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, small-group tours, guidebooks, TV shows, radio programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.
Jul 18, 2018•2 min
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.
Jul 11, 2018•2 min
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 on this destination.
Jul 05, 2018•4 min
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 programs, podcasts, and more on this destination.
Jun 27, 2018•1 min
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.
Jun 20, 2018•4 min
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.
Jun 13, 2018•3 min
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.
Jun 06, 2018•2 min
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, and more on this destination.
May 30, 2018•3 min
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.
May 23, 2018•3 min
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.
May 16, 2018•3 min
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.
May 09, 2018•2 min
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.
May 02, 2018•5 min
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 destination.
Apr 25, 2018•3 min
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.
Apr 18, 2018•1 min
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.
Apr 11, 2018•2 min
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 destination.
Apr 04, 2018•3 min
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 destination.
Mar 28, 2018•2 min
Nürnberg's Germanic National Museum is dedicated to sharing the cultural history of the German-speaking world. Across the river, the Albrecht Dürer House is a fine museum about the life of perhaps Germany's greatest painter. 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.
Mar 14, 2018•4 min
In 1209, St. Francis established the Franciscan Order in Assisi, Italy. His legacy survives to this day and can be found in chapels and monasteries in and around his hill town home. 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.
Feb 28, 2018•3 min
Cotswold village churches welcome walkers to pop in and enjoy a thoughtful break. Inside Stanton's Church of St. Michael, you get a sense that this church has comforted this community in good times and bad. 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.
Feb 21, 2018•1 min
Cornwall was part of a "Celtic crescent" that nearly circles England. The Cornish people spoke their own language, which thrived for centuries. Cornwall is a county of England, but many native-born locals consider themselves Cornish first, British second. 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.
Feb 14, 2018•2 min
In rural Tuscany, you feel an enthusiasm for tradition. The Zanda family raises a rare breed of pigs brought back from the edge of extinction by people who care about traditional agriculture. 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.
Feb 07, 2018•3 min
Because of its former wealth, Venice is a city of palaces, and the most lavish face the Grand Canal. Enjoying the views from a vaporetto is the best way to really appreciate the front doors of this historic chorus line of mansions, most from the 14th and 15th 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.
Jan 31, 2018•2 min
Veliko Tarnovo is Bulgaria's medieval capital. The ruins of its fortress are a reminder of the city's importance 800 years ago, and its craft street reveals a thriving folk 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.
Jan 24, 2018•3 min
Palazzo Vecchio is Florence's City Hall. While the exterior is medieval, Michelangelo's "David" (this one's a replica) seems to welcome you into the Renaissance world — and the dawn of our Modern Age. 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.
Jan 17, 2018•2 min
Prickly with over-the-top spires, Romania's Peleș Castle ranks among Europe's finest Romantic Age palaces. It boasts one of the most dazzling late-19th-century interiors 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.
Jan 10, 2018•2 min
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet made Verona, Italy, a popular destination, but a visit to the “House of Juliet” has nothing to do with the fictional star-crossed lovers; all this commotion was started by a clever tour guide back in the '70s as a way to attract visitors to Verona. 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.
Jan 03, 2018•2 min
The Thracian Plain, defined by Bulgaria's two major mountain ranges, was a busy funnel of trade throughout ancient times. This region is also called the "Valley of the Roses," and the rose harvest yields the blooms needed to create Bulgarian rose oil. 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.
Dec 27, 2017•3 min
Siena's 13th-century Gothic cathedral, with its striped tower, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and covered with art. A highlight is the church's Piccolomini Library: Brilliantly frescoed, it captures the exuberance and optimistic spirit of the 1400s, an age of humanism when the Renaissance was born. 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.
Dec 20, 2017•4 min
Sevilla, Spain's Santa Cruz neighborhood comes with a timeless beauty. Explore, wandering among lanes too narrow for cars, whitewashed houses corralling peaceful squares, and wrought-iron latticework. 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.
Dec 13, 2017•2 min
