From Belgian Art Nouveau to Dutch Modern

Day 1: Wednesday 7 October, Arrive Brussels

• Tour commences at 2.00pm in the foyer of the Le Dixseptième, Brussels
• Villa Empain
• Stijl: multi-label luxury designer store – meeting with designer, Marina Yee
• Welcome Dinner at Brasserie Surréaliste

Meeting Point: The tour commences at 2.00pm in the foyer of  Le Dixseptième which is ideally located in the historic centre, 280m from the Grand Place (Grote Markt).

Following a brief welcome meeting, we take a guided tour of Villa Empain, a private house in the Art Deco style designed and built between 1931 and 1934 by Swiss architect Michel Polak for Baron Louis Empain, son of Belgian industrialist Baron Édouard Empain. This legendary Art Deco villa was abandoned for many years before undergoing a painstaking restoration by Francis Metzger of the Ma2 architectural practice.

In the early evening we stroll through Brussel’s downtown fashion and design district. In Rue Antoine Dansaert and rue de Flandre we find exclusive designers and boutiques including Stijl, where we plan to meet with designer, Marina Yee, a pivotal figure of the ‘Antwerp Six’.

Tonight’s Welcome dinner is at Brasserie Surréaliste, a brewery, bar and restaurant housed in a renovated Art Deco building of 1932, previously a banana warehouse. We return to our hotel on foot via the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Grand Place, which is beautifully lit in the evenings. (Overnight Brussels) D

Day 2: Thursday 8 October, Brussels

• Horta Museum, Saint-Gilles
• Art Nouveau walking tour of Saint-Gilles and Ixelles: incl. exteriors of Maison Hankar, Maison Ciamberlani and Hotel Tassel
• Hôtel Max Hallet (by special appointment)
• Hôtel Solvay (by special appointment)
• Time at leisure

Brussels is the capital of Art Nouveau and magnificent structures throughout the capital city are recognised as ‘world heritage’ by UNESCO. At the turn of the 19th century Brussels went through a period of unrivalled effervescence. The middle classes, merchants and artists opted to have their houses built in the style in vogue: Art Nouveau, marking the beginning of modern architecture and design. The Austrian architect Josef Hoffman, the painter Gustav Klimt and the French architect Hector Guimard all joined the Belgian architects Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde, the furniture designer Serrurier-Bovy and the jeweller Philippe Wolfers to get their inspiration.

We begin our study of Brussels Art Nouveau with a guided tour of the Horta Museum, located in the private house and studio of architect Victor Horta (1861-1947). Built between 1898 and 1901 at 23-25, rue Américaine in Saint-Gilles, the two buildings are typical of Art Nouveau at its height. The interior decoration has largely been retained, the mosaics, stained glass, and wall decorations forming a harmonious and elegant whole, down to the last detail.

Led by a specialist guide from ARAU (Atelier de Recherche et d’Action Urbaines) we take a walking tour of the Art Nouveau buildings of Saint-Gilles and Ixelles, viewing the exteriors of Roosenboom House designed by Albert Roosenboom a pupil of Victor Horta; the Maison Hankar and Maison Ciamberlani – both designed by architect Paul Hankar; Hôtel Tassel by Victor Horta 1893-1897; Hotel Otlet by architect Octave van Rysselberghe and Henry van de Velde and Hôtel Hannon by architect Jules Brunfaut.

By special appointment, we view the interiors of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hôtel Max Hallet and Hôtel Solvay, both designed by Victor Horta. On avenue Louise, the restored Hôtel Max Hallet is a restrained structure of 1904 where the straight, slender façade is decorated with elegant doors and windows plus an elongated stone balcony with a wrought-iron balustrade.

Also on avenue Louise, the Hôtel Solvay is a luxurious residence built by Victor Horta in 1894 for the Solvay family. The 33-year-old architect was given complete freedom and unlimited funds to design the interior and furnishings. This is generally considered the most ambitious and spectacular work of Horta in the Art Nouveau period. It features a decorated staircase, mosaic floor, painted walls, wrought iron work and custom furniture. (Overnight Brussels) B

Day 3: Friday 9 October, Brussels

• Musée David et Alice van Buuren
• Guided tour of Musée Fin-de-Siècle (due to reopen in 2026)
• Musée René Magritte
• Pre-dinner drinks at Bar Magritte

We start our day with a visit to the David and Alice van Buuren Museum, a private house built from 1924 to 1928, decorated with sublime furnishings, stained glass and fine paintings covering five centuries of art.

