ERIC KNOWLES - ANTIQUARIAN

HOME CV BOOKS & LECTURES ARTICLES EVENTS & BOOKING CHARITIES & LINKS Arena Travel presents Art Nouveau in Brussels hosted by Eric Knowles Thursday 19th to Sunday 22th April 2007 The itinerary for this trip is presently under review and may well alter - for the better.

As well as being a city for shoppers, gourmets and museum enthusiasts, Brussels boasts a great artistic legacy from its period as one of the main centres of the Art Nouveau world, with a plethora of Art Nouveau architecture and treasures. The movement flourished in Belgium from 1893 until the First World War and was initially based on the use of arabesque and naturalist decorations. Brussels is the Capital of Art Nouveau and is full of surprises : here you will discover fascinating houses, palaces, concert-halls, department stores and museums, that were designed and built by architects such as Victor Horta, Paul Hankar, Henri van de Velde or Josef Hoffmann. In the same period, well known artists such as Klimt, Serrurier-Bovy, Rops, Khnopff and Wolfers created and designed objects, furniture, paintings, jewellery and interior decorations that matched the architecture.

Antiques expert Eric Knowles will lead you on a journey of discovery through this fascinating city and entertain you with an after-dinner talk.

Accommodation will be at the Hotel le Dome which was built in 1902 as the height of the Art Nouveau movement. It is situated in the centre of Brussels close to the Grand Place and the shopping centres and has been completely renovated.

The "fin de siècle" style is reflected in the individually decorated bedrooms and spacious public areas.