2020 TOUR PROGRAMME Featuring a preview of our 2021 tours come and see us

There are many ways you can communicate with The Cultural Experience. You can call us on 0345 475 1815 or email [email protected]. However, if you would like to talk to a member of our team face to face, then why not come along to one of the events listed below and meet our dedicated experts?

Destinations Holiday & Travel Show Thursday 16th - Sunday 19th January 2020 Event City, Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Manchester, M41 7TB

Destinations Holiday & Travel Show Thursday 30th January - Sunday 2nd February 2020 Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX

Current Archaeology Live Friday 28th & Saturday 29th February 2020 University of London’s Senate House, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU

Salute 2020 Saturday 18th April 2020 Excel London, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London, E16 1XL

TankFest Friday 26th June - Sunday 28th June 2020 The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset, BH20 6JG

Battle of Britain airshow Saturday 19th September & Sunday 20th September 2020 IWM Duxford, Duxford, Cambridge, CB22 4QR welcome

Inside this mini-brochure we present a synopsis of our confirmed 2020 tour programme and an insight into our planning for 2021.

The front half of the brochure is dedicated to our 2020 programme, some of which may be sold out or nearing capacity. More information on each tour can be found on our award-winning website www. theculturalexperience.com

The second half of this brochure looks towards 2021. Whilst we don’t have precise dates and may not have identified all of our expert historians, it is our intention to confirm our programme by summer 2020. Please share your thoughts with us about this programme and let us know which of these tours appeal to you. In return we will let Alan Rooney you have pre-publication notice of those tours and first refusal to book Director, them. Many of our 2020 tours were over 50% booked before a tour was The Cultural Experience announced and we encourage you to add your details, so you don’t miss out.

Don’t forget that you can find a wealth of tour reviews, pictures and diaries on both our website and Facebook page. To keep up to date with the latest historical news, events and, of course, our new tours, ensure that you sign up to receive our e-newsletter.

Thank you for travelling with The Cultural Experience in 2019. I hope that we shall see you again very shortly.

For more information on any of tours or to book your trip: Call 0345 475 1815 USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Email [email protected]  @CultExp  /historicaltours  /thecultural_experience WHAT TO EXPECT

Expert Historians Your historians are all experts in their own field – chosen on the basis of their ability to bring history to life in an interesting, enthusiastic and, where appropriate, humorous way. They will act as your host throughout the holiday and be available to answer your questions whilst conducting tours during the day or when socialising in the evenings. On larger tours they will also be accompanied by a tour manager who will take care of all administrative matters.

Your Fellow Guests Your Fellow Guests will typically be a refreshing and diverse group of individuals and couples from a wide range of backgrounds and professions. No special prior knowledge is assumed or required – just a general interest in the subject. Whilst respecting individual privacy, we work hard to make everyone feel welcome – and normally find the group quickly comes together in a very informal and inclusive way.

For this reason, we typically restrict the size of our groups to between 6 - 22 people – which also means we have more flexibility in finding good accommodation and restaurants for you.

Food & Accommodation Most of our tours are on a half-board basis i.e. the tour price includes a good breakfast before setting out each day and in the evenings we all get together in our hotel or local restaurant for a three-course cooked meal (usually based on regional specialities) with coffee and wine included and will be hosted by your tour manager and historian.

You will be accommodated in the best hotels available, and wherever possible hotels which have a historic connection to the heritage and events we are covering, and/or which are representative of the style and culture of the region will be used. Single travellers will be accommodated in a double room for sole occupancy.

4 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 WHAT TO EXPECT

Your Transportation We use modern, comfortable and spacious air-conditioned coaches. We make regular stops during the day to view the ground, walk to our various stands, grab a coffee/beer and of course for lunch.

All rail journeys are either Standard Premier (Eurostar) or First Class (TGV). Unless otherwise stated all flights are from London Heathrow.

What’s Included We provide a complete package in additional to food and accommodation, the tour price includes flights, trains, coaches and entrance fees to sites and attractions as detailed in each itinerary. You will also receive a welcome drink, pre tour booklet, leather luggage label, access to our new mobile app and a dedicated Tour Manager.

Subject to availability we can lengthen your holiday, or combine it with another, by extending your flight dates, booking the extra accommodation and making other ground arrangements.

We can arrange pre and post tour hotels and regional flights to the tour departure airport. Short-haul flights can usually be upgraded to business class and long-haul to either first or business class. Often it is possible to provide connecting flights from Manchester and other regional airports to worldwide destinations. Please enquire when you book.

Your Financial Security The Cultural Experience takes your financial protection very seriously.

We are bonded by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT 5390) and hold an ATOL licence (10153), so you are always financially protected.

