Florence griswold museum BELGIUM: EXPLORING THE FLEMISH MASTERS April 10 - 19, 2015 During your journey by passenger barge from Brussels to Bruges, get a full sense of the rich history and many pleasures of Belgium. Discover the roots of Flemish art as you trace the history of the Flemish Primitives and Flemish Baroque painters and learn about the lives these masters led. Program Highlights: Discover the former center of tapestry production in Oudenaarde, where in the contemporary workshops, 16th-century weaving methods are still used. Examine the van Eyck brothers’ masterpiece, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, a 24-panel altarpiece housed in St. Bavo Cathedral. Visit the Grote Markt and Belgium’s largest Gothic cathedral. Discover the influence of Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens with guided visits to the Rockox House Museum and Rubens House in Antwerp. Marvel at the Hans Memling collection at the former St. John’s Hospital in Bruges, now a remarkable museum. Land cost: $3,600 per person based on double occupancy Members only: $3,500 per person based on double occupancy $1,200 single supplement (limited availability) What’s Included: Seven nights on a deluxe passenger barge • One night in a hotel in Brussels • Daily breakfast and dinner • All entrance fees and transportation for group excursions • English-speaking guide for the duration of the tour • Lectures by qualified docents • All gratuities Aboard the Barge: The Fleur, is a classic river barge that has been cruising the European waterways since 2002. She has ten cabins (all located on the lower deck) each with twin lower beds, private bathroom (shower, sink and toilet) and climate control. There is an upper deck with spacious sitting area, dining salon, bar and sundeck. The barge moves only during the day and is docked to welcome us each afternoon. Breakfast and dinner are taken aboard. Daily Itinerary APRIL 10 DEPARTURE: OVERNIGHT FLIGHT TO BELGIUM APRIL 11 ARRIVAL / BRUSSELS Arrival Brussels Airport. Transfer to the historical heart of Brussels where you are free to sample the local fare for lunch. Embark on an independent exploration of Brussels, Belgium's most popular destination. Picturesque market squares and medieval architecture evoke a world long since gone. Board the barge late afternoon for a safety orientation and introduction to the crew. Join your fellow travelers tonight at the welcome dinner aboard the barge. APRIL 12 WILLEBROEK Start the day with a coach excursion to Breendonk, one of the best preserved concentration camps from World War II. Breendonk was designed to receive Jews and political prisoners before their transfer to Germany. A total of 3,500 persons were imprisoned before the camp closed in 1944. We continue to the pretty town of Lier for lunch and afterwards visit a beautiful beguinage, a row of small houses. Beguines were members of ascetic or philanthropic communities of women. Our last stop is the Zimmer Tower (also called the Wonder Clock) which shows 12 clocks encircling a central one with 57 dials. The clocks show time on all continents, phases of the moon, times of tides and other phenomena. Our barge is waiting in Willebroek. APRIL 13 ANTWERP Our destination today is the city known as Europe's place to be. Antwerp (Antwerpen in Flemish and Anvers in French) is a cultural hub for lovers of art, diamonds, chocolate and architecture. Sit back and relax on the sun deck as we barge leisurely to Antwerp. Take this opportunity to survey the towns and villages along the waterways. Lunch will be served aboard the barge en route to Antwerp. Upon arrival in Antwerp, enjoy a walk to explore the impressive Renaissance Grote Markt and Brabo Fountain. Visit the Cathedral of our Lady, the largest Gothic cathedral in Belgium, which is home to four early canvases by Rubens, including his magnificent Assumption. APRIL 14 ANTWERP Start the day with a lecture at the Rockox House Museum, the former home of Nicholaas Rockox, a 17th-century burgomaster and patron of Pieter Paul Rubens. Rockox was an avid collector of art and was instrumental in the success achieved by Rubens by commissioning major works. View the fascinating collection of 16th and 17th century Flemish artists. Further your discovery of Belgium at the Red Star Line Museum where you will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of two million emigrants leaving Antwerp between 1873 and 1934 for a better life in the New World. APRIL 15 SINT-AMANDS Walk in Rubens's footsteps as you visit his former home and studio in Antwerp. Marvel at this stately house with its palazzo on the Scheldt River. Visit the Italian Baroque studio where Rubens indulged his passion for collecting. Explore Antwerp and decide what and where to eat in this interesting city that has, in addition to art, a large diamond industry. Afterwards we board the barge and motor to Sint-Amands, our home for the night. APRIL 16 GHENT Coach to the delightful Flemish town of Oudenaarde, known for its magnificent wall tapestry industry in the mid-16th century. Marvel at the Gothic town hall, home to an impressive collection of genuine tapestries. Further your knowledge of their history and restoration at a lecture during a visit to Atelier de Lalaing where experts patiently restore tapestries. Enjoy a guided visit of Castle Laarne, a pentagonal fortress built to defend Ghent in the 12th century. View the Flemish tapestries depicting hunting scenes of Emperor Maximilian before returning to our barge in Ghent. APRIL 17 BRUGES Marvel at Jan van Eyck's 24-panel altarpiece The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb during a visit to St. Bavo Cathedral in Ghent. Coach afterwards to Bruges, our final destination. Continue your discovery of the Flemish Primitives with a visit to St. John's Hospital Museum. View the six exquisite paintings by artist Hans Memling, as you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of a former medieval hospital. APRIL 18 BRUSSELS In the morning, say goodbye to the Fleur and its crew and coach to Brussels. Visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, a museum that houses art from some of Belgium’s finest artists, such as Jean de Boulogne, Anthony van Dyck and Peter Paul Rubens. Purchase some last-minute gifts and souvenirs during your afternoon independently exploring Brussels. Say au revoir to the group at the farewell dinner. APRIL 19 DEPARTURE: RETURN FLIGHT TO USA Early morning departure from the hotel to Brussels Airport. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Enrollment Policy International Barging Tours requires a deposit of $500 per person to secure a place on the tour. Once you have decided to enroll, please contact us via e-mail or phone, and we will hold your place for one week, pending receipt of your deposit. The balance owed will be due 90 days before departure. Payment is by check only and payable to International Barging Tours. Sorry, we do not accept credit cards. International Barging Tours P.O. Box 754 Essex, CT 06426 tel: (860) 767-7005 • fax: (860) 767-3090 E-mail: [email protected] Cancellation Policy If cancellation notice is received more than 90 days before departure, all monies will be refunded less a $200- per-person cancellation fee. If cancellation notice is received 90 to 30 days before departure, all monies will be refunded less a $500-per-person cancellation fee. If cancellation notice is received less than 30 days before departure, all monies will be refunded less a $1,000-per-person cancellation fee. Please note: In the unlikely event that the tour is canceled, International Barging Tours (IBT) will refund payment; however, IBT is not responsible for expenses incurred by registrants, including nonrefundable tickets. As such, IBT encourages all participants to purchase a travel protection plan. PDFs of informational travel insurance brochures will be included in your enrollment confirmation. .