In June 2014, ACE Cultural Tours explores Amsterdam’s extraordinary network of canals during the annual ‘Open Gardens’ weekend, when many gardens usually inaccessible to the public open their doors.

We are delighted to introduce two new Tour Directors who will lead this fascinating tour. Rose Dale and Laura Heybrook are sisters and professional garden designers who have recently designed the garden for the Canal House, a luxury hotel in Amsterdam’s canal district, which we look forward to visiting as part of our tour.

The glitteringly beautiful horseshoe network of canals in central Amsterdam was constructed during the Dutch Golden Age and is now an UNESCO World Heritage site and a treasured part of Dutch culture. Graceful houses overlooking the water enabled merchants to store their goods and enjoy refined living, and hidden behind the facades were new spaces designated for gardens.

We explore some of the best of these merchant house gardens, ranging from formal designs with clipped box laid out in geometric patterns, to more contemporary and rustic examples.

The historical backdrop will be brought to life by visits to several museums. A particular highlight will be the Museum Van Loon, originally a magnificent private residence that still evokes the splendour of the Golden Age with its large collections of paintings, fine furniture, porcelain and silver.

Amsterdam Canal Gardens, June 18–22, 2014, £1350

For more information and a full itinerary please see our website: http://www.aceculturaltours.co.uk/tourdetails/4185

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NOTES TO EDITORS

• Established in 1958, ACE Cultural Tours is the most experienced cultural tours travel operator in the UK, offering more than 200 worldwide tours annually.
• Owned by the charitable organisation, the ACE Foundation, all of our surplus is used to support educational projects in the UK and worldwide.
• Our ATOL number is 10204, and our ABTOT number is 5237.
• Visit the ACE Cultural Tours website here: www.aceculturaltours.co.uk
• Visit the ACE Foundation website here: http://www.acefoundation.org.uk
• Contact: Kate Price Thomas, kate@aceculturaltours.co.uk