• 1x night dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation at the Leonardo Royal hotel based on shared accommodation.

• 4x night’s accommodation at Florist Park International 

• 3x breakfasts and 1x packed breakfast.

• 2x lunches.

• 4x three course dinners.

• Coach travel throughout

• Welcome-get together coffee and cake.

• Half-day workshop with Tino Hoogterp

• Full day with Brigitte Heinrichs - morning demonstration and afternoon workshop 

• Full day with Ursula Wegener - morning demonstration and afternoon workshop

• Visit to Veiling Rhein Maas flower and plant auction

• Visit to the Netherlands city of Venlo, just across the German border

• Visit to Oberhausen for the Centro Christmas Market and Fritz & Sabine Suthoff flower shop

• Visit to Bochum and Blumen von Marlene flower shop

• Visit to Essen for the Christmas Market and sightseeing 

• Services ECT Tour Manager

Day One - Saturday 19th November

AM: Those flying with us - meet ECT Tour Manager at London Heathrow T5

11:50 - depart LHR on British Airways flight BA0940 for Dusseldorf

14:15 - arrive Dusseldorf and transfer by private coach to Leonardo Royal Hotel Dusseldorf Königsallee 4*. Those making their own way should meet us at the hotel. Check-in is from 15:00. 

16:30/17:00 - meet and greet with the tour manager over coffee and cake

19:00/19:30 - dinner at the hotel

Day Two - Sunday 20th November

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

AM - free time to explore the city. An optional walking tour, 10:00-12:00, can be arranged. (Please contact us if you are interested.)

13:15 - transfer by private coach to Florist Park International

14:30 - arrive at Florist Park International and welcome tea/coffee and cake

15:00 – 19:00 workshop with Tino Hoogterp

19:30 - three-course dinner at Florist Park

Day Three - Monday 21st November

Full day programme with Brigitte Heinrichs at Florist Park

08:30 - breakfast

10:30 - demonstration

Tea/coffee served in the room

12:30 - buffet lunch 

14:00 - 1700 - workshop. Tea/coffee will be served during the afternoon

19:00 - Three course dinner at Florist Park

Day Four - Tuesday 22nd November

Full day programme with Ursula Wegener at Florist Park

08:30 - breakfast

10:30 - demonstration

Tea/coffee served in room

12:30 - buffet lunch

14:00 - 17:00 - workshop. Tea/coffee will be served during the afternoon

19:00 - Three course dinner at Florist Park

Day Five - Wednesday 23rd November

05:30 - depart Florist Park by private coach to visit Veiling Rhein Maas flower auction. We will provide a packed breakfast. 

06:30 - arrive Veiling Rhein Maas to watch the flower auction

08:00 - depart for Venlo, three and half miles away for a morning at leisure to explore the town

12:30 - depart Venlo for Oberhausen

13:30 - arrive Oberhausen and visit the Centro Christmas Market. You will also visit the Fritz and Sabine Suthoff flower shop. 

16:30 - depart Oberhausen for Bochum

17:00 - arrive Bochum and visit the flower shop Blumen von Marlene

18:00 - depart Bochum and return to Florist Park

18:30 - arrive Florist Park

19:00 - Farewell dinner at Florist Park

Day Six - Thursday 24th November

Early breakfast

09:00 - depart Florist Park by private coach for Essen

09:30 - arrive Essen for a morning at leisure. You can visit the Christmas Market for some early festive shopping, or browse the stores in Limbecker Platz shopping centre. Essen also has a number of  good museums such as Red Dot Design Museum, Museum Folkwang, Rhur Museum, and Villa Hugel. Essen Cathedral is also well worth a visit.

13:34 - depart Essent for Dusseldorf airport

14:15 - arrive Dusseldorf airport*

16:15 - depart Dusseldorf on British Airways BA0941

16:45 - arrive London Heathrow T4

Tour ends

* For those not flying with us, we can arrange transfers back to Dusseldorf or additional nights accommodation at a hotel. Please contact us to discuss.

Ursula Wegener is one of the pioneers of German floral art and a longstanding teacher of floral techniques and design. Working from both the floral school she runs with her husband in Crailsheim and at Florist Park, she also travels extensively to give international seminars and has a legion of students who have gone on to become outstanding floral designers in their own right.

Working with the rich diversity found in nature is at the heart of Ursula’s designs. She has a deep connection to the natural world and maintains a beautiful and diversely planted garden. She works with foliage and flowers she has grown herself, or picked from forests and the hedgerows, and also with natural found forms, such as lichen-covered branches or just-opening seedpods. 

Ursula’s knowledge ranges from traditional English techniques to Japanese Ikebana and Ikenobo. With astonishing technical skill and having created a wide range of work over many years, she teaches her students how to create many different styles from fresh bouquets to multi-faceted displays combining blossoms, leaves, stems, twigs, fruit or vegetables.
 
