Context Travel Launches Two New Walks in Istanbul Geared to Families with Children

Context, organizer of expert-led tours in major cities worldwide, announces the expansion of its critically-acclaimed family program to Istanbul. The company will launch two new walking tours designed specifically for kids 12 and under, designed by museum educators and teachers.

Sultan’s Way takes children into Topkapi Palace with a trained Ottoman historian for a hands-on learning experience. Using the figure of the sultan and his life as the narrative thread, museum educators with Context have designed a series of fun, engaging activities for kids that introduce basic ideas of Ottoman history and reveal the extent and power of the Ottoman Empire, at one time the largest empire in the world.

Young Archaeologists of the Ancient Orient focuses on Istanbul’s famed Archaeological Museum, home of one of the world’s best collections of antiquities. Designed for families with children between primary and middle school, this kid-friendly walking tour asks children to put on their archaeologists’ hats and, using objects from Mesopotamia to the Ottoman period, tell a tale of ancient empires.

“Istanbul is a city of layers,” explains Ceylan Zere, manager of Context in Istanbul and a mother who raised her own son in the museums and monuments of the city, “It can be complicated and daunting, especially for parents of young children. These tours flip that dynamic around. They make the city accessible, reveal the richness of Istanbul, and take children back in time.”

Context’s Family Program employs museum educators, teachers, and other experts trained in such inquiry-based learning techniques as Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) to create interactive tour experiences for children under 12.

Sultans Way Private tours  cost 575 Turkish lira and last 3 hours. Young Archaeologists of the Ancient Orient Private tours cost 535 Turkish lira and last 2.5 hours.

Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead “walking seminars” in twenty-three world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Kyoto. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit: www.contexttravel.com

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Context Introduces New Walking Tour Offering Access to Budapest’s Baroque Palaces Not Ordinarily Open to Public

Context, organizer of critically acclaimed walking tours, expands its program in Budapest with Barons of Budapest, a new history and architecture tour that offers travelers exclusive access to the city’s Palace District, including homes and palaces not ordinarily open to the public.

The story starts in 1867, the year Budapest was crowned the twin capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and saw an influx of politicians, aristocrats, and entrepreneurs eager to develop the city. In an attempt to compete with Vienna and Paris, the great noble families of Budapest set about constructing palaces of Baroque opulence and splendor. Led by art historians and cultural experts, Context’s walk equips travelers with an understanding of the singular set of social and economic circumstances that made this boom possible, and explores a wealth of architectural masterpieces.

The experience takes in Pest’s 8th district, including the area behind the Hungarian National Museum. The scholars and experts who will be leading the walk—including professors from local universities and historians attached to local research institutions—investigate how the area, known as Józsefváros, evolved from an outlying agricultural zone to the epicenter of Budapest’s economic, political, and cultural blossoming. Detailed stucco work, carved woodwork, and rich interior furnishings provide the lavish setting for an exploration of themes of politics, upper class daily life and leisure activities, taking visitors inside the homes of Hungary’s 19th century aristocrats.

“The Palace Quarter is one of the most dynamically developing parts of Budapest. This tour offers a rare opportunity to see the interior of the palaces,” explains Enikő Békés, art historian and creator of the walk. “Being able to go inside provides a unique backdrop for visitors to learn about Hungarian history, and situate it within contemporary urban development.”

Barons of Budapest lasts two and a half hours and is available Monday to Friday. Group walks cost Ft9,900 per person. Private tours cost Ft47,000 per party. As with all Context walking seminars, groups are led by a credentialed expert and limited to six (6) people maximum.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and designer Lani Bevacqua, Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in twenty-three (23) world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Tokyo, and Kyoto. A certified B Corporation, Context Travel was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit the website at: www.contexttravel.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Context Travel to Offer Guided Tours of Vienna’s Newly Re-Opened Kunstkammer

In celebration of the re-opening of Vienna’s Kunstkammer, Context Travel has expanded its offerings to include a two-hour guided visit to the collection in the company of local art historians.

After a closure for renovation that lasted ten years, the re-opening of the Kunstkammer today is set to be one of Vienna’s biggest cultural events in 2013.

