remains highly recommended!
In September a wonderful array of privately-owned stately homes and castles in the fairly remote county of Skåne in South Sweden will be the main subject of a very special tour. From our base in the attractive university town of Lund we shall tour a variety of houses and gardens. Thanks to the generosity of their owners we shall enjoy the very rare opportunity to see quite a few of Sweden’s smartest historic private residences. The last tour of the year will be to Puglia – the heel of Italy – in October. In addition to admiring the mysterious ‘trulli’, the characteristic Romanesque cathedrals and the unique ‘Lecce Baroque’, we shall be received in historic family homes and discover many hidden private treasures in this relatively little visited region. This original tour is ideal for those who know Italy well, but have not ventured this far south on the mainland. One aspect I should like to point out, is that these tours are planned long ahead – often more than a year in advance – and thus not all private visits can be cast in stone at this stage. Occasionally, a planned visit is no longer possible, in which case, of course, all efforts will be made to arrange for an appealing alternative.
It goes without saying that the more you support our tours, the better the selection will become. In response to requests we have received, we are considering increasing the number of trips per year. As you will appreciate, this can only be done if we continue to receive your solid patronage, which in turn will be of financial benefit to the growing demands put on the Hans de Koster Fund for central and eastern Europe and to our rapidly increasing, all-important ‘Heritage in Danger’ activities. The members of the Heritage Tours Committee look forward to your active support of our tours and wish you happy travels in 2014.
Tom Henkemans Chairman of the Heritage Tours Committee
3
The fascinating Mediterranean city of Barcelona has become a model of urban regeneration in Europe. Medieval and industrial buildings have been transformed into spaces for creative projects, Art Nouveau houses have been restored and the city has been opened up to the sea. Members are invited to join an insider’s view with art historian Sofia Barroso.
Casa Battló
Barcelona: A City of Revival 8 – 13 April 2014
We shall be staying at the exclusive El Circulo Ecuestre, a private club housed in an Art Nouveau mansion. After an introductory talk, there will be a visit to the Godia Foundation, an art collection in a beautiful setting, and a reception at El Circulo del Liceo, a private opera club. The next morning we will explore Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, with visits to the Picasso Museum, the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Palace of the Counts of Barcelona and the Cathedral. After lunch at the Mercer Hotel, a Gothic manor house brilliantly restored by Pritzker prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo, we will be received at a private home with a collection of old master paintings and, later, by antique dealer Artur Ramon. Dinner will be at the Circulo Ecuestre. The following day will be devoted to Catalan ‘Modernism’, featuring important buildings by Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries. At La Pedrera, we will be invited to a private apartment with original Gaudi furniture. We will also visit the Tàpies Foundation and Güell Park, where we will be received at the private home of a member of the Güell family. In the evening, subject to schedules, members will attend a performance at the Palau de la Música, the extraordinary Art Nouveau concert hall designed by Domenech I Montaner. A tapas dinner in the interval is planned. In the residential quarter of Pedralbes, we will discover the convent of the Poor Clares, one of the hidden jewels of the city, with a lovely cloister and frescoes.
4
Within the complex are the deconsecrated buildings of El Conventet, now a private home, where Mrs Carmen Godia will show us her collection of painting, sculpture and ceramics. Next, we will drive to Montjuïc Hill, visiting the Caixa Foundation, in a converted 19th-century textile factory, and the Mies van der Rohe pavilion. Lunch will be at a restaurant with fantastic views on the top floor of the Museum of Catalan Art. The highlights of this museum, restored by Gae Aulenti, are the Romanesque frescoes and Art Nouveau paintings. The remainder of the afternoon and evening will be free. Saturday’s excursion commences with a visit to a private home within the castle of Perelada with a collection of ceramics, old master paintings and incunabula. Lunch will be at a beautifully-restored country manor house in the village of La Bisbal, with a garden designed by Fernando Caruncho in a setting of olive trees, cypresses and vineyards. Later we explore the historic centre of the medieval town of Gerona, including the Jewish quarter, manor houses, Romanesque churches and Cathedral. Our farewell dinner will be in the elegant Golden Room at the Circulo Ecuestre. On the last morning, there will be an illuminating tour of Barcelona’s new architecture, with buildings by Benedetta Tagliabue, Herzog & De Meuron, Josep Lluis Mateo, Jean Nouvel, Ricardo Bofill and others, followed by a typical Catalan paella lunch.
