Art Along the Rhine

The tour starts at 2.00pm on Wednesday 29 May at Zurich Airport.

The tour ends after breakfast on Monday 10 June, at the Hotel Mondial am Dom, Cologne.

The tour begins at Zurich Airport at 2.00pm, from which we travel by coach to Strasbourg. After settling into our hotel, we take an orientation walk around Strasbourg, followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight Strasbourg. (D)

A landmark of Gothic architecture, Strasbourg Cathedral was the tallest building in Europe until the Eiffel Tower. Its spire, visible across Alsace, is a testament to the wealth and power of Strasbourg throughout the Middle Ages. We tour the cathedral and the town centre in the morning, ending with the fine collection of Old Masters in the Musée des Beaux Arts. In the later afternoon, we visit Strasbourg’s Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, whose collection includes a music room designed by Kandinsky and numerous works by Jean Arp, Strasbourg’s most eminent artist, and Gustave Doré. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Strasbourg (B)

Alsace is renowned for its medieval heritage and Colmar is its best-preserved town. We travel by coach to Colmar today, where we explore its medieval streets and churches, including the beautiful canal district known affectionately as Little Venice. After a break for lunch, we visit the Unterlinden Museum, whose galleries are set in a medieval monastery and which has recently expanded with a new building designed by Herzog & de Meuron. Among its works is the exceptional Isenheim Altarpiece, painted in the 1400s by Matthias Gruenwald. In the mid-afternoon, we return to Strasbourg along the scenic route, making our way through the vineyards. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Strasbourg (B)

Today we travel to Heidelberg, stopping in Baden Baden, formerly one of Europe’s premier spa towns. There, we’ll visit the Museum Frieder Burda. Designed by Richard Meier, the museum houses the private collection of a printing magnate who is one of Germany’s leading art collectors. After a break for lunch and time to stroll around Baden Baden, we continue to Schloss Favorite, the opulent 18th-century summer residence of the Margravine of Baden Baden. Among other lavish details, the residence features an entire room decorated with extremely expensive Florentine pietra dura, or finely crafted stone inlay. Upon an early evening arrival in Heidelberg, we enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Heidelberg (B, D)

An intellectual centre of the German Reformation, Heidelberg also hosts Germany’s oldest university. This morning we tour Heidelberg Castle, an impressive accumulation of fortifications and state rooms of the Prince Elector of the Palatinate, one of the most influential figures in the Holy Roman Empire. After our tour and a break for lunch in the Old Town, we travel the short distance to Mannheim, where we visit the Kunsthalle – an excellent museum with a very good collection of New Objectivity, the post-WWI art movement born in Mannheim. Upon returning to Heidelberg, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Heidelberg (B)

Today on our way to Frankfurt, we explore the history of the central Rhine region. The morning features a visit to Schwetzingen Palace, the 18th-century summer residence of the Prince Electors. After touring the apartments, we enjoy the extensive gardens, which fuse elements of the French formal garden with the new craze for the English landscape garden. We continue to Speyer where, after a break for lunch, we visit the impressive Romanesque cathedral, built by the Holy Roman Emperors and used as their burial chapel. In the mid-afternoon, we make our way to Frankfurt. After checking into our hotel, we enjoy dinner together in a local restaurant. Overnight Frankfurt (B, D)

Frankfurt was not only Germany’s largest medieval trading centre, but also its banking capital since World War II; and its art collections match its status. This morning we visit the Städel, an exceptional art museum with masterpieces by Jan Van Eyck, Vermeer, Botticelli, Picasso, Bacon and Baselitz. In the afternoon, there is time to explore Frankfurt’s Museum of Modern Art, the Goethe Museum or some of the excellent galleries along the riverside. Overnight Frankfurt (B)

While Frankfurt has been a centre of the printed word – Gutenberg sold his first Bibles here – it was medieval Mainz where the magic happened. Mainz’s contribution to history goes beyond Gutenberg, however: it had been the religious heart of northern Europe in the Middle Ages and the centre of Imperial administration, and there was perhaps no city north of the alps with more scribes. Our tour of Mainz today includes the excellent Gutenberg museum (which has two Gutenberg Bibles and many other early printed works on display), the mighty Romanesque cathedral and the stained-glass windows made by Marc Chagal at St Stephens. Upon return to Frankfurt, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Frankfurt (B)

With its cliffs, forests, vineyards, castles, and the enchanting Lorelai Rock, the Middle Rhine is spectacular. We tour this section of the Rhine today by boat, from Rudesheim to Boppard, where we disembark to enjoy lunch in the medieval town. In the afternoon, we continue by coach to Cologne, stopping to visit Maria Laach, one of the most beautiful Romanesque abbeys in Germany. After arriving in Cologne and settling in, we’ll have dinner together near the hotel. Overnight Cologne (B, D)

Cologne was founded by the Romans as a key part of the Empire’s defensive network against the Germanic tribes. It quickly became a major trading city and the gateway between Roman and German worlds. On this morning’s walking tour, we’ll explore the city’s Roman and German past. Among other wonders, we’ll see the spectacular Cathedral with its priceless works of art, such as the 12th-century Reliquary of the Magi by Nicholas of Verdun, and stained-glass windows designed by Gerhard Richter. In the afternoon, there’s some free time to explore the city. Overnight Cologne (B)

This morning there is some free time to explore Cologne at leisure. Later In the afternoon, we visit Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, which is the birthplace of Beethoven and a centre of great German culture and museums. We return to Cologne in the early evening. Overnight Cologne (B)

This morning we visit the world class Museum Ludwig, which boasts the third largest collection of paintings by Picasso, the largest collection of Russian modernism outside of Russia and an excellent collection of contemporary European art. In the early afternoon, we take the short coach journey to Aachen, the capital of Charlemagne, whose empire defined the political borders of Europe. The Palatine Chapel, the private chapel of the Emperor, is modelled on the Byzantine chapel of San Vitale in Ravenna, and is among the finest examples of early medieval architecture. After visiting the Palatine Chapel, we visit the museum of the chapel, which conserves some of the many gifts and bequests, from medieval manuscripts to carved ivory, jewellery and goldsmithing. This evening, we’ll together enjoy our farewell dinner. Overnight Cologne (B, D)

Our tour ends this morning at the hotel. Please check your individual transfer details for your onward journey. (B)

Hotels have been selected principally for their central location. All hotels are excellent four and five-star properties.

• Strasbourg, Hotel Cour du Corbeau - MGallery (3 nights)

• Heidelberg, Hilton Heidelberg (2 nights)

• Frankfurt, Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof (3 nights)

• Cologne, Excelsior Hotel Ernst (4 nights)