• 3x nights bed & breakfast at 4* NH Hotel, Groningen
• 2x three course evening dinners at the hotel
• Local transfers throughout the programme
• Services of an accompanying ECT tour manager who will meet you at Schiphol Airport
• 2 days entry to Quiltfestival Noord Groningen
• Specialist quilt workshop with Herma de Ruiter
• Entry to Pakhuis Museum, with expert talk, tea/coffee and cake
• Entry to Schokland Museum and lunch
• Visit to Urk

Day One - Thursday 8th June

1200h - meet your Tour Manager at Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam and begin the journey to Groningen.

13:30 - stop at the picturesque seaside town of Urk for lunch* (*not included in the tour price)

15:10- continue to to Leewarden

16:30 - arrive at Museum Pakhuis Koophandel, Leeuwarden for a specialist textile/quilt talk and show and tell with local/regional specialists. There may also be an opportunity to purchase fabrics and fat quarters - TBC. You will also be offered tea/coffee and cake.

18:00 - continue on to Groningen 

19:00  - arrive 4* NH Hotel, Groningen. With comfortable, modern bedrooms and located just 10 minutes walk from the beautiful main square, Grote Markt and close to other must-see sights including the Martini Tower and the Groninger Museum of Art, this eco-friendly hotel makes a perfect base for this tour. Facilities include a 24/7 gym, free Wi-Fi and a relaxed cafe, NOSH offering healthy, freshly made salads, sandwiches, and soups. 

20:00 - three course dinner at the hotel

Day Two - Friday 9th June

08:00 - breakfast at the hotel

09:30 - transfer by private coach to Noord Groningen for a full day at the Quilt Festival

Evening at leisure

Day Three - Saturday 10th June

08:00 - breakfast at the hotel

09:30 - transfer by private coach to Noord Groningen for a full day at the Quilt Festival

Evening - group dinner at the hotel and an approx. 90-minute workshop with Herma de Ruiter.

Day Four - Sunday 11th June

Breakfast at the hotel and check out

Morning at leisure to explore Groningen

13:30 - transfer by private coach to UNESCO World Heritage site Schokland

15:00 - late lunch and tour of Schokland

17:00 - continue on to Amsterdam Schiphol 

19:00 - Arrive at Amsterdam Schiphol for your return flights 

Tour ends

Quilt artist Hilde van Schaardenburg is a regular exhibitor at Quilt Festival Noord Groningen. Her beautiful, contemporary quilts explore "the beauty of the universe, the earth, people, animals and plants." She has also worked with artists and musicians to create compelling, poetic three dimensional installations such as 'Duet', a co-operative work with her husband Dirkjan van Schaardenburg, and 'Waterfall.' This electro-acoustic piece features a quilt made from materials including crepe georgette, linen and gemstone, combined with a soundtrack by musician Tine Surel Lange. 

Some of you will know Herma from her wonderful quilt designs that appear in international exhibitions, on Instagram, Pinterest and favourite quilting and patchwork publications. Her online tutorials are hugely enjoyed and widely shared - anyone who has watched one will know how wonderfully informative and enthusiastic Herma is and how much she enjoys sharing ideas and techniques. 

We asked Herma to tell us what she has planned for this workshop:

Staphorst is one of the last remaining places in the Netherlands where you still find women wearing traditional dress on an everyday basis. They make these costumes themselves and the thing I really like - and which has inspired the workshop - is the multi-coloured 'stipwerk’, or dot-work,  which they use to decorate their workday caps, as well as other areas of the costume. They make it using nails and fabric paint and we’ll be using embroidery to create something very similar in the workshop. The plan is to stitch the fabric onto book wraps so everyone will have a little notebook to take home as a nice reminder of their trip to the Netherlands. It’s really important to me that my students leave the class with something that makes them happy.

Please note, flight times are subject to change. We check with the airline regularly and update this page with the latest information. 

All flights are with KLM to Amsterdam Schiphol, departing 8th June, returning 11th June 

Economy seat:

1 hand baggage (max. 55 x 35 x 25cm)

and 1 personal item (12 kg total)

1 checked baggage (23 kg) (up to 158cm length+width+height inc handles and wheels)

London Heathrow £255 (flight time 1hr 20mins)

Outbound: 08:40-11:00, KL1002

Inbound: 20:30-20:55, KL1033

Birmingham £330 (flight time 1hr 15mins)

Outbound: 09:15-11:30, KL1422

Inbound: 21:05-21:20, KL1435

Bristol £220 (flight time 1hr 15mins)

Outbound: 09:15-11:30, KL1050

Inbound: 22:40-23:00, KL1057

Norwich £250 (flight time 1hr 15mins)

Outbound: 09:40 -11:35, KL1516

Inbound: 22:40-22:30, KL1527

Manchester £450 (flight time 1hr 20mins)

Outbound: 09:00-11:15, KL1072

Inbound: 21:25-21:45, KL1083

NH Groningen 4* is wonderfully located, within easy walking distance to the old city historic city and Groningen Museum. The rooms are comfortably appointed, many with sweeping views over the city. 
Each morning buffet breakfast is provided and offers  a wide variety of fresh fruit juices, pastries, cold cuts, cheeses, fruit, yogurt, an assortment of breads, and much more. You can also request hot dishes made to order.  

The eponymous capital of this northern region is filled with historic monuments, lively cafes and great shopping opportunities.

Designed by the Italian architect Alessandro Mendini, the Groninger Museum is a treat inside and out. Modern and contemporary art sits alongside a world-renowned collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.