DELFT, THE HAGUE & UTRECHT 19-25 July 2023

Delft

The Hague & Utrecht

The music & culture of 17th century Holland

Peter Medhurst

with Tom Abbott historian & tour manager

7 days from £2,899

For bookings contact Sandy Cornish at Tailored Travel 01227 830624

Download booking form here

Introduction

The 100 years following the conclusion of the Twelve Years’ Truce in 1609 until the death of Prince William III in 1702 is known in Dutch history as the “Golden Age”. It was a period of tremendous political and economic greatness, which led to a flowering of the arts, unparalleled in Western culture. Through visits to galleries, museums, houses, and churches, the tour samples some of the finest paintings, architecture and music of 17th century Holland.

Itinerary

Day 1

After our morning departure from Victoria Coach Station, we make our way by executive coach to Delft, via Calais. Our P&O Ferries crossing includes entry to the Club Class lounge where a range of complimentary foods and drinks are available to us. On arrival in France, we travel directly to Delft and check into the Hotel Arsenaal for a six night stay. The hotel has been newly created out of the original arsenal of the city and is situated in a quiet street canal in the heart of old Delft. After settling into our rooms, we take an orientation walk through the locale, and spend a moment or two savouring the vista from Plein Delftzicht – the location from which Johannes Vermeer painted his view of Delft, around 1660. After a private drinks reception, we enjoy dinner together in the hotel, or in a nearby restaurant.

Day 2

Following our morning lecture, we set off on foot to explore some of the famous landmarks of Delft. Our first port of call is the New Church, situated in the Market Square, opposite the City Hall. Despite its name, the New Church dates from the 14th century and is famous for being the resting place of William the Silent and other members of the House of Orange-Nassau. After a coffee break, we make our way to the nearby Vermeer Centre, a building dedicated to the life and work of Vermeer. We have lunch in a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the Museum Prinsenhof, the city’s splendid art gallery and museum, housed in a palace which was once a former medieval monastery. The afternoon concludes with a visit to the Old Church founded in 1246, and burial place of Vermeer. The evening is at leisure.

Day 3

After our morning lecture, we travel by coach to the historic centre of The Hague, where we spend the day. On arrival, we walk through the medieval buildings of the Binnenhof (the political heart of Holland), to visit the Mauritshuis, originally built around 1633–44, as a residence for John Maurice, governor of the Dutch colony in Brazil. The Mauritshuis contains one of the finest collections of Dutch paintings in the world, and among its treasures are: Vermeer’s View of Delft, and The Girl with the Pearl Earring, as well as works by Rembrandt, Hals, Steen and Rubens. After lunch we enjoy a guided tour of the Prince William V Gallery, a hidden gem of The Hague, built in 1774 to accommodate Prince William V of Oranje-Nassau’s impressive collection of paintings. We then visit the Panorama Mesdag, a purpose-built museum dating from 1880, and housing a gigantic circular scene of the local beach at Scheveningen. We return to the hotel where the evening is at leisure.

Day 4

After breakfast, we drive 45 miles due east of Delft to the historic city of Utrecht. Like Delft, Utrecht is known for its tree-lined canals and its quaint medieval city centre, in the heart of which is the striking 367 ft tall Dom Tower, the hallmark of the city. Here it was that the 17th century, blind organist and composer, Jacob van Eyck (d.1657), famously played the carillon from a gallery high up in the tower. After exploring the adjoining Gothic Cathedral of St Martin, we walk to the Museum Catharijneconvent, a museum of religious art located in the former convent of St Catharine. The vast collection of artifacts presents a picture of Netherlandish Protestant and Catholic history, and its impact on Dutch society and culture. After lunch, we visit Kasteel de haar, the largest castle in the Netherlands. Although dating from the Middle Ages, the castle was completely rebuilt for Baron Étienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt and his wife between 1892 and 1912, by the architect Pierre Cuyper. Today the visitor can enjoy the castle’s fairy tale features of towers, turrets, moats, gates and suspension bridges, as well as its fine interiors, romantic chapel and delightful and gardens.

