Rick Steves' Europe
A fresh perspective on the best travel advice, including where to stay, what to see and how to get around. Rick shares the latest on sightseeing in the grand cities of Europe, and offers a vivid local perspective on off-the-beaten path locations.
Upcoming Broadcasts:
Paris: Grand & Intimate (#102)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
After marveling at masterpieces in the Louvre and strolling the Champs-Elysees, we explore a delightful Parisian neighborhood, where we meet an organist, drop by a butcher shop, design our own perfume, then cruise the Seine.
Channels and Airdates:
Tue, Feb 9, 2010 -- 12:00 am
Tue, Feb 9, 2010 -- 9:00 am
Sat, Feb 13, 2010 -- 12:00 am email reminder
South England; Dover to Land's End (#103)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
From the white cliffs of Dover to Land's End, we ponder Roman, Norman and Nazi invasions. After exploring Admiral Nelson's flagship, we chase wild ponies across the moors and discover an ancient stone circle. For refreshment, it's cream tea and Cornish pasties.
Channels and Airdates:
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 -- 12:00 am
Wed, Feb 10, 2010 -- 9:00 am
Heart of England and South Wales (#104)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
After King Arthur country at Glastonbury, we go back in time to prehistoric Stonehenge. We sample hard apple cider in Wells, meet an eccentric lord in the Cotswolds, and visit an evocative ruined abbey in South Wales.
Channels and Airdates:
Tuscany's Dolce Vita (#407)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The small towns and rural charms of Tuscany give us a healthy dose of the "sweet life" as we hunt for truffles in an oak forest, nibble through an artichoke festival, share a farmhouse feast, and ride a classic convertible through the cypress groves of Mona Lisa's back yard.
Channels and Airdates:
Caesar's Rome (#105)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
Rome welcomes the new millennium spiffed up as never before. We tour Rome's ancient sights from the Forum and Coliseum to the glorious Pantheon. Then, after exploring the catacombs and a cat hospice, we track down the best ice cream in Rome.
Channels and Airdates:
Vienna and the Danube (#506)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
For centuries, Vienna was the crown jewel of the rich and powerful Habsburg Empire. A century after that empire's fall, the Viennese appreciates their imperial legacy as a cultural wellspring and an excuse to live in style. We'll take in the city's wealth of elegant gardens, great art and fine music. Then we'll explore the city's surroundings, with a trip along the romantic Danube River and a hike up to the breathtakingly Baroque Melk Abbey.
Channels and Airdates:
Portugal's Heartland (#101)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
Leaving Lisbon for the countryside, we eat barnacles in a salty old fishing town, march with pilgrims on the anniversary of a miracle, ponder the local Romeo and Juliet, sample university life, and rummage through the riches of Portugal's Golden Age.
Channels and Airdates:
Germany's Black Forest and Cologne (#106)
Duration:
27:57 CC Stereo TVG
Rick teams up with his wife and kids to enjoy the good life, dipping into a classy mineral spa, trying his luck at a fancy casino, devouring chocolate-cherry cake, and exploring Germany's most romantic forest.
Channels and Airdates:
Mon, Feb 15, 2010 -- 12:00 am email reminder
Mon, Feb 15, 2010 -- 9:00 am email reminder
Sat, Feb 20, 2010 -- 4:30 pm email reminder
Sun, Feb 21, 2010 -- 12:00 am email reminder
Scotland's Islands and Highlands (#107)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
In Scotland, legends of Bonnie Prince Charlie swirl with pipers and kilts around crumbling castles. After tossing a caber (log) at a Scottish clan gathering, we remember Highland massacres. We play hide-and-seek with the Loch Ness Monster, tour a whiskey distillery and take a ferry to sacred Iona.
Channels and Airdates:
Tue, Feb 16, 2010 -- 12:00 am email reminder
Tue, Feb 16, 2010 -- 9:00 am email reminder
Sat, Feb 20, 2010 -- 12:00 am email reminder
Surprising Bulgaria (#108)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
Bulgaria is a time war of old and new - from chic shops in the city to donkey cars in the country. We hike to a mountain monastery, meet two sculptors (dad does Stalin, son does nudes), and enjoy a traditional dinner feast at a local home.
Channels and Airdates:
Rome: Baroque, After Dark (#109)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
After a pilgrimage to Michelangelo's Pieta, we climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica. We seek out tucked-away Renaissance paintings and a cleverly-painted false dome. At the Borghese Gallery, it's exquisite sculptures by the master of marble, Bernini. Then we join the locals on an after-dark stroll, lacing together Rome's Baroque and bubbly nightspots.
