Rick Steves shares his extensive knowledge of European history, art and culture. His years as America's most popular European guidebook author blends with his relaxed but informative style to make this one of public television's most popular series. Visit the Rick Steves' Europe web site. Europe's best-preserved 17th-century city, Amsterdam is quaint and jarring, traditional and modern. In Europe's classiest capital we'll tiptoe through the palace of Maria Theresa and be dazzled by the Hapsburg crown jewels.
The small towns and rural charms of Tuscany give us a healthy dose of the "sweet life" as we hunt for truffles in an oak forest, nibble through an artichoke festival, share a farmhouse feast, and ride a classic convertible through the cypress groves of Mona Lisa's back yard. Fifteenth-century Florence was the home of the Renaissance and the birthplace of our modern world. The birthplace of Mozart - and everyone's Sound of Music fantasies - Salzburg is a Baroque jewel of a town.
By train, bike, and boat, we visit the top Dutch sights outside of Amsterdam: from Haarlem to Rotterdam, and from Delft to the Zuiderzee. After 16 years and more than travel shows, Rick and his crew take you behind the scenes to show you just how they produce this series.
Burgundy is a calm and cultivated corner of France, where nature is as sophisticated as the people. The Dordogne River Valley with its dramatic castles, pre-historic cave paintings, and prized cuisine is an unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty.
After exploring the proud cuisine capital of Lyon - which, at least in its own mind, rivals Paris - we head for Chamonix, in the shadow of Europe's tallest peak: Mont Blanc.