Concert Hall, Palau de la Música
Gerona
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)
Price: €2,420 Single Room Supplement: €325 The tour price includes accommodation at a comfortable private club in Barcelona (5 nights) / all meals except one dinner / ground transport by private coach / guides / entrance fees / taxes. The tour price is based on 20 participants. We hope it will not be necessary, but should the number fall below this we reserve the right to charge a supplement.
Europa Nostra Representative: Mr Tom Henkemans Tour Organiser: Mrs Sofia Barroso The tour starts on Tuesday, 8 April at 17.00hrs at El Circulo Equestre in Barcelona and ends at Barcelona Airport on Sunday, 13 April by 16.00hrs. The Desigual Building & The W Hotel by Ricardo Bofill
5
The aristocratic castle tradition in Sweden is nowhere more apparent than in the lovely southern province of Skåne, with its undulating countryside, deciduous woodland and open vistas. Most of the castles and manors we shall visit remain in private ownership, supported by their estates and with their fine interiors and art collections intact.
Bosjökloster Slott
Private Houses & Castles of Skåne 8 – 13 September 2014
6
Crossing the great bridge across the Øresund strait from Copenhagen is a dramatic introduction to this tour. Skåne, on the southernmost tip of Sweden, was part of Denmark until 1658 and the owners of many historic houses can trace their descent from the era of Danish sovereignty. Our base for the duration of the tour is the flourishing university town of Lund, where we shall be staying at the Grand Hotel, a handsome late 19th-century château-style hotel. There will be a walking tour, to include the outdoor museum of historic buildings, Kulturen, and the distinguished Romanesque cathedral. Later we shall visit Trollenäs, which dates from the 14th century but was rebuilt in the 19th century, with ornate interiors recalling the Baroque. Dinner this evening will be at the lovely Belle Époque mansion of Jordberga, as guests of Otto and Catherine von Arnold. Our hostess is a former Council Member of Europa Nostra and Chair of Europa Nostra Sweden. The following day, we will be welcomed at the delightful 17th-century Wrams Gunnarstorp, home of the Tornérhjelm family who acquired it in the 19th century in exchange for Össjö castle and 17 barrels of gold. The house is renowned for its Fågeltaket or ‘Bird Ceiling’. We continue to the 16th-century moated brick castle of Krapperup, owned by the Gyllenstierna Foundation, with the estate still run by the family. It has fine furniture, portraits and Russian antiques. Nearby are the gardens of the former royal summer residence of Sofiero, built for King Gustav IV Adolf.
We will be received by Count Carl Ramel at the magnificent Övedskloster Slot, whose interiors by Jean Eric Rehn are a superlative example of the Gustavian style. Another treat is Sövdeborg, a beautiful moated castle with rare carved oak and bas-relief stucco ceilings, still privately-owned. Next, a member of the Piper family will show us around Krageholm, with a lovely chapel designed by Tessin the Younger. By way of contrast, the Ales Stenar, a remarkable circle of standing stones, offers a glimpse of the ancient Nordic past. We return to Lund via Kronovall, a stately home remodelled in the French Baroque style, which now belongs to the House of Nobility. Here we have been invited for drinks by Count and Countess Sparre.
Kronovalls Slott
Friday’s programme includes a tour of the family rooms at the beautifully-restored fortified manor house of Hovdala and the stunning contemporary sculpture park at Wanås. Our final dinner will be as guests of Count Thord Bonde at his lovely family home, Bosjökloster, surrounded by beautiful gardens overlooking Lake Ringsjön. It originated as a Benedictine cloister in the 11th century. On the last morning there will be time to explore the Sankt Gertrud district of Malmö, recipient of an Europa Nostra Diploma of Merit in 1979, before returning to Copenhagen.
