During the 17th and 18th centuries, it was customary for young European men of high social standing and independent financial means to undertake the Grand Tour, a traditional trip through Europe that served as an educational rite of passage. Primarily associated with the British nobility and wealthy landed gentry, the Grand Tour followed a standard itinerary that exposed its privileged travelers to the cultural legacy of classical antiquity and the Renaissance associated with some of the continent’s most desired destinations, cities that included Paris, Geneva, Florence, and Rome. Much of Europe looked very different 300 years ago. But by retracing a typical route that would have been followed by a British aristocrat and comparing destinations then with those of today, you get a good idea of the journey he took and the places he visited.
Click through the following gallery and enjoy your own Grand Tour of Europe.
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Dover, England
For British tourists, the Grand Tour usually began in Dover, in Kent. The town faces France across the English Channel. It’s depicted here in 1747. The castle and the famous White Cliffs of Dover are clearly visible.
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Dover, England
Dover Castle today is as it appeared then. Today, however, the town is a major port. But the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain.
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Le Havre, France
The French port of Le Havre was a favored Channel destination for many embarking on the Grand Tour. Calais provided an alternative point of arrival, as did Ostend in Belgium. Pictured is Le Havre in 1776.
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Le Havre, France
The port still welcomes thousands of visitors a year to France. UNESCO has inscribed the central city of Le Havre as a World Heritage Site. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Paris, France
Non-speaking French tourists would usually hire a bilingual guide before heading for Paris. The great medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame, pictured here in 1750, was an obvious attraction.
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Paris, France
Visitors to Paris in the 17th and 18th centuries would not have had the pleasure of gazing upon the Eiffel Tower, which was constructed from 1887 to 1889. Today it’s one of the most visited historic monuments in the world.
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Geneva, Switzerland
From Paris, the Grand Tour itinerary would likely have taken you to Switzerland, with Geneva an obligatory stopover. In the 18th century, the city was protected by fortified walls that encircled a picturesque town of church spires and grand townhouses.
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Geneva, Switzerland
Modern-day Geneva is today a global city, a busy financial hub, and a worldwide center for diplomacy: several agencies of the United Nations are headquartered here.
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Lausanne, Switzerland
An alternative to visiting Geneva was choosing to explore equally attractive Lausanne. Pictured is the city’s Saint-François Square in the late 18th century.
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Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne’s majestic 13th-century cathedral is still a major focus for tourists visiting the city.
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The Alps, Switzerland
In the 17th and 18th centuries, travelers had to endure a difficult crossing over the Alps to reach Italy. This required the dismantling of carriages and bulkier luggage. Negotiating the Great Saint Bernard Pass was usually the route followed, and this was no easy feat in the 18th century.
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The Alps, Switzerland
The Swiss Alps comprise almost all the highest mountains of the Alps, including the famous 4,478-m (1,469 ft) Matterhorn. In summer, the peaks attracts hill walkers while the region’s lakes are favorite watersports destinations.
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Turin, Italy
Turin’s rich culture and history placed it as a must-see on the Grand Tour itinerary. Many of the city’s public squares, castles, gardens, and elegant palazzi, such as the Palazzo Madama, were built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Pictured is Piazza Castello facing Via Dora Grossa.
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Turin, Italy
This is Piazza Castello today. It remains one of Turin’s most elegant squares and is lined with museums, theaters, and cafés.
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Milan, Italy
A popular excursion out of Turin was to the nearby city of Milan. Pictured in 1750 is the magnificent white marble cathedral.
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Milan, Italy
Tourists today cite Milan’s cathedral, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, as one of the main reasons for visiting the city. It’s seen here from from Piazza del Duomo.
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Florence, Italy
Florence was seen as one of the high points on the Grand Tour itinerary. The birthplace of the Renaissance, the city’s splendid architecture and magnificent art compelled travelers to spend several months in this one location.
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Florence, Italy
Florence attracts millions of tourists a year to its UNESCO-protected monuments and world-class museums and galleries.
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Pisa, Italy
Pisa’s architectural splendor was not lost on those partaking of the Grand Tour, and exploration of the city was often combined with that of Florence. This view of Piazza dei Miracoli was sketched in 1725.