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 5 early periods

The Archaeology of the Bay of Naples 30 March – 5 April 2020 with historian Dr Andy Fear 26 October – 1 November 2020 with archaeologist Amanda Pavlick This comprehensive archaeological tour of the Bay of Naples and the events of AD79 includes the well-known and impressive remains of Pompeii, the superbly preserved Herculaneum, Paestum, Stabiae and of course, Vesuvius. from £2,145

The Roman Empire’s Western Extremity 6 – 13 April 2020 with historian Dr Andy Fear This archaeological tour explores how the Romans are reflected in Lusitania through the magnificent monuments left for us to admire across the province, led by renowned Roman historian Dr Andy Fear who will provide insight, analysis and inspiring narrative. from £2,495

The Lost World of the Minoans 17 – 24 May 2020 with historian Dr Rita Roussos Our tour takes us to Santorini, where we visit the impressive remains of ancient Akrotiri and Thira. Our adventure continues as we travel by catamaran to Crete, famous for being home to the Minoans, the world’s first advanced civilisation. from £2,475

6 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 early periods

Hadrian & The Roman Army in The North 5 - 10 July 2020 with historian Dr Andy Fear Guided by Dr Andy Fear, we examine the role and organisation of the largest professional army until the modern era, placing it in context as we explore the remains and reconstructions of fortifications, houses and barrack blocks. from £1,975

The Silk Roads in China 14 - 27 September 2020 with historian Dr James Greenbaum This 14-day tour follows the ancient Silk Road trade routes from the metropolis of Beijing, beyond the Great Wall to the ancient streets of Kashgar. You will discover how the Silk Roads influenced the development and culture of the Chinese frontier cities of Turpan and Dunhuang. from £5,750

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Sold Out The American War of Independence 3 – 14 June 2020 with historian & author Dr Stephen Brumwell This superb 11 day tour will immerse you in 18th century colonial America during its struggle for freedom from the clutches of British rule. Starting in historic Boston, we travel through magnificent Eastern USA countryside to explore the pivotal battlefields. from £5,395

The English Civil War 29 June - 4 July 2020 with author and historian Col Nick Lipscombe Despite the encroachment of major roads, the battlefields that we visit are virtually as they were over 370 years ago allowing us to get off the beaten track and wander down country lanes, trails and bridle paths to gain superb views over delightful English rolling countryside. from £1,945

8 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 17th & 18th Century

Jacobites & Bravehearts 5 - 14 September 2020 with author and historian Dr John Sadler During this fabulous 10-day tour, at carefully selected locations we will discuss the facts, fiction and myths that all contribute to Scotland’s legendary quixotic history and explore the sites where those dramatic events, whether they be actual, alleged or fictional, took place. from £2,995

Frederick the Great in Silesia 29th September – 3rd October 2020 with Maj Gen John Drewienkiewicz On this 8-day tour we follow Frederick the Great’s campaigns throughout German Silesia, from his early battles in Wroclaw where he honed his military strategy to his Summer Palace at Sans Souci, where we pay our respects at his grave. from £2,595

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Austerlitz: Napoleon’s Masterpiece 3 - 6 December 2020 with historian Alan Rooney A fascinating long weekend exploring the battlefield and intermingling with the numerous participants preparing for the spectacular anniversary re-enactment. Highlights include lunch in the Post House where sample the house delicacy, the ‘Santon Cannonball’. from £1,495

Napoleon in Germany: The Campaigns of 1806 and 1813 8 - 15 May 2020 with historian Alan Rooney During eight days we follow the events of 1806 and 1813 chronologically, allowing us to appreciate the time, distance and geographical challenges that had to be overcome by armies fighting mainly in Saxony. from £2,695

Napoleon in Russia 5 - 14 September 2020 with historian Alan Rooney Journeying into the depths of rural Russia we find traditional villages of wooden dachas, some eerily abandoned evoking times gone by and we discover the provincial towns Viazma and Malojaroslavets struggling to throw off the shroud of former regimes. from £3,695

10 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 Napoleonic

Wellington in India 20 - 29 November 2020 with author & historian Maj Gordon Corrigan Arthur Wellesley, (later Duke of Wellington), arrived in India as a colonel, and left eight years later as a major general. His campaigns in Central and Southern India took place in areas where tourists do not generally go. from £3,245

Wellington in Spain 9 – 16 September 2020 with author & historian Col Nick Lipscombe

This eight-day tour visits some of the most beautiful and historic parts of central Spain and Wellington’s most notable battles and sieges during the period 1809 – 1812. from £2,595

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Wellington in Portugal 5 - 12 June 2020 with historian & author Col Nick Lipscombe On this 8 day tour we escape the main roads to discover the Portugal known so well to the men of Wellington’s Army during the years 1808– 1811 during classic Battles such as Vimiero and Bussaco. from £2,595

Wellington’s Greatest Peninsular Victories 13 – 20 May 2020 with historian & author Col Nick Lipscombe During this gently paced tour we examine the generalship of the Duke of Wellington in the company of leading Peninsular War historian and former soldier, Colonel Nick Lipscombe, whilst simultaneously enjoying magnificent Iberian scenery, fabulous architecture and striking wildlife. from £2,995

12 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 Napoleonic

A Near Run Thing 19 - 22 June 2020 with historian Maj Gen Ashley Truluck Our ever-popular Classic Waterloo Anniversary tour takes place over the annual anniversary weekend when there will likely be re-enactors dressed in period uniform on the battlefields. We will be staying in historic Waterloo town, home to Wellington’s Headquarters. from £1,325