Sofiero Slott
Trollenäs Slott
Price: €2,945 Single Room Supplement: €370 The tour price includes accommodation at a first class hotel in Lund (5 nights) / all meals except one dinner / ground transport by private coach / guides / entrance fees / taxes. The tour price is based on 20 participants. If numbers fall between 15 and 19 participants there will be a supplement of €200.
Europa Nostra Representative: Mrs Jeanette Scholz Tour Organiser: Mrs Antonia Lloyd Owen The tour starts on Monday, 8 September at 15.30hrs at Copenhagen Kastrup Airport and ends there on Saturday, 13 September by 14.30hrs.
Krapperup Slott
7
This is a rare opportunity to explore the relatively little-known and unspoiled ‘heel’ of Italy, and discover a wealth of architecture, with Greek, Byzantine and Norman influences. Members will be received by the owners of private castles, villas, town palaces and country estates. At the attractive fishing port of Trani, the sea provides a backdrop to the Cathedral, famed for its elaborate west portal and bronze doors. Here we shall be staying at a former 16th-century convent, now a charming hotel. On the first full day we will be shown the 17th-century Palazzo Manes in Bisceglie and the Romanesque Duomo in Bitonto, a cathedral in the distinctive Apulian style. We will visit Ruvo di Puglia, with the privately-owned Iatta Museum, a fine collection of antiquities. Thereafter we hope to pay an exclusive visit to a private palace. We continue to Castel del Monte, the octagonal huntinglodge and retreat of Frederick II, ‘Stupor Mundi'. Later we plan to visit Conte Spagnoletti Zeuli’s attractive winery near the ancient city of Andria.
Matera
Unknown Italy: Puglia & Basilicata 8 – 14 October 2014
8
Next, we leave for Bari and visit San Nicola, earliest and most influential of the Norman churches, continuing to Alberobello to see the famous UNESCO-protected trulli. We will be hosted for a private lunch near the characteristic town of Locorotondo. We continue to the 18th-century city of Martina Franca, with an impressive view over the almond and olive groves of the Valle d’Itria. There will be time to explore this elegant, prosperous place, including the Ducal Palace. Later we visit Masseria Tagliente, a typical country estate where we will be received by Avvocato Carlo Fumarola. We will travel to the neighbouring region of Basilicata to see the extraordinary rock-cut dwellings and churches of Matera, known as ‘I Sassi’. We anticipate having lunch at a privately-owned Norman castle with a special collection of contemporary art.
Later, members will be received at the Palazzo Dentice di Frasso, in San Vito ai Normanni. We continue to our second hotel, a smartly converted mansion in the enchanting town of Lecce. Baroque Lecce offers a complete contrast to medieval Puglia, its streets and squares lined with honey-coloured limestone palaces and churches, with extravagantly carved decoration. In the morning we will drive to Alessano on the Salentine peninsula where Diane de Spoelberch Adriaenssen has invited us to see the progress of restoration of her palazzo. Opposite is the historic Palazzo Ducale, where Gianluigi and Susanna di San Giovanni will receive us for lunch. An afternoon spent exploring Lecce will feature a number of private palaces. In the evening, Dott. Giuseppe Seracca Guerrieri, President of the Puglia branch of the Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane, will host a dinner for Europa Nostra members at his splendid home.
Castel del Monte
On Monday we will be shown the vivid 14th-century frescoes in the church of Santa Caterina at Galatina and the great mosaic pavement of the Cathedral at Otranto. Lunch will be as guests of wine-maker Francesco Winspeare at the Castello di Depressa, dating from the 15th century. Dining at a private villa in a garden setting is the planned grand finale to our tour of Puglia. Trulli House, Alberobello
Masseria Tagliente
Price: â‚Ź2,635 Single Room Supplement: â‚Ź205 The tour price includes accommodation at a comfortable hotel in Trani (3 nights) and at a first-class hotel in Lecce (3 nights) / all meals except one dinner / ground transport by private coach / guides / entrance fees / taxes. The tour price is based on 20 participants. We hope it will not be necessary, but should the number fall below this we reserve the right to charge a supplement.
