grand tour aristocracy

What was the Grand Tour?

Find out about the travel phenomenon that became popular amongst the young nobility of England

Art, antiquity and architecture: the Grand Tour provided an opportunity to discover the cultural wonders of Europe and beyond.  

Popular throughout the 18th century, this extended journey was seen as a rite of passage for mainly young, aristocratic English men. 

As well as marvelling at artistic masterpieces, Grand Tourists brought back souvenirs to commemorate and display their journeys at home. 

One exceptional example forms the subject of a new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Canaletto’s Venice Revisited brings together 24 of Canaletto’s Venetian views, commissioned in 1731 by Lord John Russell following his visit to Venice. 

Find out more about this travel phenomenon – and uncover its rich cultural legacy. 

Canaletto's Venice Revisited

The origins of the Grand Tour

The development of the Grand Tour dates back to the 16th century. 

One of the earliest Grand Tourists was the architect Inigo Jones , who embarked on a tour of Italy in 1613-14 with his patron Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel. 

Jones visited cities such as Parma, Venice and Rome. However, it was Naples that proved the high point of his travels.  

Jones was particularly fascinated by the San Paolo Maggiore, describing the church as “one of the best things that I have ever seen.” 

Jones’s time in Italy shaped his architectural style. In 1616, Jones was commissioned to design the Queen’s House in Greenwich for Queen Anne of Denmark , the wife of King James I. Completed in around 1636, the house was the first classical building in England. 

The expression ‘Grand Tour’ itself comes from 17th century travel writer and Roman Catholic priest Richard Lassels, who used it in his guidebook The Voyage of Italy, published in 1670. 

By the 18th century, the Grand Tour had reached its zenith. Despite Anglo-French wars in 1689-97 and 1702-13, this was a time of relative stability in Europe, which made travelling across the continent easier. 

The Grand Tour route

For young English aristocrats, embarking on the Grand Tour was seen as an important rite of passage. 

Accompanied by a tutor, a Grand Tourist’s route typically involved taking a ship across the English Channel before travelling in a carriage through France, stopping at Paris and other major cities. 

Italy was also a popular destination thanks to the art and architecture of places such as Venice, Florence, Rome, Milan and Naples. More adventurous travellers ventured to Sicily or even sailed across to Greece. The average Grand Tour lasted for at least a year. 

As Katherine Gazzard, Curator of Art at Royal Museums Greenwich explains, this extended journey marked the culmination of a Grand Tourist’s education.  

“The Grand Tourists would have received an education that was grounded in the Classics,” she says. “During their travels to the continent, they would have seen classical ruins and read Latin and Greek texts. The Grand Tour was also an opportunity to take in more recent culture, such as Renaissance paintings, and see contemporary artists at work.” 

As well as educational opportunities, the Grand Tour was linked with independence. Places such as Venice were popular with pleasure seekers, boasting gambling houses and occasions for drinking and partying.  

“On the Grand Tour, there’s a sense that travellers are gaining some of their independence and having a lesson in the ways of the world,” Gazzard explains. “For visitors to Venice, there were opportunities to behave beyond the social norms, with the masquerade and the carnival.” 

Art and the Grand Tour 

Bound up with the idea of independence was the need to collect souvenirs, which the Grand Tourists could display in their homes.  

“The ownership of property was tied to status, so creating a material legacy was really important for the Grand Tourists in order to solidify their social standing amongst their peers,” says Gazzard. “They were looking to spend money and buy mementos to prove they went on the trip.” 

The works of artists such as those of the 18th century view painter Giovanni Antonio Canal (known as Canaletto ) were especially popular with Grand Tourists. Prized for their detail, Canaletto’s artworks captured the landmarks and scenes of everyday Venetian life, from festive scenes to bustling traffic on the Grand Canal . 

In 1731, Lord John Russell, the future 4th Duke of Bedford, commissioned Canaletto to create 24 Venetian views following his visit to the city. 

Lord John Russell is known to have paid at least £188 for the set – over five times the annual earnings of a skilled tradesperson at the time.  

“Canaletto’s work was portable and collectible,” says Gazzard. “He adopted a smaller size for his canvases so they could be rolled up and shipped easily.” 

These detailed works, now part of the world famous collection at Woburn Abbey, form the centrepiece of Canaletto’s Venice Revisited at the National Maritime Museum . 

Who was Canaletto?

The legacy of the Grand Tour 

The start of the French Revolution in 1789 marked the end of the Grand Tour. However, its legacy is still keenly felt. 

The desire to explore and learn about different places and cultures through travel continues to endure. The legacy of the Grand Tour can also be seen in the artworks and objects that adorn the walls of stately homes and museums, and the many cultural influences that travellers brought back to Britain. 

Canaletto's Venice Revisited

Main image:  The Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica San Marco and the Campanile by Canaletto . From the Woburn Abbey Collection . Canaletto painting in body copy:  Regatta on Grand Canal  by Canaletto  From the Woburn Abbey Collection

Sign Up Today

Start your 14 day free trial today

The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

What Was the Grand Tour of Europe?

Lucy Davidson

26 jan 2022, @lucejuiceluce.

In the 18th century, a ‘Grand Tour’ became a rite of passage for wealthy young men. Essentially an elaborate form of finishing school, the tradition saw aristocrats travel across Europe to take in Greek and Roman history, language and literature, art, architecture and antiquity, while a paid ‘cicerone’ acted as both a chaperone and teacher.

Grand Tours were particularly popular amongst the British from 1764-1796, owing to the swathes of travellers and painters who flocked to Europe, the large number of export licenses granted to the British from Rome and a general period of peace and prosperity in Europe.

However, this wasn’t forever: Grand Tours waned in popularity from the 1870s with the advent of accessible rail and steamship travel and the popularity of Thomas Cook’s affordable ‘Cook’s Tour’, which made mass tourism possible and traditional Grand Tours less fashionable.

Here’s the history of the Grand Tour of Europe.

Who went on the Grand Tour?

In his 1670 guidebook The Voyage of Italy , Catholic priest and travel writer Richard Lassells coined the term ‘Grand Tour’ to describe young lords travelling abroad to learn about art, culture and history. The primary demographic of Grand Tour travellers changed little over the years, though primarily upper-class men of sufficient means and rank embarked upon the journey when they had ‘come of age’ at around 21.

‘Goethe in the Roman Campagna’ by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Rome 1787.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Grand Tours also became fashionable for women who might be accompanied by a spinster aunt as a chaperone. Novels such as E. M. Forster’s A Room With a View reflected the role of the Grand Tour as an important part of a woman’s education and entrance into elite society.

Increasing wealth, stability and political importance led to a more broad church of characters undertaking the journey. Prolonged trips were also taken by artists, designers, collectors, art trade agents and large numbers of the educated public.

What was the route?

The Grand Tour could last anything from several months to many years, depending on an individual’s interests and finances, and tended to shift across generations. The average British tourist would start in Dover before crossing the English Channel to Ostend in Belgium or Le Havre and Calais in France. From there the traveller (and if wealthy enough, group of servants) would hire a French-speaking guide before renting or acquiring a coach that could be both sold on or disassembled. Alternatively, they would take the riverboat as far as the Alps or up the Seine to Paris .

Map of grand tour taken by William Thomas Beckford in 1780.

From Paris, travellers would normally cross the Alps – the particularly wealthy would be carried in a chair – with the aim of reaching festivals such as the Carnival in Venice or Holy Week in Rome. From there, Lucca, Florence, Siena and Rome or Naples were popular, as were Venice, Verona, Mantua, Bologna, Modena, Parma, Milan, Turin and Mont Cenis.

What did people do on the Grand Tour?

A Grand Tour was both an educational trip and an indulgent holiday. The primary attraction of the tour lay in its exposure of the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, such as the excavations at Herculaneum and Pompeii, as well as the chance to enter fashionable and aristocratic European society.

Johann Zoffany: The Gore Family with George, third Earl Cowper, c. 1775.

In addition, many accounts wrote of the sexual freedom that came with being on the continent and away from society at home. Travel abroad also provided the only opportunity to view certain works of art and potentially the only chance to hear certain music.

The antiques market also thrived as lots of Britons, in particular, took priceless antiquities from abroad back with them, or commissioned copies to be made. One of the most famous of these collectors was the 2nd Earl of Petworth, who gathered or commissioned some 200 paintings and 70 statues and busts – mainly copies of Greek originals or Greco-Roman pieces – between 1750 and 1760.

It was also fashionable to have your portrait painted towards the end of the trip. Pompeo Batoni painted over 175 portraits of travellers in Rome during the 18th century.

Others would also undertake formal study in universities, or write detailed diaries or accounts of their experiences. One of the most famous of these accounts is that of US author and humourist Mark Twain, whose satirical account of his Grand Tour in Innocents Abroad became both his best selling work in his own lifetime and one of the best-selling travel books of the age.

Why did the popularity of the Grand Tour decline?

A Thomas Cook flyer from 1922 advertising cruises down the Nile. This mode of tourism has been immortalised in works such as Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.

The popularity of the Grand Tour declined for a number of reasons. The Napoleonic Wars from 1803-1815 marked the end of the heyday of the Grand Tour, since the conflict made travel difficult at best and dangerous at worst.

The Grand Tour finally came to an end with the advent of accessible rail and steamship travel as a result of Thomas Cook’s ‘Cook’s Tour’, a byword of early mass tourism, which started in the 1870s. Cook first made mass tourism popular in Italy, with his train tickets allowing travel over a number of days and destinations. He also introduced travel-specific currencies and coupons which could be exchanged at hotels, banks and ticket agencies which made travelling easier and also stabilised the new Italian currency, the lira.

As a result of the sudden potential for mass tourism, the Grand Tour’s heyday as a rare experience reserved for the wealthy came to a close.

Can you go on a Grand Tour today?

Echoes of the Grand Tour exist today in a variety of forms. For a budget, multi-destination travel experience, interrailing is your best bet; much like Thomas Cook’s early train tickets, travel is permitted along many routes and tickets are valid for a certain number of days or stops.

For a more upmarket experience, cruising is a popular choice, transporting tourists to a number of different destinations where you can disembark to enjoy the local culture and cuisine.

Though the days of wealthy nobles enjoying exclusive travel around continental Europe and dancing with European royalty might be over, the cultural and artistic imprint of a bygone Grand Tour era is very much alive.

To plan your own Grand Tour of Europe, take a look at History Hit’s guides to the most unmissable heritage sites in Paris , Austria and, of course, Italy .

You May Also Like

Why Did Elizabethan Merchants Start Weighing Their Coins?

‘Old Coppernose’: Henry VIII and the Great Debasement

The Royal Mint: Isaac Newton and the Trial of the Pyx Plate

How Henry VII Used English Coinage to Project Power

The Royal Mint: Oliver Cromwell’s Depiction as a Roman Emperor

The Royal Mint: Edward VIII’s Unreleased Coins

A Timeline of Feudal Japan’s ‘Nanban’ Trade with Europeans

Mac and Cheese in 1736? The Stories of Kensington Palace’s Servants

The Peasants’ Revolt: Rise of the Rebels

10 Myths About Winston Churchill

Medusa: What Was a Gorgon?

10 Facts About the Battle of Shrewsbury

Visiting Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion?

You must join the virtual exhibition queue when you arrive. If capacity has been reached for the day, the queue will close early.

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

The grand tour.

Marble sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons

Piazza San Marco

Canaletto (Giovanni Antonio Canal)

Autre Vue Particulière de Paris depuis Nôtre Dame, Jusques au Pont de la Tournelle

Jacques Rigaud

Imaginary View of Venice, houses at left with figures on terraces, a domed church at center in the background, boats and boat-sheds below, and a seated man observing from a wall at right in the foreground, from 'Views' (Vedute altre prese da i luoghi altre ideate da Antonio Canal)

The Piazza del Popolo (Veduta della Piazza del Popolo), from "Vedute di Roma"

Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Vue de la Grande Façade du Vieux Louvre

View of St. Peter's and the Vatican from the Janiculum

Richard Wilson

Johann Joachim Winckelmann (1717–1768)

Anton Raphael Mengs

Modern Rome

Giovanni Paolo Panini

Ancient Rome

Portrait of a Young Man

Pompeo Batoni

Gardens of the Villa d'Este at Tivoli

Charles Joseph Natoire

Veduta dell'Anfiteatro Flavio detto il Colosseo, from: 'Vedute di Roma' (Views of Rome)

View of the Villa Lante on the Janiculum in Rome

John Robert Cozens

The Girandola at the Castel Sant'Angelo

Designed and hand colored by Louis Jean Desprez

Dining room from Lansdowne House

After a design by Robert Adam

The Burial of Punchinello

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

Portland vase

Josiah Wedgwood and Sons

Jean Sorabella Independent Scholar

October 2003

Beginning in the late sixteenth century, it became fashionable for young aristocrats to visit Paris, Venice, Florence, and above all Rome, as the culmination of their classical education. Thus was born the idea of the Grand Tour, a practice that introduced Englishmen, Germans, Scandinavians, and also Americans to the art and culture of France and Italy for the next 300 years. Travel was arduous and costly throughout the period, possible only for a privileged class—the same that produced gentleman scientists, authors, antiquaries, and patrons of the arts.

The Objectives of the Grand Tour The Grand Tourist was typically a young man with a thorough grounding in Greek and Latin literature as well as some leisure time, some means, and some interest in art. The German traveler Johann Joachim Winckelmann pioneered the field of art history with his comprehensive study of Greek and Roman sculpture ; he was portrayed by his friend Anton Raphael Mengs at the beginning of his long residence in Rome ( 48.141 ). Most Grand Tourists, however, stayed for briefer periods and set out with less scholarly intentions, accompanied by a teacher or guardian, and expected to return home with souvenirs of their travels as well as an understanding of art and architecture formed by exposure to great masterpieces.

London was a frequent starting point for Grand Tourists, and Paris a compulsory destination; many traveled to the Netherlands, some to Switzerland and Germany, and a very few adventurers to Spain, Greece, or Turkey. The essential place to visit, however, was Italy. The British traveler Charles Thompson spoke for many Grand Tourists when in 1744 he described himself as “being impatiently desirous of viewing a country so famous in history, which once gave laws to the world; which is at present the greatest school of music and painting, contains the noblest productions of statuary and architecture, and abounds with cabinets of rarities , and collections of all kinds of antiquities.” Within Italy, the great focus was Rome, whose ancient ruins and more recent achievements were shown to every Grand Tourist. Panini’s Ancient Rome ( 52.63.1 ) and Modern Rome ( 52.63.2 ) represent the sights most prized, including celebrated Greco-Roman statues and views of famous ruins, fountains, and churches. Since there were few museums anywhere in Europe before the close of the eighteenth century, Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections, and many were eager to acquire examples of Greco-Roman and Italian art for their own collections. In England, where architecture was increasingly seen as an aristocratic pursuit, noblemen often applied what they learned from the villas of Palladio in the Veneto and the evocative ruins of Rome to their own country houses and gardens .