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Pisa, Italy
Nearly 300 years later, the view of the cathedral, baptistry, and the famous tower has changed little. The entire square is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Padua, Italy
Following Pisa, the next destination to be visited would often be Padua. The stately 10th-century Abbey of Santa Giustina was an obvious draw, sketched here in 1746, but so too was the fact that the city is the setting for most of the action in Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew.’ Visiting the sites where favorite books or plays were set added value to any trip, much as it does today by exploring destinations where movies are made.
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Padua, Italy
Travelers from the 17th and 18th centuries would immediately recognize the abbey, bathed here at dusk in dramatic floodlight.
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Bologna, Italy
By the Middle Ages, Bologna was among Europe’s largest cities by population, and this alone made it an enticing draw for visitors in the 18th century. The central Piazza del Nettuno was a suitable meeting place.
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Bologna, Italy
The piazza’s Fountain of Neptune still stands where it was constructed in 1565.
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Venice, Italy
Along with Florence, Venice was considered an obligatory stop on any traveler’s Europe itinerary. Indeed, the canal city with its over 400 bridges made it an epitome and cultural set piece of the Grand Tour. The city is depicted in this detailed 1745 painting.
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Venice, Italy
This is nearly the same scene caught by camera in the 21st century, showing the view towards the landmark Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.
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Rome, Italy
Rome was regarded by many undertaking the Grand Tour as their ultimate destination. The city’s fabulous ancient ruins and the masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and architecture of Rome’s Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods proved simply irresistible to inquisitive and educated minds. Pictured is how the mighty Colosseum appeared in 1754.
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Rome, Italy
Rome’s history spans 28 centuries. Today its astonishing collection of historic monuments dazzle and delight. Much of the old city center is a UNESCO Wold Heritage Site.
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Naples, Italy
Being this far south in Italy, many travelers were inclined to take in Naples, ostensibly to study music. Those who visited after the mid-18th century were also treated to the recently excavated archaeological sites of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Pictured is a tranquil view of the harbor from around 1750.
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Naples, Italy
Naples harbor in the present day. Its historic city center is the largest in Europe and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Innsbruck, Austria
Returning northward, the grand tourists of yesteryear took the opportunity to explore German-speaking Europe. Innsbruck in Austria afforded exploration of numerous castles and churches. The city and the River Inn is seen in this 1740 print.
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Innsbruck, Austria
Innsbruck is always worth investigating in the summer months. But it is in winter that the city truly comes alive as one of Europe’s premier winter sports destinations.
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Vienna, Austria
Pausing in Vienna would have entailed immersing oneself in the beautifully composed classical music the city was already celebrated for. It would have also meant wandering the city’s many palaces, landscaped gardens, and broad avenues. This is a 1761 view of Vienna from the Upper Belvedere Palace.
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Vienna, Austria
The Belvedere in fact consists of two historic Baroque palaces. The complex was built as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy, and the opulent interior is as resplendent and compelling now as it was then.
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Munich, Prussia (Germany)
The Grand Tour was as much about educating oneself as becoming well traveled. Munich welcomed many travelers choosing to learn the German language at one of its esteemed universities. In the mid-18th century, Munich’s Theatine Church (pictured) appeared as if set in a rural environment.
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Munich, Germany
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria. In this image, the Theatine Church is seen in the distance, distinguished by its mustard-color hue.
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Berlin, Prussia (Germany)
Prussia in the mid-1700s was ruled by Frederick the Great during which time Berlin became a center of the Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 17th and 18th. Berlin was therefore a very enticing destination for anybody seeking to expand their aristocratic education. Pictured is Wilhelmplatz, mid-18th century.
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Berlin, Germany
The capital of Germany, Berlin today is a world city of culture, politics, media, and science.
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Amsterdam, Holland
From Prussia it was a short jaunt across the border into Holland. Amsterdam in the 17th century was considered its Golden Age, during which it became the wealthiest city in the western world. Pictured is the Westerkerk, one of the city’s best-known churches and still standing today.
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Amsterdam, Holland
One of Europe’s most popular destinations for city-break tourists, Amsterdam still retains much of its 17th-century character. In fact the canals from this period are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
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Bruges, Flanders (Belgium)
One of the final city stops for travelers on the Grand Tour would have been Bruges, in Western Flanders. The picturesque city provided one last chance to appreciate European culture before heading to Ostend and catching the boat home.
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Bruges, Flanders (Belgium)
In the intervening years, Bruges has lost none of its charming character. Sometimes referred to as the “Venice of the North,” the city has enjoyed a reputation as a top European tourist hot spot, as have all the aforementioned destinations listed on the Grand Tour itinerary.
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