Top 5 Saga Holidays for art lovers
Theres a wealth of art here in Britain, but how often do you get the chance to tour a cultural city with your very own expert in tow, to give you a better insight into the significance of what youre seeing?
Saga is for the over 50s, and due to demand, have created a number of mini breaks that put leading art collections at their heart. Not only will you get the opportunity to have a personalised tour of some of the worlds finest pieces, and meet likeminded souls in a socially hosted setting at the same time, but youll also enjoy gourmet meals, luxury overnights and an exciting itinerary, that will inevitably give you a greater insight into the art works in front of you.
Today were going to look at the 5 art tours Saga offershere in Britain, how much youll learn about your host city, and what will beincluded on your itinerary.
5. Art in the West
From the Cotswolds to South Wales and Bath, this is a tourthat will allow you to take in some of the finest galleries of the West ofEngland. Youll stay in the Mercure in Gloucester, which has 12 acres of itsown grounds to explore and is itself a listed Georgian building.
Highlights of this trip include a visit to Cheltenham ArtGallery, which features work from William Morri, and the Wales National Museumwith its collection of Renaissance art, most notably a version of Rodins TheKiss. For 15th century works by Gainsborough and Zoffany, youllhave the chance to stroll through the Victoria Art Gallery in Bath. As forItalian and Dutch old masters, the Bristol City Museum cant be beaten!
4. Art across 4 counties for solo travellers
Not everybody loves art as much as you do and perhaps yourestruggling to gather enough interest among your friends in taking an art triplike the ones described here. This is why a solo traveller art tour is so idealfor a lot of people. Not only will you meet people with similar interests, butthe friendships made on these types of themed trips, open doors for you to takesimilar excursions together in the future. Occasionally, it also leads toromance!
Solo travellers will not be penalised with a singlesupplement and will not be made to feel left out. Rather, ever effort will bemade by your host to ensure everyone is welcome, included, and having a goodtime.
On the 4 counties tour, youll be based at the Denham Grovehotel in Buckinghamshire, which is known for its great food and as being a filmlocation for a few famous period period dramas, such as Great Expectations andBrief Encounter. From here, youre ideally placed to explore the treasuresof the Home Counties.
Syon House sits amidst the splendour of a Capability Browndesigned garden and is itself an example of Tudor neo-classicism. Osterley Parkis another showcase for neo-classicist works and the Ashmolean Museum will takeyou a little further back in history, with its display of Greek and Romansculptures. However, if youre all about the classics themselves, yourewell-catered for as well. Christchurch Picture Gallery Museum exhibits works byRubens. Tintoretto, Michelangelo and Leonardo, while Windsor Castle housesCanalettos and Rembrandts.
3. Art and the North East
Anthony Gormley, one of Britains most beloved artist sonsalso features heavily in this tour, which is centred around the cities of Newcastle, Gateshead and Durham. Seeing theinfamous Angel of the North is a must-see bucket list sight for many artenthusiasts and this opportunity will be built into your itinerary.
Your hotel will be the Radisson Blu, which has views ofDurham Castle and the River Wear. Meals will be included in your package. Aspart of your city tour, youll explore Durham Cathedral, which is a greatexample of the Romanesque style of architecture, and the Bowes Museum, whosedesign was heavily influenced by that of a typical French Chateau. It houses aneclectic mix of pottery, fashion and musical items.
The galleries youll visit during your trip to this part ofthe world include the Sunderland Museum, known for its British art, and the Laing Art Gallery which specialises in18th century art. It boasts Turners, Rembrandts and a few Reynolds. If 20thcentury art is more your thing, youll love the Shipley Art Gallery and BalticCentre for Contemporary art. Here youll find many mixed material works, by ahost of exiting names from the contemporary art world, such as Damien Hirst,Yoko Ono and George Shaw.
2. Art Treasures of Birmingham
Youll be staying in the Aston Hotel in the city centre,just a short walk away from the shops in the Bullring, Cadburys World and theJewellery Quarter.
Among the artworks you can expect to see in Birmingham are thePre-Raphaelites in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, impressivecontemporary commissions in the New Art Gallery, a selection by the FrenchImpressionists at the Barber Institute of Fine Art and more crafts-basedofferings at Wightwick Manor. In addition to this, fans of Victorian andGeorgian art, will enjoy the trip to Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
1. Liverpools Art Collections
Home of the Beatles, the hit TV show, Bread, and its veryown brand of humour, Liverpool is on the north west coast of the U.K. Youll stay in the Crowne PlazaLiverpool-John Lennon Airport; a quaint Art Deco hotel, which has its own storyin the history of Liverpools vibrant music scene. It was in this building, aformer airport terminal, that the Beatles greeted literally thousands of their fansat the height of Beatle-mania! Some of the rooms overlook the former runway.
This break will include all your food, excursions, twofascinating talks and a guided tour of the city. Before you hit the artgalleries, youll be shown around to give you the chance to get your bearings;along the waterfront, in and around Liverpools two cathedrals and, of course,in the trail of the aforementioned band. Once youve been through StrawberryFields and Penny Lane, youll never listen to the songs in the same way again!
Providing you with time to explore the art exhibitions willobviously be a priority on this trip. Youll walk through the Liverpool TateGallery, which houses works of art by Lucian Freud and David Hockney, take sometime out in The Lady Lever Art Gallery, with its exquisite porcelaincollections and visit the Walker Art Gallery inside the Cathedral. One of thebiggest highlights of this tour however, is Anthony Gormleys Another Placeon Crosby Beach. Here youll see 100 cast iron figures, cast from Gormleys ownbody and spread across 2 miles. Its really an incredible sight!
Booking your Saga arttrip
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