The Grand Tour and the Arts Many artists benefited from the patronage of Grand Tourists eager to procure mementos of their travels. Pompeo Batoni painted portraits of aristocrats in Rome surrounded by classical staffage ( 03.37.1 ), and many travelers bought Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s prints of Roman views, including ancient structures like the Colosseum ( 59.570.426 ) and more recent monuments like the Piazza del Popolo ( 37.45.3[49] ), the dazzling Baroque entryway to Rome. Some Grand Tourists invited artists from home to accompany them throughout their travels, making views specific to their own itineraries; the British artist Richard Wilson, for example, made drawings of Italian places while traveling with the earl of Dartmouth in the mid-eighteenth century ( 1972.118.294 ).

Classical taste and an interest in exotic customs shaped travelers’ itineraries as well as their reactions. Gothic buildings , not much esteemed before the late eighteenth century, were seldom cause for long excursions, while monuments of Greco-Roman antiquity, the Italian Renaissance, and the classical Baroque tradition received praise and admiration. Jacques Rigaud’s views of Paris were well suited to the interests of Grand Tourists, displaying, for example, the architectural grandeur of the Louvre, still a royal palace, and the bustle of life along the Seine ( 53.600.1191 ;  53.600.1175 ). Canaletto’s views of Venice ( 1973.634 ;  1988.162 ) were much prized, and other works appealed to Northern travelers’ interest in exceptional fêtes and customs: Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo ‘s Burial of Punchinello ( 1975.1.473 ), for instance, is peopled with characters from the Venetian carnival, and a print by Francesco Piranesi and Louis Jean Desprez depicts the Girandola, a spectacular fireworks display held at the Castel Sant’Angelo ( 69.510 ).

The Grand Tour and Neoclassical Taste The Grand Tour gave concrete form to northern Europeans’ ideas about the Greco-Roman world and helped foster Neoclassical ideals . The most ambitious tourists visited excavations at such sites as Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Tivoli, and purchased antiquities to decorate their homes. The third duke of Beaufort brought from Rome the third-century work named the Badminton Sarcophagus ( 55.11.5 ) after the house where he proudly installed it in Gloucestershire. The dining rooms of Robert Adam’s interiors typically incorporated classical statuary; the nine lifesized figures set in niches in the Lansdowne dining room ( 32.12 ) were among the many antiquities acquired by the second earl of Shelburne, whose collecting activities accelerated after 1771, when he visited Italy and met Gavin Hamilton, a noted antiquary and one of the first dealers to take an interest in Attic ceramics, then known as “Etruscan vases.” Early entrepreneurs recognized opportunities created by the culture of the Grand Tour: when the second duchess of Portland obtained a Roman cameo glass vase in a much-publicized sale, Josiah Wedgwood profited from the manufacture of jasper reproductions ( 94.4.172 ).

Sorabella, Jean. “The Grand Tour.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grtr/hd_grtr.htm (October 2003)

Further Reading

Black, Jeremy. The British and the Grand Tour . London: Croom Helm, 1985.

Black, Jeremy. Italy and the Grand Tour . New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Black, Jeremy. France and the Grand Tour . New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.

Haskell, Francis, and Nicholas Penny. Taste and the Antique: The Lure of Classical Sculpture, 1500–1900 . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1981.

Wilton, Andrew, and Ilaria Bignamini, eds. The Grand Tour: The Lure of Italy in the Eighteenth Century . Exhibition catalogue. London: Tate Gallery Publishing, 1996.

Additional Essays by Jean Sorabella

• Sorabella, Jean. “ Pilgrimage in Medieval Europe .” (April 2011)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Portraiture in Renaissance and Baroque Europe .” (August 2007)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Venetian Color and Florentine Design .” (October 2002)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Art of the Roman Provinces, 1–500 A.D. .” (May 2010)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in Baroque and Later Art .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Nude in Western Art and Its Beginnings in Antiquity .” (January 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Monasticism in Western Medieval Europe .” (originally published October 2001, last revised March 2013)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Interior Design in England, 1600–1800 .” (October 2003)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Vikings (780–1100) .” (October 2002)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Painting the Life of Christ in Medieval and Renaissance Italy .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Birth and Infancy of Christ in Italian Painting .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Crucifixion and Passion of Christ in Italian Painting .” (June 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Carolingian Art .” (December 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Ottonian Art .” (September 2008)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Ballet .” (October 2004)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ Baroque Rome .” (October 2003)
• Sorabella, Jean. “ The Opera .” (October 2004)

Related Essays

• American Neoclassical Sculptors Abroad
• Baroque Rome
• The Idea and Invention of the Villa
• Neoclassicism
• The Rediscovery of Classical Antiquity
• Antonio Canova (1757–1822)
• Architecture in Renaissance Italy
• Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques
• The Augustan Villa at Boscotrecase
• Collecting for the Kunstkammer
• Commedia dell’arte
• The Eighteenth-Century Pastel Portrait
• Exoticism in the Decorative Arts
• Gardens in the French Renaissance
• Gardens of Western Europe, 1600–1800
• George Inness (1825–1894)
• Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778)
• Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696–1770)
• Images of Antiquity in Limoges Enamels in the French Renaissance
• James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903)
• Joachim Tielke (1641–1719)
• John Frederick Kensett (1816–1872)
• Photographers in Egypt
• The Printed Image in the West: Etching
• Roman Copies of Greek Statues
• Theater and Amphitheater in the Roman World
• Anatolia and the Caucasus, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Balkan Peninsula, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Central Europe (including Germany), 1600–1800 A.D.
• Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Florence and Central Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• France, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Great Britain and Ireland, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Iberian Peninsula, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Low Countries, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Rome and Southern Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• The United States, 1600–1800 A.D.
• Venice and Northern Italy, 1600–1800 A.D.
• 16th Century A.D.
• 17th Century A.D.
• 18th Century A.D.
• 19th Century A.D.
• Ancient Roman Art
• Baroque Art
• Central Europe
• Central Italy
• Classical Ruins
• Great Britain and Ireland
• Greek and Roman Mythology
• The Netherlands
• Palladianism
• Period Room
• Southern Italy
• Switzerland

Artist or Maker

• Adam, Robert
• Batoni, Pompeo
• Cozens, John Robert
• Desprez, Louis Jean
• Mengs, Anton Raphael
• Natoire, Charles Joseph
• Panini, Giovanni Paolo
• Permoser, Balthasar
• Piranesi, Francesco
• Piranesi, Giovanni Battista
• Rigaud, Jacques
• Tiepolo, Giovanni Battista
• Tiepolo, Giovanni Domenico
• Wedgwood, Josiah
• Wilson, Richard

Online Features

• Connections: “Flux” by Annie Labatt
• Connections: “Genoa” by Xavier Salomon

18th Century Grand Tour of Europe

The Travels of European Twenty-Somethings

Print Collector/Getty Images 

• Key Figures & Milestones
• Physical Geography
• Political Geography
• Country Information
• Urban Geography
• M.A., Geography, California State University - Northridge
• B.A., Geography, University of California - Davis

The French Revolution marked the end of a spectacular period of travel and enlightenment for European youth, particularly from England. Young English elites of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries often spent two to four years touring around Europe in an effort to broaden their horizons and learn about language , architecture , geography, and culture in an experience known as the Grand Tour.

The Grand Tour, which didn't come to an end until the close of the eighteenth century, began in the sixteenth century and gained popularity during the seventeenth century. Read to find out what started this event and what the typical Tour entailed.

Origins of the Grand Tour

Privileged young graduates of sixteenth-century Europe pioneered a trend wherein they traveled across the continent in search of art and cultural experiences upon their graduation. This practice, which grew to be wildly popular, became known as the Grand Tour, a term introduced by Richard Lassels in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy . Specialty guidebooks, tour guides, and other aspects of the tourist industry were developed during this time to meet the needs of wealthy 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors as they explored the European continent.

These young, classically-educated Tourists were affluent enough to fund multiple years abroad for themselves and they took full advantage of this. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England in order to communicate with and learn from people they met in other countries. Some Tourists sought to continue their education and broaden their horizons while abroad, some were just after fun and leisurely travels, but most desired a combination of both.

Navigating Europe

A typical journey through Europe was long and winding with many stops along the way. London was commonly used as a starting point and the Tour was usually kicked off with a difficult trip across the English Channel.

Crossing the English Channel

The most common route across the English Channel, La Manche, was made from Dover to Calais, France—this is now the path of the Channel Tunnel. A trip from Dover across the Channel to Calais and finally into Paris customarily took three days. After all, crossing the wide channel was and is not easy. Seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Tourists risked seasickness, illness, and even shipwreck on this first leg of travel.

Compulsory Stops

Grand Tourists were primarily interested in visiting cities that were considered major centers of culture at the time, so Paris, Rome, and Venice were not to be missed. Florence and Naples were also popular destinations but were regarded as more optional than the aforementioned cities.

The average Grand Tourist traveled from city to city, usually spending weeks in smaller cities and up to several months in the three major ones. Paris, France was the most popular stop of the Grand Tour for its cultural, architectural, and political influence. It was also popular because most young British elite already spoke French, a prominent language in classical literature and other studies, and travel through and to this city was relatively easy. For many English citizens, Paris was the most impressive place visited.

Getting to Italy

From Paris, many Tourists proceeded across the Alps or took a boat on the Mediterranean Sea to get to Italy, another essential stopping point. For those who made their way across the Alps, Turin was the first Italian city they'd come to and some remained here while others simply passed through on their way to Rome or Venice.

Rome was initially the southernmost point of travel. However, when excavations of Herculaneum (1738) and Pompeii (1748) began, these two sites were added as major destinations on the Grand Tour.

Features of the Grand Tour

The vast majority of Tourists took part in similar activities during their exploration with art at the center of it all. Once a Tourist arrived at a destination, they would seek housing and settle in for anywhere from weeks to months, even years. Though certainly not an overly trying experience for most, the Grand Tour presented a unique set of challenges for travelers to overcome.

While the original purpose of the Grand Tour was educational, a great deal of time was spent on much more frivolous pursuits. Among these were drinking, gambling, and intimate encounters—some Tourists regarded their travels as an opportunity to indulge in promiscuity with little consequence. Journals and sketches that were supposed to be completed during the Tour were left blank more often than not.

Visiting French and Italian royalty as well as British diplomats was a common recreation during the Tour. The young men and women that participated wanted to return home with stories to tell and meeting famous or otherwise influential people made for great stories.

The study and collection of art became almost a nonoptional engagement for Grand Tourists. Many returned home with bounties of paintings, antiques, and handmade items from various countries. Those that could afford to purchase lavish souvenirs did so in the extreme.

Arriving in Paris, one of the first destinations for most, a Tourist would usually rent an apartment for several weeks or months. Day trips from Paris to the French countryside or to Versailles (the home of the French monarchy) were common for less wealthy travelers that couldn't pay for longer outings.

The homes of envoys were often utilized as hotels and food pantries. This annoyed envoys but there wasn't much they could do about such inconveniences caused by their citizens. Nice apartments tended to be accessible only in major cities, with harsh and dirty inns the only options in smaller ones.

Trials and Challenges

A Tourist would not carry much money on their person during their expeditions due to the risk of highway robberies. Instead, letters of credit from reputable London banks were presented at major cities of the Grand Tour in order to make purchases. In this way, tourists spent a great deal of money abroad.

Because these expenditures were made outside of England and therefore did not bolster England's economy, some English politicians were very much against the institution of the Grand Tour and did not approve of this rite of passage. This played minimally into the average person's decision to travel.

Returning to England

Upon returning to England, tourists were meant to be ready to assume the responsibilities of an aristocrat. The Grand Tour was ultimately worthwhile as it has been credited with spurring dramatic developments in British architecture and culture, but many viewed it as a waste of time during this period because many Tourists did not come home more mature than when they had left.

The French Revolution in 1789 halted the Grand Tour—in the early nineteenth century, railroads forever changed the face of tourism and foreign travel.

• Burk, Kathleen. "The Grand Tour of Europe". Gresham College, 6 Apr. 2005.
• Knowles, Rachel. “The Grand Tour.”   Regency History , 30 Apr. 2013.
• Sorabella, Jean. “The Grand Tour.”   Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History , The Met Museum, Oct. 2003.
• What Are Word Blends?
• A Short History of the African Slave Trade
• A Beginner's Guide to the Enlightenment
• Architecture in France: A Guide For Travelers
• The History of Venice
• A Brief History of Rome
• The Best Books on Early Modern European History (1500 to 1700)
• The Top 10 Major Cities in France
• A Beginner's Guide to the Renaissance
• Renaissance Architecture and Its Influence
• William Turner, English Romantic Landscape Painter
• What Is a Monarchy?
• Architecture in Italy for the Lifelong Learner
• Female European Historical Figures: 1500 - 1945
• Hispanic Surnames: Meanings, Origins and Naming Practices
• 8 Major Events in European History

The Grand Tour

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 28 November 2023
• Cite this living reference work entry

• Kathryn Walchester 3  

15 Accesses

The Grand Tour was primarily an educative tour of the European continent taken by young aristocratic Englishmen (Hibbert, 1969 ,13-25; Black, 1992 ). The first use of the term in English was used in a guide book. It highlighted the tour which included the classical cities of Rome and Naples, visited so as to underpin the conventional education in the classics undertaken by young men from the British upper classes. It followed a standard route and often included Paris and cities in Germany, and the Belgian resort of Spa (Lassells 1698: 24).

The young tourists would often be accompanied by their tutor or “bear leader,” who both acted as guide, teacher, and chaperon. This latter function was particularly significant given that foreign travels by rich young men soon attracted an array of licentious opportunities, including drinking, gambling, and sexual experimentation, facilitated by enterprising locals (Hibbert, 1969 , 15-6). As a result, the young Grand Tourists gained a negative...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Black, J. 1992. The British abroad: The grand tour in the eighteenth century . Stroud: Sutton.

Google Scholar  

Hibbert, C. 1969. The grand tour . London: Hamlyn.

Seaton, A.V. 2019. Grand tour. In Keywords for Travel Writing Studies , 108–110. London: Anthem.

Towner, J. 1985. The grand tour: A key phase in the history of tourism. Annals of Tourism Research 12: 297–333.

