The tour concentrates predominantly on the works of Charles-Edouard Jeanneret – better known as Le Corbusier – in and beyond Paris, and Alvar Aalto’s key works in Paris, Helsinki and Jyvaskyla, with a digression to visit Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum, and some of the important projects generated by and after it, in Bilbao. We will also be visiting many recent buildings in Berlin, including Norman Foster’s Reichstag and Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum. Another highlight will be Foster’s Millau Viaduct in southern France, the world’s tallest bridge and one of the great engineering achievements of all time. We have also allowed adequate time for participants to enjoy the many galleries, museums and other attractions in the cities we visit. The tour provides a rare opportunity for architects, urban designers, landscape architects, students and graduates of these areas, and anyone else interested in buildings and architecture and how cities are made.
Tony has 45 years of architectural experience, most of those leading teams on major civic projects in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Some notable projects are Federation Square, Elizabeth Quay, and major redevelopments of the State Library of Victoria, Melbourne Central, Hamer Hall, and most recently the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera House. All these projects were RAIA award winners. Tony worked with Malcolm Carver as Tour Manager on our most recent tours, Japan in Nov 2023 and the USA in May 2024. Malcolm has now retired from tour leading, and we are delighted that he selected Tony Allen to take over the leadership of our architectural tours. Tony is looking forward to guiding you on this wonderful tour to Europe.
DAY 1 Sunday 21 September 2025 Helsinki
Arrival day in Helsinki. Check in is available after 3:00pm (Flight and pre tour
accommodation options are available). This evening join Tony for welcome
drinks.
DAY 2 Monday 22 September 2025
Helsinki
In the morning, we visit the first of Aalto’s major Helsinki works, the famed
1971 Finlandia Hall, plus Heikki and Kaija Siren’s 1957 Otaniemi Chapel at the
University of Technology. This afternoon we will visit four buildings within
walking distance of our hotel, Steven Holl’s 1998 Museum of Contemporary
Art Kiasma, LPR’s 2011 Helsinki Music Centre, K2S Architects’ simple and
moving 2012 Kamppi Chapel of Silence and Amos Rex Art Museum by local
firm JKMM.
DAY 3 Tuesday 23 September 2025
Jyvaskyla
In the morning we visit two Aalto highlights, Aalto Studio (1954-55) and Aalto
House (1935-36). In the afternoon we depart Helsinki by coach for Jyvaskyla.
DAY 4 Wednesday 24 September 2025 Jyvaskyla
Our guide for our day in Jyvaskyla will be from the Alvar Aalto Museum. We
will be visiting four of Aalto’s works, the Saynatsalo Town Hall (1952), the
Muuratsalo Experimental House (1952-54) at Saynatsalo, the Museum of
Central Finland (1956- 61) and the Alvar Aalto Museum (1971-1973).
DAY 5 Thursday 25 September 2025 Helsinki
We depart by coach for Noormarkku to visit Aalto’s Villa Mairea (1937-39), a
delightful guesthouse and rural retreat built for Harry and Mairea Gullichsen,
who told Aalto that he should regard it as “an experimental house” and Aalto
seems to have treated it as such. After the visit we travel to Helsinki by coach.
DAY 6 Friday 26 September 2025 2024 Berlin
We fly to Berlin in the morning. In the afternoon we have a guided tour of the
city, followed by a visit to James Simon Gallery by David Chipperfield, Unite
d’Habitation by Le Corbusier, Tchoban Foundation, Museum for Architectural
Drawing by SPEECH and Axel Springer Campus by OMA.
DAY 7 Saturday 27 September 2025
Berlin
A day at leisure to visit such attractions as the Berliner Dom, Pergamon
Museum, Egyptian Museum, Charlottenburg Palace and Park or the Museum
of Design devoted to the artists of the Bauhaus School.