This afternoon we tour the Musée Fin-de-Siècle, dedicated to arts and crafts at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum includes displays of paintings, contemporary photography, architecture, film, music and literature – and a home for the outstanding collection of Art Nouveau furniture and decorative art work donated by the Gillion-Crowet family in 2006. Artists represented include Belgian painters such as the impressionist-influenced Hippolyte Boulenger and Guillaume Vogels, the powerful imagery of Léon Spilliaert, and the remarkable expressionist and surrealist painter and printmaker, James Ensor. Major international figures are also well-represented with works by Van Gogh, the Pre-Raphaelites’s Burne-Jones, and the key French artists of the time, including three contrasting works by Gauguin, sculpture by Rodin and paintings by Bonnard, Sisley and Seurat.

We end the day with a tour of the museum devoted to Brussels’ most famous modern artist, the Surrealist painter René Magritte. The Musée René Magritte displays some 200 original paintings, drawing and sculptures, mostly donated by his wife Georgette and by his principal collector, Irène Hamoir Scutenaire. This is the world’s largest collection of Magritte’s work.

This evening we enjoy a pre-dinner drink at Bar Magritte which opened in 2024 to commemorate the artist’s 125th birthday. Featured in Wallpaper magazine, the bar ‘boasts a joyful colour palette with playful textures and beautiful art deco-inspired stained glass windows. (Overnight Brussels) B

Day 4: Saturday 10 October, Brussels

• Hôtel van Eetvelde (by special appointment)
• Cauchie House (by special appointment)
• Design Museum Brussels

This morning view the interior of Hôtel van Eetvelde, a town house designed in 1895 by Victor Horta for Edmond van Eetvelde, Minister for the Congo Free. Its interior is a Horta masterpiece studded with exotic timbers and sporting a central glass dome infused with African-inspired plant motifs. Together with three other town houses of Victor Horta, including Horta’s own house and workshop, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2000.

Next, we tour Cauchie House, considered to be one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau masterpieces in Brussels. It was built in 1905 by Art Nouveau architect, painter and designer Paul Cauchie. It bears many exceptional decorative elements, including the famous Art Nouveau sgraffito. The sgraffiti, or engraved drawings, that you can see on the wall, represent the allegories of the arts.

This afternoon we tour the Design Museum Brussels which is dedicated to design and art from the 20th century. This unique collection includes Pop Art, everyday products, artworks and iconic industrial designs. The museum’s colourful entrance steps were designed by Jean Nouvel. Of particular note is the Plasticarium, which contains over 2000 plastic objects ranging from everyday gadgets to works of art. (Overnight Brussels) B

Day 5: Sunday 11 October, Brussels – Ghent – Middelheim – Antwerp

• Design Museum, Ghent (due to reopen in 2026)
• Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent
• Middelheim Open Air Sculpture Pavilion: Braem Pavilion & Het Huis

This morning we journey to the port city of Ghent, located at the confluence of the Leie and Scheldt rivers. Known for its medieval castle, guildhalls and art treasures, it is also home to Belgium’s Design Museum. On arrival we take a guided tour of the museum’s collection which includes a varied selection of just under 200 objects, from 1880 to the present day.

Following some time at leisure for lunch, we visit this wonderful 24-panel altarpiece in the Cathedral of St Bavo in the centre of Ghent. The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb was begun by Hubert van Eyck (c.1390-1426) and completed after his death by Jan van Eyck in 1432. Commissioned for the chapel in which it remains today by a wealthy alderman in 1420, the painting is arguably the greatest work of the Northern Renaissance.

The Antwerp-born architect Renaat Braem (1910-2001) is considered one of the finest representatives of Belgium’s Mid-century Modern. He began his career as a trainee with Le Corbusier and worked incessantly from his hometown base from the late 1930s. Bream designed some of the most representative modernist examples in Belgium, including the Middelheim Open Air Sculpture Pavilion which we next visit.

This open-air museum for modern sculpture, set in a 27-hectare park, includes works by Ai Weiwei, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp, Dan Graham, Per Kirkeby, Henry Moore, Panamarenko, François Pompon, Auguste Rodin, Joep Van Lieshout and Ossip Zadkine.

To house smaller sculptures and more fragile works, Renaat Braem was commissioned to design an exhibition hall. Throughout his career he saw architecture as the art of organising space in order to liberate humankind. His architecture gradually adopted a more organic style, which is apparent in this pavilion. We also view the Het Huis, a semi-open pavilion designed by Robbrecht and Daem. This temporary exhibition site, which consists of plaited grey-green curved steel plates, has been seamlessly incorporated into the green surroundings of the park. Together with the Braem Pavilion, Het Huis is an example of the museum’s ideal of merging art and architecture. (Overnight Antwerp) B

Day 6: Monday 12 October, Antwerp

• Antwerp Central Station & the Art Nouveau district of Zurenborg
• Renaat Braem’s House
• ‘New Faces of Harbour Cities’: An architecture tour of Antwerp’s Port including MAS, the Port House by Zaha Hadid Architects & Red Star Line Museum

Accompanied by a local architect, we spend a full day exploring a range of Antwerp’s architectural projects. We begin with visit to Antwerp’s Central Station, considered one of the most beautiful stations in the world. The original station was constructed between 1895 and 1905. The stone clad terminus buildings, with a vast dome above the waiting room hall were designed by Louis Delacenserie and the vast iron and glass train shed by Clement van Bogaert. Between 2000 and 2009 the monumental building was completely modernised and expanded to accommodate the high-speed rail line.