Walking Waterloo 2 - 5 October 2020 with historian Maj Gen Ashley Truluck This tour follows the same historical story as our classic Waterloo tour, but concentrates on walking the ground rather than standing at road-side viewpoints. Equally suitable as an introduction to the Waterloo campaign or follow up from other Waterloo tours. from £1,325

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The First Sikh War 1845-46 & Indian Hill Stations 13 – 25 March 2020 with historian Col Patrick Mercer This tour travels to the heart of Indian Punjab, exploring the key battlefields from the First Sikh War and driving through the verdant valleys of Himachel-Pradesh to reach the picturesque colonial hill station of Shimla. from £3,795

The American Civil War: Eastern Theater 18 September – 1 October 2020 with prominent American Civil War historian Fred Hawthorne This tour is set amidst picturesque American countryside and we explore historic American towns and cities such as Fredericksburg, Richmond, Lexington, Harper’s Ferry and, of course, Gettysburg and visit the major eastern civil war engagements en route. from £5,375

The American Civil War: Western Theater 9 - 21 May 2020 with prominent American Civil War historian Fred Hawthorne On this ‘highlights tour’ we will visit many of the important battle sites of the four year campaign for the Mississippi River Valley including Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg and much more. from £4,995

14 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 the victorian era

Custer & The Indian Wars 20 - 29 June 2020 with Col Bob Kershaw Immerse in ‘wild-west’ traditions, experience Native American culture and witness the remarkable re-enactment of the battle of the Little Bighorn, which features the descendants of the Sioux, Cheyenne and Crow, emulating the war-cries of their ancestors. from £4,895

Sold Out The Franco-Prussian War 1870 22 - 29 July 2020 with Maj Gen John Drewienkiewicz In the company of Major General John Drewienkiewicz, you will explore some of the most important battlefields in Europe and discuss the evolution of tactics and strategy as they morphed in tandem with the development of new weapons, transport systems and social change. from £2,895

Zulu War: The Washing Of The Spears 4 - 17 March 2020 with Zulu Wars expert Ian Knight This fascinating study of the Zulu War visits ground that has hardly changed since the events of the period, set amongst spectacular scenery still populated by Zulu tribes and an abundance of wildlife. from £4,875

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The Gallipoli Campaign 2 – 7 May 2020 with WW1 expert Dr Bruce Cherry Visit and examine the main aspects of the Gallipoli campaign: the naval assault, the problems of landing against defended beaches at Cape Helles, the command, control and communication issues & the miracle that was ANZAC. from £1,995

Discovering the Western Front 13 - 17 July 2020 with WW1 expert Dr Bruce Cherry This five-day tour provides an overview of the major events involving British and Empire forces in Northern France and Belgium: it is both an introductory tour for the novice and an essential ‘aide memoire’ to those more familiar with the First World War. from £1,695

16 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 world war one

Medics and Padres 30 July - 2 August 2020 with historian & author Simon Jones This tour focuses on the heroic stories of those who dedicated themselves to helping and saving the fighting men of the Great War. Numerous Medics and Padres won the highest military honours for gallantry, and we’ll explore a number of these acts of heroism. from £1,395

Tunnellers on the Western Front 12 - 15 June 2020 with WW1 author & lecturer Simon Jones The secret underground war of the Tunnellers was fought in warren-like galleries beneath the trenches of the Western Front. We will explore how and why the tunnels were dug and how mining came to dominate trench warfare in many sectors, causing constant dread among the infantry. from £1,395

The Ypres Salient War Poets 1st - 4th October 2020 with historian & author Simon Jones Travelling to the Ypres battlefield, we gain in- sight into the Great War through the words of more than twenty British and German writers, focusing on life in the trenches, as a medic and soldiers’ escape through literature. from £1,395

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 17 world war one

Salonika: War in the Birdcage 26 April – 1 May 2020 with author & historian Alan Wakefield This tour visits the battlefields of one of the least visited and much overlooked campaigns of the First World War. Based in the quiet and untouched area of northern Greece and just over the border in Macedonia. from £1,895

Italy During The First World War 16 - 21 September 2020 with historian Maj Gordon Corrigan These infrequently visited battlefields have changed little over the years. You will marvel at many of the precarious and exposed positions occupied by both sides and visit many of the ingenious caverns and tunnels that were built for warmth and protection during the severe winters. from £1,975

Lawrence of Arabia 22 – 30 November 2020 with historian Neil Faulkner This tour has it all! It has a fascinating subject in the shape of Thomas Edward Lawrence - a 26 year old postgraduate researcher at Oxford, sent to Arabia in 1916 to work in the nascent Arab bureau as an observer and liaison point to Prince Faisal - and the rest, as they say, is history. from £2,995

18 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 world war one

Walking the Somme 29 May - 1 June 2020 with historian & author Simon Jones Guided by our popular guide Simon Jones, from the preserved old front line to woods still scarred by trenches and bunkers - to walk the chalk down lands of the Somme battlefields is to understand the past through the landscape. from £1,395

