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 launches scholar-led ‘walking seminars’ of Tokyo, Kyoto

A girl with her father admires one of the dolls on view at the Tokyo National Museum. Context has a new walking tour of Tokyo that features the Tokyo National Museum © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

Context, a critically acclaimed walking tour company whose small-group, scholar-led “walking seminars” have revolutionized day tours in cities across Europe and North America, is continuing its expansion into Asia with the opening of tours in Tokyo and Kyoto. Working with local historians, Context has opened with five innovative tours in each city, designed to help curious visitors understand and appreciate Japanese history and culture.

Offerings in Kyoto include a thematic walk on Japanese garden and landscape design that visits the Golden Pavilion, as well as a tour on Shinto and Buddhism in the historic Gion neighborhood. Context also offers a woodblock printing workshop with a well-regarded master of the craft as part of its ongoing “experiential tours” program in all cities where it operates. Context’s Kyoto experts include historians of 19th century Japan, architects, and culinary writers.

Context’s Tokyo program includes a tour of anime, manga, and other forms of pop culture, focused on the Akihabara neighborhood, an epicenter of such otaku culture. The organization is also offering a walk on Japanese aesthetics in the Omotesando and Harajuku areas, as well as a visit to the Tokyo National Museum, and a three-hour Welcome to Tokyo program in which a local expert meets travelers at their hotel and assists them with the basic logistics of visiting this large, complex city.

“We have been blown away by the local scholars we’ve pulled together in Tokyo and Kyoto,” says Jessica Stewart, expansion manager at Context. “From an anthropologist in Kyoto who researches ghost possession and religious healing to a pop-culture expert in Tokyo who’s authored several scholarly treatments of this topic, we’ve gathered an amazing array of docents. Our clients, who’ve come to expect immersive experiences when they join our walks, are going to love Context in Japan.”

In both Tokyo and Kyoto Context offers walks privately on request and as regularly scheduled shared group walks. Private walks start at ¥32560 for the party, while group walks start at ¥7040 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. 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

See:

Day One in Tokyo: Hitting Tourist Highlights and slideshow

Day Two: A day in Tokyo spanning all the days of Japan and slideshow

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

 

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

Chicago Greeters offer Free Guided Walks of Hyde Park Neighborhood

Chicago InstaGreeter – a FREE visitor service that offers one-hour guided neighborhood walks by friendly, knowledgeable volunteers – takes you through the streets of Hyde Park for a perspective only a local can provide, Saturdays through Oct. 8, 10 am to 3 pm.

Residents passionate about Chicago welcome visitors to the community and share insider stories that bring the city’s neighborhoods to life. Beautiful architecture, historic landmarks, cultural institutions and President Obama’s hometown favorites – go beyond downtown and explore some of these Hyde Park gems:

• Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, a Prairie Style treasure, and the Gothic Style campus of University of Chicago and Rockefeller Chapel
• Midway Plaisance and nearby Jackson Park, home to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition
• Hyde Park Art Center; Smart Museum; Oriental Institute; and DuSable Museum of African American History
• The Kenwood home of Barack Obama; local barbershop Hyde Park Hair Salon; and favorite restaurants Valois and Medici on 57^th

The guided visits are offered Saturdays, 10am – 3pm, August 8 through Oct. 8.

No pre-registration is needed. Visits are available on a first-come, first-served basis every Saturday.

To meet up, go to the Chicago InstaGreeter Outpost at Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Avenue

Since April 2002, Chicago Greeter has been a resource for both visitors and locals by providing insider orientations during free, informal neighborhood walks. The InstaGreeter program is an offshoot of Chicago Greeter, an “on-the-spot” welcome service that give visitors the opportunity to see the city through guided walks on a first-come, first-served basis without pre-registration. InstaGreeter has launched outposts in Old Town, Pilsen and Hyde Park. There have been over 8,000 Greeter visits and 2,500 InstaGreeter visits to date, servicing visitors from more than 80 different countries. The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers and to providing innovative visitor programs and resources. For more information, visit www.ExploreChicago.org.

For more travel features, visit

www.travelwritersmagazine.com/TravelFeaturesSyndicate

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

MYSTERY AT THE MUSEUM IS NEW WAY TO EXPERIENCE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN NYC

The American Museum of Natural History is known for its thought-provoking exhibits like "Brain: The Inside Story" © 2011 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

From the creators of Accomplice—theatrical experiences set on the streets of New York City, Hollywood, and London—comes an exciting new way to explore the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Part walking tour, part game, and part theater, Mystery at the Museum is an immersive adventure through the Museum’s halls. Meet characters, follow clues, and solve puzzles as you unravel a tale that takes you through iconic Museum locations and behind-the-scenes areas. Challenging and engaging, comical and poignant, Mystery at the Museum is an experience you won’t soon forget.

Mystery at the Museum is offered Saturdays and Sundays (8 performances per day; each performance runs approximately 2 hours) Admission is $50 (10 and up); advance purchase is required.

For more information and to book tickets, visit: http://www.amnh.org/calendar/event/Mystery-at-the-Museum:-An-Accomplice-Adventure/

World’s Largest Dinosaurs

Meanwhile, the museum best known for its dinosaurs has just opened its newest blockbuster exhibit The World’s Largest Dinosaurs (on view April 16, 2011–January 2, 2012). The World’s Largest Dinosaurs  focuses on sauropods, a group that includes the largest animals ever to have walked on Earth. Sauropod dinosaurs were extraordinarily successful, surviving for more than 100 million years. The World’s Largest Dinosaurs examines the biology and behavior of sauropods, looking particularly at how these animals evolved to such tremendous sizes. he highlight of the exhibition will be a life-sized model of the 60-foot-long sauropod Mamenchisaurus. The dramatic model is fully fleshed out on one side, while the other side will be a “visible dinosaur,” revealing bones, muscles, and internal organs. The exhibition also features specimens from the Museum’s collections of sauropod teeth, vertebrae, skin impressions, and a variety of other ancient specimens. Hands-on, computer-based activities let visitors investigate adaptations that allowed these animals to grow so big. The World’s Largest Dinosaurs is organized by the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) in collaboration with Coolture  Marketing, Bogotá, Colombia.

To plan a visit, go to http://www.amnh.org. Find the American Museum of Natural History on Facebook at facebook.com/naturalhistory or visit twitter.com/AMNH to follow on Twitter.

See also

‘Brain: The Inside Story’ at American Museum of Natural History makes you think