DAY 8 Sunday 28 September 2025
Berlin
In the morning we visit Daniel Libeskind’s 1999 Jewish Museum, followed by
Norman Foster’s reinvention of the Reichstag, 1999, built to commemorate
the move of Germany’s capital from Bonn to Berlin. The afternoon will be free.
DAY 9 Monday 29 September 2025
Bern
We fly to Luzern in Switzerland in the morning. In the afternoon we visit Jean
Nouvel’s 1999 Culture & Congress Centre which occupies a magnificent site
fronting onto the lake. A guided tour of the building’s interior is subject to the
Centre’s event schedule. We then take the coach through mountain scenery
to Bern.
DAY 10 Tuesday 30 September 2025
Lyon
In the morning we visit Renzo Piano’s 2005 Paul Klee Gallery in Bern. We
then cross into France to see Le Corbusier’s masterwork, the 1955 Chapelle
Notre-Dame-du- Haut at Ronchamp. The first pilgrimage Chapel on this hill overlooking the small town of Ronchamp was destroyed by lightning in
1913 and its replacement was then ruined by shellfire in 1944. The Chapel at
Ronchamp is one of western civilization’s most spiritually and emotionally
intense buildings. We then travel across France by coach to visit Santiago
Calatrava’s stunning 1994 Lyon- Saint Exupery (previously Satolas) TGV
Station. This is followed by a short trip to our hotel in Lyon.
DAY 11 Wednesday 1 October 2025
Toulouse
This morning we see the Euronews Headquarters & the Orange Cube both
by Jakob & MacFarlane, La Tourette Convent by Corb and the Musee des
Confluences by Coop Himmelblau. We then travel by coach to the world’s
tallest bridge and one of great engineering achievements of all time, Norman
Foster’s 2004 Millau Viaduct. The tallest part of the bridge is 343 metres
above the ground. The road deck is a maximum of 270 metres above ground.
We then take the coach to the delightful town of Toulouse.
DAY 12 Thursday 2 October 2025
Bilbao
In the morning we cross into Spain by coach on our way to Bilbao. We meet our
Bilbao guide at the remarkable 1893 Vizcaya Bridge at Pais Vasco, the oldest
hanging transporter bridge in the world. The bridge was designed by Alberto
de Palacio, one of Gustave Eiffel’s disciples. In 2006 the bridge was declared
a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. We then move to Artxanda for a view
overlooking Bilbao, before we visit Calatrava’s 1997 Zubizuri pedestrian bridge
over the Nervion River close to the Guggenheim Museum and our hotel.
DAY 13 Friday 3 October 2025
Bilbao
Another highlight this morning, probably the most famous building of the
second half of the 20th century and one that created the understanding
that architecture can reinvent cities (the Guggenheim Effect), Frank Gehry’s
gleaming Guggenheim Museum (1997) which sits on the edge of Bilbao’s
Nervion River. This Basque city had once thrived on the steel and shipbuilding
industries but had been in such deep decline that it was nicknamed El Boxto,
The Hole. A new life for the city was led by a determined and imaginative
mayor, and now Bilbao thrives again, its life, streets and skyline dramatically
altered by a collection of remarkable architecture. After visting the museum
we take in some of the impressive nearby architecture including Casa
Montero (Luis Aladren), Isozaki Atea (Arata isozaki), Iberdrola Tower (Cesar
Pelli) and Euskalduna Concert Hall (Soriano & Palacios).
DAY 14 Saturday 4 October 2025
Paris
Prior to our flight to Paris, we have a tour of Santiago Calatrava’s magically
made and landscaped 2000 Bilbao Airport. We commence our time in
Paris with a visit to I M Pei’s 1989 Louvre Pyramid, the entrance to the
gallery, followed by a visit to the Immeuble Molitor apartment (1931-34), Le
Corbusier’s apartment, studio and workshop, which takes up the two top
floors of the Molitor building.
