Stockholm Trip Itinerary

Friends of the Fleming Collection
Stockholm
Thursday 15 - Monday 19 October 2015
Following the success of last year, we are delighted to announce our annual trip to Stockholm in association with
Heritage Group Travel. Stockholm is a beautiful medieval city with a thriving arts scene showcasing ground-breaking
Swedish talent, international artists and innovative collaborative projects. This city is firmly established on the art map
and we have planned an exciting tour of both its contemporary and ancient arts.
THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER 2015
We depart on a scheduled British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Stockholm, due to depart at 11.25 and
arrive in Stockholm at 14.55 local time. On arrival we will transfer by coach to central Stockholm, and meet a local
guide. We will then enjoy an orientation tour of the city by coach, to include the Royal Palace, the Parliament
Buildings and the island of Djurgården. We will then continue to our centrally located hotel, the 4 star Clarion
Hotel Sign, and check in for 4 nights’ bed and buffet breakfast accommodation. After time to settle in, a welcome
dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant this evening.
FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER 2015
After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet a local guide
and enjoy a walking tour of the Old Town (Gamla
Stan), with its narrow cobbled streets and numerous
antique shops. We will also visit the Storkyrkan, the
700-year old Cathedral which was the base for the
Lutheran reformation in Sweden from the 1520s. The
15th century Gothic interior and Italian Baroque exterior
are at odds with each other stylistically but this building
is especially worth visiting for the extraordinary
polychrome sculpture (oak and elk horn) of St George
and the Dragon created by Bernt Notke in 1489. There
will be free time for lunch in Stockholm.
This afternoon we will travel by coach to the Thielska
Gallery, housed in the former residence of art collector
and patron, Ernest Thiel. Here we will enjoy a guided
tour. This is one of Sweden’s finest galleries and is
beautifully set in walled grounds at Blockhusudden in the
royal park of Djurgården. The gallery houses a unique
collection of works of art from the 19th and early 20th
centuries by leading artists of the period, including
Eugéne Jansson, Carl Larsson, Bruno Liljefors, Edvard
Munch, August Strindberg and Anders Zorn. After our
visit we will return by coach to our hotel in central
Stockholm, and the remainder of the day
will be at leisure.
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 2015
After breakfast at the hotel, our morning will be spent in
the Moderna Museum, which boasts one of the
world’s finest collections of modern art from 1900 to the
present day, including key works by artists such as
Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, Niki
de Saint Phalle, Salvador Dali, Carolee Schneemann,
Henri Matisse and Robert Rauschenberg, along with
more recent acquisitions of contemporary art. The
collection also comprises photographic art from the
1840s onward. There will be free time for lunch.
This afternoon we will board a magnificent turn of the
century ship that will take us from central Stockholm
(City Hall) to the royal residence at Drottningholm,
which is situated on the shores of Lake Mälaren. On
arrival we will begin by exploring the beautiful Baroque
and Rococo gardens and verdant parkland, before
enjoying a guided tour of Drottningholm Palace,
which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and
parts of which are still used by the current Royal Family
as a private residence. The well-preserved palace dates
back to the 17th century and its lavish architecture
reflects many European styles of the day. Highlights
include Queen Hedvig Eleonoara’s spectacularly ornate
state bedroom, Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s Library, and the
splendid staircase adorned with trompe l’oeil paintings.
After our palace tour we will enjoy a short guided tour
of the Drottningholm Castle Theatre, which dates
back to 1766. The theatre was commissioned by Queen
Lovisa Ulrika and designed by Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz.
Although simple in design, the wooden theatre is one of
the oldest of its kind and the original scenery is still in
working order. At the end of the afternoon we will
return to our hotel by coach and enjoy an
evening at leisure.
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2015
After breakfast at the hotel, our morning will begin at
the Royal Palace of Stockholm, which is the King of
Sweden’s official residence and the setting for the
majority of the monarchy's official receptions. Here we
will visit the Royal Apartments, the Treasury and the Tre
Kronor (Three Crowns) Museum. The original palace
dates back to the 13th century, but was rebuilt following
a fire in 1697. The palace we see today, designed by
Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, is a wonderful blend of
Italian and French architecture with pronounced Swedish
influences. A highlight is undoubtedly Karl XI’s Gallery,
which is used for royal banquets, and further points of
interest include the opulent Hall of State, with a
spectacular silver throne; the intimate Royal Chapel; the
sumptuous marble Western Staircase; and Gustav III’s
Museum of Antiquities. The treasury displays key items
of State regalia, including King Erik XIV’s crown, orb
and sceptre. The Three Crowns Museum chronicles the
history of the Royal Palace over the centuries, and
includes models of the castle showing how it looked
before the fire. It also houses several objects which were
salvaged from the fire, including glassware and crockery.