Context Travel will begin guided visits to the collection from March 18 onward, providing clients with advance tickets to enter into the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Kunstkammer without queuing. The Kunstkammer’s magnificent collection of 16th and 17th century objects, which includes Benvenuto Cellini’s famous golden salt cellar, fits firmly in Context’s niche of in-depth experiences for the intellectually curious traveler.

“We’ve been anticipating the opening of the Kunstkammer for some time,” says Alexa Brauner a Viennese art historian and docent for Context in Vienna. “The exact displays are still top secret. But since the works themselves are breathtaking, we’re extremely excited.”

Launching on March 18, the Context Travel  Kunstkammer Visit will be offered both privately on request and as regularly scheduled shared-group walks. Private walks start at €255 for the party, while group walks will start at €60 per person.

Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead “walking seminars” in twenty-three world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Kyoto.  To learn more about Context, visit: www.contexttravel.com/

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Context Travel New London Walking Tour Features Music Experts Who Explore History of Music and Entertainment in England

 

Context Travel has added a new walking tour of London that gives travelers a unique way to engage with the social history of the city.  Music for Kings: Handel and the Baroque Court focuses on the figure of George Frideric Handel and his role in the music and social scene of London in the 1700s. Beginning at the Theatre Royal Haymarket where the Messiah made its debut performance in London, and continuing in Piccadilly and Mayfair, the tour focuses on the world of 18th-century baroque London, when the British empire was expanding rapidly. As with all Context walking seminars, the tour is capped at six participants maximum and led by a scholar trained in classical music.

“This walk was designed for locals as well as travelers—people who want to look at the history of Britain through a different lens,” says Paul Bennett, co-founder of Context. “It is both obscure and yet incredibly central to understanding British history and society.”

This new walk joins a series of lifestyle and history walks that Context offers in London, making the company’s offering in this area the richest among local tour companies. The walk will be offered privately for GBP 260 per group or as a shared-group experience for GBP 65 per person.

Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead “walking seminars” in twenty-three world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Kyoto. A certified B Corporation, Context was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 and 2012 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit: www.contexttravel.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

Context Travel Develops Walking Tour With Local Scholars to Explain Greek Crisis

Working with local economists, Context Travel announces the launch of a walking tour that explains the Greek economic crisis in plain language. Lasting three hours and visiting major sites in Athens relative to the crisis, including Syntagma Square (location of the major protests against austerity), the Central Bank of Greece, and the Old Stock Exchange, the Greek Crisis tour aims to demystify and explain the complexity of Greek debt, political instability, and economic crisis for the culturally curious traveler.

“This is one of the most exciting tours we’ve launched in the last several years,” says Context co-founder Paul Bennett. “I hear all the time from our clients who visit Athens that they want to meet a local financial person, an economist, who can explain the Greek situation. They want to engage with a teacher on the ground who can help them make sense of the headlines. This is the tour that does it.”

The Greek Crisis begins in Syntagma Square, epicenter of the most recent unrest. Here docents from the Context network who are economists, financial experts, and university professors, paint a portrait of the historical underpinnings of the Greek situation, from the first debt defaults of the late 19th century to the accession to the EU to the mismanagement of the 2004 Olympics to today’s sovereign debt problems. The focus of the tour is on explaining the headlines in plain language and creating a forum for visitors to ask question and explore the causes and effects of the crisis.

The Greek Crisis will be offered privately for EUR 305 per group or as a shared-group experience for EUR 70 per person.

Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead “walking seminars” in twenty-two world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Shanghai, Beijing, and Kyoto. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit: www.contexttravel.com

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

 

Context Introduces ‘Modernista Menu’ Exploring Barcelona’s Avant Garde Culinary Trends

Context, organizer of expert-led tours in major cities worldwide, is introducing a new culinary experience in its Barcelona program. Modernista Menu explores Barcelona’s avant garde culinary trends, including molecular gastronomy. In the company of a local chef or food writer, participants will have a chance to tour the kitchen of a Michelin-starred restaurant before sitting down to a “curated” meal based on the theories of molecular cuisine.

Working with Victor Quintilla, protege of Ferran Adria and owner/chef of Lluerna, one of Barcelona’s most inventive restaurants, docents with Context have put together an annotated dinner at Lluerna that explores modernista ideas and emerging trends. One focus of the program will be to discover and understand the current interest in reviving Catalan traditions and how certain chefs—including Quintilla—are reinventing these tradition within an innovative, modern context.

