Rick Steves' Europe Video

Built in the early 20th Century as a romantic tip-of-the-hat to Sweden's past, Stockholm's city hall is an impressive mix of eight million bricks, and local pride. Today, city hall is not only a government building meant to remind officials of their Viking past, but it is also the site of the Nobel prize banquet each December. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including e...

In the 13th Century, engineers built a dam on the Amstel River and the community which gathered there would be named for the Amstel Dam, or what we know as present-day Amsterdam. Today, the city's sprawling and lively Vondel Park offers a fun look of locals at play. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel i...

Commissioned in the 14th Century by the Holy Roman Emperor, the Charles Bridge in Prague offers one of the most pleasant 500-yard strolls in Europe. A gauntlet of sights, shops, and restaurants lead from the bridge to Wenceslas Square, but for many the top Czech tourist attraction is beer. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, particip...

Since ancient times, the Rhine has been one of the world's busiest rivers and major trading routes. Robber-baron castles placed strategically along the Rhine collected taxes that helped towns get rich. Today, under the watchful eye of once-mighty castles, barges carrying thousand-ton loads and busy trains transport goods and tourists along the river. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe...

Five hundred years ago, Dubrovnik was a major power with the third biggest navy in the Mediterranean. Today, Dubrovnik is the pearl of the Adriatic, jutting confidently out the sea. The city's 15th Century walls, kid-friendly squares, and traffic-free old town are just some of the chrams Dubrovnik has in store for travelers. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including epi...

Rothenburg once one of Germany's largest cities with a population of 6,000 residents, is today a charming tourist destination. For great views and a good orientation, hike Rothenburg's mile-long wall and climb the city's tower. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — v...

With its sea-front promenade, fine museums and sunny coastline, Nice is the enjoyable, big-city highlight of the Riviera. Much loved for its blues seas and blue skies, since the Nineteenth Century, Nice is the place for Europeans to socialize, gamble and escape the dreary weather. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating sta...

The Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral top tourists' lists as the great icons of Paris. Built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower is a marvel of the Industrial Age and trumpets progress and man's ingenuity. Meanwhile, centered on the Isle de la Cite, Notre Dame sits atop what centuries ago was a Roman temple. Construction began in 1163 and laste...

The Black Forest is a hit with holiday goers, city folk, and families. Fresh air, great views, and wide-open spaces attract travelers looking for a bright and sunny vacation spot where local dialects still survive, and traditions are strong. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destination...

With its strategic bridge over the Rhone River, Arles was a key stop on Roman road from Italy to Spain. By the 1700s, Arles became a sleepy town of little importance, but today Arles thrives again with Roman ruins, an assortment of museums and welcoming pedestrian zones. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, tra...

At the foothills of the Alps, King Ludwig of Bavaria's fairy-tale castles attracts thousands of tourists each day. 'Mad King' Ludwig built the castle of his dreams, Neuschwanstein, a mere fifteen minute walk from Hohenschwangau, his boyhood castle home. Shortly after setting into Neuschwanstein, Ludwig was declared mentally unfit to rule and eventually found dead; the circumstances of his death re...

The Orsay Gallery, famous for its much-loved collection of Impressionist masterpieces, fills a magnificent building once used as a train station with art from 1848 to 1914. Old World meets the modern world in these halls, resulting in conservative and revolutionary pieces side by side. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participatin...

A moveable feast awaits travelers in Madrid where dinners become a tapas tango. When it comes to variety, Madrid is Spain's tapas capital. Munching, drinking, and socializing, hopping from one bar to the next is a time-honored tradition that maximizes fun, people and atmosphere. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stati...

Before the war, Warsaw's old town square was one of the most happening spots in central Europe. By 1945, nearly two-thirds of the Warsaw's pre-war population was dead and not a building was standing in the old town. Today, the thriving city of Warsaw has been painstakingly restored and is a living memorial to its two heroic uprisings during WWII. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV...

Lisbon's Alfama tumbles from the castle to the river and dates back over a thousand years to Moorish times. Surviving the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755, the tangled streets of the Alfama today present a cobbled playground of old-world color. Traditions survive in Fado, the passionate folk music of Lisbon's backstreets. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode...

The snug port of Villefranche, in spite of luxury yachts glistening in its bay, offers travelers an easy-going slice of small-town Mediterranean life just minutes from bustling Nice and jet-setting Monaco. Some of the Riviera's priciest real estate stretches from Villefranche to Monaco, and the coast is studded with the floating toys of millionaires. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe...

No painter before or since has captured the mystery of the spiritual world like the painter El Greco. His unique style of painting developed in Toledo, Spain. Join Rick on a visit to the Santa Cruz Museum, which houses many of El Greco's 16th century works. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel informatio...

The sunny Cotes du Rhone region of France has tempted travelers with its wines practically since it was settled in 600b.c. by the Greeks. Today, family-run wineries offer an enticing selection of wines that are delightful on your palate, yet easy on your pocketbook. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel i...

Many of London's top sights front the river Thames, which has become a transportation thoroughfare for tourists. Join Rick as he sails from Westminster, under Big Ben to the Tower of London. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.

King Manuel built the Jeronimos monastery and church in Lisbon on the site of a humble sea-farers chapel as thanks for overseas discoveries. Richly ornate, with motifs from the sea, the style of the building reflects the wealth of the times and the many cultural influences of the age of discovery. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts,...

A few hours north of Dublin, Belfast straddles the Lagan River. Nicknamed "Old Smoke," Belfast was only a village in the 17th Century, but with the influx of Scottish and English settlers, particularly during the Industrial Revolution, the city boomed. The inviting public park at Queens University, named after Queen Victoria who granted Belfast with city status in 1888, hosts Ulster Museum, the ci...

This region's breath-taking coastline is traversed by three coastal routes: the low, middle, and high corniche. Sitting upon the Via Aurelia, the grand, or high, corniche caps the cliffs with staggering Mediterranean vistas. High above the sea, Eze, touristy yet magnificent, offers art and gastronomy in its medieval center. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including epis...

The route of the Pueblos Blancos, or white towns, is a charm bracelet of characteristic towns perched in the hills and mountains of Andalucía. The queen of the hill towns, Arcos de la Frontera, smothers its hilltop and tumbles down its back like the train of a wedding dress. Towns with "de la Frontera" in their names, like Arcos, were established on the frontier during the battle to reclaim Spain...

The House of Terror, housed in the former headquarters of both the Nazis and, later, the communist secret police, displays the dark underside of Hungary's 20th century story. Welcoming travelers with a Soviet tank and a towering wall covered with portraits of the victims of this building, this museum offers a disturbing look at the grim terror of both the far right, and the far left, inflicted on...

Through the ages, Mont St-Michel has been among the top pilgrimage sites in all Christendom. For over one thousand years, the silhouette of the island abbey has sent pilgrims' weary spirits soaring. Today, it does the same for tourists. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and...