The Doughboys Turn the Tide 22 - 26 September 2020 with WW1 expert Dr Bruce Cherry The involvement of the American Expeditionary Force is much overlooked and forgotten but during this tour we will hear the stories of their crucial con- tribution to the final victory. We will experience the strong fortified positions that had to be overcome in those final months and weeks. from £1,675

1918: The Hundred Days 27 - 30 September 2020 with WW1 expert Dr Bruce Cherry This tour focuses on the final actions in France in 1918, a year that saw the balance of the war swing from an initial German success to an overall Allied victory. Covering a major proportion of the front, we visit preserved trenches, local museums and of course cemeteries. from £1,395

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D-Day: Operation Overlord 17 - 21 July 2020 with historian Dr Simon Trew Our five day tour examines carefully selected events from 6th – 9th June 1944, appreciating the plight of the common soldier as he scram- bled ashore amidst murderous German fire, his generation fighting to ensure the freedom that we enjoy today. from £1,795

The Battle of Britain 22 - 26 July 2020 with historian Col Paul Beaver Our tour not only visits many of the front-line airfields and bases that would have been familiar to the men of No. 11 Group RAF during the Battle of Britain but also examines the role that the supporting services played. from £1,795

The Rise & Fall of Nazi Germany 10 - 16 September 2020 with historian Nigel Jones This tour tells the whole story of the Third Reich from its birth in 1919 Munich, to its bloody end in Berlin in 1945. Led by Historian Nigel Jones, this tour will visit all the significant milestones marking Adolf Hitler’s ascent and Germany’s descent into the abyss. from £2,695

20 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 world war two

Dictator: Mussolini & Italian Fascism 12 - 19 October 2020 with historian Nigel Jones This tour tells the complete story of Benito Mussolini and Italian Fascism from its violent beginnings to its inglorious end. A unique feature of the tour is an exclusive appearance by ‘Il Duce’s granddaughter, Rachele Mussolini, who guides us around his home town, Predappio and tells us about living with the legacy of her infamous forebear. from £2,875

The Battle for Berlin 17 - 22 April 2020 with historian Maj Nigel Dunkley MBE The Battle for Berlin was the decisive action that brought an end to the war in Europe. The tour will focus on the fierce and bitter action from the point when the Red Army crossed the Oder River to the eventual fall of Berlin. from £1,945

Operation Mercury 11 - 17 October 2020 with historian Col Bob Kershaw Follow the fascinating story of the high risk landings and hard fought actions along the dramatic coast lines to the towns of Chania, Rethymnon and Iraklion, the White Mountains and down to the crystal clear waters of Sfakia. from £2,375

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The Eastern Front: Russia 1941-1943 4 – 14 May 2020 with author & historian Dr Matthias Strohn This is a rare opportunity to explore traditional Russia and sample its history, traditions, archi- tecture and landscapes. Our ten day tour covers the three decisive turning points of the Great Patriotic War - the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk from £4,495

The Burma Campaign 6 - 18 March 2020 with leading expert Col Mike Bradley Our 13 day tour combines the beauty, mysti- cism and wonder of Myanmar with the dra- matic history of the Burma campaign against the Japanese from 1942-45, giving a fascinating insight into Burmese culture and daily life. from £3,995

Battle Of The Bulge 7 - 11 December 2020 with historian Dr Peter Schrijvers Based on his internationally acclaimed books on the Battle of the Bulge. Belgian academic historian, Peter Schrijvers, brings to life the decisions of commanders under extreme pressure, and the experiences of soldiers and civilians in desperate circumstances. from £1,645

22 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 world war two

The Holocaust In this 7 day tour to Poland, we visit the sites of the former ghettos in Warsaw, 9 – 15 September 2020 Lublin and Krakow alongside four of the with Professor Alexander Korb concentration and death camps – Treblinka, 7 – 13 October 2020 Majdanek, Belzec and Auschwitz-Birkenau with Dr Simone Gigliotti - that played such a significant role in this from £2,350 genocide.

Sold Out Holocaust Landscapes 16 - 22 September 2020 with historian & author Prof Tim Cole Guided by leading Holocaust historian Prof Tim Cole of Bristol University, this tour through Prague, Vienna and Budpest provides new insights in to the horrors suffered in Central Europe at the hands of the Nazis, and leans heavily on the content of his book ‘Holocaust Landscapes’. from £2,395

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The Cold War 23 - 28 August 2020 with historian Maj Nigel Dunkley Our six-day tour, under the guidance of former British BRIXMIS ‘spy’ Nigel Dunkley, will reveal extant escape tunnels, the horrors of the East German Stasi regime, distinctive DDR architecture, spy -swap locations, Soviet army and communications centres, bunkers and underground ‘ghost’ stations. from £1,945

Kaliningrad: Russia’s Forgotten Enclave 30 August - 4 September 2020 with historian Alan Rooney Today Kaliningrad is gradually re-discovering its past with great efforts being made to restore and open up hitherto abandoned remains of its rich and varied history. The original German place names are no longer whispered, indeed many of the Russian population embrace that past as their own. from £2,295