Participants begin with a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen and learn about some of the specialized equipment that is used in molecular cuisine. Then, they’ll sit down to a dinner designed by Quintilla in consultation with Context that takes participants on a gastronomic journey through recent trends. Along the way they will get an insider’s view of how Barcelona and Catalunya generally have re-imagined cooking and influenced a generation of chefs worldwide.

“This is an insider’s look at cutting-edge Catalan cuisine,” explains Spain manager for Context, Sara McCarty. “Lluerna is a very unique place: untouched by tourism, but celebrated within the industry.”

Modernista Menu will be available for private bookings and also within Context’s small-group program, which limits shared group tours to 6 people max. Private tours will cost 425 Euros for the party + 80 per person for dinner; group tours will cost 180 euros per person.

Context Travel is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead “walking seminars” in twenty-one world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, Athens, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Shanghai and Beijing. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit: www.contexttravel.com

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

Twitter: @TravelFeatures

New ‘Civil War and Madrid Under Franco’ Walk in Madrid Commemorates 75th Anniversary of Guernica Bombing

Context, organizer of critically acclaimed walking tours, expands its program in Madrid with a new walk designed and led by historians and political experts to commemorate the 75thth anniversary of the Guernica bombing.

“Civil War and Madrid under Franco” traces a path through the center of the city where key events of the Spanish Civil War took place. The walk explores the origins of the war, the deep division between the Republicans and Francists, and finally, how the latter attained victory. It also looks at the fundamental role of international media, and volunteers who came to the aid of the Republicans, including American Lincoln Brigade and the Canadian Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion.

The discussion, led by historians and political experts, presents first hand testimonials accompanied by personal artifacts of the era, supported by a clear analysis of the facts from the point of view of the international media, illustrated by rare photographic documentation. The walk ends in the Reina Sophia Museum with a focus on Picasso’s Guernica, a work of both art and denunciation.

“The events of the Spanish Civil War are still fresh in the minds of many Spanish people as well as Americans and British who participated in the battle.” said historian Almudena Cros, one of the docents leading the walk. “This is a difficult, but fundamental subject to discuss in order to understand modern Spain. I think this walk achieves this”.

Civil War and Madrid under Franco, launching this month, draws upon the expertise of Context’s network in Madrid, which includes historians, political experts and social historians. As with all of Context’s programs, groups are limited to six people. Civil War and Madrid under Franco runs Monday to Saturday at 10 am as group walks (Euro 65 per person). Private groups can be scheduled upon request (Euro 290 flat fee).

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and graphic designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is
a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects
and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in eighteen world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, and Athens. A certified B Corporation, Context Travel was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit its website at  www.contexttravel.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

‘Like’ us on facebook.com/NewsPhotoFeatures

                                                                               

New Context Travel Walking Tour of Boston Celebrates African-American Heritage

Context, organizer of critically walking tours, is celebrating Black History Month with the creation of a new walk focusing on the history of African Americans in Boston.

Led by a public historian and former director of operations at Boston’s Museum of African American History, the walk covers the area from the North End to Beacon Hill, including stops at seminal places such as the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground and the African Meeting House. The discussion will evolve from the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Boston in the early 17th century and will culminate with their struggle for freedom and civil rights and eventual suffrage victory in the late 19th century.

“When most people think about early Boston history, they think about figures such as Paul Revere and John Hancock,” said Carolyn Macuga, manager of Context’s Boston programs, “but there is an equally prominent roster of African American figures who had significant impact on shaping the city into what it is today. This tour tells the story of those individuals.”

“Boston was home to a small, highly organized, free black community by the end of the 18th century, which organized on a national level for equal civil rights and the abolition of slavery,“ said Alex Goldfeld, the docent leading the walk. “In addition to successfully bringing slavery to an end in the United States, Boston was the epicenter for the creation and recruitment of the famous Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment, the base for the first statewide desegregation of schools in 1855, and a center of resistance to discriminatory laws on marriage, employment, and politics.”

Black Boston: Freedom in the Empire and the Republic, launching in February, draws upon the expertise of Context’s network in Boston, which includes historians, journalists and social historians. As with all of Context’s programs, groups are limited to six people. Black Boston runs Tuesday to Saturday at 10 am and 1 pm as group walks ($65 per person). Private groups can be scheduled upon request ($300 flat fee).