Day 5

After the morning lecture, we depart for Rotterdam to visit the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. The depot is located next to Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Museumpark in Rotterdam and visitors can see the result of 173 years of art collecting. More than 151,000 objects are on display, arranged in 14 storage compartments with five different climates. In addition to the artifacts, all the activities that go into conserving and managing a collection are on public display as well. The actual Boijmans Van Beuningen art museum is undergoing refurbishment, but there is a chance to see part of the collection in the new and state-of-the-art Depot. After lunch, we return to Delft for an afternoon at leisure. However, in the evening, we enjoy a private visit to Van Elven Museum situated in one the canal streets close to our hotel. Between 1864 and 1894, the house was occupied by the Dutch painter, Paul Tetar van Elven. Clustered with paintings, the property has original 19th century interiors, that include Delft pottery, oriental porcelain and antique furniture. The rest of the evening is at leisure.

Day 6

Today we visit the nearby town of Voorburg, considered to be the oldest settlement in the Netherlands, with a history dating back to at least the 200 AD. We begin with a private boat trip from Delft to Voorburg on the Vielt Canal, a waterway dug in 47 AD and ever since, an important trade link between Leiden and Delft. On alighting in Voorburg, we have a coffee reception at – and a tour of – the 17th century Hofwijck, the small country house of the courtier and diplomat, Constantijn Huygens (d.1687).After lunch, we visit the Stadsmuseum Leidschendam-Voorburg and then listen to Peter give a recital on the two historic organs in Voorburg’s Old Church. He plays 17th century Dutch music, including works by Sweelinck, van Eyck, and Steenwick. Circumstances allowing, the Royal carillonist will play the bells in the tower for us. We close the afternoon with a reception at a 17th century private house in Voorburg, after which wereturn to our hotel and enjoy a farewell dinner in a nearby restaurant.

Day 7

After checking out of our hotel, we drive to Antwerp for an exploration of the ancient city centre. In times past, Antwerp was the thriving commercial centre of the Low Countries, but following the religious wars of the 16th century, the economic initiative shifted north to Amsterdam, leaving behind a city set in aspic, architecturally. We first visit the Vleeshuis, the early 16th century Butcher’s Hall that houses one of the finest musical instrument collections in the world. After lunch we continue our journey to London, where we arrive in good time for people to make their onward journeys home

End of tour

The Accommodation

We stay six nights at the centrally located 4* Arsenaal Hotel in Delft (www.hotelarsenaal.nl). Facilities at the hotel include a restaurant and bar. All rooms are en suite and feature television, and tea & coffee making facilities. A welcome dinner in our hotel on the first evening and a farewell dinner at a local restaurant on the final evening are included, and the remaining four nights are on a bed and breakfast basis.

Features

Tour limited to 24 passengers
Lectures by Peter
Private organ recital by Peter
Tom Abbott – professional tour manager & art historian
Central Delft hotel
All excursions, entrance fees, guided tours &
gratuities for hotel & restaurant staff included
Welcome dinner & private drinks reception included
Farewell dinner included
Included light lunches on Days 2 to 7
Return P&O Ferries crossings with included entry to the Club Class lounge
Executive coach throughout
Audio headsets included on Days 2 to 6

Highlights

• Delft
New Church
Vermeer Centre
Museum Prinsenhof Delft
Old Church – burial place of Vermeer

• The Hague
The Mauritshuis
Prince William V Gallery – guided tour Panorama Mesdag

• Utrecht
Dom Tower
Gothic Cathedral of St Martin Museum Catharijneconvent, Kasteel de haar

• Rotterdam
Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
Private visit to Van Elven Museum
Private boat trip from Delft to Voorburg on the Vielt Canal

• Voorburg
Hofwijck – guided tour
Stadsmuseum Leidschendam-Voorburg Recital by Peter in Voorburg’s Old Church Reception at a 17th century private house in Voorburg

• Antwerp
Vleeshuis
Cathedral of Our Lady