Art Pursuits - Munich

Art Pursuits Study Tour Programme

Munich
Art and Opera in Bavaria's Charming Capital

7 – 13 July 2008

Day 1	Morning flight at 9:05 with Lufthansa from London Heathrow to Munich. By private coach to the nearby ancient city of Freising for our lunch break and a visit to the great cathedral – a Romanesque building in Baroque disguise. After a visit to the nearby Premonstratensian monastery church, continue to your 4-star hotel in the heart of Munich. Dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 2	A day on foot to explore the city centre, the Neo-Gothic town hall overlooking the Marienplatz, the Gothic Frauenkirche with its characteristic onion domes, the Counter-Reformation church of St Michael, and the baroque gem of the Asamkirche. After lunch study Munich’s history in the City Museum – re-opening in 2008 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of Munich’s foundation. Dinner in a local restaurant.
Day 3	In the morning visit the labyrinthine Residenz, built over three centuries, home of the dukes and later kings of Bavaria, and including a fabulous treasury. After lunch, admire the precious Rococo Cuvilliés Theatre, a delightful contrast to the imposing Baroque Theatinerkirche. After some free time, meet at the Staatsoper for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s lyric opera Eugene Onegin (first performed in 1879).
Day 4	In the morning take the U-Bahn to Königsplatz with its extraordinary assembly of neo-classical buildings. From there continue to the Alte Pinakothek, Munich’s superb picture gallery to study some of the highlights. Free afternoon to explore the Neue Pinakothek (mostly of nineteenth-century art) or the outstanding collection of classical sculpture and Greek vases housed in the ‘temples’ of the Königsplatz. In the evening, enjoy a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic Luisa Miller (1849) at the Staatsoper.
Day 5	After the dramatic exertion of the previous evenings a restful coach excursion will take you to the idyllic Ammersee, overlooked by the Benedictine monastery of Andechs, complete with historic brewery. Weather permitting, a boat trip will take us to Diessen for a delicious lunch (included) in a restaurant with a view over the lake before visiting the elegant Baroque church, designed by artists from the Bavarian Electoral Court.
Day 6	Return to the Königsplatz for a morning at the Lenbachhaus, home of the stunning collection of paintings by the Blaue Reiter group of expressionist painters, from August Macke to Vassily Kandinsky. In the afternoon, we will sample the treasures of the Bavarian National Museum, before walking back past the Rococo church of St Anna im Lehel. Dinner in a restaurant near the hotel.
Day 7	In the morning drive along Maximilianstrasse, Prinzregentenstrasse and Ludwigstrasse, Munich’s great 19th-century town planning projects, before going for a stroll at Nymphenburg, the glorious country house of the rulers of Bavaria, with extensive gardens and pavilions, among them the Amalienburg, epitome of the Rococo era. After lunch coach transfer to the airport for a late afternoon flight to London Heathrow, scheduled to land at 18:20.

Please note that at this stage the programme is still provisional. Although we aim at the greatest degree of accuracy from the outset, some details, especially the order of visits, may be subject to change.