Interlaken, one of the Alps' original resorts, is a useful springboard for alpine thrills. And, when the famous peaks get socked in by clouds, you can choose from some interesting lowland options. In this town, four innocent-looking hay barns conceal a network of tunnels connecting several big guns. Many of these once top-secret sites are now open to the public as museums. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations,...
Oct 19, 2011•4 min
Rothenburg — Germany's best-preserved medieval walled town — houses the country's best wood carving, a vivid dose of medieval punishment, and an entertaining tour into the past with the Night Watchman. 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.
Oct 12, 2011•2 min
The massive St. Stephen's Cathedral is the Gothic needle around which Vienna spins. While heavily damaged in WWII, the church survived. Today it symbolizes the city's freedom and proud spirit. 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.
Sep 28, 2011•3 min
Specializing in scenery, shopping and sand, the resort town of Positano hangs on the most spectacular stretch of the coast. It's a pleasant gathering of cafés, galleries, and boutiques. There's little to do here but eat, window-shop, and enjoy the beach and views...and that's exactly the way its many visitors like it. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www...
Sep 28, 2011•2 min
Opened in 2001 for the 100-year anniversary of the Nobel Prize, Stockholm's wonderful Nobel Museum tells the story of the world's most prestigious award. The annual Nobel Prize banquet is held a short walk away, in Stockholm's City Hall — particularly enjoyable and worthwhile for its entertaining guided tour. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.rickstev...
Sep 21, 2011•5 min
Confined within its walls as it has been for centuries, Dubrovnik juts out from the rocky Croatian coastline looking inviting from both the land and the sea. Though the war killed tourism in the 1990s, today the crowds are most decidedly back. And understandably so — Dubrovnik is a living fairy tale that shouldn't be missed. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — vi...
Sep 14, 2011•5 min
Albi's massive Roman Catholic cathedral, St. Cécile, looks less like a church and more like a fortress — on purpose. It was built in a time when the pope felt compelled to make it clear that the only acceptable Christianity was Roman-style. Next to the church is the world's largest collection of art by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. The museum displays his work chronologically, letting you follow the evolution of his art with his fascinating life's story. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe...
Aug 31, 2011•4 min
The Camino de Santiago — literally the "Way of St. James" — is Europe's ultimate pilgrimage route. Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims have walked hundreds of miles across North Spain to pay homage to the remains of St. James in the city named for him, Santiago de Compostela. And in our generation the route has been rediscovered, and more and more pilgrims are traveling this ancient pathway. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, particip...
Aug 24, 2011•3 min
Istanbul is a city of experiences and one of the most memorable is enjoying a Turkish bath. Turks brought the steam bath with them from Central Asia, blended it with the Roman bath culture they found here, and created the Turkish bath. Today, baths welcome tourists and give a peek into a rich tradition. 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...
Aug 17, 2011•1 min
Helsinki is set in a natural wonderland, and the several-hundred islands of its archipelago provide a delightful playground for a boat tour. We also visit a sauna, which, for the Finns, is a lifestyle. Popular year around, it's especially appealing in the long cold winters. 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.
Aug 10, 2011•1 min
While there are many higher mountains in the Alps, Zugspitze is unique — standing alone with a view of over 400 peaks in four countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and even Italy. The mountain marks the border between the German state of Bavaria and the Austrian state of Tirol. And today, no passports are necessary to enjoy this high-altitude resort destination on what feels like the top of Europe. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, sc...
Aug 03, 2011•2 min
Wedged on a ledge under the mountains and over the sea, spritzed by lemon and orange groves, Sorrento is an attractive resort; well-located both as a springboard for regional sightseeing and as a fine place to simply stay and stroll. 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.
Jul 27, 2011•5 min
French fries, called Flemish fries in northern Dutch-speaking Belgium, are a local specialty. They taste so good because they're deep-fried twice — once to cook and once to brown. To eat like a local add mayonnaise, not ketchup. 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.
Jul 20, 2011•1 min
Honfleur escaped the bombs of World War II, and feels as picturesque as it looks. For over a thousand years, sailors have enjoyed Honfleur's ideal location, where the Seine River meets the English Channel. The town was also a favorite of 19th-century Impressionists and artists still come here to catch the light playing on the harborfront and reflecting in the water. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel...