DAY 15 Sunday 5 October 2025 Paris
In the morning, we visit Le Corbusier’s most famous house, and one of the
finest examples of 20th century architecture, the 1929 Villa Savoye at Poissy.
It is a startlingly simple white cube set on a green lawn and encircled by a
deeper green forest. Villa Savoye has been completely restored and is a joy
to see. We then visit Alvar Aalto’s 1959 Maison Louis Carré, built for a French
art dealer and collector. This masterpiece of modern architecture combines
buildings, garden, furniture and interior design in a total work of art. It is
Aalto’s only remaining building in France and one of his most remarkable
private villas. Lastly we visit the 1977 Pompidou Centre designed by Richard
Rogers, Renzo Piano and Gianfranco Franchini.
DAY 16 Monday 6 October 2025
Paris
In the morning we visit two works by Le Corbusier at the Cité University.
The Pavillon Suisse (1932) indicates the development of Le Corbusier’s “Five
points of architecture”. Over two decades later, with Brazil’s Luis Costa, Le
Corbusier added the 1953 Maison du Bresil to the campus. In the afternoon
we visit Le Corbusier & Pierre Jeanneret’s 1925 Maison La Roche-Jeanneret
(Foundation Le Corbusier), followed by Tadao Ando’s Bourse de Commerce
and La Seine Musical by Shigeru Ban.
DAY 17 Tuesday 7 October 2025
Paris
A day at leisure provides the opportunity to visit Versailles, Giverny, the
Eiffel Tower, Musee d’ Orsay, Notre Dame, Champs Elysees, Montmartre, Arc
de Triomphe, Chartres Cathedral, Jardin des Tuileries and countless other
highlights in and around Paris. We have our farewell dinner in the evening.
DAY 18 Wednesday 8 October 2025 Departure
The tour concludes after breakfast.
| TWIN FARE PER PERSON | SINGLE FARE |
|---|---|
| $11,900 | $14,800 |
Participants should be aware that there may be minor changes to the itinerary as it is enhanced and refined prior to the tour.
Touring can involve a considerable amount of walking and stair climbing in the places visited and it is important that all tour participants have a level of physical fitness that allows them to take part in this tour without the need of assistance from others.
TOUR OPERATOR:
Travelrite International Pty Ltd (ABN 64 005 817 078)
is the tour organiser. All passengers must complete and sign a Travelrite
International booking form.
DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT:
A non-refundable deposit of $1,000 per
passenger should be sent with a completed Travelrite International
booking. As soon as the booking is confirmed, (usually within 24 hours),
a confirmation advice will be posted to the client. A further deposit
of $1,500 is due by 21 May 2025. Final payments are due to be paid to
Travelrite International 60 days prior to the commencement of the tour.
A 1.5% administration fee will be added to payments by credit card.
CANCELLATION CHARGES: Number of days before departure.
| Days prior to Departure | Cancellation Fee |
|---|---|
| Over 120 days | $1000 per person |
| 120 – 61 days | $2500 per person |
| 60 days or less | 100% of full fare |
REFUNDS:
The tour is based on arrangements that do not allow for any
refunds in respect to sightseeing, accommodation, meals, airfare or
other services not utilised after the tour has commenced.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS:
All passengers will require a valid passport. If
you hold another passport please check with Travelrite International.
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
Adequate travel insurance is highly recommended
to cover tour members for the consequences of unforeseen events
during the tour and for cancellation fees which could result from events
such as illness, accident, death etc.
BAGGAGE:
All passengers qualify for 1 piece free baggage allowance.
MINIMUM TOUR NUMBERS AND CONDITIONS:
The tour has been priced
on the basis of a minimum number of passengers having booked 60 days
prior to departure. Travelrite reserves the right to cancel the tour, giving
a full refund of all monies paid or offer arrangements to proceed with
the tour at a modified cost. Travelrite International reserves the right
to change advertised entrances if necessary for the smooth operation
of the tour.
