8 ways to experience Europe through art

Ever wanted to explore Europe’s art scene with insider access? Here’s your chance.

The museums and enormous galleries of Europe are the stuff of dreams. But after long lines, unhelpful audio guides and crowds jostling for a glimpse of the masterpieces, the keenest art lover can begin to lag. Skip the hassle. From secret after-hours mosaics to hidden frescoes and sipping wine between opera acts, these guided tours with Limelight Arts Travel offer art, culture and expertise without the crowds.

1. Explore the thriving culture of Lyon and Marseille

28 May – 5 June 2025

The Limelight Arts Travel tour of Lyon and Marseille starts at France’s ‘second city’, Lyon. Here, Limelight Arts Travel director Dr Kathleen Olive leads participants through ancient Roman ruins, decodes ancient artefacts and shows them one of France’s best collections of Western art.

Then it’s southward from the Gallo-Roman town through to Provence for a taste of avant-garde art at a Tadao Ando-designed complex. The journey finishes with four nights in Marseille, where modernist architecture, contemporary art and ancient Greek history mingle along the Mediterranean shore.

See streets come alive with massive, charming murals.

2. The art, history and islands of Venice

23 September – 4 October 2025

The Limelight Arts Travel tour of Venice hands you a backstage pass to the city’s artistic soul. In a place where it’s all too easy to fall into tourist traps, you’ll instead be ushered through maze-like streets between the expressions of creativity found at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco and the UNESCO treasures of nearby Padua and Verona. But our favourite part? The private after-hours visit to the golden mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica.

Get an unforgettable glimpse into Venetian splendour.

3. Romania’s medieval murals

23 April – 8 May 2025

It might be famous for Dracula, but Romania has many stories for you to devour – and academic and artist Dr Nick Gordon will show you some of the best. There’s the one about the medieval-painted murals depicting saints, sinners and the fall of Constantinople at the Orthodox Christian monasteries of Bucovina in the Carpathian Mountains, the complex history of the Communist-meets-French aesthetics of Bucharest, the ancient World Heritage-listed Saxon towns of Transylvania and more. It’s a trip that weaves together legend, culture and the unexpected – no garlic required.

Admire the timeless frescoes of Bukovina’s UNESCO Painted Churches.

4. Take in Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival

10–20 July 2025

Seven spellbinding opera performances over 10 nights might be enough to quench your soprano thirst, but this tour takes the experience to the next level. The opera festival takes place over historic and contemporary venues across Aix-en-Provence; one night you might be in an 18th-century theatre, and the next at a premiere in a stunning outdoor venue.

And music is just one of the arts you’ll experience. Under the watch of arts writer and music critic Clive Paget, you’ll follow in the footsteps of Cézanne and Van Gogh, toast at a Provençal winery and visit the architecture of Château La Coste.

Let the world’s finest voices mesmerise you at the Aix-en-Provence Opera Festival.

5. The artistic legacy of Florence

3–15 November 2025

When it comes to proving an artistic legacy, Florence very much has the receipts. Famed for its artistic boom during the Renaissance, participants will have front-row seats to works by Michelangelo, Giotto, Leonardo and Botticelli, all under the guidance of Florence Renaissance scholar Dr Nick Eckstein. You’ll have access to the Uffizi and Accademia Galleries, stroll through the Boboli Gardens and enjoy a private visit to the terraces of Duomo di Firenze.

Marvel at Florence’s iconic Duomo.

6. Cruise the ancient Greek ruins of Malta and Sicily

24 September – 10 October 2025

Set sail on a Mediterranean journey between the ancient islands of Malta and Sicily. You’ll start at Malta, where ancient Greek and Roman expert Dr Kathryn Welch will take you to the Knights of St John fortresses that defended against Ottoman sieges and remnants of its Megalithic culture. You’ll then travel to Sicily and around its coastline by yacht (a replica of one owned by an American heiress).

Next, you’ll hop overland from Siracusa to the ancient Greek ruins of Sicily’s Valley of the Temples, the late antique mosaics of Villa Romana di Casale and Palermo’s golden Norman-Arab cathedrals.

Sail Malta and Sicily on Sea Cloud II.

7. Discover the Germanic-Italian culture of the Dolomites

9–21 September 2025

Travel from Innsbruck to Friuli on an Alpine adventure that celebrates the Germanic-Italian culture of the mighty Dolomites and Tyrol region. Participants will be taken by Dr Nick Gordon to explore World War One battlefields among the peaks. Discover a world of castles and chivalric art, and learn about the 5000-year-old Ötzi the Iceman mummy, whose murder scene was discovered in the Brenner Pass.

Guests will also experience the modern Tyrol art scene, as well as the early art and architecture of the Lombard Temple at Cividale del Friuli.

Wander through Artesella Natural Park.

8. Private tours around Vienna

31 March – 12 April 2025

For anyone who’s ever dreamt of waltzing through Austrian history with a glass of Grüner Veltliner in hand, this tour is made for you. Begin in Vienna with a private after-hours tour of the Hofburg Palace, explore the precious objects of the Imperial Treasury and discover the world-class works of Velasquez, Klimt and Schiele in and outside the Kunsthistorisches and Albertina Museums.

Then escape to the Salzkammergut region, where stunning alpine lakes, like Wolfgangsee, and the UNESCO-listed Hallstatt village are a peaceful contrast to Vienna. Day trips to the Wachau Valley are the glaze on top of the sachertorte (chocolate gateau).

Let the rhythm of Austrian history sweep you away.

Explore all these tours and more with Limelight Arts Travel.