Rick Steves' Europe Video

Wherever you travel in Europe, a local guide, like Kinsale's Don Herlihy, can bring the region's history to life. In 1601, Irish patriots, chafing under English rule, conspired with the Spanish fleet to drive the English out. In a dramatic battle around the port of Kinsale, the Irish and Spanish were routed, and Ireland would be denied its independence for three centuries. For more information on...

Rick stays at a farmhouse B and B in Tuscany's hilly Crete Senese country, where generations of the same family have celebrated "the sweet life" with locally-produced pecorino cheese, prosciutto ham, and Chianti wine. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.r...

Meandering 300 miles from its source in France to where it merges with the Rhine in Germany, the relaxing Mosel treats travelers to quaint villages, hill-hugging vineyards and towering castles. The town of Cochem makes a good home-base for day-tripping along the river and over the hill to magnificent Burg Eltz castle. Decorated and furnished as it was 500 years ago, this is Rick's favorite castle...

A trip to the downtown post office in Dublin offers travelers a chance to step into a dramatic chapter in Ireland's history. As a set of murals inside vividly explains, it was here that the Proclamation of Irish Independence was first read in 1916, leading to the failed Easter Rising, and the martyrdom of its leaders. Nearby, at the former prison and execution yard of Kilmainham Gaol, today's guid...

Old Edinburgh's Royal Mile — a dense tangle of historic buildings, quaint shops and fun museums — winds its way downhill from the medieval castle to Holyrood Palace. During the city's 17th century boom times, ten-storey skyscrapers blotted out the sun while workers toiled in darkness. Today, Edinburgh's striking new parliament building celebrates Scotland's independence from London, and its progre...

In the town of Bath, we'll visit the social center of that community 2,000 years ago — its elegant Roman bath. Then, after a relaxing break in a local park, we'll drift along an old canal, complete with still-functioning self-service locks. Built for commerce in the early 1800s, today these canals are popular for pleasure boaters,and the canal-side paths invite bikers, dog-walkers and sightseers....