Channels and Airdates:
Italy's Great Hill Towns (#408)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Connoisseurs of Italy find that its quintessential charms survive in its classic hill towns. From San Gimignano's medieval towers, to Cortona's charming lanes, to Orvieto's papal intrigue, to Civita di Bagnoregio's cliff-hanging vistas, all sit on lofty stone perches that now seem to protect them only from the modern world.
Channels and Airdates:
Eastern Turkey (#110)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
After a Mount Ararat sunrise, we visit Abraham's 4000-year-old home town, tour one of the world's biggest dams, cheer on grease wrestlers, meet the gods atop Mount Nemrut and dance with new friends in a village.
Channels and Airdates:
The Czech Republic Off The Beaten Path (#507)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Few travelers venture beyond Prague to experience the Czech Republic's many cultural riches and offbeat delights. We'll get you started with a whirlwind of Art Nouveau, local pub music, stinky cheese-tasting, river-rafting, and peat-bathing in places like Olomouc, Moravsky Krumlov, Telc, Trebon and Konopiste. We'll also tour a remarkable memorial to the holocaust in Terezin, and the charming castle town of Cesky Krumlov.
Channels and Airdates:
London: Royal and Rambunctious (#111)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
We whisper secrets across the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral and eat our way through Soho. Then we check out the treasures of the new British Library, roll with the drums at the Changing of the Guard, and cruise the Thames to Kew Gardens.
Channels and Airdates:
Slovenia and Croatia (#112)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
We discover that Dubrovnik is still the "jewel of the Adriatic" while nearby villages decorate their dreamy archipelago with small-town Venetian charm. Ljubljana is like Salzburg without tourists. The Julian Alps glisten with pristine lakes as Lipizzaner stallions are eager to strut their stuff.
Channels and Airdates:
The Best of Sicily (#113)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
After going fishing for anchovies of Cefalu, we land in rough-and-tumble Palermo. Marveling at the eerie skeletons in a Cappuccin crypt, airy mosaics of Monreale, enchanting ruins of Segesta, and the fiery rim of Mount Etna, we enjoy the best of Sicily.
Channels and Airdates:
Three-Part Travel Skills Special (#114)
Duration:
28 CC Stereo TVG
Rick's expertise is travel - specifically, how to travel smoothly and affordably. These specials parlay his 25 years of travel experience into practical tips on: planning a trip, overcoming the language barrier, getting around, finding accommodations, staying safe, and more. Shot on location in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, the Rhine, and Swiss Alps, the show covers Rick's favorite 3000-mile European loop while providing viewers with essential travel skills.
Channels and Airdates:
Vienna (#409)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
In Europe's classiest capital we'll tiptoe through the palace of Maria Theresa and be dazzled by the Hapsburg crown jewels. Then we'll picnic on the Danube, nibble strudel in an old world cafe, blush at slinky Art Nouveau, and waltz to the three-four beat of Johann Strauss.
Channels and Airdates:
Three-Part Travel Skills Special (#115)
Duration:
27:28 CC Stereo TVG
Part 2 of a 3-part mini-series on travel tips.
Channels and Airdates:
Three-Part Travel Skills Special (#116)
Duration:
27:28 CC Stereo TVG
The final program in a 3-part mini-series of travel tips.
Channels and Airdates:
Istanbul (#512()
Duration:
44:01 CC Stereo TVRE
Where Europe comes face to face with Asia, we'll explore the fascinating, multilayered city of Istanbul. We'll lose our way in the Grand Bazaar and feast like kings with locals at a fisherman's wharf. We'll follow the fall of the Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city's ancient wall, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. To escape the city bustle, we'll board a boat on the churning Bosphorus, make friends over backgammon, and try a traditional bath.
Channels and Airdates:
Greece's Peloponnese (#509()
Duration:
44 CC Stereo TVRE
Island getaways are fun, but the real heart of Greece is found in the Peloponnese Peninsula. After enjoying the charming old port town of Nafplion, we'll time-trip through the ruins of Olympia, take center stage at the remarkably preserved theater at Epidavros, and explore the ancient capital of Mycenae. Then we'll wander off the beaten path along the rustic, rough-and-tumble Mani Peninsula, relax in the idyllic beach town of Kardymli and marvel at Greece's Rock of Gibraltar: the fortress town of Monemvasia.