Europa Nostra Representative: Dr. Reina van Ditzhuyzen Tour Organiser: Miss Frances Roxburgh The tour starts on Wednesday, 8 October at 17.00 hrs at Bari Airport and ends at Brindisi Airport on Tuesday, 14 October by 10.30 hrs, with the possibility to continue to Bari airport.
Palazzo Dentice di Frasso
9
Europa Nostra The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe In a globalised world cultural heritage is vital to a better understanding and a deeper respect between Europe's citizens. Cultural heritage builds bridges between past, present and future generations, and represents beauty, enchantment and meaning, all vital elements in everybody's life. In 50 years, Europa Nostra has built a pan-European network of 250 member organisations (heritage associations and foundations with a combined membership of more than five milliuon people), 150 associated organisations (governmental bodies, local authorities and corporations) and also 1500 individual members who directly support our mission. Europa Nostra is a partner of the European Union, the Council of Europe and UNESCO in heritage matters. We celebrate the best of cultural heritage achievements through our annual awards, we campaign against the many threats to Europe's built and natural heritage, and we offer opportunities for sharing your cultural heritage experiences and concerns through our network, website, magazines and public debates. The Europa Nostra Heritage Tours are exclusively created for, and especially tailored to, Europa Nostra's Individual Members and offer high quality and value. Members of Europa Nostra Member Organisations may also join these tours. Every booking on these tours financially benefits the Hans de Koster Mobility Fund for Central and Eastern Europe as well as the important activities related to Heritage in Danger. For full details about Europa Nostra's rapidly expanding activities, please visit our website:
www.europanostra.org
10
Making a Booking Making a booking As places on each of the three tours are limited, especially single accommodation, we recommend that initially you telephone us on 0044 (0)20 7386 4690 or email us on info@specialtours.co.uk to make a reservation. Thereafter, please complete the booking form and forward it to The Ultimate Travel Company Limited, together with your non-refundable deposit of â‚Ź350 per person (see booking form) made payable to The Ultimate Travel Company Limited. If you are booking less than 8 weeks prior to departure the full cost of the tour is payable. On receipt of your booking form and deposit we will confirm your booking in writing, then no less than 10 weeks before departure we shall send you further information relevant to the tour you have booked, together with a final invoice which will also show any surcharges due (if applicable). You must pay the invoice within 14 days of the invoice date otherwise we reserve the right to treat the booking as cancelled and apply the cancellation conditions as set out below. Your travel documents will be dispatched approximately 10 days before the date on which the tour actually begins.
Fitness to travel Whilst we do not impose any age limitations on joining a tour, participants must be reasonably fit. The very nature of the sightseeing involved in our tours (and the difficulties of direct access by coach in various places) means that a considerable amount of walking and standing is unavoidable on almost all tours. We regret that our tours are not suitable for people who have difficulty in walking, may require wheelchair assistance at any time, or are unable to keep pace with the group. If you are in any doubt as to the suitability of a tour, please make this known to us before you book and we will advise you accordingly. The Ultimate Travel Company reserves the right to decline a reservation without necessarily giving a reason.
Passport, Visas & Health All tour participants are personally responsible for ensuring that they have a valid passport / identity card, relevant visa/s and conform to the health regulations required by the country/s that will be visited during the tour.
Booking Conditions The tours featured in this brochure are operated by Specialtours at The Ultimate Travel Company Limited, which is registered in England under company number 3528325. Suppliers The Ultimate Travel Company Limited acts only as agent for the owners of accommodation and services provided, for all carriers by air or otherwise and for road transport proprietors, and all bookings must be accepted subject to the ticket or transport conditions and regulations of the carriers or transport proprietors, and also subject to the laws of the country in which such carriage or other facility is required.
Cancellation You or any member of your party may cancel your tour at any time providing that the cancellation is made by the person who signed the booking form and is communicated in writing. Cancellation charges, based upon the length of time prior to departure when said cancellation is received, will apply. The sum due, shown below, is stated as a percentage of the total tour cost. More than 70 days Deposit 69 to 30 days 50% 29 to 15 days 75% 14 days or less 100% If you are obliged to cancel you may, with reasonable notice, transfer your booking to a third party who satisfies any conditions necessary to take that tour; in which case we reserve the right to levy an administration charge.
