April 23 - May 1, 2012

In Amsterdam: Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Rossini’s Il turco in Italia; Brussels: Otello at the Théâtre de la Monnaie; Touring in Bruges

This tour is an embarrassment of visual and musical riches - from the world’s greatest collections of Dutch & Flemish art, to the beauty of Bruges and Brussels’ Grand-Place, to the renowned Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and the strains of Rossini at La Monnaie. Come join us for high art in the Low Countries.

Our tour begins in Amsterdam, where we will attend the Muziektheater for a Netherlands Opera production of Rossini’s Il turco in Italia as well as a performance of Beethoven’s stirring Missa Solemnis by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, one of the finest in the world. We will also visit The Van Gogh Museum, with a rich and varied collection of 19th-century art. The artists represented include Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and others: Van Gogh’s friends and contemporaries, those who inspired him, and those who drew inspiration from him. Our hotel will be the luxurious 5-star Sofitel Grand.

We then move to the medieval jewel that is Bruges. A mixture of vibrant squares, refreshing parks and quiet, intimate cobbled streets, Bruges in its entirety is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Here we see the Gothic Church of Our Lady, with its tower at 122.3 meters in height, making it the second tallest brickwork tower in the world, and the Groeninge Museum, housing a permanent collection of artworks from Belgium over a period of six centuries. We will stay at Hotel Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, considered to be one of the most romantic and peaceful hotels in Europe.

In Brussels we stay at the deluxe Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo, perfectly-positioned adjacent to the central Grand-Place. Here we attend a rare performance of Rossini’s (not Verdi’s) Otello. We will also visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, one of the best in Europe, housing the most comprehensive collection of Flemish painting anywhere.

As always, we enjoy superb cuisine throughout. 

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Monday, April 23 Departures

Departures from North America to Amsterdam.

Tuesday, April 24 Amsterdam

Upon arrival in Amsterdam, you will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel, the 5-star Sofitel Grand Amsterdam, a 16th century jewel located in the heart of the historic zone. This luxurious property was chosen by Queen Beatrix for her wedding in 1966. After settling in to our rooms, we gather for cocktails in the lobby before enjoying our Welcome Dinner at the hotel’s elegant Bridges restaurant.

Wednesday, April 25 Amsterdam

Following breakfast at the hotel (included daily) we embark on a walking tour of this fascinating city. We begin with the famous Spinhuis flower market and nearby Munt Tower, then on to the Rembrandt House Museum, and finally Dam Square, Amsterdam’s central plaza and meeting place since 1270, featuring the beautiful NieweKerk (New Church). We end our tour at the Dutch Royal Palace, built in 1655 as the Town Hall but used in the intervening years by Louis Napoleon and the Royal House of Orange. Lunch is included following the tour. This evening we enjoy a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Thursday, April 26 Amsterdam

Today we begin our touring with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Anne Frank was just 13 when she and her family went into hiding in 1942 during the World War II Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The rooms of Anne Frank House are hauntingly empty but the original diary is on display. We then enjoy a private tour of The Van Gogh Museum, the world’s largest collection of works by the troubled artist. There are also permanent works by other 19th century artists including Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Cézanne, Rodin, Picasso, de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pissarro. Following the tour we have lunch at the nearby Brasserie de Keyzer. In the early evening we make the short walk to the Amsterdam Muziektheater for a Netherlands Opera production of Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia.

Friday, April 27 Amsterdam - Bruges

Late morning we transfer by luxury coach to the exquisitely preserved medieval town of Bruges. After check in at the superb Hotel Relais Bourgondisch Cruyce, we will enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to explore the city’s fine scenery (and chocolate!!). We will enjoy dinner at the elegant Restaurant 't Huidevettershuis, which dates to 1450 and was originally the Guildhall of the Tanners.

Saturday, April 28 Bruges

Following breakfast, we gather in the lobby and depart for a guided city tour, including: the Gothic Church of Our Lady, housing tombs of the Valois dukes and Michelangelo’s marble Madonna and Child; the Groeninge Museum, with its wonderful collection of paintings by Van Eyck and other Bruges painters. Lunch is included at charming Marieke van Brugghe.

Sunday, April 29 Bruges - Brussels

Late morning we make the short drive in our luxury coach to Brussels where we check-in at the elegant Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo, on the Grand-Place. After settling into our rooms and having a quick lunch at the hotel’s excellent restaurant, we make the short walk to the elegant Théâtre de la Monnaie for a performance of Rossini’s Otello – a rarely-staged precursor to Verdi’s monumental work.

Monday, April 30 Brussels

This morning we enjoy a private tour of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium, one of the best in Europe, housing the most comprehensive collection of Flemish painting anywhere, including works by Bruegel and Rogier van der Weyden, Robert Campin (the Master of Flémalle), Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens. This evening we enjoy our Farewell Dinner at Maison du Cygne, a 17th-century gastronomic and cultural gem in the very heart of Brussels’ famed Grand-Place.

Tuesday, May 1 Departures

Departures to the airport included.