Channels and Airdates:
French Riviera: Uniquely Chic (#309()
Duration:
44:46 CC Stereo TVG
A longtime favorite escape of Europe's elite, the Riviera coastline still sparkles with yachts. We follow in the footsteps of 19th century aristocrats along Monaco's harbor and Nice's promenade des Anglais. Then we visit the picturesque, artist hangouts of Chagall, Matisse and Picasso.
Channels and Airdates:
Croatia's Dalmation Coast (#515()
Duration:
44:46 CC Stereo TVG
Channels and Airdates:
Venice: Serene, Decadent, and Still Kicking (#201)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Sorting through the monuments of magical Venice, we trace its decline from Europe's most powerful city to its most hedonistic. We cruise its main street - the Grand Canal, then get lost in the back lanes. For art, it's Titian, Bellini, Donatello, and the Doge's Palace. We luxuriate in a venerable cafe on St. Mark's Square, enjoy calamari with locals in a canal-side pub, then find our own private Venice under the moonlight on a gondola.
Channels and Airdates:
Venice Sidetrips (#202)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Pulling on hip boots, we settle into the muck of Venice, then take a speedboat tour of the lagoon. On the mainland, we head for Padua to tour a once-illegal anatomy theater and track the restoration of Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel. In Vicenza, we admire elegant Palladian-style streets and villas. In Verona, we climb the Roman Coliseum, jostle with tourists to rub the brass breast of Juliet, and taste-test grappa before riding the train to Ravenna for its dazzling 1500-year-old mosaics.
Channels and Airdates:
Florence: City of Art (#203)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
In the birthplace of the Renaissance, we look into the eyes of Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Venus, learn tricks for touring the Uffizi art gallery, and climb the dome that kicked off the Renaissance-to discover how it was built. Then we delve into the Florentine good life: visiting a fragrant 400-year-old perfumery, sipping Campari on a rooftop, chasing the sunset on a Vespa, and sleeping serenely in a converted monastery.
Channels and Airdates:
Salzburg and Surroundings (#410)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The birthplace of Mozart - and everyone's Sound of Music fantasies -Salzburg is a baroque jewel of a town. It's also the springboard for dozens of Alpine adventures, from thrilling summer bobsledding, to hikes around Hitler's old Eagles Nest hideout, to an idyllic boat ride on serene Lake Hallstatt.
Channels and Airdates:
Siena and Assisi: Italy's Grand Hill Towns (#204)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Italy's Grand Hill Towns In red-bricked Siena, we tour its innovative medieval hospital, lavish cathedral, and a bakery that makes panforte (like fruitcake, only better). Exploring the Chianti region, we taste Brunello di Montalcino - with its makers. Spending the night at a farmhouse, we meet the family and the sheep, learn of the Slow Food Movement, and enjoy a homegrown dinner. In Assisi, we follow the footsteps of St. Francis from his humble chapel to the grand basilica - frescoed by Giotto - that holds his tomb.
Channels and Airdates:
Cinque Terre: Italy's Hidden Riviera (#205)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Italy's Hidden Riviera In these five idyllic port towns, we sample village life: fishing for anchovies at midnight, savoring the best pesto, picking grapes, and cheering cliff divers as we hike the "walkway of love." Each pastel town is a delight, but my favorite is Vernazza - where Giovanni makes pasta and Granelli sells porcini mushrooms at the tiny street market. We sidetrip to Carrara's quarries where Michelangelo selected his marble, then return to Vernazza to stroll the only street with the entire village as the sun sets.
Channels and Airdates:
Amsterdam and Dutch Sidetrips (#206)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
With Rembrandts and stately architecture from its Golden Age, hidden churches and holocaust memorials from its troubled times, and Van Goghs and titillating street life from its modern age, Amsterdam stimulates all the senses. Then, side-tripping from Europe's capital of tolerance into the countryside (and below sea-level), we hike dikes, climb windmills, tour the world's biggest flower market, and see how in Holland, "Everything's just so Dutch!"
Channels and Airdates:
Prague and the Czech Republic (#207)
Duration:
27:30 CC Stereo TVG
Newly energized Prague, slinky with sumptuous Art Nouveau facades, is perpetually playing Mozart and Vivaldi. Eastern Europe's top destination has Europe's best beer, biggest castle, liveliest pedestrian bridge, and most evocative Jewish Quarter. From Prague, we sidetrip to Kutna Hora, once a silver-mining boomtown, to descend into its medieval mine and ponder its eerie chapel, decorated centuries ago with 40,000 bones.
