Art Deco in Paris Tour

Paris embraced Art Nouveau and Art Deco with a rare enthusiasm and this new tour looks at its architectural legacy from the early 20^th century,  coinciding with World Art Deco Day on 28 April.  A key architect in the movement in Paris was Le Corbusier and we will visit his home and foundation as well as a host of other inspiring buildings, on this latest creation from Art Deco and Art Nouveau expert, Prof Anne Anderson, who has been inspiring our discerning travellers with her wit, wisdom and enthusiasm for more than fifteen years. The tour is based and focusses mainly on the Boulogne district, which in the 1930s, was one of the most dynamic cities in France. It was here, on the outskirts of the capital, that filmmakers Abel Gance, Marcel Carné and Jean Renoir, architects Le Corbusier, Mallet Stevens and Tony Garnier had chosen to live or work. 

ITINERARY

Day 1: Eurostar from London to Paris, then Museum of the 1930s 
Travel by Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris and transfer by coach (15km) to Le Parchamp Hotel in Boulogne-Billancourt for check in for three-night stay. We then walk to the nearby Museum of the 1930s whose extensive collection includes some 800 sculptures, 2,000 paintings, furniture, ceramics and models of 1930s buildings. Return to the hotel for a welcome reception, lecture by Professor Anne Anderson: 'Paris 1925: the birth of Art Deco' and dinner with wine at the hotel. 

Day 2: Boulogne-Billancourt Art Deco Walking tour
A day in Boulogne-Billancourt, starting with a walk around the exteriors of the Art Deco buildings in the area, led by Anne Anderson, including Rue Denfert-Rochereau, whose house numbers 2, 4 and 6 form a nice triptych of modern architecture, with no. 6 being the work of Le Corbusier.  The tour includes a visit to Le Corbusier’s home from 1934 to 1965, housed on the top floors of the Immeuble Molitor, an apartment building designed between 1931 and 1934 by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, the first glass apartment block in the history of architecture and now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Second lecture from Anne tonight: 'Art Deco versus Modernism' and dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Villa Savoye and Le Corbusier Foundation
We head away from Boulogne-Billancourt today by coach, to Villa Savoye at Poissy, a Modernist “manifesto” designed by Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret and built in reinforced concrete from 1928 to 1931.  It became a national monument during the architect’s lifetime and one of 16 of his buildings to be designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. We then coach to Central Paris for a visit to the Le Corbusier foundation and archive honouring the architect’s work, consisting of Villa La Roche and Villa Jeanneret, that were Le Corbusier’s third commission in Paris.  We’ll also walk by the Modernist buildings on Rue Mallet-Stevens and see some of the lovely Art Nouveau building on Avenue Mozart and Rue Jean de la Fontaine. Take the Metro back to Boulogne-Billancourt in your own time. Evening free. 

Day 4: Musée Bourdelle, then return Eurostar from Paris to London 
Morning visit to Musée Bourdelle, dedicated to the French sculptor who was an important figure in the Art Deco movement and the transition from the Beaux-Art style to modern sculpture. After exploring the museum, transfer to the station for return Eurostar to St Pancras.

NB: Exact order of itinerary may vary according to local conditions and tour manager's discretion.

Please note the maximum group size on this tour is 25 passengers. 

Tour Grading: 
This tour has been graded as moderate due to the amount of walking involved each day. There is no coach service on Day 2, and on Day 3, the coach service will end at Le Corbusier Foundation with the return to the hotel by Metro. This is to allow to free time in Central Paris if required. 

INCLUDED

• Return standard class Eurostar from St Pancras to Paris
• Three nights' bed and breakfast at the four-star Le Parchamp Hotel, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
• Welcome reception, two lectures and two dinners with wine at the hotel and local restaurant
• Transfers, tours and entrance fees as detailed
• Prof Anne Anderson and tour manager throughout

NOT INCLUDED

• Double for sole use supplement
• Holiday insurance
• Standard Premier upgrade on Eurostar
• Meals other than those stated
• Items of a personal nature such as drinks, laundry, telephone calls
• Porterage and gratuities.

PLEASE NOTE: As with most trains, passengers are responsible for carrying baggage onto and off the train. Baggage can be stored on overhead shelves or at the entrance to the carriages. Trollies are available at St Pancras and Paris, but bags do need to be carried on to the platform.

Travel Editions recommends a luggage delivery service called thebaggageman, where your suitcase can be picked up from your home before departure and delivered straight to your hotel; therefore removing the worry about carrying your cases onto and off the trains. Please click here for more information and we have arranged a 10% discount exclusive to Travel Editions clients off the thebaggageman service. Tel: 01844 264890

HOTELS

Le Parchamp, Paris
Located in the historic area of Boulogne-Billancourt, Le Parchamp is a stylish and comfortable hotel featuring Le Corbusier-inspired colour block ceilings and bespoke artwork. Facilities here include a restaurant and bar, and comfortable bedrooms with private bathroom, TV, WIFI, and tea and coffee making facilities.  

Hotel Website

Pre-tour accommodation is available at the Premier Inn, London Kings Cross St Pancras, about a 5 minutes walk from St Pancras International, at an approximate rate of £120 per room. Bookings can be made direct with the hotel on 0871 527 8672 or visit their website.