We will then continue to Prince Eugen’s
Waldemarsudde, which comprises a main building,
the Palace, built in 1903–1905 as a residence for Prince
Eugen (1865–1947); and a gallery that was added in
1913. Architect Ferdinand Boberg designed both
buildings in close cooperation with Prince Eugen. The
Prince, son of King Oscar II and Queen Sophia, was one
of the leading landscape painters of his time. He was also
an important art collector and a central figure in the
Swedish cultural world. On the ground floor of the
Palace, we will visit the communal areas of Prince
Eugen’s home, which are preserved as they were in his
time. The upper floors of the building and the Gallery
show works from the collection and temporary
exhibitions. These exhibitions include works by both
present day artists and artists who were contemporaries
of Prince Eugen. The Prince’s glorious park and gardens
are dotted with sculptures, including work by Carl
Milles. There are also several historic buildings,
including the Linseed Oil Mill, from 1785. There will
be free time for lunch.
This afternoon we will visit the Vasa Museum. The
impressive royal warship, Vasa, sank in Stockholm
Harbour on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was not
salvaged until over 300 years later (in 1961). She has
since been painstakingly restored over a complex 17-year
programme and can now be seen with her complete
rigging at the Vasa Museum, which opened to the public
in 1990. We will return to our hotel by coach and
enjoy a free evening.
MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 2015
We check out of our hotel after breakfast and visit
Skokloster Castle, located on a peninsula in Lake
Mälaren. Here we will enjoy a guided tour. The
stately home was built in the baroque style between 1654
and 1676 for Carl Gustaf Wrangel – potentate, fashion
connoisseur and big spender, who was an avid collector
of art, antiques and nature specimens. The castle's
sumptuous chambers are home to a remarkable
collection of paintings as well as furniture, textiles, silver
and glass tableware. Following our visit we will enjoy a
farewell lunch.
During the mid-afternoon we will transfer by coach to
Stockholm Airport for our return British Airways flight
to London, due to depart at 18.10 and arrive in
Heathrow at 19.50 local time.
N.B. As this itinerary has been prepared several months in
advance, the final itinerary may vary slightly from the above.
Stockholm
PRACTICAL DETAILS
TOUR PRICE
£1575 per person sharing a twin/double room
£1675 per person sharing a twin/double room for non-friends
£320 single supplement
PRICE INCLUDES
Return scheduled British Airways flights
(Heathrow/Stockholm)
Airport tax
4 nights’ 4 star accommodation in central Stockholm
Buffet breakfast daily
Welcome dinner in the hotel restaurant
Farewell lunch
Local specialist guiding for all visits
All coach transfers in Sweden as per the itinerary
One way ferry ticket to Drottningholm
All booking and entrance fees as per the itinerary
OPTIONAL TRAVEL INSURANCE
Please see enclosed leaflet. It is a condition of booking that
each tour participant carries full travel insurance and it is
your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate
insurance for this tour.
HOTEL DETAILS
Clarion Hotel Sign
(4 star)
Östra Järnvägsgatan 35
10126 Stockholm
www.nordicchoicehotels.se
MINIMUM NUMBERS
The price of the tour is based on a minimum
of 20 participants
PASSPORT & VISA REQUIREMENTS
British Nationals should be in possession of a valid 10 year
passport: visas are not required for travel to Sweden.
Other Nationals should contact the Swedish Embassy to
confirm current visa requirements.
FLIGHTS
Airline: British Airways
15/10/15 - Heathrow/Stockholm - 11.25 (14.55) - BA 778
19/10/15 - Stockholm/Heathrow - 18.10 (19.50) - BA 781
YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION
Our ATOL Number is 3707.
All the flights and flight-inclusive tours in this brochure are
financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay
you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask
for it and check to ensure that everything you booked
(flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see
our booking conditions for further information or for more
information about financial protection and the ATOL
Certificate go to:
www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate
BOOKING & FINAL TRAVEL DETAILS
To reserve your place on the tour, please send your
completed booking form and deposit of £350 per person,
together with your insurance premium (if required), to
Heritage Group Travel as soon as possible and no later
than Thursday 23 April 2015. You will receive a
confirmation of your booking combined with an invoice for
the final balance, together with your insurance policy if
requested. Please note that no reminder will be sent for the final
balance. The final travel details (itinerary, hotel details,
flight ticket and luggage label) will be available
approximately 10-14 days prior to travel.
The final balance is due by Thursday 06 August 2015.
Heritage Group Travel
Charlotte House
12 Charlotte Street
Bath BA1 2NE
Tel: 01225 466620
www.grouptravel.co.uk