Channels and Airdates:
Dublin and Mystical Sidetrips (#208)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Dublin's story is of feast and famine: from its 18th-century Golden Age to its 20th-century struggles for independence to its boomtime today. We explore the town's foreboding castle, patriotic jail, and Trinity College with its illuminated Book of Kells - a bright light from the Dark Ages. At night we party in Temple Bar, awash with Celtic music and frothy pints of Guinness. We sidetrip to the prehistoric necropolis of Newgrange and the medieval monastery at Glendalough, tucked in the scenic Wicklow Mountains.
Channels and Airdates:
Rick Steves' Europe: The Making Of (#411)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
After 16 years and more than 100 travel shows, Rick and his crew take you behind the scenes to show you just how they produce this series. Joining the crew as they scamper through Milan and around Lake Como, you'll follow the creative process as the challenges and surprises that come with travel are shaped into a finished show.
Channels and Airdates:
South Ireland: Waterford to the Ring of Kerry (#209)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Waterford to the Ring of Kerry We find the story of Ireland strewn along its fascinating south coast: Waterford's much-loved crystal factory; the Kennedy family homestead; the Dunbrody famine ship; and Kinsale's star-shaped fortresses. After learning why locals don't kiss the Blarney Stone, we savor the scenic charms of the Emerald Isle-driving the Ring of Kerry.
Channels and Airdates:
The Best of West Ireland: Dingle, Galway, and the Aran Islands (#210)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Dingle, Galway, and the Aran Islands Ireland in the extreme is best experienced on its west coast in Gaeltachts, where the people speak Gaelic and the rugged villages have changed little over the generations. After exploring the rugged and remote Aran Islands, we settle into Galway, dance in a castle at a medieval folk banquet and delve into Ireland in the extreme: Dingle Peninsula. Ringing with traditional music from its rustic pubs, dotted with prehistoric "fairy forts," if you'll fall in love with Ireland, chances are it'll be right here.
Channels and Airdates:
Berlin: Resilient, Reunited, and Reborn (#211)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Berlin is back, resuming its place as a great European capital. We climb the Reichstag's new glass dome, sway at a modern-day cabaret, and pop a few chocolates in the now thriving eastern sector. Along with Germany's finest art, complicated Berlin also has hidden remnants of its fascist and communist past. In a city that's rebounding and rebuilding, we crane our necks at Europe's newest Times Square-Potsdamer Platz.
Channels and Airdates:
Germany's Romantic Rhine and Rothenburg (#212)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Cruising the Rhine River, we dodge riverboat traffic and the legendary siren, Lorelei. After climbing castles and descending into dungeons, we relax with Rhine wine. We tour Burg Eltz-a lived-in castle where the noble lady still puts out fresh flowers. Then we enter the walled town of Rothenburg for Germany's best wood carving, a vivid dose of medieval punishment, and a tour with the night watchman of the town's lamp-lit ramparts.
Channels and Airdates:
Munich and the Foothills of the Alps (#213)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
In Munich, where locals specialize in good living, we visit boisterous markets and go for Baroque palaces...while office workers surf in the Isar River. Heading into the foothills of the Alps, we take a spin around a Maypole; drop by Oberammergau-the Shirley Temple of Bavarian villages; and tour the fairy-tale castles of "Mad" King Ludwig. After hiking up to a desolate ruined castle, we soar even higher in a glider over the Tyrol.
Channels and Airdates:
Burgundy: Profound France (#501)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
Burgundy is a calm and cultivated corner of France, where nature is as sophisticated as the people. Traditions are strong here. We'll slow down to enjoy the region's edible, drinkable, scenic, and floatable delights. We'll travel on a canal barge, visit a medieval hospice and a modern monastery, build a barrel, appreciate fine Burgundy wine, slurp escargot, and eat very, very well. If you're looking for the quintessential French culture, you'll find it in Burgundy.
Channels and Airdates:
Switzerland's Jungfrau Region: Best of the Alps (#214)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
If Heidi is alive, she's in this sky-high corner of the Swiss Alps, with cows on breathtaking ridges. After settling into a traditional village where locals scythe hay by hand, we hike, bike, and parasail. We blast an alphorn, get sprayed by waterfalls raging deep inside a mountain, and munch muesli for breakfast at 10,000 feet. For a finale, we ride Europe's highest lift up the mighty Jungfrau for hot cocoa, glacier sledding, and oh-wow views.
