Art & Culture Tour
Tour Description
Included
Not included
St. Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site for cultural landscape is a wonderful walkable village in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region. Along with its world-class vineyards and opportunities for tasting and purchasing Grand Cru wines at amazing prices, it is a remarkably well-preserved and pristine medieval village with three ancient Abbey’s, the largest underground monolithic church in Western Europe, a ceramics museum and many great views and vistas.
Beynac is along one of the many walking routes of France. It has a post office, restaurants, a bakery, a market, and a castle. From our accommodations in Beynac we visit castle ruins, standing castles, cave art sites, and a sculpted garden. The medieval market town of Sarlat la Caneda is 10 minutes away. Other sites we visit are no longer than 20 – 30 minutes away. There are always options for your itinerary from staying at our accommodations for the day, taking a walking tour on your own, adding on additional cave sites, vineyards, or other outdoor activities that the area has to offer such as canoeing or balloon rides
We always look for accommodations that are unique and indicative of the area and well appointed, with a good balance of bedrooms to bathrooms and facilities to enjoy; swimming, cooking, eating, and gaining an artist’s perspective of the world.
About Sketchy Tours
Sketchy Tours has offered a combination of art, culture and travel since 2011 through to southwest France, arriving in Bordeaux, proceeding immediately to St. Emilion for two nights and parts of three days to walk and see the sights of a UNESCO world Heritage site, then venturing up the Dordogne River to stay for a week in a villa with a pool for day trips to local, culturally significant sites. While art and sketching has been the focus of these trips the benefits of these tours has always been to gain an historic perspective of the region and the world, to visit historic places, to enjoy the French way of life, and to discuss and contemplate the role of art in the world.
Sketchy Tours began in 2010 with Beth Pfaff and Chaucer Silverson making a visit to Bergerac, France and later deciding to bring others to the region to share their insights. Launched in 2011, Sketchy Tours took form and has made 5 additional trips to the area with guests, learning more about the local history, great places to visit, and the logistics of traveling well to the region.
- Seven nights in Beynac & two nights in St. Emilion (see descriptions below).
Included
- Travel Planning before and Assistance during the tour.
- Seven nights in the cliff side town of Beynac in at a fantastic villa with a pool and great views.
- Two nights in St. Emilion at a Three Star hotel with a pool with peaceful gardens, centrally located to walk the village, and includes breakfast each morning.
- All Breakfasts, most dinners, and a sparkling wine reception in St. Emilion.
- Optional visits to Underground walking tour of Monolithic church, a UNESCO World Heritage site in St. Emilion. Chateau Beynac, Chateau Comarque, Lascaux 2, and Marqueyssac Gardens.
- Sketching and conversation about art and culture is part of every Sketchy Tour. For this Friends & Family tour we’ll be sketching and talking about art all the time. We’re fascinated by it. That’s why we go here. Sketching on your part is optional.
Not included
- Ground transportation.
- Lunches and all but two dinners.
- Additional wine tour of Chateau Guadet in St. Emillion (requires reservations).
- Entrance fees along the way.
- Additional snacks from bakeries.
- Additional night in Bordeaux near airport or train station for departures June 27 or later.
St. Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage site for cultural landscape is a wonderful walkable village in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region. Along with its world-class vineyards and opportunities for tasting and purchasing Grand Cru wines at amazing prices, it is a remarkably well-preserved and pristine medieval village with three ancient Abbey’s, the largest underground monolithic church in Western Europe, a ceramics museum and many great views and vistas.
Beynac is along one of the many walking routes of France. It has a post office, restaurants, a bakery, a market, and a castle. From our accommodations in Beynac we visit castle ruins, standing castles, cave art sites, and a sculpted garden. The medieval market town of Sarlat la Caneda is 10 minutes away. Other sites we visit are no longer than 20 – 30 minutes away. There are always options for your itinerary from staying at our accommodations for the day, taking a walking tour on your own, adding on additional cave sites, vineyards, or other outdoor activities that the area has to offer such as canoeing or balloon rides
We always look for accommodations that are unique and indicative of the area and well appointed, with a good balance of bedrooms to bathrooms and facilities to enjoy; swimming, cooking, eating, and gaining an artist’s perspective of the world.
About Sketchy Tours
Sketchy Tours has offered a combination of art, culture and travel since 2011 through to southwest France, arriving in Bordeaux, proceeding immediately to St. Emilion for two nights and parts of three days to walk and see the sights of a UNESCO world Heritage site, then venturing up the Dordogne River to stay for a week in a villa with a pool for day trips to local, culturally significant sites. While art and sketching has been the focus of these trips the benefits of these tours has always been to gain an historic perspective of the region and the world, to visit historic places, to enjoy the French way of life, and to discuss and contemplate the role of art in the world.
Sketchy Tours began in 2010 with Beth Pfaff and Chaucer Silverson making a visit to Bergerac, France and later deciding to bring others to the region to share their insights. Launched in 2011, Sketchy Tours took form and has made 5 additional trips to the area with guests, learning more about the local history, great places to visit, and the logistics of traveling well to the region.
Details
- The tour is offered through Sketchy Tours, LLC.
- Pricing is subject to travel dates and availability.
- Each tour is confirmed once the minimum number of guests have made reservations.
- Once the tour is confirmed payment in full is required.
- Reservations are transferable.
- Guests under age 21 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Travel insurance is highly recommended.
- If you are interested in linking this tour with a printmaking workshop in Florence, Italy either before or after this tour let us know.
Sample Travel Itinerary
- Depart USA the day before you expect to arrive in France.
- Arrive at Bordeaux Airport
- Two Nights in St. Emilion
- Seven nights in Beynac
- Depart and drop off at Bordeaux Airport