Art Pursuits - Bavarian Alps

Art Pursuits Study Tour Programme

Bavarian Alps
Baroque and Rococo Splendour in a Magnificent Landscape

30 June – 6 July June 2008

Day 1	Morning flight with Lufthansa from London Heathrow to Munich. By coach to Kloster Schäftlarn for Brotzeit (a light savoury meal) and a visit to the church and its delightful little Prelates Garden. Continue to Murnau and your 5* hotel where all six nights of the tour will be spent. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 2	In the morning, drive through the Pfaffenwinkel (literally, ‘Clerics’ Corner’), so named after its many religious foundations: visit Wessobrunn and Steingaden, two mediaeval abbeys in Baroque ‘dress’, the former home of many 18th-century stucco artists, above all Dominikus Zimmermann. By coach to Füssen, past the castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein, fairy-tale creations for King Ludwig II of Bavaria. In the afternoon be dazzled by the unique pilgrimage church at the Wies, epitome of the Rococo by the Zimmermann brothers. Return to Murnau and independent dinner.
Day 3	Follow the call of the mountain! In good weather, take the cable car to one of the majestic summits surrounding Garmisch-Partenkirchen to enjoy the stunning scenery and a view of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain. At the top, either go for an leisurely walk around and return by cable car or return to the valley by foot, enjoying a light lunch on the way (included) in a typical mountain hut. In the afternoon return to Murnau for free time to have a massage or relax by the pool. Independent dinner.
Day 4	All day coach excursion: at Linderhof, Ludwig II’s first and complete fantasy palace, enjoy the over-the-top Louis XIV revival and explore the beautiful gardens with its pavilions and grotto – created as an ideal setting for Wagner’s Tannhäuser. Lunch break in Oberammergau, world-famous for its passion play, and time to stroll past the many painted house façades. In the afternoon visit the domed church of the imposing Benedictine monastery at Ettal before returning to Murnau for an independent dinner.
Day 5	A day dedicated to the German expressionist artists of the Blaue Reiter. At Bad Kochel visit the Franz Marc Museum, re-opening in spring 2008 with a fascinating newly acquired collection. After lunch walk through the charming centre of Murnau to the Schlossmuseum with works by Gabriele Münter and Vassily Kandinsky, and to the ‘Russian House’ where the couple spent much time between 1908 and 1914. Dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Day 6	Coach excursion to Benediktbeuren, a traditional village with one of the grandest Bavarian abbeys, founded in 739. Return to Murnau for lunch and a free afternoon. In the evening, dinner in the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant.
Day 7	In the morning, boat excursion on the Starnberger See – weekend domain of Munich’s rich and their weekend villas – to Starnberg, situated at the lake’s northern tip, for lunch. In the afternoon, transfer to Munich airport for an early evening return to London Heathrow.

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.