TOUR PARTICIPATION:
Children under 5 years of age are ineligible on coach & cruise tours. Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Passengers with disabilities are welcome on Travelrite & Cruise Offers tours provided they are accompanied by a companion capable of providing all necessary assistance, and do not require special assistance from Travelrite & Cruise Offers personnel. Travelrite and Cruise Offers reserves the right to refuse to carry anyone if it is felt the individual cannot cope with the requirements of coach & cruise tour travel and who may require services and facilities that Travelrite & Cruise Offers cannot guarantee will be available. You agree to not hold the Travelrite & Cruise Offers responsible for any decision made by any of them or any service provider to refuse to carry you, provide any facilities or accommodation to you or to provide any service to you.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Travelrite International Pty Ltd. (ATAS No. A10538)
is the tour organiser. Travelrite acts only as an agent in the making of
arrangements for hotels, transportation, restaurants or any other
service and does not assume any liability whatsoever for any injury,
damage, death, loss, accident or delay to person or property due to an
act of negligence or a default of any hotel, carrier restaurant company
or person rendering any services included in the tour, or by act of God.
Further no responsibilities are accepted for any damage or delay due to
sickness, pilferage, labour disputes, machinery break-down, quarantine,
government restraints, weather, terrorism or other causes beyond
their control. No responsibility is accepted for any additional expense,
omission, delays, re-routing or acts of any government authority. The
passage contract between the carriers concerned, when issued, shall
constitute the sole contract between the carriers and the purchasers of
this tour and/ or the passengers. The right is reserved to withdraw any
tour and/or make such changes in the tour as may be found desirable or
necessary for the convenience of the parties and the proper carrying out
of the tour. This contract shall be construed in accordance of the laws of
the State of Victoria, Australia and any legal action must be undertaken
in the State of Victoria.
DELAYS AND UNFORESEEN EVENTS:
You engage Travelrite International to book this tour on your behalf and you acknowledge that
Travelrite International acts as your agent for the purpose of making
contracts between you and the various providers of accommodation,
transportation and other services that comprise the tour. Travelrite may
without reference to you provide or make available to you, or may as
your agent engage any third party to provide or make available to you,
any good or service which Travelrite reasonably believes is necessary for
your benefit to maintain the tour itinerary, repatriate you or otherwise
accommodate, transport or sustain you in circumstances in which the
tour itinerary fails wholly or partly for any reason. You appoint Travelrite
International your attorney for this purpose. You agree to pay Travelrite
any cost thereof and you indemnify Travelrite in respect of any cost it incurs in this regard. Travelrite advises you to obtain travel insurance
generally including in respect of the risk that any such good or service
may become required.
HOW TO BOOK:
Bookings can be made by sending full names and
addresses of intending tour members with a non-refundable deposit
of $1,000 to:
Travelrite International Pty Ltd
423 Whitehorse Road
Balwyn, Victoria 3103
Further information or a booking form can be obtained by
contacting Travelrite International on the following numbers:
Toll Free: 1800 630 343
Phone: (03) 8803 6868
Email: sales@travelrite.com.au
www.travelrite.com.au
ABOUT TRAVELRITE INTERNATIONAL:
Travelrite International Pty Ltd is a well-established travel
company which has been operating in the eastern suburbs
of Melbourne for more than 40 years. It is a member of ATAS
(number A10538) and has an accredited IATA office at Balwyn.
As such, it directly represents the major airlines of the world
and all major domestic and international tour and transport
operators. Travelrite International has been operating special
interest tours for over 35 years, and now runs over 120 tours
a year. Travelrite International Pty Ltd is a full member of the
Australian Travel Industry Association – ATIA.
“Many thanks to you both (and Travelrite) for a fantastic US tour! A very memorable experience indeed…and nice to meet all the Tour group as well!”
“What a delight and privilege it was for me to spend that time soaking in amazing architecture with such a lovely, interesting group of people. I enjoyed meeting all of you.”
