Sweden & Denmark: Scandinavian Castles and Collections
EVENTS > STUDY TRIPS ABROAD
DECORATIVE ARTS TRUST STUDY TRIP ABROAD
May 22 – 29 and June 1 – 8, 2018
With an optional extension: Exploring Denmark’s Northern Zealand and Sweden’s Skane
May 29 – June 1
These two countries are linked by a magnificent bridge and a shared Baltic history. Our Study Trip Abroad focuses in and around the urbane national capitals of Stockholm and Copenhagen, cities tied to the sea in one direction and a fertile countryside of stunning castles and scenery in the other. Stockholm was built on islands separating the Baltic from Lake Mälaren and emerged as a primary power in the Hanseatic League during the 17th century. Copenhagen showcases a gentile assemblage of palaces, canals, and parks that are certain to impress. The affluence and sophistication of these nations is apparent throughout the journey.
N.B. The first tour commences in Sweden and concludes in Denmark, whereas the second starts in Denmark and ends in Sweden. The itinerary for the first tour is shown below, but both schedules include an identical list of sites.
REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED
ITINERARY (subject to amendment)
Tuesday, May 22
We gather at Stockholm’s renowned Hotel Diplomat, admired as an Art Nouveau landmark and for its elegant interiors, then embark on a walking tour of Gamla Stan, one of the largest and best preserved medieval city centers in Europe, stopping to enjoy the Storkyrkan, the district’s oldest church and an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic. Our opening dinner is hosted at the charming Fem Små Hus.
D included
Overnight: STOCKHOLM
Wednesday, May 23
Our morning opens with a boat trip to Drottningholm Palace, constructed in the 17th century by Queen Hedvig Eleonora, now serving as the permanent residence of the royal family and housing a superlative collection of 17th- to19th-century furnishings. We take in the beautifully preserved 18th-century court theatre, which continues to host performances using the original stage machinery. After lunch, we walk through the Baroque gardens to the Chinese Pavilion, built 1753-1769. Returning to Stockholm, the day concludes at the Vasa Ship Museum, home to an extraordinary royal warship that capsized during its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged in 1956 with its contents intact.
B, L included
Overnight: STOCKHOLM
Thursday, May 24
The day begins with an outing to Skokloster Slott, a Baroque castle built on a peninsula of Lake Mälaren by Carl Gustaf Wrangel, whose untimely death in 1676 left the project unfinished to this day, allowing visitors a truly authentic view of period construction. Traveling north to Uppsala, we appraise the university city’s 13th-century Cathedral in the French Gothic style, the tallest of its type in Nordic Europe. At the Gustavianum we marvel at architect Olaus Rudbeck’s 1663 Anatomical Theatre and the Augsburg Art Cabinet, a cabinet of curiosities given to King Gustav II Adolphus. At the Linnaeus Garden and Museum, we appreciate Uppsala University’s efforts to preserve the renowned scientist’s 18th-century botanical garden as well as a museum honoring his career before continuing to Hammarby, Linnaeus’ country house and extraordinary garden.
B, L included
Overnight: STOCKHOLM
Friday, May 25
Heading west to Söder Manland, we enjoy the privately owned Elghammar in Björnlunde, commissioned by Marshall Curt von Stedingk in 1807 in the French Empire style. We proceed for lunch and a tour at Tullgarn Slott, a 1720’s palace displaying a mixture of Rococo, Gustavian, and Victorian styles. The interiors are noted as some of Sweden’s finest. Our third outing is to Sturehof Slott, built circa 1780 in the Gustavian style for Baron Johan Lijencrantz, financial minister to Gustav III to designs by architect Carl Fredrik Adelcrantz. We return to Stockholm for a scrumptious dinner at Wärdshuset Ulla Windbladh, housed in a late-19th-century bakery.
B, L, D included
Overnight: STOCKHOLM
Saturday, May 26
En route to the airport for our flight to Denmark we pause at Haga Park to view King Gustav III’s neoclassical Pavilion of 1787 by the architect Olof Tempelman. The interiors were designed by Louis Masreliez and feature a magnificent hall of mirrors. Upon arrival in the Danish capital, we transfer to our comfortable accommodations at the elegantly appointed Hotel D’Angleterre. After an introductory walking tour, we gather for a jolly dinner in the famous Tivoli Gardens.
B, D included
Overnight: COPENHAGEN
Sunday, May 27
We embark for an insider’s tour of Rosenborg Castle, originally built in 1606 as a summerhouse for Christian IV. Among the castle’s many impressive interiors is an extraordinary Baroque Marble Hall ornamented by the Italian artist Francesco Bruno for Frederik III. The David Collection, a museum built from the holdings of lawyer and businessman C. L. David, showcases an admirable collection of 18th-century fine and decorative art. North of the city lies the neoclassical Brede Manor, built in 1795 as the country residence of Peter van Hemert, the owner of the nearby manufactory where the National Museum’s collection of textiles and costumes is now displayed.
B, L included
Overnight: COPENHAGEN
Monday, May 28
Our final day commences at Christian VII’s Moltke Palace at the Amalienborg, which consists of four identical palaces erected in 1750-54, with extravagant Rococo interiors, arranged around an octagonal courtyard. We continue to the Baroque-style Ledreborg Castle, completed by Minister of State Johan Ludvig Holstein in 1746, where we are hosted for lunch by Countess Sylvia Monro. The afternoon leads us to Roskilde with an outing to the impressive Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries and the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. In the evening, we toast our unforgettable Scandinavian experience with a festive farewell celebration.
