Get the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 in a box!

The attractive companion for visitors to the art and cultural treasures of and around RUHR.2010, the GRAND TOUR 2010 BOX, is now also available in English and Dutch versions – making it easier than ever for international visitors to embark on a journey of discovery in the European Capital of Culture.

The European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010 invites lovers of art and culture to many unique experiences not to be missed. A truly diverse programme is on offer with lots of exciting choices for just about any taste. Now the GRAND TOUR BOX 2010 provides convenient and interesting ideas and organization for individual trips to some of the Ruhr Metropolis' highlights.

In addition to vouchers of overnight stays at select hotels (double room incl. breakfast), the GRAND TOUR 2010 BOX contains tickets to some of the region's museums and other  cultural highlights as well as restaurant recommendations and other interesting sights. Information brochures are also included to help visitors orient themselves among the many offers and introduce guests to the museums and cultural institutions than can be visited with the included passes.

The number of choices is amazing, from taking part in a tour along the Route of Residential Culture; renting a bike to enjoy open-air art along the Emscher River as part of EMSCHERKUNST.2010; or looking at the work of contemporary German photographers from Candida Höfer to Andreas Gursky inside the spectacular futuristic SANAA-building at the "Ruhr Views" exhibition. They're sure to turn a visit to RUHR.2010 into a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In addition, the GRAND TOUR 2010 BOX also gives an overview of the diverse and exciting cultural offerings of surrounding areas in North Rhine-Westphalia, including the state's major cities of Düsseldorf and Köln.

The GRAND TOUR 2010 BOX is available in three languages; Dutch, English and German and can be ordered online at www.grand-tour-2010.de or by telephone at +49 (0)228/18496744. Buyers have their choice of three boxes: The S-BOX (one-day tour without overnight stay for €49), the L-BOX (two-day tour with one overnight stay for €149) and the XL-BOX (three-day tour with 2 overnight stays for €298). Visitors have the option of booking Deutsche Bahn railways' RUHR.2010 ticket, which provides free bus and train rides for 48 hours in the Ruhr region for just €19 or alternative in all of North Rhine-Westphalia for €48.

The tours
Visitors can use the GRAND TOUR BOX to plan highly individual trips: You have your choice of four tours focusing on either Architecture and Residential Culture, Light Art, ArtSpaces or Grand Tour Highlights.

Tour 1: Architecture and Residential Culture
The Architecture and Residential Culture tour leads visitors to museums that have been designed or renovated by renowned architects such as Herzog & de Meuron's Museum Küppersmühle in Duisburg's inner harbour, the new building of the Museum Folkwang designed by David Chipperfield Architects and the new expansion of the K20 in Düsseldorf, designed by Copenhagen architects Dissing & Weitling. The tour also offers insights into residential culture by providing glimpses into 58 houses and apartments in the Ruhr region.

Tour 2: Light Art
The Ruhr region has become one of Europe's most important centres for light art in recent years. Visitors will be able to encounter around 150 permanent light art installations and presentations in public spaces throughout the area. The tour also leads participants to important works of light art along Ruhr and Rhine, such as the Centre for International Light Art in Unna.

Tour 3: Art Spaces
Lots of new artistic spaces can be discovered in 2010; they provide fresh perspectives on the Ruhr and all of North Rhine-Westphalia. The journey leads you to the Dortmund U, a former brewery that will host the Museum am Ostwall; the Lehmbruck Museum in Duisburg, the centre for international sculpture; and to the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010's biggest art project, EMSCHERKUNST.2010, which lets international artists bring art to an island.

Tour 4: Grand Tour highlights
This is where visitors can experience 2010's big collections and special exhibitions across North Rhine-Westphalia: "The most beautiful museum in the world - the Museum Folkwang until 1933" (runs until July 25, 2010); the AufRuhr! Exhibition at the LWL Museum of Archeology in Herne (until November 28, 2010); the Ludwig and Wallraff-Richartz museums in Cologne; and the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn. And there's much more to discover – former industrial sites transformed into exhibition spaces such as the Gasometer Oberhausen and the new Ruhr Museum at the Zeche Zollverein site, which opened its doors in January.

The GRAND TOUR 2010 BOX comes in three versions:

S-BOX – Day tour
4 vouchers for entry to museums and other cultural institutions
4 select tour packages
Recommendations and suggestions
Programme overview of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.201ß
Price: €49 incl. VAT

L-BOX – 2-day tour
1 overnight stay at a 4**** hotel incl. breakfast for 2 people
2 vouchers for entry to museums and other cultural institutions
4 select tour packages
Recommendations and suggestions
Programme overview of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.201ß
Price: €149 incl. VAT

XL-BOX – 3-day tour
2 overnight stays at a 4**** hotel incl. breakfast for 2 people
6 vouchers for entry to museums and other cultural institutions
4 select tour packages
Recommendations and suggestions
Programme overview of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.201ß
Price: €289 incl. VAT

You can order the boxes and find additional information at www.grand-tour-2010.de or by telephone at +49 (0) 228/184 967 44.


Media contacts:
RUHR.2010 GmbH
Katharina Jarzombek
Phone: +49 (0)201 888 2049
Email: katharina.jarzombek@ruhr2010.de

projekt2508 GmbH
Mirjam Flender    
Phone: +49 (0)228 1849677
Email: presse@projekt2508.de

www.grand-tour-2010.de
www.ruhr2010.de