We continue down Cogels Osylei to the Zurenborg district which was largely developed between 1894 and 1906. The district features a high concentration of townhouses in Art Nouveau and fin-de-siècle styles. Of particular interest is the façade of De Zonnebloem (Sunflower). Designed by architect Jules Hoffman in 1900, its exterior is decorated with limestone and stucco sunflower ornaments painted in gold.

This afternoon we visit Renaat Baem’s own home, which following his death, was carefully restored and now opens as a museum by special appointment. Built by himself in 1958, the house is considered one of the best-preserved examples of his work.

At Antwerp’s dockside we take an architectural tour of Museum aan de Stroom. Located on the former site of a Hanseatic warehouse in an area known as Het Eilandje (‘the little island’), the MAS is intended to be a bridge between the city centre and the port. Designed by Dutch architects Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Riedijk, this 60-metre-tall tower block consists of wide panels of undulating glass separating 10 giant stone containers, stacked one on top of the other and clad in violent red Indian sandstone. Every storey of the tower has been rotated a quarter turn, creating a gigantic spiral staircase. This spiral space, in which a facade of corrugated glass is inserted, forms a public city gallery. During our tour we explore how this design is consistent with the historical function and atmosphere of the location, visit the promenade, and enjoy dramatic views of the city from the viewing depot.

Across from the MAS is Antwerp’s Port Authority. Our tour of this area includes exterior visits to the Port House designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and the Red Star Line Museum designed by New York architects Beyer Blinder Belle, the museum’s steel and glass observation tower provides panoramic views of the city and its historic port. (Overnight Antwerp) B

Day 7: Tuesday 13 October, Antwerp

• Antwerp ModeMuseum (MoMu)
• Home and office of Cuypers & Q architecten
• Home of Sam Peeters, Creative Director of CONTEKST
• Afternoon at leisure
• Dinner at Restaurant August

This morning we visit MoMu, Antwerp’s fashion museum which looks back at four decades of Belgian fashion including masterpieces by Martin Margiela, A.F. Vandevorst, Ann Demeulemeester and Raf Simons.

Next, we visit the home office of architects Cuypers & Q. Complete with outdoor gardens and terraces, this unconventional home office features few doors. Instead, there are fluid open plan spaces with the offices located on the lower levels and the home dedicated to the upper floors. When the architects purchased the property it was a ‘no go area’ but is now one of the most coveted places to live and work in Antwerp.

We continue with a visit to the home of architect, Sam Peeters, Creative Director of interior design company CONTKST. Here we can see what can be achieved in a period home – combing the best of the past and the present. Recent renovations, which retain fine period features, revealed some surprises including a hand-painted ceiling in the formal lounge.

Following an afternoon at leisure we dine together at Restaurant August which is overseen by chef Nick Bril who won a Michelin star at the Jane, the restaurant that put August’s neighbourhood on the map. The restaurant forms part of a project by Belgian architect and designer, Vincent Van Duysen, who transformed an Augustinian convent into a boutique hotel. (Overnight Antwerp) BD

Day 8: Wednesday 14 October, Antwerp – ‘s-Hertogenbosch – Utrecht

• Maarten Baas Studio, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
• Rietveld Schröder House

This morning we journey north to the city of s’-Hertgogenbosch in the Netherlands, where we visit the studio of Dutch artist-designer, Maarten Baas. Baas’ career was launched by the success of his Smoke chair, which he developed for his graduation show at Design Academy Eindhoven in 2002. In 2009, he was named ‘Designer of the Year’ at Design Basel/Miami. In 2012, the New York Times listed his Smoke and Clay furniture in its ‘Top 25 Design Classics of the Future’. In 2016, Baas won the art prize for his Real Time: Sweepers Clock, a series of clocks in which people paint the time by hand.

We continue to Utrecht, where following some time at leisure for lunch, we explore one of the masterpieces of the early 20th century, the Rietveld Schröder House (1924), inscribed as a UNESCO landmark of 20th-century architecture and truly a high point of the De Stijl movement. Its clean, rectilinear lines, picked out by primary colours, are reminiscent of a Piet Mondrian painting. (Overnight Utrecht) B

Day 9: Thursday 15 October, Utrecht – Rotterdam – Utrecht

• Villa Sonneveld
• Kijk-Kubus Museum-House
• Architectural Walking tour of Rotterdam
• Van Nelle Fabriek

Today we make an excursion to Rotterdam, a city that is famous for its modern architecture and dramatic skyline dominated by the ultra-modern Erasmus Bridge over the River Maas. We begin with a tour of Sonneveld House, a family home, built by Johannes Brinkman and Leendert van der Vlugt in 1933. This streamlined, state-of-the-art building is considered an outstanding example of Dutch Functionalism. The home is replete with original fittings and furniture. The Sonneveld House is located in the Museumspark, also home to the Netherlands Architectural Institute (Jo Coenen 1993) and the Kunsthal (Koolhas 1992).