Article   Google Scholar  

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

Kathryn Walchester

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kathryn Walchester .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

School of Hospitality Leadership, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI, USA

Jafar Jafari

School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

Honggen Xiao

Section Editor information

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

Yoel Mansfeld Ph.D

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Walchester, K. (2023). The Grand Tour. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_904-1

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_904-1

Received : 07 March 2022

Accepted : 23 March 2023

Published : 28 November 2023

Publisher Name : Springer, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-01669-6

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-01669-6

eBook Packages : Springer Reference Business and Management Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

The lavish Grand Tours of history — and how they shaped the way we travel today

It was a rite of passage for young, upper-class Englishmen with virtually unlimited money to burn — a hedonistic "Grand Tour" far from home, unfolding over two or three or even four years.

Designed to teach them about art, history and culture, it was a kind of finishing school that would ready them for life in the powerful ruling elite.

Unsurprisingly, sex, gambling, drinking, and lavish parties also found their way into the mix.

For many historians, these travellers of the 17th and 18th centuries represent the first modern tourists.

They fuelled a passion for adventure and paved the way for the type of travel we know (and miss) today.

The ultimate destinations

The Grand Tour began in about 1660 and reached its zenith between 1748 and 1789.

It was typically undertaken by men aged between 18 and 25 — the sons of the aristocracy.

First, they braved the English Channel to reach Belgium or France. There, many purchased a carriage for the onward journey.

They were accompanied by a guide, known as a "bear-leader", who tutored them in art, music, literature and history.

If they were wealthy enough, their entourage included a troop of servants.

While there was no fixed route, most tours included the great cities of Europe — Paris, Geneva, Berlin — and a lengthy sojourn in Italy.

"A man who has not been in Italy is always conscious of an inferiority, from his not having seen what it is expected a man should see," English author Samuel Johnson remarked in 1776.

Rome was considered the ultimate destination, but Venice, Florence, Milan and Naples were also high on the list.

A drive for education and enlightenment was at the heart of the tour.

The Grand Tourists looked at art, admired monuments, visited historical sites, and studied classical architecture. They mingled with the elite social classes.

Behaving badly

They were students with practically unlimited budgets, and often very little supervision.

European history expert Eric Zuelow says this meant they were "apt to behave in a rather different way with rather different interests than the Grand Tour was designed to instil in them".

"So what they tended to do was to go and drink a lot, to gamble, to frequent [sex workers]," he tells ABC RN's Rear Vision .

"They tended not to learn much in the way of languages, not to learn much in the way of culture, but to have a lot of fun.

"And that created, I would argue, really one of the first instances of the notion of tourists as being lesser creatures and travellers being something much better.

"The first tourists, the Grand Tourists, did not behave all that well. And tourists have held that stigma ever since."

It wasn ' t all smooth sailing

In the days of the Grand Tour, travel wasn't for the faint-hearted.

There are many reports of the young men becoming ill from travel sickness, rough seas and foreign foods.

Disease was another threat — during his Grand Tour, writer John Evelyn nearly died of smallpox in Geneva.

Thieves were highly active, so many Grand Tourists didn't carry cash, instead taking the equivalent of travellers' cheques.

Roads were rough and full of potholes, and the carriages could only journey about 20 kilometres a day. Some parts of the trip were undertaken by foot.

"So they could be weeks just getting from one place to another," says historian Susan Barton.

Crossing the Alps was a particular challenge.

Some Grand Tourists hired a sedan chair to be carried, literally, over the mountain passes.

The "chairmen of Mont Cenis" became known throughout the Alps for their strength and dexterity.

The rise of 'self-illusory hedonistic consumption'

These early travellers carried guidebooks, which advised them of what to see, hear and do.

They were told to show their wealth at every turn, to garner respect.

As time went by, those making the Grand Tour also became shoppers. They wanted to buy things they could later show off.

"What was happening at this time was a development of what one scholar called 'self-illusory hedonistic consumption', which is a really fancy term for spending money because buying things will make you better," Professor Zuelow says.

"The Grand Tour, with its original educational roots, merged with that self-illusory, hedonistic idea, creating a consumable."

The young tourists would return to England with bulging luggage — marble statues from Rome, colourful glassware from Venice, pumice stone from Naples.

They brought back paintings depicting the Colosseum in Rome, the canals in Venice, the Parthenon in Athens.

They'd also commission portraits of themselves, and a mini industry sprung up around this.

It wasn't just to remind themselves of all they had seen and done. It was so other people would also know.

The souvenirs were displayed with great pride in the family's estates and manor houses.

"And later some of those things ended up in museums," Dr Barton says.

"So in a way they were creating the future 20th century tourism where people were visiting country houses as part of their leisure."

Not all Britons — and not all men

Although Britons far outnumbered all others, Professor Zuelow notes that they weren't the only Grand Tourists.

Peter the Great, the Russian Tsar, famously made the trip, as did German philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and King Gustav III of Sweden.

And it also wasn't just men.

Professor Zuelow says English women such as author Mary Wollstonecraft and socialite Lady Mary Wortley Montagu spent extensive time in Europe, enjoying new freedoms and the chance for an education not available to them back home.

Travel for leisure and the Grand Tour's legacy

By 1815, the Grand Tour was disappearing.

Professor Zuelow says part of the reason for this is obvious: the French Revolution, followed closely by the Napoleonic Wars, swept across Europe starting in 1789 and extended until 1815.

"When the fighting stopped, many visitors returned — even if only to see the damages of war — but this was no longer the old Grand Tour," he writes in his book, A History of Modern Travel.

After 1815, travel to Europe slowly opened up for much wider social groups.

"So rather than just the aristocracy, we've got middle class people starting to travel, but it was still quite a lengthy process," Dr Barton says.

The legacy of the Grand Tour lives on to this day.

It still influences the destinations we visit, and has shaped the ideas of culture and sophistication that surround the act of travel.

It shaped the notion that there's something to be gained from venturing overseas, that there's a lot on offer if you can leave home to find it.

"Prior to the Grand Tour, there wasn't a lot of travel for leisure," Professor Zuelow says.

"Medieval pilgrims have been put forward as possible tourists but they were travelling for religious purposes. And although they had a lot of fun along the way, it really was about getting into Heaven."

Many of the Grand Tourists wrote about their adventures, fuelling a new level of wanderlust in society.

The trips were the stuff of fantasy, and others wanted to follow.

It was a first step in the direction of mass tourism, and the kind of travel we know today.

"I define it really as travelling for the purpose of travelling, travelling for fun, travelling for enjoyment, feeling that travel is going to make you healthier and happier and a better person," Professor Zuelow says.

To hear more about the history of travel, the impact of technology on tourism, and the future may hold, listen to ABC Radio National's Rear Vision podcast .

RN in your inbox

Get more stories that go beyond the news cycle with our weekly newsletter.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Pay with a credit card, and other tips to covid-proof your next holiday.

It's so bad Qantas is selling its pyjamas — but flying's new reality is not as grim

Guide Alice and the 'sleeping buffalo' that stole her heart

• Community and Society
• European Union
• Human Interest
• Lifestyle and Leisure
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)
• United Kingdom
• United States

• What Was The Grand Tour...

What Was the Grand Tour and Where Did People Go?

Freelance Travel and Music Writer

Nowadays, it’s so easy to pack a bag and hop on a flight or interrail across Europe’s railway at your own leisure. But what if it was known as a right of passage, made no easier by the fact that there was no such modern luxury? Welcome to the Grand Tour – and we’re not talking about Jeremy Clarkson’s TV series …

What was the grand tour all about.

The Grand Tour was a trip of Europe, typically undertaken by young men, which begun in the 17th century and went through to the mid-19th. Women over the age of 21 would occasionally partake, providing they were accompanied by a chaperone from their family. The Grand Tour was seen as an educational trip across Europe, usually starting in Dover, and would see young, wealthy travellers search for arts and culture. Though travelling was not as easy back then, mostly thanks to no rail routes like today, those on The Grand Tour would often have a healthy supply of funds in order to enjoy themselves freely.

What did travellers get up to?

Just like us today, explorers travelled to discover and experience all kinds of different cultures. With their near-unlimited funds, travellers would often head off for months – or even years – in search of Western civilisation, perfecting their language skills and even commissioning paintings in the process.

Of course, in the 17th century, there was no such thing as the internet, making discovering things while sat on the other side of the world near impossible. Cultural integration was not yet fully-fledged and nothing like we experience today, so the only way to understand different ways of life was to experience them yourself. Hence why so many people set off for the Grand Tour – the ultimate trip across Europe!

Typical routes taken on the Grand Tour

Travellers (occompanied by a tutor) would often start around the South East region and head in to France, where a coach would often be rented should the party be wealthy enough. Occasionally, the coaches would need to be disassembled in order to cross difficult terrain such as the Alps.

Once passing through Calais and Paris, a typical journey would include a stop-off in Switzerland before crossing the Alps in to Northern Italy. Here’s where the wealth really comes in to play – as luggage and methods of transport would need to be dismantled and carried manually – as really rich travellers would often employ servants to carry everything for them.

Of course, Italy is a highly cultural country and famous for its art and historic buildings, so travellers would spend longer here. Turin, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Venice would be amongst the cities visited, generally enticing those in to extended stays.

Become a Culture Tripper!

Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $1,395 on our unique trips..

See privacy policy .

On the return leg, travellers would visit Germany and occasionally Austria, including study time at universities such as Munich, before heading to Holland and Flanders, ahead of crossing the Channel back to Dover.

Guides & Tips

The best trips for sampling amazing mediterranean food.

The Best Rail Trips to Take in Europe

The Best Private Trips to Book for Your Religious Studies Class

Five Places That Look Even More Beautiful Covered in Snow

The Best Private Trips to Book in Europe

The Best Places in Europe to Visit in 2024

The Best Private Trips to Book With Your Support Group

The Best European Trips for Foodies

The Best Places to Travel in August 2024

Places to Stay

The best private trips to book for your classical studies class.

The Best Private Trips to Book in Southern Europe

The Best Places to Travel in May 2024

Culture Trip Summer Sale

Save up to $1,395 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

• Post ID: 1702695
• Sponsored? No
• View Payload

The Grand Tour: A Journey Through 18th and 19th Century Europe

Exploring the opulent odyssey of 18th and 19th century europe: a refined expedition into culture, knowledge, and aristocratic grandeur.

"Sapere aude!" - "Dare to be wise!"

This vintage Latin phrase, attributed to Horace, encapsulates the spirit of intellectual courage and curiosity. In an era when the Grand Tour was a rite of passage for European gentlemen, this call to "sapere aude" encouraged them to boldly seek knowledge and wisdom during their cultural odyssey.

The Grand Tour, a quintessential experience for young European gentlemen in the 18th and 19th centuries, was a transformative journey that shaped the cultural and intellectual development of the elite. To truly understand the significance of the Grand Tour, it is essential to delve into its historical context and explore the overarching purpose and objectives that motivated generations of young men to embark on this educational pilgrimage.

Historical Context (18th and 19th Centuries): The 18th and 19th centuries were marked by profound changes in Europe, characterized by the Enlightenment, a period that celebrated reason, science, and intellectual inquiry. Against this backdrop, the Grand Tour emerged as a rite of passage for young men from affluent families. The political stability and economic prosperity of the time allowed the European elite to engage in leisurely pursuits, and the Grand Tour became a symbol of cultural refinement and sophistication.

Purpose and Objectives of the Grand Tour: The Grand Tour was not merely a vacation but a carefully planned educational journey with multifaceted objectives. One primary purpose was to expose young gentlemen to the classical heritage of Europe, particularly in Italy and Greece. Participants sought to deepen their understanding of classical art, architecture, and literature by immersing themselves in the remnants of antiquity. This exposure was believed to refine their taste and broaden their intellectual horizons.

Additionally, the Grand Tour aimed at providing practical, worldly education. It was an opportunity for young men to develop language skills, primarily in French and Italian, which were considered essential for cultured individuals. The tour also served as a social and cultural finishing school, allowing participants to refine their manners, engage in sophisticated conversations, and establish connections with European aristocracy.

Significance of the Grand Tour in Shaping Cultural and Intellectual Development: The Grand Tour played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural and intellectual development of the participants. Exposure to classical art and architecture provided a firsthand encounter with the aesthetic ideals of ancient civilizations, influencing artistic tastes for generations. The journey also stimulated a fascination with archaeology and the preservation of cultural heritage, contributing to the nascent field of cultural conservation.

Furthermore, the social and networking opportunities during the Grand Tour were instrumental in the development of diplomatic and business connections. The relationships formed during this time often had far-reaching implications, influencing political alliances and economic endeavors. The Grand Tour, therefore, was not merely a personal pursuit but a societal mechanism for the consolidation of social and cultural capital.

In conclusion, the Grand Tour was a transformative experience that went beyond a mere exploration of European landscapes. It was a carefully curated educational journey that left an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual development of young European gentlemen, shaping the course of history and influencing the trajectory of European society for centuries to come.

Planning the Grand Tour: Crafting a Cultural Odyssey

A. Social and Economic Background of Participants:

Class and Wealth Considerations: The Grand Tour was an exclusive undertaking, accessible only to young European gentlemen from the upper echelons of society. Class and wealth considerations were paramount in determining who could embark on this prestigious journey. The aristocracy and wealthy bourgeoisie, benefiting from economic prosperity, were the primary participants. The cost of the Grand Tour was substantial, encompassing travel expenses, accommodation, and the acquisition of art and souvenirs. This financial investment ensured that only the elite could partake, further solidifying the exclusivity of the experience.

Influence of Societal Expectations: The societal expectations of the European elite played a pivotal role in shaping the decision of young gentlemen to undertake the Grand Tour. It was not merely an option but often deemed a necessary component of a well-rounded education for those of privileged backgrounds. Families viewed the Grand Tour as a means of refining their sons' cultural sensibilities, enhancing their social skills, and preparing them for leadership roles within society. The pressure to conform to these expectations created a cultural norm, making the Grand Tour a societal rite of passage for the aristocratic youth.

B. Destinations and Itinerary:

Popular Destinations (Italy, France, Greece): The itinerary of the Grand Tour typically revolved around key European destinations, with Italy, France, and Greece being the crown jewels. Italy, home to the remnants of ancient Rome and the Renaissance, offered a rich tapestry of art and culture. France, particularly Paris, was a hub of intellectual and artistic activity during the Enlightenment. Greece, with its classical ruins, held a special allure for those seeking a deeper connection to the origins of Western civilization. These destinations served as immersive classrooms, providing tangible links to the cultural and historical foundations of Europe.

