Rick Steves' Europe Video

For centuries, Kraków's Kazimierz neighborhood was the heart of the city's Jewish community. Today, the spirit of the rich Jewish tradition lives on in this revitalized and vibrant part of town. More info about travel to Poland: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/poland

On the Isle of Skye, peat was a vital resource for hundreds of years. People would use it to heat their homes, as a fuel source for cooking, and to add a smoky flavor to whisky. More info about travel to Scotland: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scotland

Step back into the 1890s at Blists Hill Victorian Town, an open-air museum in Ironbridge Gorge that re-creates the area as it was during its Industrial Revolution heyday. More info about travel to England: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/england

An agriturismo — a working farm that offers BnB-type accommodations — is an ideal home base for exploring the Tuscan countryside. At these cozy lodgings, you'll find rustic furnishings, warm hospitality, and the chance to slow down and taste rural life in Italy. More info about travel to Italy: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy

Escape the crowds and experience some of Scotland's most dramatic scenery on the Isle of Skye's Trotternish Peninsula. With jaw-dropping cliffs, unique geologic formations, and windswept views, it's worth getting out of the car and taking a hike. More info about travel to Scotland: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scotland

The emotional intensity of Spanish culture is experienced most rivetingly in the music and dance of its people: flamenco. While Sevilla is the home of flamenco, Madrid draws Spain's top artists, making it a great city to enjoy an exhilarating performance. More info about travel to Spain: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/spain

Coimbra is a great place to catch a fado performance. Fado is a uniquely Portuguese style of music — soulful and nostalgic, with singers telling tales of unanswered love. And while most fado is sung by women, in Coimbra, it's usually performed by men. More info about travel to Portugal: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal

For a taste of Scotland's west coast, take a day trip from Oban to the islands of Mull, Iona, and Staffa. Here in the Inner Hebrides, you can immerse yourself in pristine scenery, 1,500 years of Christian history, and dramatic sea caves. More info about travel to Scotland: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/scotland

Like many second cities throughout Europe, Porto is a hard-scrabble town that recently emerged from a post-industrial funk to become trendy, revitalized with a fresh and creative energy while evoking Old World charm. More info about travel to Portugal: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal

At the Valley of the Temples, time-travel back to when Sicily was a Greek colony. While little survives of ancient Agrigento, you can wander through the remains of a few grand temples, including the largest Doric temple of the ancient world. More info about travel to Sicily: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/sicily

Bern's 15th-century cathedral — which boasts Switzerland's highest church tower — underwent major changes during the Reformation, when Protestant iconoclasts removed the then-Catholic church's religious imagery. More info about travel to Bern: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland/bern

Experience Paris's past at the Carnavalet Museum, where you can admire the former monarchy's opulence and relive its downfall during the French Revolution. More info about travel to Paris: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/paris

Portugal's Douro Valley is the birthplace of port wine, and its steep and twisting valleys have been laboriously terraced over the centuries. Stop by a family owned winery for a peek at local life — and a taste of some fine port. More info about travel to Douro Valley: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal/douro-valley

Fire up memories of the Industrial Revolution in its birthplace, the Severn River Valley. And no trip to England's heartland would be complete without a pint at the local pub — where it helps to know the rules. More info about travel to Ironbridge Gorge: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/england/ironbridge-gorge

In Warsaw, experience Polish culture by trying some traditional vodka and taking a stroll through the city's idyllic 18th-century park, which features a monument to one of Poland's favorite sons, composer Fryderyk Chopin. More info about travel to Warsaw: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/poland/warsaw

Oxford is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Today, there's plenty to see and do on a visit to Oxford University, from punting on the River Cherwell to marveling at historic colleges and important artifacts. More info about travel to Oxford: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/england/oxford

Coimbra is home to Portugal's oldest and most prestigious university. When school's in session, Coimbra bustles with a youthful energy. As a traveler, it can be fun to drop into this venerable academic world and revel with students. More info about travel to Coimbra: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal/coimbra

Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily, is Europe's most active volcano. Today, the slopes of Etna are renowned for their fertile soil — and the finest vineyards in Sicily. More info about travel to Sicily: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/sicily

Kraków is the Boston of Poland, buzzing with history, college students, and tourists. Even though Warsaw became Poland's political capital centuries ago, Kraków remains the country's cultural and intellectual epicenter. More info about travel to Kraków: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/poland/krakow

Bosnia was the former Yugoslavia's cultural crossroads, home to its three major ethnic groups: Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks. Each group adopted a different religion, brought to Yugoslavia by various emperors, missionaries, and sultans. Sadly, these differences led to the region's violent conflict in the 1990s. More info about travel to Bosnia: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/bosnia-herzegovina

Bern's pointy towers, colorful fountains, and arcaded streets make it one of Europe's finest surviving medieval towns. And as the seat of the Swiss government, Bern is a fascinating study in modern, pragmatic policies. More info about travel to Bern: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland/bern

Monaco is one of the world's smallest and most luxurious countries. Along with the Monte Carlo casino, high-end stores, and Grand Prix racetrack, travelers to this principality can enjoy its medieval hilltop, where the Grimaldi family has ruled for over 700 years. More info about travel to the French Riviera: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france/french-riviera

The Sítio district of Nazaré overlooks a stretch of the Atlantic that's famous among surfers for some of the biggest waves in the world. After hitting the beach, you can enjoy fresh seafood washed down with a refreshing glass of vinho verde (Portuguese green wine). More info about travel to Portugal: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal

In addition to being Sicily's most spectacular beach resort, Taormina is home to tasty, traditional cannoli and an impressive 2,500-year-old Greek theater. More info about travel to Sicily: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy/sicily

Lisbon is a great foodie destination. Create your own food crawl by hopping on one of the city's famous funiculars to explore everything from modern market halls to traditional bakeries to hole-in-the-wall bars. More info about travel to Lisbon: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/portugal/lisbon