Channels and Airdates:
The Majesty of Madrid (#301)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Madrid is studded with riches from its glory days. We tour the lavish Royal Palace, enjoy art-packed museums, and look deep into Picasso's greatest masterpiece. Experiencing Madrid at its fun-loving best, we' re mesmerized by flamenco dancers and munch on pigs' ears. Then, for a dose of Spain's dramatic history, we side-trip to El Escorial and the Valley of the Fallen.
Channels and Airdates:
Highlights of Castile: Toledo and Salamanca (#302)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Castile sparkles with Roman Segovia, walled Avila, student-filled Salamanca, and holy Toledo! We marvel at El Greco, pop some explosive pickles, and ramble Spain's most awe-inspiring medieval walls. Then, just for fun, we drop in on a bachelorette party with local troubadours, slice and savor tasty jamon, stroll with the crowd, and grab a front-row seat to enjoy Europe's most enchanting square.
Channels and Airdates:
Normandy: War-Torn Yet Full of Life (#303)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
After exploring the half-timbered charm of Rouen, we reflect on Monet's lily ponds, peek in on local artisans, and set up an easel at Honfleur's harbor. We venture into composer Eric Satie's eccentric world and feast on the finest of Normandy cuisine. After pondering sacrifice and celebrating freedom on the D-Day beaches, we hike with pilgrims to the enchanted island abbey of Mont St. Michel.
Channels and Airdates:
Belfast and the Best of Northern Ireland (#304)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
No trip to Emerald Isle is complete without a visit to Northern Ireland. We tour bustling Belfast, sneaking a peek at its politically charged neighborhoods. Then we head for the Antrim Coast and go wild in Portrush, Ulster's Coney Island. We taste-test Irish whiskey, scramble over six-sided rock columns, putter through a world-class golf course, and stomp our feet to Irish music in rough-and- tumble Derry.
Channels and Airdates:
France's Dordogne (#502)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The Dordogne River Valley with its dramatic castles, pre-historic cave paintings, and prized cuisine is an unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty. We'll take an idyllic canoe ride, visit a goose farm, then savor the foie gras. We'll also wander through a lamp-lit castle, enjoy a country market, and visit the Sistine Chapel of the prehistoric world. Then we head south to Albi, home of Toulouse Lautrec, and the imposing fortress city of Carcassonne.
Channels and Airdates:
London: Mod and Trad (#305)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
London is quintessentially English, yet cosmopolitan. We check out the new - the Millennium Bridge and the British Museum's Great Court, and admire the old - well-wrapped mummies and a rare Leonardo. After bantering with Beefeaters at the Tower of London, we do some riverside beach-combing. Strolling the trendy South Bank of the Thames takes us from the Tate Modern to the dizzying London Eye.
Channels and Airdates:
Athens and Side Trips (#508)
Duration:
26:46 CC Stereo TVG
The thriving capital of Greece sprawls out from the foot of its magnificent Acropolis. We'll tour the must-sees of ancient Athens, including the Parthenon, Agora, and amazing National Archaeological Museum. We'll take the fast-paced pulse of the modern city, but waste no time getting to my favorite side trip destinations: the ruins of the mystical oracle at Delphi, and a fast boat to the romantic, traffic-free Isle of Hydra.
Channels and Airdates:
Highlights of Paris: Eiffel and Monet to Creme Brulee (#306)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Packing the best of Paris into one episode, we scale the Eiffel Tower, then savor classic treats - from steak tartare to creme brulee. We marvel at Monet, Manet and company in the stunning Orsay Gallery. Tracing the sad steps of Marie Antoinette, we relive French history from its bloody revolution to its extravagant belle epoch.
Channels and Airdates:
Belgium: Bruges and Brussels (#307)
Duration:
27:50 CC Stereo TVG
Belgium is a land of contrasts. From the powerhouse headquarters of the European Union and Europe's grandest square in big-city Brussels, we go quaint with delicate lace and back lane bike rides in small-town Bruges. We check into a medieval hospital, savor the exquisite art of Memling, and climb a bell tower to get up close and fortissimo at a carillon concert. Then passionate chefs - creators of French fries and Europe's finest chocolate-give us a taste of their art.
Channels and Airdates:
Provence: Legendary Light, Wind and Wine (#308)
Duration:
27:51 CC Stereo TVG
Provence, known for its soft light and fierce wind, is as loved by Americans as it is by the sun. We climb Roman ruins in Nimes, explore a papal palace in Avignon, and savor vivid views immortalized by van Gogh in Arles. Crossing acres of wispy vineyards, we explore the Cotes du Rhone and more wonders of the South of France.