Cultural and Historical Landmarks to Visit: The Grand Tour was not a leisurely vacation but a carefully curated exploration of cultural and historical landmarks. Participants visited renowned art galleries, such as the Louvre in Paris, to study masterpieces firsthand. They explored architectural wonders like the Colosseum in Rome and the Parthenon in Athens, gaining insights into classical design principles. The Grand Tourists also engaged with local customs, attended social events, and immersed themselves in the vibrant cultural scenes of each destination.

Duration of the Grand Tour: The duration of the Grand Tour varied but typically spanned several months to a few years. The extended timeframe allowed participants to fully absorb the cultural, artistic, and intellectual riches of each destination. It also facilitated language acquisition and a more profound engagement with the social and political landscapes of the visited regions. The flexibility in duration underscored the personalized nature of the Grand Tour, accommodating the diverse interests and preferences of the participants.

In conclusion, the planning of the Grand Tour was a meticulous process intertwined with social expectations and economic considerations. The carefully crafted itinerary, featuring iconic destinations, ensured that participants not only experienced the cultural and historical wealth of Europe but also emerged from the journey as refined individuals, well-prepared to assume their roles in the upper echelons of society.

Educational and Cultural Aspects: Unveiling the Grand Tour's Cultural Odyssey

A. Exposure to Classical Art and Architecture:

Visits to Renowned Art Galleries and Museums: Central to the educational tapestry of the Grand Tour was the exposure to classical art and architecture. Young European gentlemen embarked on a pilgrimage to renowned art galleries and museums, where masterpieces awaited their discerning gaze. In Italy, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Vatican Museums in Rome were must-visit institutions. These cultural sanctuaries housed works of Renaissance masters like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, providing an immersive encounter with the pinnacle of artistic achievement.

The Louvre in Paris, another prominent destination, showcased a diverse collection spanning different epochs and civilizations. These visits were not mere tourist attractions but educational experiences that deepened the participants' understanding of artistic techniques, historical contexts, and the evolution of aesthetic sensibilities.

Influence on Architectural Tastes and Trends: The Grand Tour was a catalyst for the evolution of architectural tastes and trends across Europe. Exposure to the grandeur of ancient Roman structures, the elegance of Italian Renaissance palaces, and the opulence of French châteaux left an indelible mark on the participants. The intricate details of classical architecture, from Corinthian columns to domed ceilings, became sources of inspiration for aspiring architects.

Grand Tourists often returned home with a newfound appreciation for classical design principles, leading to the incorporation of these elements into the architecture of their own estates. This influence resonated for generations, contributing to the neoclassical movement that swept through Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries.

B. Language and Literature:

Importance of Multilingualism: The Grand Tour was not just a visual feast but a linguistic and literary odyssey. Participants recognized the importance of multilingualism as a marker of cultural refinement. Language proficiency, particularly in French and Italian, was considered essential for effective communication in the cosmopolitan circles of Europe. The ability to engage in eloquent discourse in multiple languages was a hallmark of a well-educated gentleman.

The linguistic immersion during the Grand Tour went beyond practicality; it symbolized a commitment to cultural exchange and intellectual curiosity. Conversations with local scholars, artists, and fellow travelers enriched the linguistic tapestry of the participants, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural nuances embedded in each language.

Engagement with Local Literature and Poetry: Beyond mastering languages, Grand Tourists engaged with the literary and poetic traditions of the regions they visited. Reading works by Italian poets like Dante Alighieri or French literary giants such as Voltaire and Molière provided insights into the cultural fabric of these societies. Attendances at local theaters and literary salons offered firsthand experiences of the vibrancy of European intellectual life.

Additionally, some participants sought inspiration for their own literary pursuits, drawing from the landscapes, histories, and cultural idiosyncrasies encountered during the journey. The Grand Tour, therefore, not only broadened linguistic horizons but also ignited a literary fervor that contributed to the rich tapestry of European literature.

In conclusion, the educational and cultural aspects of the Grand Tour were multifaceted, encompassing visual, linguistic, and literary dimensions. Exposure to classical art and architecture, coupled with linguistic immersion and literary exploration, transformed participants into cultural connoisseurs whose influence reverberated through the artistic and intellectual currents of their time. The Grand Tour was not just a physical journey but a profound odyssey of cultural enlightenment.

Social and Networking Opportunities: The Grand Tour's Tapestry of Connections

A. Interaction with European Aristocracy:

Attending Social Events and Gatherings: One of the central pillars of the Grand Tour experience was the opportunity for young European gentlemen to interact with the elite circles of European aristocracy. Attending social events and gatherings hosted by royalty, nobility, and influential figures provided a platform for cultural exchange and networking. Grand Tourists were welcomed into opulent palaces and salons, where they engaged in intellectual discussions, refined their social graces, and participated in the vibrant social scene of the time.

Establishing Connections for Future Diplomatic and Business Endeavors: Beyond the allure of extravagant parties, the Grand Tour served as a strategic networking opportunity. Participants, often scions of influential families, leveraged these social interactions to establish connections that would prove invaluable in their future diplomatic and business endeavors. The relationships forged during the Grand Tour were not merely social; they laid the groundwork for alliances, collaborations, and diplomatic ties that could shape the geopolitical landscape.

B. Cultural Exchange and Tolerance:

Exposure to Diverse Customs and Traditions: The Grand Tour, by its nature, exposed participants to a rich tapestry of diverse customs and traditions across the European continent. As young gentlemen traversed different countries, they encountered a kaleidoscope of cultural practices, culinary delights, and social norms. This exposure went beyond the theoretical understanding gained from books; it was a firsthand experience that broadened their perspectives and enriched their cultural sensibilities.

Impact on Fostering Cultural Understanding and Tolerance: The cultural exchange inherent in the Grand Tour played a pivotal role in fostering cultural understanding and tolerance. Exposure to the myriad ways of life across Europe encouraged an open-minded approach to diversity. Participants witnessed the coexistence of different languages, religions, and traditions, cultivating a spirit of tolerance that transcended national boundaries. This cross-cultural exposure was a precursor to the cosmopolitan ideals of the Enlightenment, emphasizing the universality of human experiences and the importance of mutual respect.

In conclusion, the social and networking opportunities embedded in the Grand Tour were instrumental in shaping the participants into well-connected, culturally astute individuals. Beyond the glittering social events, the interactions with European aristocracy laid the groundwork for diplomatic and business ventures, while the exposure to diverse customs contributed to a more tolerant and globally aware elite. The Grand Tour, therefore, was not only an educational and cultural odyssey but also a strategic investment in social capital that reverberated throughout the participants' lives.

Conclusion: The Grand Tour's Lasting Impact

In retrospect, the Grand Tour stands as a transformative chapter in the lives of young European gentlemen, intertwining education, culture, and social connections. It was more than a leisurely journey; it was a curated exploration that shaped architectural tastes, linguistic prowess, and cultural understanding. The legacy of the Grand Tour endures, echoing through the corridors of art, diplomacy, and societal norms.

In today's global context, where interconnectedness is paramount, the Grand Tour's emphasis on cultural exchange and tolerance remains relevant. Though the mode of exploration has evolved, the essence of broadening one's horizons and forging meaningful connections across borders remains a timeless pursuit, ensuring that the spirit of the Grand Tour continues to resonate in our interconnected world.

Ready for more?

The Grand Tour

Englishmen abroad.

At its height, from around 1660–1820, the Grand Tour was considered to be the best way to complete a gentleman’s education. After leaving school or university, young noblemen from northern Europe left for France to start the tour.

After acquiring a coach in Calais, they would ride on to Paris – their first major stop. From there they would head south to Italy or Spain, carting all their possessions and servants with them.

Their most popular destinations were the great towns and cities of the Renaissance, along with the remains of ancient Roman and Greek civilisation.

Their souvenirs were rather more durable than holiday snaps, replica Eiffel Towers or t-shirts – they filled crates with paintings, sculptures and fine clothes.

Travel was somewhat more of an ordeal than today (even accounting for the worst airport queues and hold-ups). However rich these young men were, there was no hot shower after a day on the road, no credit card to get them out of a tight spot, and no mobile phone to ring people for help.

Furthermore transport was slow. Instead of taking a 12-month trip, some went away for many years. Most went for at least two, spending months in essential spots along the way.

The plan was to set young noblemen up to manage their estates, furnish their houses and prepare for conversation in polite society. But did the Grand Tour turn them into gentlemen? Sometimes a taste for vice got in the way.

Next:  A moral education  

The Grand Tour: Everything You Need to Know

Gokce Dyson 28 November 2022 min Read

Carl Spitzweg, Englishmen in Campania , ca. 1835, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany.

Recommended

Art Travels

On the Road: Best Traveling Paintings

Artists’ Beloved Travel Destinations as Seen Through Their Art

How to Do a 21st-Century Grand Tour According to Mr. Bacchus

Nowadays, it is very common to take a gap year before or after university studies to travel and expand your horizons. Dedicating a year or two before committing to a full-time job means you can experience different cultures, learn languages, and enjoy having a bit of fun before settling down. Back in the day, with similar objectives, many noblemen embarked on a journey across Europe before entering adulthood. It was called the Grand Tour. 

The Grand Tour evolved between the 17th and 18th centuries as a custom of a traditional trip. The purpose of the Grand Tour was to provide male members of upper-class families with a formative experience. The term was first used by the Catholic priest and travel writer Richard Lassels in his guidebook The Voyage of Italy . The book came out in 1670 and described young lords traveling to Italy to see art, architecture, and antiquity. Lassels completed the Grand Tour five times during his lifetime.

In England, for example, the general view held by the aristocrats was that foreign travel completed the education of an English gentleman. However, some people were also quite skeptical about the tour. They feared the amount of money spent to make the Grand Tour possible could ruin the young nobility.

Although the Grand Tour was largely associated with English travelers, they were far from being the only ones on the road. On the contrary, wealthy families in France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark also saw traveling as an ideal way to finish the education of their societies’ future leaders.

Itinerary of the Grand Tour

The traditional route of the Grand Tour usually began in Dover, England. Grand tourists would cross the English Channel to Le Havre in France. Upon arrival in Paris , the young men tended to hire a French-speaking guide as French was the dominant language of the elite during the 17th and 18th centuries. In Paris, they spent some time taking lessons in fencing, riding, and perhaps dancing. There, they became accustomed to the sophisticated manners of French society in courtly behavior and fashion. Paris was a crucial step in preparing for their positions to be fulfilled in government or diplomacy waiting back in England.

From there, tourists would buy transport, and if they were prosperous enough, they would hire a tutor to accompany them. The travelers would then get back on the road and cross the Alps, carried in a chair at Mont Cenis before moving on to Turin.

Italy was exceedingly the most traveled country on the Grand Tour. A Grand tourist’s list of must-see cities in Italy included Florence , Venice , and Naples . And then, there was Rome . Each Italian city offered immense importance in experiencing art and architecture, and Rome had it all.

Touring Italy

Once arriving in Italy, noblemen traveled to Florence followed by Venice, Rome, and Naples. Florence was popular for its Renaissance art, magnificent country villas, and beautiful gardens. Young aristocrats were able to gain entry to private collections where they could observe the legacy of the Medici family. Venice , on the other hand, was the party city. There was, however, a second reason to visit Venice. During their travels, grand tourists often commissioned art to take back home with them. Wealthy ones brought sketch artists along with them. Others purchased ready-made artworks instead. Giovanni Battista Piranesi created numerous prints and sketches depicting the ancient ruins in Rome. The works of the Venetian artist were popular among noblemen.

Rome was considered the ultimate stop during the Grand Tour. The city had a harmonious mixture of past and present. One could experience modern-day Baroque art and architecture and ancient ruins , dating back thousands of years at the same time. It was lauded as home to Michelangelo’s and Bernini’s most prized works. Gentlemen visited spots like the Pantheon, the Colosseum, and Porta del Popolo. William Beckford described his feelings in a letter when he was on his Grand Tour:

Shall I ever forget the sensations I experienced upon slowly descending the hills, and crossing the bridge over the Tiber; when I entered an avenue between terraces and ornamented gates of villas, which leads to the Porto del Popolo… William Beckford, letter from the Grand Tour, 1780.

The next stop on the route was Naples. When Italian authorities began excavations in Herculaneum and Pompeii in the 1730s, grand tourists flocked there to delve into the mysteries of the ancient past. Naples became a popular retreat for the British who wanted to enjoy the coastal sun. Travelers such as J. W. Goethe praised the city’s glories:

Naples is a Paradise: everyone lives in a state of intoxicated self-forgetfulness, myself included. I seem to be a completely different person whom I hardly recognize. Yesterday I thought to myself: Either you were mad before, or you are mad now. J. W. Goethe, Google Arts& Culture .

Returning home, young gentlemen crossed the Alps to the German-speaking parts of Europe and visited Innsbruck, Vienna , Dresden, and Berlin . From there, they stopped in Holland and Flanders before returning to England.

With the introduction of steam railways in Europe around 1825, travel became safer, cheaper, and easier to undertake. The Grand Tour custom continued; however, it was not limited to the members of wealthy families. During the 19th century, many educated men had undertaken the Grand Tour. It also became more popular for women to travel across Europe with chaperones. A Room with A View, written by English novelist E. M. Forster, tells the story of a young woman who embarks on a journey to Italy in the 1900s.

Legacy of the Grand Tour

Grand tourists would return with crates full of books, oil paintings, medals, coins, and antique artifacts to be displayed in libraries, cabinets, drawing rooms, and galleries built for that purpose. The marble sarcophagus shown above was brought back from Italy to England by the third duke of Beaufort who found this item during his Grand Tour stop in Pompeii. Impressed by the European art academies on his Grand Tour, Joshua Reynolds founded the Royal Academy of Arts in London upon his return in 1768. The Grand Tour inspired many travelers to take a greater interest in ancient art. The British School in Rome was established to learn more about the Roman ruins and it still exists today.

Get your daily dose of art

Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time

We love art history and writing about it. Your support helps us to sustain DailyArt Magazine and keep it running.

DailyArt Magazine needs your support. Every contribution, however big or small, is very valuable for our future. Thanks to it, we will be able to sustain and grow the Magazine. Thank you for your help!

Gokce Dyson

Based in Canterbury, Gokce holds a bachelor's degree in History and Archaeological Studies and a master's degree in Museum and Gallery Studies. She firmly believes that art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. If Gokce is not tucked into a cosy corner with a medieval history book, she can be found spending her evenings doing jigsaw puzzles.

10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Visit in the Balkans

The Balkans, a region steeped in history, culture, and natural beauty, boasts a wealth of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In this article, we explore...

