The
Grand Tour in the 17th and 18th centuries was the quintessential
vacation for the wealthy, mainly male, English elite.
For
some, like the Bluestockings and the character Henry Clerval
in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, it was a chance at liberation
from the confines of English decorum and tradition. To find
out more about the Bluestockings click on Bluestocking Elizabeth
Linley on the left. To find out more about travel in Mary
Shalley's novel Frankenstein, click on the text.
A
favorite Grand Tour destination among the well-traveled, and
well-heeled, were the Swiss Alps. Famed for their breathtaking
beauty, young men, nature lovers and Bluestockings alike traveled
thousands of miles to witness the splendor of the Alps. Click
on the picture of the Alps to the right to find out more about
the mountain and Switzerland.
For
most male travelers, the Grand Tour marked the end of their adolescent
years, as it was considered the last educational step toward adulthood.
Click on the runaway carriage below to learn about the Grand Tour
