Rick Steves Audio Europe

A Norwegian and a Swedish tour guide give an inside look at the (mostly) friendly rivalries between Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Scandinavian tour guides give a taste of Norse mythology to help travelers better understand the Vikings' complex view of the cosmos.

Dutch tour guide Angelinque Mergler describes how even today, a walk around the historic town of Delft can make a traveler feel like part of a Vermeer painting.

Tour guides give Rick insider advice on how to "do like the Romans do" and enjoy the buzz of Rome's modern-day neighborhoods.

Venice-based tour guide Stacy Gibboni gives Rick a look at how the Venetians celebrate Carnival and Mardi Gras. Venice's version of the festivities is one of the world's most elegant.

Author Diccon Bewes explains how tourism as we know it was invented by middle-class, Victorian-era English travelers seeking a pleasure trip in the Swiss Alps. His new book is titled "Slow Train to Switzerland."

German tour guides look at some of the most impressive memorials and monuments a traveler can visit to remember the lessons from Berlin's past.

New York Times correspondent Elaine Sciolino tells Rick what makes her own neighborhood in Paris feel like home and discusses her book "The Only Street in Paris."

Historian David McCullough introduces Rick to some of the most influential "Americans in Paris" of the 19th century, detailed in his book "The Greater Journey."

Italy-based tour guide and art history professor Anna Piperato tells Rick how Siena's high-spirited Palio horse race is a high point of the Tuscan summertime.

Italy-based tour guide and art history professor Anna Piperato describes the importance of Catholic saints in Italian culture.

Italian tour guide Cecilia Bottai joins Rick to recommend that travelers to Italy make time in their itinerary to enjoy rural "sagre" food festivals.

Italian tour guide Cristina Pernechele gives Rick advice for enjoying the splendor of her hometown Padova. It's located just half an hour from the crowds of Venice, and is home to one of Europe's oldest universities.

A pair of native-born Sicilian tour guides tell Rick what matters most about the "intensified Italy" of the island they call home and clear up misunderstandings Americans may have.

Italy-based tour guide and art history professor Anna Piperato tells Rick the stories of courageous women saints who continue to inspire and provide role models to people today.

Irish tour guide Dara Herlihy grew up speaking the Irish language as his first language. He describes how the once-banned language has reclaimed its role in Ireland's national identity.

Food and culture expert and author Fred Plotkin explains the variety of ways people across Europe prefer their coffee.

Irish tour guides explain the variety of Gaelic sports, and how these unique sports reflect a distinctly Irish identity.

Greek tour guide Anastasia Gaitanou describes some of the customs that Greeks observe in the days leading up to Orthodox Easter, and how they differ from Western Easter traditions.

Tour guides from Hungary discuss the country's love affair with hot springs and thermal baths in Budapest and beyond.

Bulgarian tour guide Stefan Bozadzhiev gives Rick a quick look at what makes his country an exotic and fun destination for the curious traveler since Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007.

Rick and two France-based tour guides celebrate Bastille Day, the big French national holiday that commemorates France's revolution to establish a government by, for, and of the people.

Martin de Lewandowicz, a tour guide from Wales, explains the pride that comes from belonging to the distinctive Welsh corner of Great Britain, with its own language and traditions.

Rothenburg — nearly a thousand years old — is one of the best-preserved medieval towns anywhere. It’s a world of cobbled lanes, half-timbered homes, and stone towers — all surrounded by a town wall.

Spanish tour guide Federico Garcia Barroso introduces us to the regional musical styles of Spain.