Nikolina Konjevod 15 July 2024

A World Apart: Foreign Artists and Their Indian Journeys

India’s rich cultural heritage and diversity drew in foreign artists from around the world to capture its vast authentic beauty of the landscapes,...

Guest Profile 11 July 2024

5 Artsy Things to do in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

You might find yourself wanting to travel to the Faroe Islands because you saw photographs of their spectacular bird cliffs and green mountainsides,...

Theresa Kohlbeck Jakobsen 23 May 2024

Top 5 Artsy Travel Destinations in 2024 Through Paintings

We suggest you a selection of the best tourist destinations and festivals by the hand of great artists!

Andra Patricia Ritisan 11 March 2024

Never miss DailyArt Magazine's stories. Sign up and get your dose of art history delivered straight to your inbox!

The Educated Traveller

History of the grand tour .

In the early years of the 18th and 19th centuries it was fashionable, for wealthy British families, to send their son and heir on a tour of Europe. A trip that was designed to introduce the young ‘ milord ‘ to the art, history and culture of Italy. The British educational system was based on Latin and Greek literature and philosophy. An educated person was taught the classics from a very early age. Whilst the original Grand Tourists were mostly male, there were a few enlightened families who sent their daughters to ‘the continent’ too. Aristocratic families regarded this journey to Europe as an opportunity to complete their education. The journey was known as the ‘Grand Tour’. The young gentlemen and a few ladies were often accompanied by a ‘learned guide’ a person who could act as a tutor and chaperone. These guides, usually highly educated, were known in Italian as ‘ cicerone’  and it was their job to explain the history, art and literature of Italy to their young charges.

A ‘Grand Tour’ generally included visits to Rome, Naples, Venice and Florence. On the journey south Geneva or Montreux in Switzerland were popular stopping off points too. Think Daisy Miller in Henry James novella of the same name. Wealthy families traversed Europe, often for months on end, absorbing every possible palace, party and picnic in the process. For many it was a very long and decadent party for others it was a necessary departure from their homeland until the dust of a divorce, bankruptcy or other social scandal had settled.

THE JOURNEY – Young gentlemen would make the journey south from The British Isles, either by ship or overland by horse and carriage. There are numerous reports of these young travellers being made chronically ill by travel sickness, rough seas and ‘foreign food’. In the 1730s and 1740s roads were rough and full of potholes, carriages could expect to cover a maximum of 15-20 miles per day. Highwaymen and groups of brigands often preyed on travellers, hoping to steal money and jewels. In the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ travel wasn’t for the faint-hearted .   Crossing the Alps was a particular challenge. Depending on the age and level of fitness of travellers, it may have been necessary to hire a sedan chair to be carried, literally, by strong local men over various Alpine passes. In fact the ‘chairmen of Mont Cenis’ close to Val d’Isere were known throughout the Alps for their strength and dexterity. These ‘chair carriers’ worked in pairs and groups of four, six or even eight men – they physically carried the ‘Grand Tourists’ over the Alps.

TRAVELLING – Having endured a crossing of the Alps the young ‘milordi’ would head to Milan or Turin where the local British consulate would offer a warm welcome. However,  the really attractive destinations were further away, particularly Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. These cities were renowned for their entertainment, lavish parties and sense of fun. There’s a fantastic cartoon, by David Allen (above) showing a young aristocrat arriving in Piazza di Spagna, Rome. His carriage is instantly surrounded by local touts, street performers, actors and actresses, all anxious to separate young ‘Algernon’ from his trunk full of cash! It’s interesting to remember that the Italians have been welcoming tourists to their lands for centuries. They’ve learned a thing or two about helping newly arrived foreigners!

VENICE – In Venice the British Consul Joseph Smith was an art collector and supporter of local artists. Smith lived in a small palace on the Grand Canal, filled with paintings, art, books and coins. He was patron of Canaletto, probably the most famous and popular Venetian painter of his day. Canaletto painted ‘vedute’ scenes of Venice. Every Grand Tourist wanted to leave with a Canaletto painting as a souvenir of the Grand Tour. Smith’s art collection was so impressive that a young King George III purchased the entire collection in 1762, when he was himself on the Grand Tour. So Joseph Smith’s art collection became the basis of the British ‘Royal Collection’ of art much of which can still be seen at Buckingham Palace or in the National Gallery, London today. Whilst in Venice the young Grand Tourists would attend concerts, visit churches and wherever possible attend a ball or two. Venice at Carnival time was a particular fascination – an opportunity to put on a mask and be whoever you wanted to be!

A typical Grand Tour of Europe could last up to two years and would always include several months staying in each city visited.

Florence was popular for its renaissance art, magnificent country villas and gardens, whilst Rome was essential for proper, classical, ancient ruins. Venice was the party city, especially at the time of Carnival. Naples was regarded as the home of archaeology, excavations at Pompeii and Herculaneum began in the 1730s and Vesuvius was quite active at this time. Plumes of volcanic gases and occasional lava flows would illuminate the mountain after dark. The Grand Tourists would position themselves on the lower slopes of the volcano to watch the nightly spectacle.

IN ROME – many of the Grand Tourists funded excavation work in and around the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Many of the Grand Tourists wanted to acquire a Roman statue or sculpture to take home as a souvenir. There were numerous stonemasons working in and around the basement of the Colosseum, creating modern and ‘antique’ marble sculptures. Even in the 18th century demand exceeded supply in the ‘genuine Roman sculpture market’. Many Grand Tourists left for home with an ‘original’ antique Roman statue, which years later, under expert examination turned out to be a fake! The artist Panini painted several imaginary compositions of young Grand Tourists surrounded by paintings of Roman buildings and ruins. Each of the ‘ruins’ in the paintings was based on an actual Roman building. For example, in the painting below The Pantheon is clearly visible just to the right of the two standing gentlemen. Above the Pantheon is the Colosseum. On the left of the painting above the two seated gentlemen the Roman arches of Constantine and Septimius Severus can be seen.

Roma Antica – by Giovanni Paolo Pannini c. 1754 – Stuttgart Art Museum

The Grand Tour inspired many travellers to take a greater interest in Roman history and art. The study of archaeology was born at this time with extensive excavations taking place in Pompeii, Herculaneum and in the area of the Roman Forum in Rome. The British School at Rome was established to learn more about the Roman ruins and to fund excavations. The School still exists today. Below is another painting by Pannini showing the wonders of Modern Rome (1750s) – featuring details of Baroque fountains, palaces and elegant piazzas. These exceptionally detailed paintings effectively catalogue the ‘ancient marbles’ discovered in Italy by the middle years of the 18th century.

NAPLES – for fun and excitement on the Grand Tour was very popular. Lord Hamilton, British Ambassador in Naples was a wonderful host and put on spectacular parties and musical evenings. His second wife Emma Hamilton would dress in Roman and Greek style clothing and perform a series of ‘Attitudes’ where guests had to guess her identity. It was here at the Hamilton residence that Emma attracted the attention of Lord Nelson, British naval hero of the day, and they became lovers.

Meanwhile Vesuvius , the volcano that dominates the Bay of Naples was having an active phase in the 1760s and 1770s, most days steam could be seen rising from the crater and frequently, especially after nightfall, streams of glowing lava could be observed. Lord Hamilton wrote several articles on Vesuvius and the lava flows that he witnessed. Many visiting painters were inspired to paint Vesuvius and the surrounding area. The science of vulcanology was in its infancy. The spectacle that Vesuvius offered visitors most nights must have seemed quite extraordinary to the early Grand Tourists – typically away from home in strange and different lands for the first time.

From Naples it was relatively easy to arrange transport on a British ship back to England. So Naples was a popular end point for the 18th century Grand Tour. The young aristocrats would board a ship bound for England and assuming no rough seas they’d be home within a few weeks. Typically they’d have extensive luggage including marble statues and friezes from Rome, paintings and glassware from Venice, even lava samples and pumice stone from Naples . All these souvenirs would be displayed with great pride in the family home. The impact on British country houses of the Grand Tour can still be seen today. Almost every stately home in Britain has several paintings by Canaletto, commissioned during the Grand Tour. Many stately homes have a sculpture gallery, often specially built to accommodate the Roman statues and marble work brought back from the Grand Tour.

In a sense the Grand Tour was the start of modern tourism, it was a journey taken to learn and experience new and different styles of art, architecture and culture. A journey designed to understand and learn about Europe. The Grand Tour was a couple of years enjoying the best that Europe (especially Italy) had to offer. Parties, ladies, fine food and wine – and family members at a distance – a letter from mama or papa would take weeks to arrive. The young aristocrats had freedom, fun, sun and souvenirs. What finer way to complete a young gentleman’s education. Head home with a sack full of souvenirs and a full and varied experience of life – this was escapism at its best!

• ‘Milordi’ is a term referring to aristocratic men, literally meaning ‘my lords’. In the days of the Grand Tour the term ‘milordi’ was an ironic and satirical way of referring to young, aristocratic men, travelling in Europe with (generally speaking) more money than sense.
• Cicerone or bear-leader  was a popular term for a man who escorted young men of rank or wealth on their travels on the  Grand Tour . The role of cicerone or bear-leader blended elements of  tutor, chaperone and companion. These tutor-companions were often hired to keep the young ‘milordi’ out of trouble and to ensure that they didn’t do anything to embarrass their families. The name Cicerone originally comes from ‘Cicero’ referring to the famous Roman orator, politician, thinker and writer., who lived from 106-43 BC.

Many of London’s museums have exceptional collections of Italian and Greek paintings and sculptures as a result of the Grand Tour. The National Gallery has an amazing collection: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art/paintings-in-depth/the-grand-tour

• I’ve written about Herculaneum at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD.
• I’ve also written other articles about Naples and Herculaneum:
• Herculaneum – a very bright future…..
• Naples, A Crazy Prince and fantastic pizza…
• To learn more about unique travel opportunities and tailor-made journeys check out our sister web site:  Grand Tourist  for ideas and examples of exceptional travel experiences.
• The picture at the top of this article (reproduced below) is by German 19th century painter Carl Spitzweg. It is a wonderful, and humorous portrayal of earnest English tourists soaking in the atmosphere at a ruined temple site (it could be Paestum, south of Naples). Although I think it might be Agrigento, Sicily. The artist has captured the mood of the ‘Grand Tourists’, just look carefully at the characters!

Herculaneum, Roman seaside town, buried by eruption of Vesuvius 79 AD (left). Map (right) shows areas excavated by 1908

• NOTE: Journeys in Europe are designed by our sister company www.grand-tourist.com drop us a line to discuss your perfect grand tour.
• Written: 23-11-17
• Updated: 15-11-20 / 10-01-2022 / 10-12-2023

#grandtour #grandtourist #educatedtraveller #archaeology

Share this:

30 thoughts on “ History of the Grand Tour  ”

• Pingback: What Was the Grand Tour? – Kat Devitt

Thank you for including my article in your list. I am fascinated by the Grand Tour – possibly Adam Smith’s decision to leave his post and become a private tutor, meandering around Europe, was not such an unusual one. Certainly the Italian cities of Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples were filled with eager ‘tourists’ anxious to learn and often to finance restoration of ancient buildings. It must have been a very interesting time.

Absolutely amazing piece. Thank you for providing such interesting information!

Like Liked by 1 person

Thank you Natalia x

Thanks for linking to my ‘History of the Grand Tour’. Curiously I too was an undergraduate at Oxford, although not one of the drunken ones. Were you a Rhodes or a Fulbright Scholar? The authors who wrote for the original Grand Tourists were people like John Murray and Baedeker. In fact you couldn’t call yourself a serious ‘tourist’ without a small red volume of either writer tucked under your arm!

• Pingback: Venice – Carnival 2020 – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Venice – Casanova, Casinos & Canaletto – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Gap Years and the Singaporean Dream - Hype Singapore
• Pingback: An English Country House – The Educated Traveller

Hello Miss Onion – thanks for finding my blog. Please can you put the source as educated-traveller.com Thank you. Also the book about the Grand Tour is by Brian Dolan (Katie Hickman just wrote a review) If you want a little more background on the Grand Tour just ask – I run a travel business called Grand Tourist as well as writing my blog! Have a good day.

• Pingback: Venice – happy to be back… – The Educated Traveller

Excellent, enjoyably breezy summary of a very important 18th century phenomenon, really enjoyed it, thank you.

Hi Arran – thank you so much for this kind comment. I’m delighted you enjoyed my summary!

• Pingback: Paestum – Greek Temples, Tomb Paintings & Ristorante Nettuno  – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Art can make you laugh… – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: New Year – Neuchâtel – New Thinking – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: The best chocolate in Italy – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Crossing the Alps in style – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Rome – There’s so much to see at the city gates – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Canaletto and Venice – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Rome – the eternal city – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Herculaneum – a bright future in 2018 – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: My favourite London museum – The Educated Traveller
• Pingback: Vesuvius – volcanic eruption, Herculaneum & Pompeii – The Educated Traveller

So THIS is where the name for your tour company originated! I feel like a GRAND TOURIST when I’m traveling with you, Janet–learning as I travel just like the folks from centuries ago! Thanks for this terrific background article!

I was going to say the same as Mary Lou Peters, and congratulate you on your four bears (Darn that predictive text – I had actually dictated “congratulate you on your forebears”!) – A truly riveting and informative article – superb reading – thank you so much for that!

Thank you John – appreciated!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

The New York Times

Frugal traveler | what is the grand tour, what is the grand tour.

To some people, it implies an extended jaunt around Western Europe. To others, it’s simply a long trip taken after college, whether to Southeast Asia, Central America or Southern France. In fact, the Grand Tour is all of these and more. Even though the basic contours of the Grand Tour were established in the 17th century — as a kind of cultural finishing school for affluent young gents — it has mutated to meet the shifting demands of generations of travelers.

“The classic Grand Tour was the wealthy, young man who spent several months — at least —traveling in Europe after finishing his formal schooling,” said Lynne Withey, author of “Grand Tours and Cooks’ Tours: A History of Leisure Travel, 1750-1915” (William Morrow, 1997). The young man typically hailed from England, and the tour, she said, served as “hiatus between adolescence and adulthood, between formal schooling and working — not that most of these people worked in the sense that we think of as work.”

The Grand Tourist “took in Paris and Italy and sometimes Greece ,” Ms. Withey said. “Italy especially was the high point, because these were people who were classically trained, and Rome and Greece were the cradle of Western civilization for them.”

Along the way, the young man would look at, and frequently buy, Renaissance paintings. Going to the opera was de rigueur. As was, in certain circles, sneering at the manners and customs of the French. To some extent, the Grand Tourist would also sow his wild oats, despite the presence of a “bear leader,” the tutor or clergyman who would accompany him to guide his studies and mind his behavior.