Alterations by The Ultimate Travel Company We will do our utmost to provide the tour arrangements that have been confirmed, but we must retain the right to modify or cancel any tour, flight schedule, accommodation or arrangement should unforeseen circumstances amounting to ‘force majeure’ arise. In such circumstance we will inform you as soon as possible, and, should the change be such that it alters the nature of the tour, we will give you the choice of an alternative tour or a full refund of all monies paid. In recognition we will absorb all financial loss, except personal expenditure, consequent upon cancellation due to ‘force majeure’. We shall not cancel any tour for reason of political tension or natural disaster unless specifically recommended to do so by the relevant government office.
Tour Cancellation The price of a tour is based on a varying minimum number of passengers travelling. If the minimum number is not reached, at least 8 weeks prior to the scheduled departure date we will either cancel the tour and offer a full refund, or we may propose a supplementary charge which, subject to passengers agreement, will enable the tour to operate.
Our Liabilities We do not exclude or limit any liability to our clients which may arise from proven negligence by any person employed directly by us or by our suppliers and subcontractors, servants or agents of the same whilst acting in the course or their employment (other than air and sea carriers performing any domestic internal or international carriage of whatsoever kind) in respect of death, bodily injury or illness. Such liabilities shall be subject to English law and all proceedings shall be within the exclusive domain of the English courts.We shall endeavour to afford general assistance to our clients in the event of illness, injury or death during the period of the tour. We accept responsibility for ensuring that all parts of the tour are supplied as described and that all services shall reach a reasonable standard. These obligations and responsibilities shall be limited to where international conventions in respect of air or sea carriers apply. We do not assume responsibility for loss or expense due to war, riot, strike, terrorist activity or natural disaster.
Travel Insurance We believe travel insurance is essential and reserve the right to cancel a booking if cover is not obtained. Care should be taken to ensure you have adequate cover particularly for cancellation and emergency repatriation in the event of medical problems.
Complaints & Arbitration We endeavour to resolve any complaints on the spot, however if the matter cannot be resolved please write our Managing Director, Nick Van Gruisen, within 14 days of the end of the tour. We will endeavour to resolve the problem as promptly as possible. In the unlikely event that the problem is not amicably resolved the case may be referred to arbitration, if the customer so wishes, under a special Scheme arranged by the Association of British Travel Agents and provided by CEDR Solve, Europe's leading commercial and workplace mediation service. The scheme provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on the customer in respect of costs. The Scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The Scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. The application for arbitration and Statement of Claim must be received by ABTA, who will forward them to CEDR Solve, within eighteen months of the date of return from the holiday. Outside this time limit arbitration under the Scheme may still be available if the company agrees, but the ABTA Code does not require such agreement. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from the ABTA website (www.abta.com).
Credit Card Payments We have the facility to accept payment by most major credit and debit cards. Deposit payments can be made by credit or debit card free of charge. Balance payments can also be made free of charge by debit card but will attract a levy of 2% of the value of the relevant payment if made by credit card. Please note that all credit / debit card payments will be deducted in sterling.
Baggage & Personal Effects These remain your responsibility and risk at all times.
Tour Leaders The tour organiser, in conjunction with the appropriate medical advice if applicable and in consultation with Europa Nostra, has the right to disqualify any client at any time during the course of the tour, if considered necessary for the medical well being or safety of the individual or in the tour organiser’s opinion, the client’s actions are materially affecting the enjoyment of the tour for the remainder of the group. Any decision with regard to any reimbursement for any part of the tour not completed will be decided between the Managing Director of The Ultimate Travel Company Limited and the tour organiser.
Data Protection Statement Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal booking information held by us. Full details of our data protection policy are available upon request.
11
For further details and reservations, please contact: 0044 (0)20 7386 4690 or info@specialtours.co.uk
Specialtours at The Ultimate Travel Company 25 - 27 Vanston Place, London SW6 1AZ T 0044 (0) 20 7386 4690 E info@specialtours.co.uk www.specialtours.co.uk