Jul 13, 2011•4 min
Oslo's Bygdøy neighborhood is a thought-provoking and exciting cluster of sights on a park-like peninsula just across the harbor from downtown. Within a short walk you can visit many museums exploring Norway's maritime history, including three Viking ship museums. 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.
Jul 06, 2011•4 min
Slovenia's Karst region — a high, fertile, and windblown plateau — is honeycombed with a vast network of caves and underground rivers. The most dramatic cave to tour is Škocjan, with a breathtaking footbridge 150 feet above a crashing river. 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.
Jun 29, 2011•2 min
Andalucía's rich heritage is alive in today's culture and it expresses itself in iconic themes. The town of Jerez is famous for three of them: dazzling horses, velvety sherry, and a spring fair that brings out the entire city for a week long party. 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.
Jun 22, 2011•3 min
Like the rest of the Croatian coast, Rovinj was part of the Venetian Empire for centuries. And Istria remained part of Italy until after WWII. That's why this region is enthusiastically bi-lingual and an engaging mix of Croatia and Italy. 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.
Jun 15, 2011•3 min
Sicily's most spectacular resort, Taormina, hangs high above the sea with handy cable car access to the beach. Taormina was a favorite aristocratic escape in the 19th century. Today its main drag is made to order for good living. Enjoy the views, great people watching, and a freshly-filled cannoli. 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.
Jun 08, 2011•2 min
London's greatest collection of European paintings is in the National Gallery. From medieval to Renaissance to Impressionist, you can tour the sweeping story of European art without ever crossing the Channel. 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.
Jun 01, 2011•2 min
While most visitors to Greece's Peloponnese enjoy the same tourist stops, a three-hour drive takes you off the beaten path to the timless and rustic south coast. Its southernmost point, the Mani Peninsula, still harbors remote corners where centuries-old art is tucked away, and where the curious traveler can be alone with a bit of bygone culture. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on dest...
May 25, 2011•3 min
Portrush is North Ireland's favorite resort, filled with family-oriented amusements, fun eateries and cheap and cheery B and Bs.
May 18, 2011•3 min
Claude Monet, the father of the Impressionist movement, spent his last 40 years in Giverny finding inspiration in these gardens. He diverted a stream, made a pond, filled it with water lilies and built a footbridge which eventually became overgrown with wisteria. Today, museums all over the world bloom with these garden paintings. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and mor...
May 11, 2011•2 min
The Residenz was the palace of the Wittelsbach family, who ruled Bavaria for more than 700 years. The Wittelsbachs were always trying to keep up with the Habsburgs — their Austrian imperial rivals — and this extravagant, rococo palace was designed for maximum "show off." 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.
May 04, 2011•3 min
Oban, the "Gateway to the Isles," is a busy little ferry terminal. The wind, boats, gulls, layers of islands, and the promise of a wide-open Atlantic beyond give a shiver-and-bustle vitality to this classic Scottish port town. 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.
Apr 27, 2011•4 min
Our storybook image of the Ottomans — sultans, harems, eunuchs — is best experienced here, in the Topkapı Palace. Built in the late 15th century, this was the power center of the Ottoman Empire for almost four hundred years. 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.
Apr 20, 2011•4 min
Mürren is a good starting point for mountain biking, popular here in the Alps. Small service roads and well-marked intersections make biking easy. Follow Rick on his loop trip down into the valley floor where he passes through Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach Falls, a cozy campground, and takes a funicular ride back up the mountain. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — ...
Apr 13, 2011•3 min
Cortona has a history that goes back 2500 years to Etruscan times. It grew to its present size between the 13th and 15th centuries, when it was a colorful and crowded city. And while an extremely popular travel destination for Americans today, Cortona's rustic and gritty personality survives. 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.
Apr 06, 2011•3 min
Shimmering above its breathtaking bay, elegant and prosperous San Sebastián — or Donostia as locals call their town — is your best home base for exploring Basque country. It boasts one of Europe's loveliest stretches of sand, an elegant promenade, and a fascinating culture. 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.
Mar 30, 2011•5 min
Santiago, the final destination of an ancient pilgrimage route, has long had a powerful and mysterious draw on travelers. Strolling across its squares and under its grand churches, you can imagine a time when the city was a religious and cultural powerhouse. But, apart from all the pilgrim action and its venerable architecture, Santiago is a work-a-day town. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel informa...
Mar 23, 2011•4 min