He would do this without any of the modern comforts of traveling: roads, railroads, hotels, restaurants, telephones and international banking networks. For transportation, he hired carriages. For lodging, he bunked at country inns or carried letters of introduction to family friends and business contacts in major cities. For money, he would rely on gold coins and letters of credit — “a pretty complicated system which I don’t even fully understand myself,” Ms. Withey said. Despite the young man’s wealth, the Grand Tour was never an easy journey.

By the middle of the 19th century, however, railroads were changing the Grand Tour. The Englishman Thomas Cook offered the first packaged tours and opened travel up to the middle class. This not only led to more standardized lodgings and meals, but it also spurred wealthier travelers to seek out their own enclaves, like the French Riviera , away from the masses.

The introduction of commercial aviation in the early 20th century — not to mention World War I — completely upended the classic Grand Tour, and by the 1960s it had become a low-budget European expedition for college grads, often in a Volkswagen bug. (This was my mother’s Grand Tour.) In the 1970s, the Grand Tour stretched as far as Kabul, and today it’s as likely to include Bangkok and Buenos Aires as Berlin and Brussels .

But the one thing that these disparate Grand Tours had in common was literature. From the beginning, the trip was as much a literary endeavor as a touristic one.

As early as 1611, Thomas Coryat wrote “Coryate’s Crudities,” an account of his “travells in France, Savoy, Italy, Rhetia commonly called the Grisons country, Helvetia alias Switzerland, some parts of high Germany and the Netherlands.” (Click here to read it on Google Books .)

In the 18th century, it seemed as if every Englishman who crossed the Channel felt compelled to pen a volume or two about his experience. Rather than reading all of them individually, I’m leafing through “The Grand Tour: 1592-1796,” edited by Roger Hudson, a well-illustrated compendium that traces the Grand Tour through the writings of Laurence Sterne, Horace Walpole, James Boswell and Edward Gibbon.

Ms. Withey in particular recommends “ Boswell on the Grand Tour ,” two volumes that follow Boswell, the Samuel Johnson biographer, through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Corsica and France . “Boswell was a pretty tolerant and adventuresome young man,” she said. “He did the kind of classic thing — and he also sowed his wild oats. But he didn’t have the haughtiness or intolerance of a lot of people, and of course he’s a wonderful writer.”

By the late 19th century, American writers were following in Boswell’s literary footsteps. Henry James mined the Grand Tour for fiction (“ Daisy Miller ”), while Mark Twain mined it for comedy in “ The Innocents Abroad ,” his account of a five-month American steamboat journey to Europe and the Holy Land.

“Off he went on June 8, 1867, a young journalist with his disarming wit and insight,” said Darrel Schoeling, co-owner of Longitude Books , a travel bookstore in Manhattan. “It just seems so clever; he went off to report on basically the horrors of group travel. And it’s all the places, and it’s lots of fun, and it’s also inspiring, because he managed to keep such a great attitude about the hell that he went through.”

Early in the 20th century, you get Hemingway and Fitzgerald writing of Americans’ extended stays in France, and in more recent years, the Grand Tour becomes fodder for the movies, from the 1969 adventure comedy “ If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium ” to the 2004 teen flick “Eurotrip” (tag line: “No actual Europeans were harmed in the making of this film”). And, of course, one can’t forget National Lampoon’s 1985 cinéma vérité classic “European Vacation .”

For my part, I’m a big fan of Laurence Sterne and his parodies of travel writing (click here to read my Times essay about his literary lineage ), but I’m leaving him at home on this trip. Instead, I’m taking “The Grand Tour: 1592-1796,” “The Innocents Abroad” and “The Human Animal,” by Émile Zola (which I’m trying to read in French).

These, however, shouldn’t last me more than a few weeks, so I need your advice: What books should this Grand Tourist pick up next? And where can I find great bookstores (preferably used-book stores) along my route?

Comments are no longer being accepted.

A great book to get in the mood for travel, and with plenty of Grand Tour flavor – “My Uncle Oswald” by Roald Dahl.

A good african restaurant in Paris:

Le Malibu. 44, Rue Tiquetonne. 75002. Tel : 01 42 36 62 70

I recommend reading Maxine Feifer’s “Tourism in History. From Impersial Rome to the Present” (New York: Stein and Day, 1985), which I just took up after spending the last 12-weeks traveling and with the hope of learning more about the history of travel as it pertains to culture as work and not wholly to leisure. Maybe this distinction between the Traveler and the Tourist that I draw is already flawed? Anyway, these are two other book recommendations: Oliver Sack’s “Oaxaca Journal,” one of my favorites in how it combines science, hobby writing and travel literature; and Edith Wharton’s “French Ways and Their Meaning” (Vermont: Countryman Press, 1997), originally published in 1919, which I read some years ago just before my first trip to Paris at the recommendation of a friend—who is always falling in love, and is the primary motivation of her travels.

henry james’s travel writing is a superb companion to european travel. ‘italian hours’ in particular (just released in an edition by penguin) is the most thoughtful, perceptive, and eloquent evocation of italy i’ve come across.

Are you going to Oxford? There is a small town in Wales completely dedicated to used book stores about an hour’s bus ride from Oxford. It’s called Hay-on-Wye. The bus careens through winding roads with impossible names, past rich brown earth and saturated green grass and plants you at the crossroads in the heart of town. The best way to navigate is to have a type of book in mind – I was on a quest for rare children’s books – and ask locals to point you in the right direction. I remember walking all alone nearly two miles out of town – suddenly realizing it was just me and the sheep on the hillside at this moment! – to a thatch-roofed building next to a thatch-roofed house where I happily sat on the stone floor and sifted through the greatest treasure of children’s books, all in a jumble. Lunch was a baked potato with cheese in a local pub, and rarely have I felt happier or more self-indulgent.

Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street should be your first stop in London. Its long oak galleries and well chosen selection of travel books and related literature undoubtedly inspired many an Edwardian to embark upon the Grand Tour. Marylebone too is not to be missed. In this resident’s view, it’s London’s best urban village. We have the Wallace Collection (a private mansion — open to the public gratis — full of Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and much more), a Sir John Soane church, the secret offices of the OSS, The Royal Academy of Music, the Wigmore Hall, Georgian terraced houses, lovely red brick mansion blocks, and cafes. Byron was baptised here, Dickens, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Arthur Henry Hallam, Florence Nightingale and a variety of Pre-Raphaelite poets lived here too.

the real, original Shakespeare and Co bookstore in Paris. My mom worked there in the 60’s on her own extended “Grand Tour,” and maybe you can meet the ancient, grumpy and brilliant guy who runs the place, if he’s still around…

Dear Matt, To my opninion the next book should be In Europe: Travels Through The Twentieth Century by the Dutch author Geert Mak. In this book he travels through Europe following the continent’s history. It starts with the World Expo in Paris 1900 and ends in the ruined city of Sarajevo. In between he travels the battle field of World War 1 and 2 and the Spanish civil war and historic places like Prague, Budapest, Gdansk and Tsjernobyl. This is the Amazon-link: //www.amazon.com/Europe-Travels-Through-Twentieth-Century/dp/0307280578/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211028177&sr=1-1

In Amsterdam the best bookstores are located at around Spui: Athenaeum, American Bookstore and Scheltema. Utrecht has some nice second hand stores along The Old Canal (Oudegracht). I could show you around and introduce you to some Dutch writers when you are in the Netherlands.

Best regards,

Willem van Zeeland ph +31 6 15018371

1) How about Graham Greene “Travels with my aunt”?

2) There’s a Shakespeare and Co. bookstore on the left bank across the river from Notre Dame in Paris.

//www.shakespeareco.org/

Does your 100 euro budget include ALL travel costs, or is that separate?

Having made a few Grand Tours back in the 60s, I need to add a few things to this otherwise lovely account. As part of the low-budget tour, hitchhiking was by far the more common option than driving a VW bug. Everyone hitched and stayed in hostels, one of the great ways to meet people from other countries. Thumbing was efficient, pleasant, and safe. (Alas, it was all those in the US in the 60s, too – I thumbed to LA from DC in 4 days in ’68.) The other common way to go was via Eurailpass which not only permitted jumping on and off any train as the spirit moved you, but gave you the option of sleeping on the overnight train when you didn’t have money for pensiones.

For France reading: Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French.

I find it hard to believe that you have made it impossible to print this article. In fact, it doesn’t even seem possible to save it. How antediluvian of you. The only option is to hope I never miss an installment of this series so I can accumulate a stack of inky, odd shaped bits of newspaper as a record of the adventure.

La Central is an amazing bookstore in Barcelona.

Dear Mr. Gross, if you happen to include Amsterdam, my native city, I’ll be happy to give you the (free) local Grand Tour, custom made for you, show you the bookstores you should know, and introduce you to some Dutch people (traditionally a crucial part of any Grand Tour). I’ve just done it this past week for a friend from Mobile, Alabama, a professor and world traveler. I now divide my life between the Gulf Coast and Amsterdam. You’re very welcome here! Let me know, Frans van Rossum

If you intend to see the Balkans, Rebecca West is a must.

Add Tim Moore’s The Grand Tour to your collection. And if you like that, read his French Revolutions, one of the funniest books I’ve ever read.

You should be able to find both in used bookshops in London.

Happy travels…

I was just on line with Capital One who informed me that there is a minimum $10 for cash advances.

The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara. Che documents his travels through South America in this journal. The reader discovers how the journey changes a young Che’s entire outlook; Che’s revolutionary fervor grew from his travels.

On my grand tour in the summer of 1964, my art professor/tour guide used to say “Don’t READ about it… Go out and DO it.” In other words, why waste time reading when you are spending all that effort and money to BE THERE. Read about it before you go, or afterward, when you are sitting around the house; not while you have the oppportunity to be seeing all those new and interesting things. You can read that book in your easy chair, but you can’t see the real Mona Lisa there. By the way, it was the best summer of my life.

I would suggest “The Charterhouse of Parma,” by Stendhal. It’s just a great book; one part comedy, and one part tragedy. And, with a little luck you might see some of the settings for the book while you are in Europe. Have a safe trip and I look forward to your dispatches.

The subway’s not necessarily the cheapest way to get to the center of town. In Madrid, buy yourself a ten-trip ticket for the subway/bus; the cheapest (and, if it’s not rush hour, fastest) way to the center, though, is to take the bus to Avda de América and then from there switch to the subway system. There is a (recently-added) tax that applies for taking the subway fromt he airport directly that makes it more expensive than using two swipes on a ten-trip ticket (although the difference is about 80 euro cents, so about seventeen dollars.)

rick steve’s Europe thru the Backdoor, and/or any of his individual countries’ books. especially good for decent food at low prices and determining WHICH art works to seek out (he provides historical background) and how to make the most of your money. He writes in a humerous way and has great tips about all sorts of things. Have a great time!

Of course, Shakespeare in Paris is a classic. Also, Elephant Books in Barcelona and Massolit Books in Krakow are great little used bookstores-cum-cafes where you can relax a bit…of course, the fun part is that they’re small stores so you’re really at the whim of whatever they have in stock. Have a great trip!

first, i wonder how many “grand tours” were foisted upon youngsters who have fallen in love with the wrong person and have been prescribed travel by their parents ‘to forget’?

books: -“black lamb and gray falcon” by rebecca west -“down and out in paris and london” by george orwell -“empires of the word, a language history of the world” by nicholas ostler -“a man without qualities” by robert musil -“querelle” by jean genet -“charmed circle” by james mellow (i wish “alexandria quartet” by lawrence durrell applied here)

I think there is an English language used bookstore in Paris on Rue LaPlace, near the Luxemburg Gardens. I was wandering around the area, came across it, and picked up Colin Dexter’s Riddle of the Third Mile which kept me entertained on the 11 hour flight to Mauritius later that day.

What's Next

• Library News Online

American Artists and the Legacy of the Grand Tour, 1880-1960

June 15 – august 26, 2017.

In a historical sense, the Grand Tour was a seventeenth- to eighteenth-century phenomenon in which the young, usually male and aristocratic, members of English and Northern European families visited great cities and societies of the European continent. It was an educational trip, meant largely for cultural exposure and refinement. Art was central to this travel in a number of ways, from visiting masterpieces of painting and architecture, to commissioning portraits, buying art to bring home, and engaging an artist for the journey who would paint the sublime beauty of each destination. This exhibition explores a time from approximately 1880 to 1960 when American artists endeavored to follow in the footsteps of this tradition and trek to Europe for a variety of reasons: study and opportunities to exhibit, illustration on commission, war, and leisure. At the center of their journeys was also the goal of education, for themselves through the process of travel and study and for others through the skills, cultural enlightenment, and artwork they would bring home. The works included in the exhibition represent a range of media, from printmaking to painting, and the work documents the architecture, scenery, and people of Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Greece, England, and France as the artists saw them.

American Artists and the Legacy of the Grand Tour, 1880–1960 is organized by the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery and curated by Margaret F. M. Walker, assistant curator, with support provided by the Fine Arts Gallery Gift Fund and the Sullivan Art Collection Fund.

Share This Story

(Stanford users can avoid this Captcha by logging in.)

• Send to text email RefWorks EndNote printer

Grand tour : a journey in the tracks of the age of aristocracy

Available online, at the library.

Special Collections

On-site access.

Collections are moving, which may affect access. Request materials as early as possible. Maximum 5 items per day. Contact [email protected] for information about access.

More options

• Find it at other libraries via WorldCat
• Contributors

Description

Creators/contributors, contents/summary.

• Introduction, by R. S. Lambert.--How it began, by M. Wilson.--The first stage--from London to Paris, by D. Woodruff.--The second stage--from Paris to Geneva, by E. Blunden.--The third stage--Switzerland and the Alps, by J. A. Smith.--The fourth stage--round Italy, by R. Pyke.--Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples, by S. Sitwell.--The fifth stage--Germany and the Rhineland, by M. Letts.--The sixth stage--Cologne and the journey to the coast, by M. Letts.--The decline of the grand tour, by M. Wilson.

Bibliographic information

Browse related items.

• Stanford Home
• Maps & Directions
• Search Stanford
• Emergency Info
• Terms of Use
• Non-Discrimination
• Accessibility

© Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 .

July 18, 2024

published by phi beta kappa

Print or web publication, the grand tour.

A few Augusts ago, in Positano, a precipitous town on Italy’s Amalfi coast long favored by tourists, I encountered a custom that I assumed was long dead. A group of Americans—three mothers, two fathers and five teenage sons and daughters—checked into my hotel. I asked one of the girls where they were coming from. She said they had already “done” Venice, Florence, and Rome and were about to do Pompeii, Capri and the Bay of Naples.