During our architectural walking tour of the city we view cutting-edge buildings by Renzo Piano, Piet Blom and Rem Koolhaas. We encounter the life-size green light-emitting matrix at Toren op Zuid (South Tower), the hypermodern New Luxor Theatre and Montevideo, the tallest residential tower in the Netherlands.

We also visit the Cube houses (Dutch: kubuswoningen) designed by Piet Blom and the Markthal, an extraordinary horseshoe structure designed by MVRDV whose glass-walled apartments arc over a 40m-high market hall. The market hall’s interior is adorned with artwork by Arno Coenen and Iris Roskam named Hoorn des Overvloeds (Horn of Plenty) depicting enlarged fruits, vegetables, seeds, fish, flowers and insects.

We end the day with a visit to the modernist, World Heritage-listed, Van Nelle Fabriek. This icon of 20th-century industrial architecture was designed and built between 1925 and 1931 by Brinkman and van der Vlugt with input by Mart Stam. Largely constructed of steel and glass, it functioned as a state-of-the-art coffee, tea and tobacco factory until the 1990s. (Overnight Utrecht) B

Day 10: Friday 16 October, Utrecht – Otterlo – Utrecht

• Kröller-Müller Museum & the Hoge Veluwe National Park
• Jachthuis Sint Hubertus – Hubertus Hunting Lodge by Berlage
• Farewell Dinner

This morning we drive to the Hoge Veluwe National Park. Here we tour the collection and sculpture garden of the Kröller-Müller Museum. Located amid the scenic woodland of the Hoge Veluwe, the Kröller-Müller Museum designed by the Belgian architect Henry van de Velde sits beautifully in its garden and surrounding woods. The museum collection focuses upon an extensive range of 275 works by Vincent van Gogh, including such famous works as his early Potato Eaters and his The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum (1888). We also see works by Seurat, Redon, Braque, Picasso, Gris and Mondrian. The museum is surrounded by one of the largest sculpture gardens in Europe, with works by Marta Pan, Barbara Hepworth, Rodin, Jacques Lipchitz, Marino Marini, Moore and many others.

Following time at leisure for lunch at the museum’s café, we take a guided tour of the iconic Hubertus Hunting Lodge, designed by the renowned Dutch architect, H.P. Berlage (1856-1934), as the country residence for the Kröller-Müllers in 1914. It was completed in 1920. Considered the “Father of Modern architecture” in the Netherlands, Berlage was influenced by the Jugendstil and later by Frank Lloyd Wright. The residence, which was constructed with extreme geometric precision, is made entirely of bricks, some of them glazed. Berlage also designed the furniture, the floor tiles, the lamps and even the cutlery. Additionally, he designed the surrounding gardens which include a pond and small pavilion.

We return to Utrecht in the late afternoon where we enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (Overnight Utrecht) BD

Day 11: Saturday 17 October, Utrecht – The Hague – Wassenaar – Amsterdam Airport

• M.C. Escher in Het Paleis, The Hague
• Museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar
• Transfer to Amsterdam Airport: ETA 1630hrs

We depart early this morning for The Hague to view the work of Dutch graphic artist, Maurits C. Escher (1898-1972), on display in the 18th-century Lange Voorhout Palace, the former Winter Palace of Queen Mother Emma of the Netherlands. The permanent exhibition includes photos, woodcuts and lithographs from various points of his career, including everything from the early realism to the later phantasmagoria. The palace also features works by Hans Van Bentem who creates mostly monumental sculptures and installations in ceramics, porcelain, crystal, glass, wood and bronze. Several of the palace rooms are decorated with his chandeliers designed in the shape of a skull, a spider and an umbrella.

Next, we visit Museum Voorlinden, a private museum owned by Joop van Caldenborgh surrounded with gardens by Piet Oudolf. Known, as the Caldic Collection, this is the largest private collection of modern and contemporary art in the Netherlands. Housed in a contemporary building designed by Kraaijvanger Architects, it contains paintings, sculpture, mixed media and photography, mostly from the 20th century. Highlights include Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich, Skyspace by James Turrell, Couple under an Umbrella by Ron Mueck and works by Richard Serra, Maurizio Cattelan, Roni Horn and Maarten Baas. Following our guided tour of the museum and lunch at the café, we transfer to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport where our tour officially ends at approximately 4.30pm. B