The Great Awakening 5 - 14 October 2020 with expert musician Kevin Brown Led by Blues guitarist, songwriter and singer Kevin Brown, we examine the fascinating history of the Blues, visiting the King Biscuit Blues Festival, Beale Street and Graceland, as well as exploring the wider sociocultural impact of the music form, including its links to the Civil Rights Movement. from £4,995

24 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 cROSS & Modern PERIODS

The Spanish Civil War 21 - 26 October 2020 with historian Col Ray Wilkinson Based in the beautiful city of Madrid with its uniquely rich historical and cultural background, our six-day tour focuses on the battles that took place on its periphery as the Republicans tenaciously held on to the capital city throughout the war. from £2,225

The Birth of Modern Israel 12 - 22 November 2020 with Staff Col Anthony Malkin The overriding theme of this tour is the study of the modern wars fought by Israel from 1948 to 2006 to assert and maintain its right as an independent nation. In doing so however, we experience a wonderful combination of geography, history and architecture. from £4,595

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 25 2021 tours

We have been busy planning brand new holidays of a lifetime and we hope that one of the tours listed in the second half of this brochure whets your appetite. We already have a number of tours on sale for 2021 but we need your help to create our full programme, as only tours that receive enough interest are likely to go on sale. If you are interested in any of these tours then you can either fill in the form at the back of this brochure and send it back to us, or email [email protected], telling us which tours have piqued your interest. You will then be among the first to see the full itinerary, tour dates and prices. You will also receive an exclusive booking period before the tour goes on general sale.

Greek & Roman Sicily Rome In the company of the leading Oxford In the company of the leading Roman historian and author we visit Oxford Roman historian and author Sicily’s wealth of Greek and Roman we explore the eternal city in an remains including the early Greek archaeological tour of the grandeur colony of Naxos, the late Roman villa of ancient Rome and its environs: the of Piazza Armerina, the Temples at Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Forum, Agrigento and the archaeological the Palatine, Ostia and Tivoli. EARLY PERIODS EARLY PERIODS EARLY complex at Siracusa. April 2021 October 2021 with Dr Harry Sidebottom with Dr Harry Sidebottom

The Romans in Provence The Lost Legions In the company of the leading Oxford Follow in the footsteps of Quinctillus Roman historian and author we Varus and his three legions to their discover some of the finest remains destruction along the roads, forts and of the Roman Empire at Nimes, battlefields of their last journey. We Arles, Orange and Glanum. Superbly travel through little visited regions of preserved amphitheatres, baths, the Netherlands and North Germany, aqueducts, temples and private villas. stopping at the historic towns of sleepy EARLY PERIODS EARLY PERIODS EARLY Leiden, Xanten and Paderborn. September 2021 with Dr Harry Sidebottom July 2021 with Tony Wilmott

26 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 The Gold of Thrace and Rome Lebanon Bulgaria is, in archaeological terms, A feast of history and archaeology, one of the richest countries in Europe Lebanon boasts stunning mountains possessing a wealth of sites of not and coasts, magnificently preserved just regional but also international Phoenician cities such as Beirut, Byblos, importance, the finds from which have Tyre and Sidon, the cedars of the Forest had made a dramatic impact on our of God on Mount Lebanon and the understanding of pre-historic, classical holy valley of Wadi Qadisha. EARLY PERIODS EARLY PERIODS EARLY and medieval history. Autumn 2021 August 2021 with Ian Colvin with Dr Miglena Stamberova

The Pale Horseman Wars of the Roses: Travelling through some of the finest Battles in the South English landscapes, learn how Anglo- From the battlefield at St Albans where Saxon kingship worked during this the 1455 battle signalled the start of crucial period in English history as the the wars to Richard III’s defeat by Henry most famous son of Wessex, Alfred the Tudor at Bosworth Field we also visit Great, fought for survival against his castles which hosted personalities Viking enemies.

EARLY PERIODS EARLY PERIODS EARLY of the time. Staying in historic towns June 2021 and travelling through the English with Prof Ryan Lavelle countryside in the height of summer. August 2021 with Dr John Sadler

Hundred Years War: Honour, Scotland Forever Brotherhood and Martyrdom An extensive exploration of the Follow the fortunes of the small Lowlands and Border regions to English armies that fought in France examine of the Scottish wars of to maintain their kings’ claims to the independence: Stirling, Falkirk, French throne and see how a young Bannockburn, Linlithgow, Dupplin girl inspired resistance: Crecy, Poitiers, Moore, Halidon Hill, Berwick, Neville’s Cross, Durham, Otterburn, Homildon

EARLY PERIODS EARLY Agincourt, Rouen, Orleans, Patay, PERIODS EARLY Bordeaux and Castillon. Hill and Flodden. Spring 2021 Summer 2021 with Dr John Sadler

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 27 William the Conqueror The Monmouth Rebellion Starting with William’s early years in We follow the desperate gamble Normandy where he established his of the illegitimate son of Charles II reputation as a military commander from his landing at Lyme Regis to the and was finally laid to rest, we travel to last pitched battle on English soil at the English south coast to see where Sedgemoor including the skirmishes CENTURY

he landed and won his famous victory TH at Bridport, Axminster, Keynsham and at Hastings timed to coincide with the Philips Norton. & 18 EARLY PERIODS EARLY anticipated re-enactment. TH

17 July 2021 October 2021 with Dr John Sadler with Dr John Sadler

English Civil War: Marlborough: The Great Edgehill to Newbury 1642-1643 Captain’s Major Battles Travelling through picturesque rolling The Duke’s finest victories in both countryside we examine the early Bavaria and Flanders including conflicts exploring well-preserved Blenheim, Ramillies and Oudenarde.