Those were all classic destinations on the Grand Tour, a tradition dating from 17th-century England, of sending the children of the educated classes to the Continent to imbibe the cultural riches of the Old World. Not to expose them to Europe’s churches, monuments, and museums was to bring them up half-civilized.

But I thought the tradition ended with World War II—specifically, with the Grand Tour my sister and I were taken on in the summer of 1939. War was declared while we were sailing home on the Statendam , and when it was over, in 1945, travel was no longer the possession of the privileged few; seven million American servicemen had joined the club. Within another decade jetliners would bring hordes of tourists to remote sites where only individual travelers had gone before. Angkor Wat was as reachable as Westminster Abbey.

But in 1939 we were typical Northeastern WASPs, living out America’s last age of innocence and isolation. It wouldn’t have occurred to my parents to venture outside our cultural orbit; we were still tethered to the countries across the Atlantic that our ancestors had come from. The churches we visited were Christian churches, the paintings we saw were Old Masters, the languages we heard and tried to speak were the one we had studied in school.

The Grand Tour, first mentioned in a book published in England in 1670, is defined as “a tour of continental Europe taken by young men of the British aristocracy to complete their education.” Parents were not yet part of the touring unit; their role was to put up the money and to push their sons across the English Channel: to the Low Countries, to Heidelberg and Weimar, and, above all, to Italy. “Sir,” said Samuel Johnson, “a man who has not seen Italy is always conscious of an inferiority from not having seen what it is expected a man should see.”

The idea of Italy extended beyond Roman ruins and Renaissance art and came to embody a constellation of virtues, one of which was scenery; the view of Vesuvius across the Bay of Naples was deemed particularly uplifting. Other potent elements were southern sun and southern sexuality—forces of nature hardly imaginable to Anglo-Saxons trapped in cold northern climates and cold Protestant genes. By the early 1800s the rush to Italy was on, galvanized by Byron and other Romantic poets, two of whom—Keats and Shelley—went so far as to die there, romantically.

Since then, generations of English novelists, especially E. M. Forster, have found a rich theme in Italy’s agitating effect on the thin blood of their countrymen. Forster’s Where Angels Fear to Tread— in which a 33-year-old Englishwoman, touring Tuscany with a female companion, impulsively marries a virile young Italian—is typical of the literature of the Grand Tour as a transforming rite.

I am no longer the insular lad who sailed home from Europe on the Statendam , cocooned in my pre-war universe of steamer chairs and deck stewards. When I next crossed the Atlantic it was on a troopship called the General Mann , which deposited me in North Africa. That immersion opened my eyes to the Arab world and would make me a lifelong traveler to remote parts of the Middle East and Asia and Africa. Those cultures would teach me to look and listen differently. I’ve seen art where there was no museum to certify it: calligraphy dancing across the walls of mosques, elegant pottery in African villages, ornate jewelry on tribal women. I’ve sat through infinite varieties of religious experience—temple dances in Bali, Buddhist ceremonies in Luang Prabang, condomblé rites in Bahia—and felt the spirit at work. I’ve heard Balinese gamelan music that I wouldn’t trade for Mozart.

If I were sending teenagers on a Grand Tour today I would tell them to go grandly in all directions—to discover that “grand” has a multitude of faces. Grand is Kyoto and the Great Wall of China. Grand is the Taj Mahal and the Mogul palaces of Rajasthan. Grand is Fez and Petra. Grand is Karnak and Angkor and Borobodur and the Shwe Dagon pagoda. Grand is Istanbul seen from an arriving ship. Grand is Jerusalem. Actually the young don’t need a push from me. Earlier this month The New York Times reported a huge jump in the number of American college students who spend their junior year abroad in Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and other Middle Eastern countries, studying Arabic and absorbing their culture.

And yet I can’t help thinking of those young Americans in Positano. I enjoy reconstructing their route. They had just seen Brunelleschi’s dome for the first time, and Ghiberti’s baptistery doors, and Fra Angelico’s frescoes, and Michelangelo’s David. They had hiked all over Rome and stood in the nave of St. Peter’s and wandered among the ruins of the Roman Forum. Did they have the same powerful moments of elation that I still vividly remember when I first saw Florence and Rome at their age? I’m guessing that they did. They were lucky to have parents who may have heard that the Grand Tour was dead but didn’t believe it.

William Zinsser , who died in 2015, was the author of 18 books, including On Writing Well , and a columnist for the Scholar website.

● NEWSLETTER

Aristocrats & Manor Houses & A Grand Tour to the North

About the tour.

Our unforgettable tour explores the architectural grandeur and superb collections of some of Britain’s finest estates and atmospheric time capsules, some still family homes to this day. From the world-famous Highclere Castle, the ‘real Downton Abbey’, to the birthplace of Winston Churchill, Blenheim Palace, and beyond, we discover several historic treasures and their society stories and indulge in the quintessential British tradition of afternoon tea at the exquisite Chatsworth House. We juxtapose these fine manor houses with the dramatic landscapes of the north of England, providing us with the perfect opportunity to explore Britain’s rich heritage and diverse countryside.

What’s Included

• Return airport transfers from London Heathrow
• 1 night at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel
• 3 nights at the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel
• 2 nights at the Wood Hall Hotel & Spa
• 2 nights at the Lumley Castle Hotel
• 1 night at Hartwell House & Spa
• Welcome drink and canapés
• Full English/Continental breakfast each day
• 3-course table d’hôte dinner on 8 nights at the hotels (with after-dinner tea and coffee)
• 1 dinner at a local restaurant
• Services of a tour director throughout your stay
• Travel to and from all excursions
• All excursion costs
• Porterage where available

*supplement applies for transfers from all other airports and all other locations, including central London.

Special extras included in your itinerary

• Guided house tour and afternoon tea at Chatsworth House
• Guided tour of Fountains Abbey
• Private house tour and refreshments at Castle Howard
• Guided State Rooms tour at Alnwick Castle
• Audio-guided tour and afternoon tea at Blenheim Palace
• Themed evening talk by a guest speaker

Tour Information

Dates: July 16th to 25th, 2023

10 Day Tour

Price from: $6,140 Per Person

RESERVE TODAY

Yes! Send me a digital brochure of all trips!

• Please check here to join our email list.

Castle Howard

Hardwick House

Chatsworth House

Highclere – Interior

Sunday: Arrival

On arrival at Heathrow airport, a private transfer will take you to our overnight hotel, the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. In the evening, join the group for a welcome drink, followed by dinner.

Meals: Dinner

Monday: Highclere Castle

After breakfast, we journey to the world-famous Highclere Castle, residence of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and filming location for the much-loved Downton Abbey television series and movie. Entrance includes access to the Egyptian Exhibition in the cellars of the castle, which explores the achievements of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon who discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922.

From here, we travel to Leicestershire and the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, where we stay for the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Tuesday: Chatsworth House

We start the day at Chatsworth House where we enjoy a house tour followed by afternoon tea. This magnificent estate is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and has witnessed sixteen generations of the powerful Cavendish family and boasts grandiose interiors, wonderful grounds and a superlative art collection. Chatsworth also appeared as Pemberley in the 2005 movie adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea, Dinner

Wednesday: Hardwick Hall, York and Fairfax House

Our first visit is to the National Trust’s Hardwick Hall. Ordered in the 16th century by Bess of Hardwick, England’s richest woman after her Queen, Elizabeth I, Hardwick is a striking Elizabethan treasure. The lavish number of windows (at a time when glass was a luxury) inspired the neat phrase, ‘Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall’.

We then travel north to the historic city of York. Here we visit Fairfax House, a stunning Georgian town house that has been restored to its former glory, providing a perfect time capsule of life in Georgian times with a richly-decorated interior and a fine collection of English 18th-century furniture.

This evening we enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant in York. Afterward, we make our way to our hotel for the next two nights, the Wood Hall Hotel & Spa.

Thursday: Fountains Abbey and Harrogate

This morning we visit the largest monastic ruin in Britain, Fountains Abbey, where we enjoy a guided tour. Nestling in the Skell Valley, the ruin is surrounded by some 800 acres of gorgeous countryside, including the Georgian Studley Royal Water Garden with its wonderful views, cascades, follies and statues, and a medieval deer park.

Our next stop is the elegant Victorian spa town of Harrogate, located in the heart of scenic Yorkshire. Notable sights include the Royal Pump Room and the Grade II listed Royal Hall, and don’t miss the attractive Montpellier Quarter with its pedestrianized streets lined with 19th-century buildings.

After dinner at the hotel this evening, we enjoy a fascinating talk by a guest speaker.

Friday: Castle Howard

Our first visit of the day is to Castle Howard, home to the Howard family for over 300 years, where we enjoy a private guided tour and refreshments. Designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, Castle Howard has twice appeared as Brideshead in movie and television adaptations of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel, as well as providing the backdrop for various scenes in the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton. This magnificent 18th-century residence, surmounted with its iconic gilded dome, offers world-renowned collections and stunning architecture, all set within 1,000 acres of breathtaking scenery.

Later, we check in to the Lumley Castle Hotel, our base for the next two nights.

Saturday: Alnwick Castle and Cragside

Still home to the Duke of Northumberland and his family, Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England and has featured in Downton Abbey and Harry Potter. Inside the medieval walls are lavish State Rooms filled with an eclectic array of furniture, ceramics and art collected by the Percy family over hundreds of years, which we discover on our guided State Rooms tour.

We then enjoy a scenic coastal drive to Cragside, built into the rock high above the clear waters of Debdon Burn. Once the home of Victorian inventor Lord Armstrong, this imposing house is packed to the rafters with fascinating gadgets from the era. It was also the first house in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity and in 2014, a fully-working Archimedes Screw was installed, once again producing enough energy to light the house.

Sunday: Nostell Priory

Today we visit Nostell Priory, an 18th-century architectural masterpiece which has been the home of the Winn family for 300 years. Set in landscaped parkland, Nostell is also home to England’s best documented collection of Chippendale furniture, designed especially for the estate.

Later, we check back in to the Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, where we stay overnight.

Monday: Blenheim Palace

We head to Blenheim Palace, designed on an awe-inspiring scale by Vanbrugh and set in beautiful parkland landscaped by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. As the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough, the palace is synonymous with the Churchill family and is the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. A permanent exhibition commemorates the life of this famous wartime Prime Minister, whilst the magnificent State Rooms reveal a superb collection of tapestries, paintings, porcelain and furniture and we learn more on our audio guided tour followed by a delicious afternoon tea.

From here we travel Hartwell House & Spa, one of the National Trust’s Historic House Hotels, where we enjoy a farewell dinner together.

Tuesday: Departure

A private transfer will take you back to Heathrow airport for your return flight home.

Meals: Breakfast

Please note: as this tour travels from the Home Counties to the north of England and back, some days will involve fairly long journeys.

Please note: the order of excursions is subject to change and guided tours are subject to restrictions.

Hotel Information

• Night One – Macdonald Windsor Hotel, Windsor
• Nights Two, Three and Eight – Stapleford Park Country House Hotel, near Melton Mowbray Stapleford Park Country House Hotel is a beautiful country house hotel and golf course surrounded by 500 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown grounds. The mansion bears the imprint of architectural styles, from Tudor to Victorian with all of the 21st-century amenities you would expect in a luxury hotel. Each room is individually decorated and many have been designed by famous names.
• Nights Four and Five – Wood Hall Hotel & Spa, Wetherby Originally built as a country escape in 1790, the Wood Hall Hotel is a tranquil country house hotel perched high on a hill amidst 100 acres of rolling Yorkshire countryside. The hotel offers an elegant drawing room, Georgian restaurant and a small health club and spa with swimming pool, spa pool, steam room and gym while the bedrooms blend contemporary comforts with traditional country house charms.
• Nights Six and Seven – Lumley Castle Hotel, Chester-le-Street Surrounded by beautiful parklands overlooking the River Wear, the magnificent Lumley Castle has dominated the County Durham landscape for more than 600 years. Dating back to 1389, the castle boasts legendary stories from across the centuries. Now a luxury hotel, the atmospheric en-suite bedrooms and communal rooms are full of interesting features and the Library Bar offers comfortable surroundings to relax in.
• Night Nine – Hartwell House & Spa, near Aylesbury This Grade I listed, National Trust owned property is one of England’s finest stately homes and makes for a wonderful hotel and spa. Sitting within an Area of Natural Beauty; just on the edge of the Chilterns, it boasts almost 100 acres of gardens and parkland, landscaped by the famous ‘Capability’ Brown. Inside, the hotel offers individually designed bedrooms, complete with fine paintings, antiques and a superb ‘country house’ style of interiors. There is also a wonderful restaurant and relaxing spa.

Hartwell House Hotel – Aerial

Wood Hall Hotel – Bedroom

This website uses analytical and tracking cookies to improve your user experience and for statistical purposes. By continuing to browse on this website, you agree to the use of such cookies.

Please check your membership status in My Account and click the Renew button if your membership has not lapsed.

Tour de France standings, results after Ecuador's Richard Carapaz wins Stage 17

Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost crossed the finish line alone in Superdévoluy to win Stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France on Wednesday. 

The victory was Carapaz’s first career Tour de France stage win. The 31-year-old has now completed the coveted career Grand Tour triple with six previous stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. 

"This victory means everything!" Carapaz said. "I’ve been trying to get it since the start of the Tour."

Carapaz made history as the first Ecuadorian man to win a Tour stage.

"I'm proud to be here and represent all of America in the best possible way," Carapaz said.

Approaching the foot of the Alps, a four-man breakaway of Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Bob Jungels (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) made the first decisive move approximately 35 miles into the race. Unable to join the first group, Carapaz, alongside Wednesday’s runner-up Simon Yates of Jayco AlUla, led a second 48-rider breakout group in hot pursuit. As the race entered the Alps, Carapaz’s strength on the climbs proved too much to handle and the Ecuadorian reached the finish 37 seconds ahead of Yates. 

"It was a very difficult day, with a lot of attacks, but in the end, a large group formed, I was able to come out at the right time and I managed to get this result which I will remember forever,” Carapaz said. "I really made the most of the moment."

The leading general classification trio of Tadej Pogačar , Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel continuously tested e ach other on the final summit climbs, with Evenepoel prevailing and gaining 10 seconds on Pogačar and 12 on Vingegaard . The general classification leaderboard remains unchanged, though, as Pogačar retains the yellow jersey with a three-minute-and-11-second lead over second-place Vingegaard. 

