28th May – 1st June
Once a leading light of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, Hamburg remains one of the most exciting cities in Europe today. The combination of a bustling cultural scene and the sense of calm found in the plentiful parks and lakes, makes Hamburg the perfect destination. We will visit the epic Elbphilharmonie concert hall, some of the best museums in Europe, as well as the UNESCO recognised Speicherstadt (the port warehouse district). We will also make a day trip to Lübeck to see the exquisite architecture of the medieval capital of the Hanseatic League. Hamburg embraces its rich historical legacy while also marching into the future with confidence to celebrate cutting edge architecture and a contemporary art scene.
We will be staying in the heart of the city, just a stone’s throw from all the major sites. There will be a boat trip on the Elbe and the option to see a performance at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
Itinerary
Wednesday 28th May
We will arrive in Hamburg just after lunch time. Once we have checked in and dropped our bags off at the hotel, we will head out for an introductory walk to the city and its fascinating history. We will start in Speicherstadt, the UNESCO recognised port warehouse district, which was originally developed on timber-pile foundations on a group of narrow islands in the Elbe River in 1885. We will explore the winding network of streets, canals, bridges, and neo-gothic brick buildings that line the Nikolaifleet. Supper will be at an excellent restaurant close to the hotel.
Thursday 29th May
The day will start with a short train ride to Lübeck, the medieval capital of the Hanseatic League. When we arrive, we will enter the Altstadt (old town) via the Holstentor, which is the best surviving medieval gate. We will take in the elegant Town Hall before we visit the magnificent Marienkirche, which at the time of its Gothic conversion boasted the highest brick vault in the world. Here, we will see the eerie and touching fallen bells that crashed to the ground during the destruction of World War Two, as well as some unusual stained-glass windows.
After lunch at a charming restaurant, we will visit the Katharinenkirche where we will admire its light and clarity, as well as an architecturally distinctive two storey choir. We will also see sculptures by Ernst Barlach and Gerhard Marcks, as well as The Resurrection of Lazarus by Tintoretto. Our last visit will be to the St Annen-Museum before returning to Hamburg by train where we will enjoy supper together.
Friday 30th May
We will start our day at the Hamburg Kunsthalle, which courses through European art from the Middle Ages to the present day. It has an excellent collection for us to cherry-pick the best of Western European tradition from. We will then make our way to the Krameramtswohnungen, a very picturesque narrow street dating from the 17th century that housed widows of the members of the Guild of Small Shopkeepers. The historic street is now full of shops and restaurants and is the perfect place for us to enjoy some lunch.
In the afternoon we will see the striking early 20th century expressionist brick office towers in the Kontorhausviertel area, including the UNESCO recognised Chilehaus building. Nearby, we will enjoy a tea tasting where will gain a deeper understanding of one of the products so vital to Hamburg’s trading history.
In the evening there is the option to attend the Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall to see Wagner’s ‘Der Ring ohne Worte’ in concert, followed by Sofia Gubaidulina’s Viola Concerto. See below for details.
Saturday 31st May
In the morning we will explore Hafenstadt, which, with its contemporary steel and glass architecture offers an exciting contrast to the neo-gothic brick buildings of neighbouring district Speicherstadt. The centre piece is the inspiring Elbphilharmonie, popularly nicknamed Elphi, and one of Europe’s most exciting recent architectural creations. Pritzker Prize–winning Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron were responsible for the design, which includes 1096 individually curved glass panes. A boat trip down the River Elbe will take us to Jenischpark, the oldest park in Hamburg and home to two fabulous museums.
After some lunch we will begin with Jenischhaus, a neoclassical country house built by Hamburg Senator Martin Johan Jenisch in 1831. With much of its original interior intact, you feel like you are stepping back into the 19th century as you move through the house and experience the lifestyle of a well-to-do Hanseatic merchant. The second museum is in a fabulous light-filled building and celebrates the work of expressionist sculptor, graphic artist and writer Ernst Barlach (1870–1938). We will end the day at one of our favourite restaurants in the city.
Sunday 1st June
We will spend our final morning in Hamburg visiting churches. We will start with St Michael’s, one of the finest Hanseatic Protestant baroque churches. We will then wander to St Nicholas, which was designed by Gilbert Scott and was the tallest building in the world from 1874 to 1876. Our tour of churches will conclude with a visit to St Peter’s.
After lunch, you will have some free time to explore the city further and do a spot of shopping, before we head to the airport for our flight home.
Further Details
Tuition
Nicholas Ross and Dr Richard Stemp will lead the trip. Both are two of our most experienced tutors and have led courses for Artemisia for many years.
Hotels
We will be staying in the Sir Nikolai Hotel. A stylish boutique hotel in the heart of Hamburg’s Old Town on the Nikolaifleet canal, just a few steps from Sankt Katharinen, the Elbphilharmonie, Deichtorhallen and HafenCity. All rooms have canal views.
Flights
We do not book the flights thus allowing you to travel to suit your budget, use airmiles, travel between different airports or on different dates. However, we recommend buying the following flights with British Airways.
28th May London Heathrow 11.05 – 13.40 Hamburg BA0962
1st June Hamburg 14.10 – 15.00 London Heathrow BA0969
*Please note the return flight has been changed by BA to an earlier departure time. This will not affect the trip as we have managed to fit in some shopping time elsewhere and one of the dinners will be subsidised instead of the final lunch.
Transport
There will be airport transfers to meet the recommended flights and we will take a train to Lübeck.
Ability
There is quite a lot of walking on this trip, as well as slopes and uneven cobbles. You need to be able to walk from the train station to the centre of Lübeck. As is the case for all our courses, there is a lot of standing while we discuss the works we are looking at.
Lunches and Dinners
Lunches are a set menu of two courses to include drinks. Dinner is by no means compulsory, but we book a table for the group each night at different restaurants and divide the bill equally between everyone. Sometimes these may also need to be a set menu but we try our best to avoid this. We will adjust the bill for those not drinking alcohol.
Concert Tickets
If you would like tickets for the concert please let us know which tier of seating you like as soon as possible. There is some availability however tickets are limited. The tickets are €58 (only separate seats available for this tier), €84 and €98.
Cost
The fees are £1990 which includes accommodation and breakfast, all lunches, transfers for the recommended flight, transport when connected with teaching, entrance fees, tuition, reading lists and local advice. The single occupancy supplement is £190 (double room for single use). Not included are the flights, all suppers, travel insurance. The group will not exceed 16 people and we will divide in to two smaller groups wherever possible.
To register
Please complete the online registration form, having read our terms and conditions and pay a deposit of £600 via bank transfer. Your place is not confirmed until we have received the deposit.
If you have any queries please email charlie@arthistoryabroad or call 01379 871800 (302
NB you must buy your own Flights