CENTURY battlefields and special visits to historic CENTURY We climb the Schellenberg Heights TH houses and castles. TH to visit Fort Augustus and the other surviving fortifications and study the & 18 July 2021 & 18 TH TH bloody battlefield of Malplaquet on 17 with Col Nick Lipscombe 17 this seven-day tour. July 2021 with Dr John Sadler

Frederick the Great: His Britannic Majesty’s Fortresses and Sieges Army in Germany Frederick’s perpetual fascination with Explore the British involvement in the approaches to Moravia resulted Prussia and Hanover during the in him establishing frequent bases Seven Years War including the battles

CENTURY at Neisse. This tour travels through CENTURY of Hastenbeck, Minden, Warburg, TH that strategic terrain, exploring key TH Korbach, Wilhelmstahl, Vellinghausen, skirmishes, sieges and visiting a wealth Kloster Camp and Krefeld. We’ll also & 18 & 18

TH of extant fortifications. TH discuss the 1 BR Corps Defensive Area 17 17 during the Cold War. with Maj-Gen John Drewienkiewicz with Maj-Gen John Drewienkiewicz

28 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 French and Indian Wars The Marathas Examine the events of the French- We look at the 19th century rise Indian Wars; from the opening shots and fall of the Maratha Empire as it at Jumonville Glen and Washington’s challenged that of Mughals only to be attack at Great Meadows we continue thwarted by the British. We explore a to Niagara Falls, Lakes George and wealth of stunningly located fortresses, CENTURY

TH Champlain, old Montreal, remote Cape palaces, temples and battlefields in Breton and the magical city that is the modern-day states of Maharashtra, & 18 NAPOLEONIC

TH Quebec. Uttar and Madhya Pradesh. 17 Guide TBC February/March 2021 with Patrick Mercer

St Helena: Bicentenary of the Wellington over the Pyrenees Death of Napoleon Starting with failure at Burgos in 1812, Travelling to the remote island on the we examine the successful operations weekly flight from Johannesburg we and battles during 1813-14 that took explore the rugged verdant terrain Wellington’s army over the Pyrenees with which the exiled emperor would into France: Vitoria, Maya, Roncesvalles, become familiar. His first and last Sorauren, San Sebastian, the Bidassoa residences on the island have been the Nivelle, the Nive, Bayonne, Orthes, NAPOLEONIC NAPOLEONIC maintained and will form the backdrop Tarbes and Toulouse. to the anticipated commemorations of May 2021 his death. with Col Nick Lipscombe May 2021

Walking the Peninsula Napoleon in Italy There is no better way to gain an It was in varied and magnificent appreciation of the battles fought terrain of Northern Italy that Napoleon by Wellington and his men than by forged his reputation in defeating 4 walking over the ground on which successive armies sent against him they fought. We spend many hours during 1796-97. We explore those wandering along tracks, ascending hills battlefields: Montenotte, Lodi, Mantua, and crossing fields at Torres Vedras, Castiglione, Lonato, Arcola and Rivoli. NAPOLEONIC Busaco, Fuentes de Onoro, Barba del NAPOLEONIC Not forgetting Marengo too. Puerco and Salamanca. Spring 2021 October 2021 with Dr Martin Boycott-Brown with Maj-Gen Ashley Truluck

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 29 The Indian Mutiny The Franco-Austrian War The momentous and tragic events in The struggle for Italian independence India during 1857 have been referred as fought out by France and Austria to in many ways but the places in 1859 and 1866 resulted in the associated with them have been Habsburg strengthening of the indelibly etched into history. Enjoying quadrilateral fortresses and significant some fabulous hotels, we travel to battles in northern Italy, most notably

VICTORIAN the major sites: Meerut, Agra, Gwalior, VICTORIAN the influential Solferino and the bloody Jhansi, Cawnpore, Lucknow and Delhi. engagements of Magenta and Custoza. November 2021 October 2021 With Maj Gordon Corrigan with Maj-Gen John Drewienkiewicz

The American Civil War: The Anglo-Boer Wars Through the Southern In which we examine the two conflicts Heartland between Afrikaners seeking to Following the hard-marched routes maintain their independence from the of both sides through the striking Imperial forces of the British Empire: countryside of Tennessee, Georgia and Laings Nek, Majuba, Talana, Ladysmith, the Carolinas to visit iconic southern Colenso, Spioen Kop, Bleomfontein,

VICTORIAN cities and well-preserved battlefields VICTORIAN Modder River, Magersfontein, such as Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Paardeberg, Kimberley. Atlanta, Savannah and Charleston. February 2021 March 2021 with Ian Knight with Fred Hawthorne