Ursula believes:  "You can arrange the perfect shape, colour or flower varieties, but it’s the cohesion that counts. It’s what makes the difference between an ok bouquet and a bouquet that wows.” She has a wonderful enthusiasm for teaching, sharing her passion and vision for using natural components to create beautiful displays with a hint of whimsy and breath-taking elegance. 

Ursula also will explain how you can be inspired by the imperfections, fragility and seasonality of nature to create bold, enigmatic displays incorporating an array of ‘found’ elements.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from this master designer and founder of one of the most innovative, technically significant and prevailing national styles in floral design and artistry. 

Master Florist Brigitte Heinrichs is one of Germany’s leading teachers of floral design. An international Gold Medal Champion, Brigitte’s designs are often featured in the best floral publications from Fleur Creatif to Fusion Flowers and, as a lecturer at the FDF and part of the FLOOS project, she is often seen demonstrating at IPM in Essen.

An amazingly knowledgeable plants woman, Brigitte calls her distinctive style “Design with Nature”. Meticulously incorporating natural materials with floral elements and foliage, her bold arrangements have won her many accolades at prestigious international exhibitions from Floritopia in Korea to the Singapore Garden Festival where, in 2010, she received the 'Great Gold' and 'Best Show' medals.

Having gained professional experience working with Gregor Lersch and New Zealand designer Gail Jones, Brigitte has a wealth of knowledge to share. With vast technical experience and a thorough understanding of the principles of design, she will guide you in creating your own works, offering practical tips along the way. Being one of the lead tutors at the FDF she is extremely patient and offers clear instruction.

While Tino Hoogtoop is young and relatively new to floristry, he is already a hugely influential designer proud of his craft and industry. His ethos is preserving tradition while shaping the future, pushing boundaries especially with digital engagement. 

Although his parents were in the flower industry, it was during his time working with influential German designers such as Manfred Hoffmann and Johann Obendrauf, as well as Elly Lin from Taiwan and Jouni Seppanen from Helsinki, and training for certification at Weihenstephan floristry school, that Tino's individual style emerged. He was awarded FDF’s 'Influencer Award' in 2018 for his corsage fashioned out of Santini flower heads and has since gone on to appear annually at IPM  and participate in Fleur Creatif events and FloraZon in Venlo. 

Tino adapts traditional designs with modern touches, adding loose and fluid elements into bound bouquets for example, or transforming a tight, parallel bouquet into a dynamic and spirited aesthetic by highlighting the individual beauty and detail of each component. 

Tino is very enthusiastic about sharing his passion and his ideas. “For me, no other job can convey so many emotions as comfort, love, compassion and joy,” he says.

The workshops are all conducted in English and are aimed both at advanced beginners and those with more experience. The sessions begin with demonstrations, followed by helpful tuition and tips.

Please bring your own secateurs and scissors*. All other tools and materials will be provided. (*Please be aware of any restrictions with travelling with these tools. ECT Travel does not accept responsibility for providing this information.

These workshops are meant to be enjoyed and are about having fun. The tutors know that even the most skilled designers need time to absorb what they've learned before creating a new design and they are there to help and support you. These workshops provide an opportunity to step out of your normal way of creating and to try new ideas. Being surrounded by your fellow students provides great encouragement too. 

You will definitely want to take some photos, so make sure you have your phone, ipad or camera ready. And do have a notebook and pen packed too - it's really useful to be able to make notes along the way and it will give you something to look back on when you get home.
 

OUTBOUND: BA0940
11:50 - depart London Heathrow Terminal 5
14:15 - arrive Dusseldorf
Flight time 1 hour 20 minutes

RETURN: BA0941
16:15 - depart Dusseldorf
16:45 - arrive London Heathrow T4
Flight time 1 hour 30 minutes

Luggage included:
Economy Plus class:
1 x 23 kg checked baggage 
Plus:
1 x handbag/laptop bag up to 40cm/30cm/15cm & max 23kg
1 x additional cabin bag up to 56cm/45cm/25cm & max 23kg 
 

Free seat selection from at least 24 hours in advance.
 

Florist Park

Accommodation at Florist Park is in the Main House, a former farm dating back to 1798. The guest rooms are  simple but comfortable and the modern bathrooms have showers, a private toilet and hair dryers. There is free Wi-Fi throughout the house. Delicious, home-cooked meals are served in a dining room looking out on the pond (individual dietary requirements are catered for) and there is a friendly 'Wunderbar' where guests can relax and chat at the end of a creative day. 

Leonardo Royal Hotel, Dusseldorf 4*

Situated just 100 meters away from Dusseldorf’s main shopping street, the elegant Königsallee, the Leonardo Royal Hotel is the perfect starting point for a stay in the city. The modern rooms all have free Wi-Fi and the hotel also has a sauna and fitness facility. The Vitruv restaurant serves both international and local dishes, while the Leo bar/lounge is a good place for a coffee, cocktail or light snack.