New tours for 2021
posted on 06/10/20
We begin with an acknowledgement that we are living through difficult times. A cheerful plug for next year’s new tours might otherwise seem gauche.
The nature of what we do requires us constantly to look ahead and to assume that there will be a future – one that works. So here are some things for you to look forward to. Putting them together has certainly been a pleasing distraction for us.
We know that many of you are extremely keen to travel again, and to travel the MRT way. One of MRT’s strengths has always been its capacity to generate a flow of new and original tours and events. Use these to help you plan for a more fulfilling future.
Romans & Carolingians – Germany from Augustus to Charlemagne
7–14 April 2021
On this tour you see the magnificent remnants of some of the greatest Roman cities north of the Alps: highly impressive ruins, roofed structures and many outstanding artefacts and artworks. These are the context for the enthralling second theme: the achievements of Charlemagne and his attempt to revive the Empire. Scholar Dr Hugh Doherty provides insight into the history, the learning, arts, and architecture of the Carolingian Renaissance.
Moving on: Architecture & Memory – Bauhaus to the present in Stuttgart, Ulm and Munich
25–31 May 2021
This tour traces Modernist and modern architecture in southern Germany, examining a rich variety of buildings from Bauhaus to the present. Among them, the Weißenhofsiedlung, a 1927 housing estate in Stuttgart; in Ulm, the former School of Design; and in Munich, the groundbreaking Olympic stadium and park, designed by Frei Otto and Günter Behnisch for the 1972 Olympics. The last two decades have also seen a wonderful flowering of technically and visually brilliant new buildings and planning solutions.
Led by Tom Abbott.
The Venetian Land Empire – a spectrum of north-east Italy’s finest art & architecture
7–16 June 2021
For Venice, the Renaissance was not only a time of supreme artistic achievement but also of the creation of a powerful empire conquest in north-east Italy. The territory encompasses some of the greatest historic cities and loveliest hill towns in Italy, with a huge range of art and architecture from ancient Roman to modern. The touch of La Serenissima is visible everywhere, but these great centres have their own traditions and histories.
Led by Dr Michael Douglas-Scott.
Gardens in the Highlands – horticulture and garden design in northern Scotland
19–27 June 2021
Set in some of the loveliest and most dramatic scenery in Britain, this tour features a selection of gardens in Scotland’s northern counties. There are famous ones and little-known treasures, from the 16th century to contemporary, with a wide variety of layout and plants. Many are walled, enabling a vast range of both edible and ornamental plants. Stay in five-star hotels on the outskirts of Aberdeen and Inverness.
Led by Colin Crosbie.
Maritime England – Royal Navy and Merchant Navy in the history of the nation
31 August–6 September 2021
Surveys the maritime history of what was once the world’s greatest trading nation and sea power. The itinerary includes the finest historic dockyards surviving anywhere, and famous historic ships including Henry VIII’s Mary Rose and HMS Victory. There is a focus on the Royal Navy in the Age of Sail and the Age of Steam, but due attention is paid to commercial shipping. Two comfortable modern hotels, in London and Southampton.
Led by Dr James Davey.
Early Christian & Medieval Rome – rare splendours from tempestuous times
21–28 September 2021
This tour, led by the inimitable John McNeill, charts the rises and falls of the most important city in the western world from imperial capital to papal ‘plenitude of power’. An extensive exploration of the principal Early Christian and Medieval monuments of Rome, Viterbo, Tuscánia and Tarquinia, it looks at exceptionally rare and beautiful examples of the building arts – architecture, wall paintings, mosaics, marble pavements, sculpture. Five-star hotel in central Rome.
New tours deferred from 2020 to 2021
New English Gardens & RHS Chelsea – exuberant design & planting schemes at the cutting edge, 14–19 May 2021
Two Spains: The Spanish Civil War & its Aftermath – Madrid, Priorat, Barcelona, 26 May–3 June 2021
Great Swedish Houses – royal residences, country estates and provincial palaces, 14–20 June 2021
Gastronomy & the Golden Age – food, art & architecture from Belgium to the Netherlands, 12–19 June 2021
Cyprus: stepping stone of history – island civilisation in the Eastern Mediterranean, 4–12 September 2021
Lusatia: Germany’s Eastern borderlands – cities, palaces & gardens along the Oder-Neisse Line, 13–19 September 2021
Bulgaria – archaeology & art from prehistoric to modern, 2–11 October 2021
'I rate this as the best holiday I have been on bar none. The places and the people made it a complete joy.'
'The lecturer opened my eyes beyond belief, I should have taken this tour years ago.'
Comments from MRT tour participants.
Image credit: Creative Commons Dunrobin Castle by snowmanradio is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