B, L, D included
Overnight: COPENHAGEN
Tuesday, May 29
Departures from the Copenhagen airport or continue for the Extension.
B included
Optional Extension: Exploring Denmark’s Northern Zealand and Sweden’s Skane
Tuesday, May 29
Leaving Copenhagen, we cross the majestic 5-mile-long Oresund Bridge to Lund, where we check in at the Grand Hotel, before the opportunity to enjoy a walking tour of this university town, including the impressive Cathedral, consecrated in 1145 and featuring a remarkable 15th-century astronomical clock. With the kind invitation of Count Otto Ramel, we explore Övedskloster Slott, renowned for its remarkable 18th-century architectural ensemble and a notable collection of fine and decorative arts. Count Thord Bonde welcomes us for a visit and dinner at Bosjökloster Slott, which is built on the framework of a medieval Benedictine convent.
B, L, D included
Overnight: LUND
Wednesday, May 30
Returning to Denmark, heading northward along Zealand’s eastern coastline, we proceed to Christian VI’s Eremitagen of 1736, built as a banqueting house for the king to use while hunting in the royal park. Lunch and a tour follow at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, a mid-century architectural masterpiece and the most visited art museum in Denmark. Our final stop is Rungstedlund, the home of Karen Blixen, the celebrated author of Out of Africa, lovingly preserved and set in a large park with extensive gardens and a bird sanctuary. In the early evening, we reach our charming accommodations, the Store Kro Hotel, with an opportunity for a twilight stroll through the gardens of the nearby Fredensborg Slot, a royal residence.
B, L, D included
Overnight: FREDENSBORG
Thursday, May 31
Venturing through the bucolic and unspoiled Zealand countryside, our first stop is a private visit to Frederiksborg Slot, built in the 17th-century for King Christian IV. While damaged in an 1859 fire, the palace was fully restored and reopened in 1882 as a history museum, where fine and decorative arts are displayed throughout. The spectacular Renaissance chapel, which escaped damage from the fire, contains the oldest organ in Denmark. Best known in the English-speaking world as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, served as a strategic stronghold for traffic in the Oresund Sound. We continue to the charming nearby town of Helsingor for a guided walk before paying a visit to Esrum Abbey, the second Cistercian monastery founded in Denmark. Our expedition to Northern Zealand concludes on the shores of Lake Esrum with dinner in the 18th-century Skipperhuset, the former royal boathouse of Fredensborg Palace.
B, L, D included
Overnight: FREDENSBORG
Terms and Conditions
Land Arrangement Cost:
$7,375 per person, based on double occupancy for 7 nights, for the main tour. The optional extension is $2,425 per person, based on double occupancy for 3 nights.
Airfare:
Transatlantic airfare is not included. Please do not make your airline reservations until you have received written confirmation of your registration from the Trust.
Reservations:
A deposit of $1,500 per person is required by September 1, 2017. An additional deposit of $1,000 per person is required for the optional extension. Reservations and deposits are taken on an as received basis. You will receive a written confirmation from the Decorative Arts Trust. Do not make any irrevocable airline reservations until you receive your verification. Please make checks payable to “The Decorative Arts Trust” and mail to 20 South Olive Street, Suite 204, Media, PA 19063.
Single Supplement:
The single supplement is $1,450 for the main tour and $375 for the extension, to be paid along with the deposit.
Final Payment:
Will be due by February 15, 2018. Invoices for final payment will be mailed in mid-January.
Membership:
Membership at the Sponsor level is required for participation in Study Trips Abroad. Your membership contribution is fully tax deductible. If an increase in your membership level is necessary, the Trust will invoice you for the appropriate level upgrade with your final payment.
Contribution:
A donation to the Decorative Arts Trust of $500 per person is required for Study Trips Abroad. This gift is fully tax deductible and helps support the Trust’s mission and programs.
Itinerary:
The schedule outlined in this itinerary is contracted for at this time but subject to change as necessary. A suggested reading list will be sent to you.
Participation:
Each trip and the optional extension are limited to a maximum of 25 members and require a minimum of 15. The trip and/or extension will be canceled if under-subscribed, and deposits will be refunded. We will organize and maintain a waiting list on the basis of the time registrations are received. This is a strenuous trip. We regret that we cannot be responsible for those needing assistance on this trip. By registering, you are certifying that you do not have any mental, physical, or other condition of disability that would create a hazard for yourself or other passengers. The Trust reserves the right to decline anyone as a participant in this Study Trip Abroad should the person’s health, actions, or general deportment impede the operation of the Study Trip Abroad; the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of others; or the standing of the Decorative Arts Trust. A valid United States passport is required for this itinerary.
Included in Trip Cost:
Hotel accommodations in 5-star hotels, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, private coach transportation, local guides, admission in museums, historic houses, and gardens, gratuities for professional guides and coach drivers, and porterage. The extension includes accommodations in 4-star hotels, 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 3 dinners.
Not Included in the Trip Cost:
Airfare, airport transfers other than specified above, alcoholic beverages other than when provided, personal expenses, and trip insurance are not included.
Cancellation and Refund:
If you must cancel your reservation, you are urged to do so as soon as possible in writing to The Decorative Arts Trust. All cancellations are subject to a $250 administrative fee. Deposits are non-refundable after September 1, 2017. Cancellations arriving by March 4, 2018, will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations arriving by April 14, 2018, will receive a 25% refund. There will be no refunds for cancellations received after April 14, 2018.
THE TRUST STRONGLY ENCOURAGES ALL PARTICIPANTS TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE TO PROTECT AGAINST CANCELLATIONS DUE TO ILLNESS AND INJURY.