The First World War in Poland The Battles of the 1914-1915 Marne and Aisne After their early initial reverse in East The extant farms and villages where Prussia, the Germans had regained the French defeated the German the initiative by late August 1914, advance in 1914, the Chemin des before the front fell into stalemate. We Dames and Champagne sectors boast pay extensive visits to the significant bunkers, caves and ghost villages from battlefields of Tannenberg and the 1915-1918 whilst the preserved Belleau

WORLD WAR ONE WORLD WAR Masurian Lakes as well as the fortresses ONE WORLD WAR Wood commemorates the epic fight by of Boyen and Modlin. US Marines in 1918. August 2021 with Simon Jones with Alan Wakefield

30 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 First & Last Shots: War Poets on the Somme: Battles around Mons Words, Music and Landscapes 1914 & 1918 The War Poets created some of the By a poignant quirk of fate, British most powerful expressions of the forces fired their first and last shots human experience of the Great War. of the Great War in the Belgian city During our juxtaposition with the of Mons. Today, the first and last horrific realities of the Somme we British casualties from 1914 and ‘meet’, amongst others, Wilfred Owen,

WORLD WAR ONE WORLD WAR 1918 lie buried in the remarkable St. ONE WORLD WAR Rudyard Kipling, Robert Graves and Symphorien Cemetery. Siegfried Sassoon at the places about which they wrote so poignantly. with Simon Jones with Simon Jones

Walking the Ypres Salient The Battle of Verdun Explore all five battles of Ypres, The Verdun battlefield is dramatically covering the ground of stoic defences, and physically different to those on the brave counter attacks and the first Western Front. It straddles both sides of use of poisonous gas on a battlefield. the River Meuse, which flows through Walking the Ypres battlegrounds allows wonderful scenery, and we gain some the scarred landscape to reveal its magnificent views from the dominating stories of heroism and horror. ridge lines that surround Verdun.

WORLD WAR ONE WORLD WAR with Simon Jones with Dr Bruce Cherry

Italy During the First World War The Russian Revolution Set amongst spectacular mountain Travel to Moscow and St Petersburg scenery, marvel at many of the to visit and appreciate the significant precarious and exposed positions at places and events that shaped modern the infrequently visited battlefields of history: Lenin’s mausoleum, the Isonzo, Caporetto, and Nervessa and Kremlin, Khdynka Field, the Winter visit many of the ingenious caverns and Palace, Yusupov Palace, Church of the tunnels that were built for warmth and Spilled Blood, Alexander Palace, Peter protection during the severe winters. & Paul Fortress, The Aurora, Krondstadt WORLD WAR ONE WORLD WAR ONE WORLD WAR and the Tauride Palace. with Maj Gordon Corrigan Autumn 2021 with Dr Neil Faulkner

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 31 Anzio and Cassino The End in Italy 1945 This seven-day tour explores the We examine the operations of the breaching of the Gustav line in 1944. British 8th Army on the east and the Starting with the landings at Salerno American 5th Army on the west which we visit picturesque ruins of San Pietro, involved bitter warfare during the study the approaches to Cassino, the winter of 1944/45 as they fought to crossing of the Garigliano, the four breach the German Gothic Line and battles for Cassino, the breakout and break-out into the open Po Valley

WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR end with the landings at Anzio. beyond. WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR May 2021 June 2021 with Col Patrick Mercer with Col Patrick Mercer

Arnhem & Vestibule of Hell: Operation Market Garden Closing the Falaise Gap This ‘Soldiers’ Experience’ tour follows In early August 1944 both sides were the Market Garden Corridor - ‘Hell’s approaching the endgame in the battle Highway’ to Arnhem, and describes of Normandy. The Allies’ effort finally what it was like to experience a broke the stalemate around Caen and German tank ambush on the road to gave the opportunity to encircle the Eindhoven at Valkensvaard, and the Germans, but not without cost.

WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR American parachute coup de main TWO WORLD WAR with parachute assault on the Grave Bridge. Maj-Gen John Drewienkiewicz September 2021 & Dr Paul Litawski with Col Bob Kershaw

Barbarossa: The Holocaust in Baltic states The advance to Leningrad The plight of the Jews in Latvia and Lithuania, the atrocities in Riga, Kaunus Follow the advance of Army Group and Vilnius, the duffering in the ghettos North, in particular the actions fought and the mass shootings at Paneriai and by General Hoepner’s Panzergruppe 4 Rumbula Forest. Learn about armed from Memel through Kovno and Dvinsk Jewish resistance groups and the to armoured clashes at Ostrov, the Japanese vice-consul who saved over intense fighting around Pskov and the 5,000 Jewish lives. WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR terrible siege of Leningrad. TWO WORLD WAR Guide TBC Guide TBC

32 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 The Winter War Greece The incredible success of the small The Metaxis Line in Northern Greece Finnish army against five Soviet armies still dominates the rugged countryside that invaded in 1939 is explained although it failed to hold the German amidst the stunning ‘midnight sun’ advance in April 1941. The late arriving scenery where we discover old small Commonwealth force found itself and renovated bunkers and trench involved in a fighting withdrawal from networks flanked by a myriad of lakes Mount Olympus through Thermopylae

WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR and fast running rivers, home to wild to the evacuation beaches in the south. reindeer and elk. TWO WORLD WAR with Col Bob Kershaw July 2021 with Col Bob Kershaw

Shells Exploding at a Picnic: Fortress Malta Norway during WW2 A wonderful tour of Malta, a tiny Traveling the length of Norway, we island with a proud military heritage visit: Tromso for the Turpitz sinking including probably the greatest and (hopefully) Northern Lights; concentration of military fortifications the naval and land battles at Narvik; in Europe. The Second World War siege the Odderoya fortresses protecting will be our main focus whilst examining Kristiansaand; the audacious sabotage indelible marks that other events have CROSS & MODERN WORLD WAR TWO WORLD WAR of the Telemark power plant and left behind. Oscarborg fortress island in Oslo. October/November 2021 September/October 2021 with Maj-Gen Ashley Truluck Guide TBC

The Invasions of Belarus We visit the significant events of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, most notably the battles of Ostrovno and the crossing of the Berezina. And we follow Hitler’s Army Group Centre which assaulted the impressive and evocative Brest fortress, created the Minsk pocket

CROSS & MODERN and committed atrocities, most notably at Khatyn. August 2021 with Col Bob Kershaw

USA (Toll-free) 1-877-381-2914 Email [email protected] 33 Booking The Korean War open 16 - 28 April 2021 with historian Lieutenant-General Jonathon Riley Travelling through some idyllic landscapes: pine-clad hills and mountains; emerald-green rice-paddies and stunning mist-shrouded coast-lines, we experience the KTX ‘bullet’ train, explore the heart of glittering Seoul and get close to North Korea in the Demilitarised Zone

CROSS & MODERN or DMZ while learning about the latest negotiations between the two countries.

from £5,975

Booking open The Vietnam War with historian Dr (Col Retd) Greg Daddis The conflict examined from the disastrous French defeat at Dien Bien Phu, life as a POW in Hanoi, beautiful Ha Long Bay, the fighting along the DMZ and in the Central Highlands, the battle for Hue, the incredible tunnel complexes, the battles around CROSS & MODERN Saigon and the Brown Water navy on the Mekong. from £4,195

We will also be running a number of our popular tours in 2021. Visit www.theculturalexperience.com for more information

“The Cultural Experience does ‘attention to detail’ very well, and it makes all the difference”

“Yet another first-rate battlefield tour experience from start to finish!”

34 Visit www.theculturalexperience.com Call 0345 475 1815 THE JULY Discovering The Western Front D-Day: Operation Overlord Battle Of Britain I would like to receive a copy of the full brochure Franco Prussian War 1870 Medics & Padres I would like to subscribe to your e-newsletter AUGUST The Cold War Kaliningrad: Please send me more information on Russia’s Forgotten Exclave the following 2021 tours: SEPTEMBER 1 Jacobites and Bravehearts Napoleon In Russia 2 The Holocaust Wellington in Spain 3 Darkness Visible The Silk Roads in China 4 Italy in The First World War Holocaust Landscapes 5 American Civil War: Western Theater Frederick the Great I am interested in: The Dough Boys in World War One Advance To Victory 1918 Military History OCTOBER History Ypres War Poets Walking Waterloo Archaeology The Great Awakening The Holocaust Title Operation Mercury Mussolini & Italian Fascism First Name The Spanish Civil War The Archaeological Delights Surname of the Bay of Naples

Address NOVEMBER The Birth of Modern Israel Wellington In India Lawrence of Arabia

DECEMBER Post Code Austerlitz: Napoleon’s Masterpiece Email Battle Of The Bulge

Phone 0345 475 1815 www.theculturalexperience.com

 @CultExp  /historicaltours Affix stamp The Cultural Experience here 8 Barnack Business Park Blakey Road Salisbury SP1 2LP

MAY Burma: JUNE Salonika APRIL MARCH of Lusitania The The War Zulu Tunnellers On Tunnellers The Holocaust The JANUARY

Battle for Berlin for Battle Western Theater Western The Cast of a Die Cast The The Vietnam War Vietnam The Crete & Santorini Crete of Independence A Near Run Thing A Near Run Russia 1941-1943 & The & The Indian Wars The The American War The Western Western Front The Army in The NorthThe in Army Lawrence of Arabia Lawrence Peninsular Victories Peninsular Yellowstone, Custer Custer Yellowstone, of the Bay of Naples of the Bay Walking the Somme Walking The Roman Province Roman Province The The English Civil War English Civil The Wellington’s Greatest Greatest Wellington’s

0345 475 1815 Hadrian & The Roman The Hadrian & Napoleon In Germany Wellington in Portugal Wellington The GallipoliThe Campaign War: American Civil The The Road Past Mandalay Road Past The The Archaeological Delights Archaeological The 2020 TOURS2020 FIND YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY IN PLACE YOUR FIND www.theculturalexperience.com