Evenepoel said his attention was focused on maintaining his position in the general classification standings rather than gaining ground on the pair ahead of him. The Belgian 24-year-old has already established a clear eight-minute-and-21-second lead in the white jersey standings, awarded to the best young rider.  

"I took back 10 seconds from Tadej and Jonas, but that wasn’t the goal,” Evenepoel said after Stage 17. “I remain focused on my place on the podium. I'm good where I am, but it allowed me to gain a little time on those behind me."

The battle for the green jersey is also nearing its close with current wearer Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Intermarché-Wanty gaining one point on second-place Jasper Philipsen . Girmay’s lead of 33 points should be enough to secure the Eritrean’s win with just mountainous, hilly and time-trial stages remaining before the July 21 finale in Nice. 

Girmay, who sustained injuries after crashing at high speed on the approach to yesterday’s finish line, said his knee and elbow, which needed stitches yesterday, were in pain throughout today’s stage. However, Girmay said he is motivated now more than ever to have a strong finish to the Tour.

"You have to show the fighting spirit and if you are mentally strong nothing can stop you,” Girmay said. "I already said to my team yesterday, ‘Don’t worry it’s not yet finished and we’ll give it everything, just fight until Nice.’"

Tour de France Stage 17 results

TOUR DE FRANCE: Recap, results and standings after Stage 16

Tour de France general classification standings after Stage 17

Tour de france jersey standings after stage 17.

• Yellow ( general classification ) : Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
• Green ( points classification ):  Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty)
• Polka dot ( mountains classification ):  Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates); worn by Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in second place
• White (young rider classification ):  Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)
• Yellow numbers ( teams classification) :  UAE Team Emirates
• Golden numbers ( combativity award ):  Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)

Tour de France Stage 18: How to watch, schedule, distance

Date : Thursday, July 18, 2024

Location : Gap to Barcelonnette (France)

Distance : 111.5 miles (179.5 km)

Type : Hilly stage 

Streaming : Peacock, FuboTV

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more .

• Account Profile
• Newsletters

• Today’s Stories
• Entertainment
• Classifieds

Bourbon Aristocracy will perform at Music on Maple July 26

The Lombard Historical Society welcomes the Bourbon Aristocracy to perform at the Music on Maple Concert series on Friday, July 26.

This free outdoor concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are suggested and available via LombardHistory.org .

The Chicago-based band plays 100-proof bottled-in-bond Kentucky bluegrass — authentic traditional music from a simpler time. The band includes fiddler/vocalist Ryan Hinshaw, banjoist/vocalist Joe Rauen, bassist Pete Wojtowicz, guitarist/vocalist Ethan Taylor Sellers, and frequent guests on mandolin and dobro.

The Bourbon Aristocracy's repertoire includes bluegrass classics from artists such as Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Stanley Brothers, and many more, alongside more recent bluegrass favorites and songs by classic country artists like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash.

The name pays tribute to Kentucky's gift to the whiskey world (bourbon, of course) and one of Ethan Taylor Sellers' distant relatives from Kentucky, E.H. Taylor, a grand nephew of Zachary Taylor, the 12th U.S. President.

E.H. Taylor was the father of the modern bourbon industry, through his distillery and his efforts to pass the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, and Pure Food and Drug Act, two pieces of legislation which collectively ensure the authenticity and purity of bourbon whiskey.

The Bourbon Aristocracy plays authentic bluegrass worthy of this heritage. Follow the band at facebook.com/bourbonaristocracy .

Remember to bring your lawn chair. This concert will be in the William J. Mueller Gazebo at 23 W. Maple St. For information about this event, or the Lombard Historical Society, visit lombardhistory.org , email [email protected], or call (630) 629-1885. This program was funded in part by the DuPage Community Foundation.

Next month, the “Annie-Versary” concert with Angela James which was canceled on June 28 due to bad weather has been rescheduled. It will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2. James’ rich, crooning style is clearly inspired by singers from her upbringing in Tennessee; names like Hazel Dickens and Neko Case aren’t far reaching comparisons. James released her newest album “Now That I Have You” in 2022.

The Music on Maple series continues on Friday, Aug. 9, with folk singer Ben Bedford at 7 p.m. He has toured extensively over the past 15 years in North America and western Europe. In 2023, he released his sixth studio album, “Valley of Stars.”

About the DuPage Community Foundation

Established in 1986 to raise the quality of life throughout DuPage County, we help area residents and organizations realize their unique charitable goals, provide impactful support to our community’s not-for-profits, and foster key partnerships to address critical issues affecting DuPage County.

About the Lombard Historical Society

The Lombard Historical Society endeavors to cultivate a deep appreciation and comprehension of our community's rich history. Delve into the past through interactive exhibitions, educational programming, and gaining insights from our collections.

The Lombard Historical Society operates the Victorian Cottage Museum, the Carriage House, and the Society’s Archives at 23 W. Maple St., as well as the Sheldon Peck Homestead (a National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site) at 355 E. Parkside Ave. in Lombard. The Sheldon Peck Homestead hosts activities and is open for tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The Victorian Cottage is open for tours on Fridays and Saturdays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. only. The Lilac Emporium Gift Shop is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about hours, membership, and volunteer opportunities, visit lombardhistory.org, email [email protected] or call (630) 629-1885.

• Daily Herald Events
• Daily Herald Media Group News
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Advertising/Marketing
• Jobs at Paddock Publications
• Share Article or Event
• About our Ads
• Place a Classified Ad
• Business Directory
• Email Newsletters

Raphaël Géminiani, cyclist acclaimed as the greatest never to win the Tour de France – obituary

R aphaël Géminiani, who has died aged 99, was a cyclist with a big personality and an explosive temperament who was one of the leading mountain men in the decades following the Second World War and arguably the greatest rider never to win the Tour de France; nicknamed “Le Grand Fusil” – “Top Gun”, though some might prefer “Loose Cannon” – he became one of the most adored figures in French cycling and an outstandingly successful team director.

He possessed what was almost certainly the quickest temper in his sport. During the 1952 Tour de France, when his teammate Jean Robic admitted to reporters that he had “played dead” to avoid doing any of the hard work on the road, Géminiani stormed into his bathroom and held Robic’s head under the water three times before being dragged away.

In the following year’s Tour, after a row over tactics with Louison Bobet he emptied a plate of food over his teammate’s head.

In 1957 he was King of the Mountains at the Giro d’Italia but believed that undue attention from spectators on the road prevented him from also claiming the winner’s pink jersey.

“While one of them would be pushing you [on a climb], two others would in fact be punching me in the back,” he recalled. “Well, enough of that: I took my pump and, v’lan, v’lan, I caught the guy on the right in the gums. Five teeth, he lost! He cried like a baby that he was bleeding so much.”

At the 1958 Tour Géminiani was enraged at having been left out of the official French team because Jacques Anquetil, the senior figure in French cycling, thought better of having him in the same line-up as the equally emotional Bobet (who was unpopular with the other riders, partly because of his perceived arrogance and partly due to his tendency to burst into tears when things went wrong).

Before the race, when Géminiani was given a donkey as a gift by a Belgian fan he named it “Marcel”, after the manager of the France team, Marcel Bidot, and made sure that there were journalists around when he offered it to him.

When the Tour got underway – he had been shunted into a regional outfit – he did his best with his sharp tactical brain to undermine the official France team, and he took the yellow jersey after the 13th stage – but lost it four stages later to the great Luxembourgeois Charly Gaul after his compatriots on the official team refused to help him on the final mountain stage. He bitterly accused them of treason, and the race became known forever after as “the Judas Tour”.

Raphaël Géminiani was born on June 12 1925 in Clermont-Ferrand in central France. His socialist Italian family had fled there from Mussolini’s fascist thugs, who had burned down their house and bicycle factory in Italy.

His parents both worked at the Michelin plant and the family lived in the Cité Michelin, a small town for the workers. His father was eventually able to open a bike shop, and when Raphaël left school aged 12 he joined his father there, welding frames and learning the trade.

He won what was effectively a talent-spotting race, the Premier Pas Dunlop event for under-16s (“premier pas” means “first step”), following his father’s advice and breaking away on the last hill in front of a home crowd. In sixth place was the future Tour de France champion, Louison Bobet.

In the immediate postwar years Raphaël and his older brother Angelo began serious racing, and in 1946 he was signed by the Métropole team, then the following year he was selected by the Sud-Ouest-Centre regional team for the Tour de France, though he was unable to finish in the searing heat.

“It was so hot that the tar was melting,” he recalled. “I was completely dehydrated. I ended up stopping beside a farm and I lapped up the dirty water from a cattle trough. And that’s how I got foot-and-mouth disease.”

As strong and as tactically adept as he was, Géminiani burst on to the scene at a time when cycling was in its golden age, dominated by the likes of Bobet, Jacques Anquetil, Fausto Coppi, Hugo Koblet and Gino Bartali, and he had surprisingly few high-profile victories to his name. He won the national road race championship in 1953, was King of the Mountains in the Tour in 1951 – finishing second overall – and won seven Tour stages across his career. He was twice King of the Mountains at the Giro, in 1952 and 1957, and won two stages of the other grand tour, the Vuelta a España.

In 1959 he was invited, along with the great Italian Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and others, to Burkina Faso to celebrate the country’s first year of independence from France. The party was invited to ride against a team of local cyclists and then go on a hunting trip.

Géminiani shared a room with Fausto Coppi which was infested with mosquitos. Coppi insisted on going on a hunting trip of his own round the room, swiping the insects with a towel.

“Ten times, 20 times, I told Fausto: ‘Do what I’m doing and get your head under the sheets; they can’t bite you there,’” the Frenchman recalled, but Coppi ignored him. They both caught malaria: Geminiani was given the last rites but survived, but Coppi, double Tour winner and one of the greatest ever cyclists, died at the age of 40.

Badly affected by the malaria, Géminiani retired in 1960 and went on as team director to forge an all-conquering partnership – and close friendship – with Jacques Anquetil on the St-Raphaël and Ford-France teams. As a partnership they won four Tours de France and two Giros d’Italia.

Anquetil, though, was always bitter about the fact that for all his dominance, the rider the French public loved most was Raymond Poulidor , “the eternal second” (the other candidate alongside Géminiani as the best rider never to win the Tour).

In 1965 Géminiani persuaded Anquetil to conclusively demonstrate his superiority over “Pou-Pou” by winning the seven-day stage race, the Dauphiné-Libéré – and then, straight away, the one-day Classic, the 557km Bordeaux-Paris, which began in the middle of the night a few hours later.

But Anquetil was suffering from stomach cramps, and was on the verge of quitting before the race had really got going. Géminiani swore at him and called him “a great poof” to sting him into carrying on. Duly offended, Anquetil went on to seize victory.

In 1968 Géminiani was managing the Bic team and begged the management to sign a promising young rider named Eddie Merckx, but was turned down. The following year, with Merckx on his way to Tour victory, Géminiani collared his commercial director: “You see who is winning the Tour? Eddie Merckx, the guy I told you to hire last year. Here, take the keys to my team car. I quit! I don’t work with idiots!”

Géminiani was married to Anne-Marie for more than 60 years.

Never short of an opinion, he freely admitted that he had doped during his career, and in 1977 he called drug testing “the cancer of cycling”. A bon viveur and dedicated raconteur, he managed several more teams into his sixties, always volatile, always inspirational.

Raphaël Géminiani, born June 12 1925, died July 5 2024

Sign up to the Front Page newsletter for free: Your essential guide to the day's agenda from The Telegraph - direct to your inbox seven days a week.

The Straits Times

• International
• Print Edition
• news with benefits
• SPH Rewards
• STClassifieds
• Berita Harian
• Hardwarezone
• Shin Min Daily News
• Tamil Murasu
• The Business Times
• The New Paper
• Lianhe Zaobao
• Advertise with us

Formula One statistics for the Hungarian Grand Prix

Formula One statistics for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest's Hungaroring, round 13 of the 24 race world championship.

Lap distance: 4.381km. Total distance: 306.630km (70 laps)

2023 pole position: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes one minute 16.609 seconds

2023 race winner: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull

Race lap record: Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:16.627 (2020)

Start time: 1300 GMT (1500 local time)

Lewis Hamilton has won a record eight times in Hungary (2007, 2009 and 2012 with McLaren and 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 with Mercedes) and been on pole a record nine times including last year.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, RB's Daniel Ricciardo, Alpine's Esteban Ocon and Verstappen are other past winners.

The lowest winning start in Hungary was Jenson Button from 14th on the grid in 2006. Verstappen won from 10th in 2022 and Hamilton was third in 2014 after starting from the pit lane.

This weekend will be the 39th Hungarian Grand Prix, with 16 of them won from pole. The race debuted in 1986 as the first behind the former 'Iron Curtain'.

Verstappen took his first F1 pole in Hungary in 2019. Alonso and Ocon took their first wins there in 2003 and 2021 respectively.

The circuit is narrow, twisty and short and sometimes referred to as 'Monaco without the walls'. There are 14 corners. Overtaking has proved difficult in the past. Mercedes have been on pole for the last four editions of the race.

CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Verstappen has led the championship for a record 51 successive races dating back to Spain in May 2022 and arrives in Hungary 84 points clear of McLaren's Lando Norris.

Red Bull are 71 points clear of Ferrari.

Four teams -- Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes -- have won a race this season, the most since 2021 when Red Bull, Mercedes, Alpine and McLaren won.

Six different drivers have also triumphed.

Verstappen has won seven of 12 races, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz triumphant in Melbourne, Norris in Miami, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in Monaco, Mercedes's George Russell in Spain and Hamilton in Britain.

Ferrari and Mercedes have both had two winning drivers this season.

Hamilton has a record 104 career victories from 344 starts. His win at Silverstone last time out was his first since 2021 and ended a run of 56 races without a win -- a wait of 945 days in total.

Red Bull have won 120 races and are fourth in the all-time list of winners. Ferrari lead with 245, McLaren have 184 and Mercedes 127.

Verstappen has won 61 grands prix and is third on the all-time list. Michael Schumacher is second on 91.

POLE POSITION

Hamilton has a record 104 career poles, his most recent in Hungary last year.

Verstappen has had eight poles so far this year. That includes the first seven of the season, equalling Alain Prost's 1993 record, and eight in a row including the last race of 2023 -- equalling Ayrton Senna's 1988-89 record.

Leclerc took pole in Monaco and Russell was fastest in Canada and Britain. Norris took the top spot in Spain.

Verstappen has 107 career podiums, Hamilton 199.

Verstappen has been on the podium nine times this season, Norris seven, Leclerc and Sainz five each.

Hamilton can make his 200th F1 podium appearance on Sunday. REUTERS

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

• Lewis Hamilton

Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards

Spin the wheel now