Heart of Europe Tours
ANTIQUING ADVENTURES & GRAND GETAWAYS
Antique Tours >> 20th Century Antiques

  20th Century Design and Antiques -- Germany and the Czech Republic
October 5-13, 2007

Art Nouveau and Czecho-Deco, Modernism and More. Browse, buy and bask in antiques and design from the last ten decades – the only 20th century antiques buying trip available to Central Europe.  

This brisk, total-immersion shopping expedition is ideal for the antiques buff, 20th- century design head, collector and dealer .   If you’re frustrated by the typical “look-but-don’t-touch!” tour, where everything you see is cordoned off or encased in plexi, this antiques buying trip is for you. We will be looking, touching – and buying -- on this insider’s expedition to Germany and the Czech Republic. 

Feast on the lyrical lines of Art Nouveau and the restrained charms of Art Deco and Modernism -- there’s something magical about seeing great design and decor in the very place where it originated. Central Europe left the world an unimaginably rich design legacy. Yet, despite the Velvet Revolution and the fall of the wall, many of its treasures are unknown elsewhere. That’s great for the bargain-hunting antiquer, who can devote a week of focused time to the hunt and knows the right places to look.

You’ll see Jugendstil, Art Nouveau, Secession, Cubism, Art Deco, Functionalism, Modernism, Socialist Realism, Mid-Century and more – high and low, pristine or ready to restore, priced within reach.

A-List Sources

Taken together, the sources we have assembled for this trip offer an immense selection of furniture, furnishings, décor, glass, ceramics and art in all price ranges. You’ll have plenty of buying opportunities at antique shops, out-of-the-way warehouses, galleries, to-the-trade sources, auction houses and the largest antique market in the Czech Republic.

Prices in Central Europe tend to be lower than in France, the Low Countries and the U.K., and the selection is generally larger. You’ll also have an opportunity to visit Mies von der Rohe’s Villa Tugendhat, the Mucha Museum, Prague’s Cubist House and other top 20th-century design icons (optional). The tour includes central Germany, Prague, eastern Bohemia and Brno.   

Plan Your Getaway

Fall is a lovely time of year to travel in Central Europe. Air fares are low and you’ll avoid the tourist crush. Our 20th-century buying trip provides all the ingredients for stress-free antiquing: an individual guided shopping experience, comfortable accommodations, great technical support, and individual attention. Plan your getaway now.

Highlights

  • 9 days/8 nights
  • Airport transfers
  • Shared transatlantic container shipping included 
  • Ground travel in comfortable, private Mercedes minibus
  • Welcome dinner 
  • Delectable antiques and décor -- all price ranges, all periods, high style, vernacular and in between
  • Tax-free shopping and insider access to our sources
  • Hand-picked, comfortable hotels -- charming, comfortable rooms with private bath – breakfast included
    Opt in -- opt out. If you want to take an afternoon or a day off, we’ll help you plan other activities, including visits to some of the seminal Art Nouveau, Cubist and Art Deco-inspired sites in the cities we visit.
  • Experienced, bilingual sherpa with you every step of the way
  • No minimum purchase – buy what you want, where you want!
  • Ongoing technical assistance and professional advice
  • Tax-exempt for antiques professionals, designers and buyers
  • $3550 per person, double occupancy (single rooms available)
  • Tour starts and ends in Frankfurt

    Have a group?

    Join the 20th Century Tour and travel with a group of friends, fellow-collectors or dealers from your area.  Contact us about special rates.

    Flights

    Flights are available from several cities in the U.S. and other countries at reasonable cost.   We work closely with a non-profit travel agency that will be glad to give you a quote and help with your flight arrangements. You are also free to use your own travel agent.

    Shipping

    If you’ve ever shopped for antiques overseas, you know that shipping them home is expensive, complicated and time-consuming, and can be a source of endless frustration! People who hear about our antique buying trips for the first time often can’t believe that we offer such a diverse itinerary, so many venues, such great ground arrangements and include shipping all for one price . We feel this is a winning combination -- and it sets us apart from many other tours.

    We will work with local dealers to make sure your treasures are delivered to the place where they are to be loaded, or arrange transportation if necessary (charges may apply for local transport). We oversee loading, export documentation and get the container to the port . We handle wharfage and ocean freight as part of our service. If you need short-term storage in Europe or the U.S. we can arrange that as well. Extra charges apply for warehousing, customs, insurance, ground freight and additional services if required. But we will help you stay on top of these so there are no “surprises.”

    If you intend to buy a larger quantity of antiques, we can arrange a solo container for you at additional cost. We can have your items packed, cleared, freighted to the U.S. and delivered to your door for one price. Contact us early on so we can discuss your needs and find a solution that works best.   

    We also arrange container shipping to southern and west coast ports in North America , as well as the U.K. Australia, New Zealand, Korea and other destinations . Please contact us if you have questions. We would be glad to help.

    Outstanding sources for furniture and design -- friendly prices – flexible shipping options!  Book Now.

    •   Great Value...

    • Includes ca. 150 cubic feet of transatlantic shipping (more space available)
    • Great selection of  antique furniture, architectural antiques, garden antiques, smalls decor and more, in all price ranges
    • Largest flea markets in Germany and the Czech Republic
    • Professional guide
    • Time-efficient and productive - Lots of buying opportunities
    • Dealer and trade discounts
    • Tax-free shopping  
    • Comfortable ground travel
    • All of the features above plus hand-picked hotels and lots of individual attention for less than the price of many off-the-shelf  tours.

    Inside Track...

    Our network of sources and our expertise give you access to an immense array of quality antiques.

    We handle the details so you can have fun, use your time productively and concentrate on antiquing.      

    What to look for…

    Secession art glass
    Art Deco chrome furniture
    Wiener Werkstätte
    Designer ceramics 1900-60
    Original Thonet furniture
    Mücke & Melder
    Wardrobes and credenzas
    Pre- and postwar lighting
    Upholstered furniture 1900-60
    Slezák
    Vienna Bronzes
    Bauhaus
    Loetz
    Art Nouveau and Deco linens 
    Moser
    Textiles and vintage clothing
    Postwar Functionalist design
    Jindrich Halabala
    Deco pieces in macassar and walnut
    Art Nouveau tiles
    Deco and Art Nouveau jewelry
    Mies von der Rohe
    Cubist ceramics
    Werkbund
    Deco bedrooms & dining rooms
    Gottwald
    Graphics & posters
    Industrial antiques
    Socialist Realism design
    Deco etageres
    20s-40s Kitchenalia
    Deutsche Werkstätten
    Bohemian glass buttons & beads