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and graphic designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in eighteen world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Edinburgh, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, and Athens. A certified B Corporation, Context Travel was named one of the fastest growing American companies in 2011 by Inc Magazine. Travel + Leisure has called Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. To learn more about Context, visit its website at: http://www.contexttravel.com.

For more travel features, visit:

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

London Walking Tour Company Launches New Jewish Heritage Walk

London, September 15, 2011 — Context Travel has launched a new walking seminar of London’s historic Jewish neighborhood, led by historians from its network of experts and scholars. The walk looks at the history of Jewish communities in London from 1066, when William the Conqueror encouraged Jewish merchants and artisans from northern France to move to England. Traversing the centuries to the still vibrant community of modern times, the walk is offered both privately on request and as a group walk every day of the week except Saturdays.

“The history of the Jewish communities of London is extremely rich and complex,” says Ruth Shlovsky, a scholar of Judaism and Context docent. “Along the streets of the City and the East End we can trace the stories of these communities from their inception in 1066 and subsequent flourishing in the 17th century, through their trials during WWII and triumphs in modern London.”

Context’s Jewish London walk starts by Jewry Street, with a brief tutorial on the history and development of the area as the first port of call for Jewish families in 1066. Using maps and copies of documents, Context docents chronicle the development of the Sephardic and Ashkenazy communities in London and draw participants’ attention to visual clues to help them understand the social and economic context of the communities. The walk moves east includig such sites as the first purpose built Sephardi Synagogue in London, Bevis Marks.

The itinerary continues touching on themes such as the importance of the rag trade (selling second hand clothes), and the role of “The Jewish welfare board,” established in the 19th cent. Visitors come away from the walk with a deeper understanding of how these communities developed and helped shape the history of London as we know it today.

Jewish London is limited to 6 participants at a time. Group walks are priced at £60 per person, private walks are available at £250 per party.

The walk is a the latest addition to the Jewish History and Heritage series offered by Context to travelers in Italy, Paris, New York, Berlin, Istanbul, and Madrid.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and graphic designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is
a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects
and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in fifteen world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, and Athens. Travel + Leisure has named Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs. A Conde Nast Traveler “Top Travel Specialist,” Context is listed on Inc magazine’s list of fastest growing companies in America.

To learn more about Context, visit its website at: http://www.contexttravel.com.

 

For more travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin

 

—

Walking the Wall History Tour Marks 50th Anniversary of Fall of Berlin Wall

Just months after the fall of the Berlin Wall, pieces of the wall could be purchased from street sellers. A new Walking the Wall tour from Context Travel marks the 50th anniversary of the fall of the wall © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The Berlin Wall was erected 50 years ago and ran 97 miles around the three western sectors of Berlin and 27 miles directly through the city’s center.

In remembrance of the event, Context Travel is inaugurating a new walking seminar that traces the history of this monument while following part of the original route.

The walk, led by a 20th century historian, investigates the post-war context of the Wall’s construction, the physical realities of life in the city that it divided, and the implications of its fall for a reunified Berlin.

“The Berlin wall remains iconic,” says Context Travel co-founder Paul Bennett. “ And yet, so many aspects of it are unclear or not widely known. Our main goal with this walk, will be to understand the Wall for what it was: not merely a concrete barrier but also a controlled series of empty spaces and activities (searches, patrols, observations and checkpoints) that came to signify all the consequences of the division of Berlin and of Europe.”

Walking the Wall is available daily for the price of 65 Euro per person, or 290 per private group. The walk, like all Context Travel walking seminars, will be capped at six participants and led by historians from the Context docent network.

Founded by National Geographic writer Paul Bennett and graphic designer Lani Bevacqua, Context is a network of English-speaking scholars and professionals, including art historians, writers, architects and gastronomes, who organize and lead walking seminars in fifteen world cities, including: Florence, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Istanbul, and Athens. Travel + Leisure has named Context one of the top European tour companies for its innovative approach to travel and the depth of its programs.

 To learn more about Context, visit its website at: www.contexttravel.com.

For more travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

www.examiner.com/eclectic-travel-in-national/karen-rubin