Many major cities have a rich art heritage, but some cities are so steeped in art history that tourists will flock to them specifically for that purpose.  Travel companies have identified the demand for art tours. Consequently, art lovers can now visit the home cities of famous artists, from Pierre-Auguste Renoir in Paris to Rembrandt in Amsterdam.

Paris and Amsterdam

Paris and Amsterdam are two of the best cities in the world for art lovers to visit, with the French capital being the centre of the Impressionist Movement in the late 19th Century. Amsterdam has been famous for centuries for being home to many great artists. Aside from Rembrandt, tours are available relating to artists such as Johannes Vermeer and Vincent van Gogh.

Italian Art and the Renaissance

Italy is probably the country with the richest cultural history in the Western World. Beginning with the classical sculptures of the Romans, Italy has had a massive influence on art and culture around the globe. The Renaissance, which began in the 1300s, saw great leaps forward in art, science and exploration. Florence, Rome and Venice were three of the cities that were the most significant during the Renaissance period, which produced artistic geniuses Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael.

There are tours to Rome that focus on this magical city’s art and history and Renaissance tours to Venice and museum and art tours to Florence. Other Italian cities rich in culture include Milan, Turin, Naples and Genoa.

 Spanish Art and Culture

Spain is another country which will greatly appeal to lovers of art, with Madrid and Barcelona being two of the most culturally rich cities in Europe. The work of Pablo Picasso can be seen on an art tour to Madrid and Barcelona provides art and architecture tours that take in the magnificent Barcelona Cathedral, which was designed by Gaudi.

 A Whole World of Art

Art and culture tours are not only available to European countries, but also to America and Australia. Whether it’s seeing great works of art close up, or being inspired by a room a great artist worked in, art tours help in giving an art lover a very real understanding of an artist and their work.

This great cities offer exhibitions dedicated to the artists’ work but also, the culture of the city helps you to imagine the influences that lent themselves to the artist’s style and development.

The Ultimate Travel Company have partnered with The Tate to create Tate Travels which have tours to Oslo to explore the work of Edvard Munch, a tour to Madrid to see the influence behind Picasso’s Guernica and many more.