You feel Palermo's boisterous spirit in its markets. At the gritty Ballarò Market, you wander among a commotion of stalls — all competing for the buyer's attention. It's an entertaining scene complete with singing salesmen — each with his own unique style. This clip comes from "The Best of Sicily,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode or watch it on https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/sicily
Dec 12, 2018•3 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! Sicily serves up a full-bodied and tasty travel experience. We'll dine on fresh seafood at the fisherman's harbor in Cefalù, ponder ancient Greek greatness in Siracusa, commune with monks — alive and departed — in a Capuchin crypt, sleep in an olive orchard at an agriturismo, and eat our way through a classic Sicilian banquet with a famous chef. Watch this and other full episodes of Rick Steves' Europe at http:/...
Dec 10, 2018•30 sec
Of Europe's many great festivals, one of the wildest is Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest lasts for two weeks, from late September into the first few days of October. Filling a huge fairground, under a dramatic statue representing Bavaria, locals set up about 16 huge tents that can each seat several thousand beer drinkers. This clip comes from "European Festivals II,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode o...
Dec 05, 2018•4 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! This tour of Sicilian highlights starts in Palermo, where we'll sing with the merchants in the markets, join locals in their passeggiata, drop in on a contessa, and marvel at the Romanesque cathedral of Monreale. Then we'll sip wine on the slopes of Mount Etna, munch cannoli, ponder Greek temples at Agrigento, admire Roman mosaics at the Villa of Casale, and marvel at the view from the Greek theater in Taormina....
Dec 03, 2018•30 sec
Communities throughout Scotland host a Highland Games, where kilted athletes from the surrounding countryside gather to show off their speed, strength, and grace. A Highland Games is an all-day celebration of local sport and culture, like a track meet and a county fair rolled into one. This clip comes from "European Festivals I,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode or watch it on https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-re...
Nov 29, 2018•4 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! In this second of two episodes on Europe's greatest festivals, we'll dance with Spaniards at Sevilla's April Fair, celebrate Bastille Day in Paris, run with the bulls at Pamplona, and hoist a frothy stein at Munich's Oktoberfest. And we'll celebrate a traditional family Christmas, browsing the holiday market in Nürnberg and sledding down alpine slopes by torchlight in Switzerland. With the entire Continent as ou...
Nov 26, 2018•30 sec
The island of Delos was one of the most important places in the ancient Greek world, with temples honoring the birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis. Delos was important in three different ancient eras for three different purposes: as a religious site, as the treasury of the Athenian League, and as a commercial port. This clip comes from “Greek Islands: Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for t...
Nov 21, 2018•3 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! In this first of two episodes on Europe's greatest festivals, we'll cheer with the masses at Siena's crazy Palio horse race, toss a caber at a Scottish Highland Games, don a mask for Carnevale in Venice, and celebrate Easter in Greece. Dropping in on some of the Continent's top parties, we discover that each one is a celebration of traditional culture, and all of them are full of opportunities to sing and dance,...
Nov 19, 2018•30 sec
The French Riviera is ideal for the well-organized independent cruiser. Towns are about 20 minutes apart by train, allowing cruisers to fit in visits to Nice, Monaco, and Villefranche all within one day in port. This clip comes from “Travel Skills: Cruising,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode or watch it on https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/cruising-skills
Nov 14, 2018•2 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! We'll island-hop through the Aegean, sampling three classic Greek getaways — Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes — and basking in their dramatic beauty. We'll tour ancient ruins, trace the vestiges of the Crusaders, sample rustic cuisine, savor classic Greek-island views, and compare beaches — from the ultimate party beach to idyllic quiet hideaways. And we'll see how a cruise ship can be an efficient way to link up ...
Nov 12, 2018•30 sec
The historic Monastery of Santa Maria in Batalha, Portugal, was built to celebrate a pivotal battle in 1385, when Portugal beat the mightier Spaniards. This monastery and its church, the symbol of Portugal’s national pride, were built by Portugal’s King John I. This clip comes from “Portugal's Heartland,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode or watch it on https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/p...
Nov 07, 2018•2 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! Setting sail on the Mediterranean, we'll explore the ins and outs and pros and cons of cruising. We'll learn how to get the most out of a cruise and exercise our independence to make smart use of limited time on shore by planning well, avoiding lines, and eating quick-but-local meals on the go. Along with the joys and efficiencies of cruising, we'll consider the downsides, including the inevitable congestion and...
Nov 05, 2018•30 sec
In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal became a leader in exploration and trade. Lisbon's Maritime Museum and Monument to the Discoveries celebrate Portugal's mastery of the sea. This clip comes from “Lisbon,” a brand new episode of Rick Steves’ Europe Season 10. Check your local public television station for this new episode or watch it on https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/lisbon.
Oct 31, 2018•2 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! Portugal has an oversized history, fascinating culture, and boatloads of sardines. Saving the capital city of Lisbon for another episode, we'll dance on the beach at Nazaré, marvel at a medieval abbey in Batalha, visit a royal library and revel with university students in Coimbra, savor port wine with the people who made it along the Douro River, and get to know Portugal's gritty and fascinating second city, Por...
Oct 29, 2018•30 sec
The University of Cambridge is one of England's greatest universities. There's no main campus – instead, the university's many colleges are scattered throughout the charming town center. Many colleges welcome the public to browse around. Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Oct 24, 2018•4 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! Lisbon, built with the riches of Portugal's New World discoveries, has a rustic charm. We'll remember great navigators, eat lots of cod, enjoy pastries hot out of the oven, stroll the city's back lanes and its reinvigorated waterfront, marvel at an exquisite church built with spice taxes, and enjoy some soulful fado music. Then we'll side-trip to Sintra to explore the fanciful castles of Portuguese royalty and c...
Oct 22, 2018•30 sec
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. 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.
Oct 17, 2018•4 min
Check your local public television station for this new Rick Steves’ Europe episode! The heartland of England has sights that put the "Great" in Britain — its venerable universities, its royal heritage, and reminders of its industrial might. At Oxford and Cambridge, we'll see where kings and prime ministers studied. At Blenheim Palace — Winston Churchill's birthplace — we'll connect with English aristocracy. At Ironbridge Gorge, we fire up memories of the Industrial Revolution. And all along the...
Oct 15, 2018•30 sec
French rural living celebrates simple pleasures. A great way to experience that is to rent a house in the country. 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.
Oct 10, 2018•2 min
The evocative coast of Cornwall, England, is dotted with 19th-century Industrial Age ruins. The iconic smokestacks today are the dramatic remnants of Cornwall's now-dead tin-mining industry, which just couldn't compete with cheap tin from abroad. 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.
Oct 03, 2018•7 min
Waterford is the main city of southeast Ireland, and claims to be the oldest city in the entire country. The Vikings landed here in 850 and established the town as base for piracy. 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.
Sep 26, 2018•1 min
The Valley of the Fallen, near Madrid, is an immense and powerful underground monument to the victims of Spain's devastating Civil War. Picasso's famous mural "Guernica" (housed in Madrid's Centro Reina Sofia) depicts the horrific 1937 bombing in the northern Spanish town of Guernica. 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.
Sep 19, 2018•4 min
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.
Sep 12, 2018•2 min
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, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.
Sep 05, 2018•3 min
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 travel tips, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destin...
Aug 29, 2018•2 min
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 shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.
Aug 22, 2018•3 min
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, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.
Aug 15, 2018•1 min
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 more on this destination.
Aug 08, 2018•3 min
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, and more on this destination.
Aug 01, 2018•2 min
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.
Jul 25, 2018•1 min
