Rick Steves' Europe Video

Like many popular Tuscan towns, Volterra sits on an Etruscan foundation. Its Etruscan Museum is filled top to bottom with precious artifacts from centuries before Christ. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Granada, Spain's cathedral facade, built shortly after the Reconquista, declares triumph for the victorious Christian forces. The adjacent Royal Chapel provided a fitting resting place for Queen Isabella of Castile and King Ferdinand of Aragon, who ruled during the final Reconquista victory. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows...

If your ancestors are Irish, chances are they left from Cobh. Of the millions of Irish who emigrated to America, Canada, and Australia, nearly half sailed from this town. Cobh's major sightseeing attraction, filling its harborside Victorian train station, is its kid-friendly emigration and maritime history museum, the Cobh Heritage Center. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving tra...

The immense Victoria and Albert Museum is named for the royal couple who did so much to support the many triumphs of their day. It's free to visit, and the huge collection illustrates the far reach of the British Empire, from its exquisite Indian art to its sumptuous hall of Chinese artifacts. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV sho...

Toledo, Spain’s leading Catholic city, has a magnificent cathedral. Shoehorned into the old center, its exterior rises brilliantly above the medieval clutter. And the interior — so lofty and vast — is celebrated as the most Gothic of Spain’s churches and the most Spanish of Gothic churches. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows,...

Wittenberg's top sight, the Lutherhaus, is where Martin Luther lived. Today, it's an excellent museum displaying original artifacts. Nearby Wartburg Castle is another popular stop on the Luther trail. This is where Luther hid after being declared an outlaw. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and mor...

Segovia — a historic town of 55,000 with a rich history and a famous Roman aqueduct — is well worth a visit. Visitors interested in history and architecture can marvel at its ancient aqueduct, Romanesque churches, and old town square previously used for bullfights. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts,...

Pienza is a small town that packs a lot of Renaissance punch. In the 1400s, Pope Pius II of the Piccolomini family decided to remodel his hometown in a style that was all the rage: Renaissance. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Apsley House was the mansion of the Duke of Wellington, who beat Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. The Duke of Wellington was once the most famous man in Europe, and his lavish living quarters are embellished by gifts showered on him by a grateful Europe — including 200 paintings still displayed much as the art-loving duke hung them. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips,...

Ávila is famous for its perfectly preserved medieval walls. Built in around 1100, its wall is the most complete in all of Spain. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

The top charms of Cornwall are gathered in its extreme western tip: the Penwith Peninsula. Those who get out of the car and hike are richly rewarded. Walking all or even part of the South West Coast Path, you'll enjoy memorable moments around every corner. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more...

Château de la Rochepot is a fine example of Burgundy, France's unspoilt charm. Constructed near the end of the Middle Ages, when castles were built to defend, it was completed during the Renaissance, when castles functioned as luxury homes – and as a result, it's a little of both. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio pro...

Córdoba's narrow, flower-bedecked lanes invite exploration. And here, as throughout Andalucía, festivals fill the calendar. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Italian towns like Volterra were truly city-states — they were fiercely independent and relatively democratic. Visiting as a traveler today, there's so much to see and learn…if you know where to look. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

The Aran Islands are a Gaeltacht — an area of Ireland that speaks Gaelic and maintains Ireland's traditional culture. Kilronan (the only real town on the Aran Islands) has an abundance of folk traditions and music. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

The Albayzín in Granada is Spain's best old Moorish quarter, with its labyrinthine back lanes and inviting neighborhood squares. The Alcaicería, or silk market, is a tourist trap housed in a modern reconstruction of the original market – but it's fun to explore. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, an...

Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters, a series of chalk cliffs, are a stretch of the South Downs Way public walking trail in southeast England. The nearby hamlets of Birling Gap and East Dean provide great information and a place to rest. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Opulent as a German Versailles, the prince-bishop's Residenz is the main attraction of Würzburg. The palace features several grand frescoes by the Venetian master Tiepolo, and a grand baroque hall of mirrors. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Dingle is so traditionally Irish because it's a Gaeltacht, a region where the Irish culture survives, subsidized by the government. While English is always there, the signs, menus, and songs often come in Irish, or "Gaelic" first. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Back when Britain ruled the waves, it did so with its mighty navy, based in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard. This sprawling museum highlights England's storied maritime heritage — both very old and relatively new. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

Augustus the Strong's royal festival complex, called the Zwinger, is an example of how the king's extravagance made Dresden a European capital of culture. The Parade of Nobles mural celebrates Dresden's Saxon heritage and its Wettin family dynasty. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this...

The story of Great Blasket Island's tiny community — just a ghost town today — gives an insight to the soul of Ireland. Taking a boat ride there is a highlight for anyone interested in traditional Irish culture. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

To enjoy any small French town at its vibrant best, it's worth visiting on its market day. And the townscape of Beaune, lassoed within its medieval walls, is as French as you'll find anywhere. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.

With its graceful arc and golden sand, the beach at Porthcurno seems to have been imported from some far-away tropical paradise. For some history and culture, travelers can visit the Porthcurno Telegraph Museum and open-air Minack Theatre. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destinat...

Heavy damage in World War II devastated the commercial center of Hamburg, Germany. But it's been enthusiastically rebuilt, and, since the reunification of Germany just a generation ago, it's gaining back its former status as a leading trade center. At http://www.ricksteves.com, you'll find money-saving travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this...