RICK STEVES' EUROPE TRAVEL BITES Season 7


SOM to EOM TRT is 1:29:13

#701: Turkish Market Day (1:27:26)
It's market day in the Turkish town of Ürgüp, and Rick's friend Lale Surmen Aran is taking him on a tour of the sights, sounds, and smells — from sweet honey to flavorful spices to friendly goats.

#702: Amsterdam's Dutch Resistance Museum (1:43:23)
In Amsterdam, the Dutch Resistance Museum tells the story of life in the Netherlands under Nazi occupation. With the help of his Dutch friend Rolinka Bloeming, Rick discovers hiding places and miniature radios, and learns about the many Dutch people who ate tulip bulbs just to survive.

#703: Making Wine in Italy's Cinque Terre (1:45:29)
Climbing the rugged hillsides above Italy's Cinque Terre, Rick learns about this region's proud winemaking industry — which mixes traditional know-how, modern methods, and careful maintenance of delicate stone terraces.

#704: Bulgaria's Historic Shipka Pass (1:53:19)
High in the Balkan Mountains is Shipka Pass, where Bulgarian and Russian troops freed Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. On an adjacent peak, Rick also tours an eerily crumbling communist monument called Buzludzha.

#705: Dresden Rebuilt (1:56:05)
The German city of Dresden — which was flattened by firebombs in 1945 — has recently rebuilt its centerpiece, the Frauenkirche. Rick explains the painstaking, brick-by-brick efforts to return the church to its previous glory.

#706: Aalsmeer Flower Auction (1:56:14)
Flowers are big business in the Netherlands. And at Aalsmeer, wholesalers bid on flowers in a "Dutch auction," while motorized carts zip around the vast warehouse — one of the world's largest commercial buildings.

#707: Paris' La Défense: Le Petit Manhattan (2:02:18)
The district called La Défense — nicknamed Paris’ “Petit Manhattan” — is a forest of glassy skyscrapers surrounding La Grande Arche. Rick explores this modern, less-visited corner of Paris, from its striking architecture to its commuter bustle to its colorful public art.

#708: Venice's Canalfront Palazzos (2:10:19)
Thanks to its former wealth, Venice is a city of elegant palazzos. On a Grand Canal vaporetto cruise, Rick glides by a chorus line of 14th- and 15th-century mansions, then tours a sumptuous interior.

#709: Rome's Spanish Steps and Campo de' Fiori (2:11:11)
In Rome, locals and travelers alike make themselves at home in glorious public spaces. Rick visits the Spanish Steps, where romantics savor the Roman ambience, and Campo de' Fiori, which bustles with a vibrant morning market.

#710: Hamburg's Trendy Neighborhoods (2:22:20)
In Hamburg, Germany, Rick visits a WWII-era bunker that's now a lively cultural center; the trendy Schanze quarter, with inviting outdoor cafes; and the famous Reeperbahn — lined with tacky amusements, sophisticated theaters, and the Beatles' former hangout.

#711: Masada: Israel's Ancient Fortress (2:27:15)
The ancient, mountain-capping fortress at Masada, Israel, served as a refuge of last resort for rebellious Jewish subjects of the Roman Empire. Rick tells the story of the famous last stand at Masada, and why that “they’ll never take us alive” commitment to freedom persists today.

#712: Verona, Italy: Romeo and Juliet (2:29:13)
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet made Verona a household name. And, while there's much more to this fine city, every visitor wants to see "Juliet's balcony." Rick explains the historical background of the Verona-Shakespeare connection...and debunks a few tour-guide myths.

#713: Venice's Accademia Museum (2:38:05)
To get a sense of Venice 500 years ago, head to the Accademia, the best museum for Venetian Renaissance painting: colorful, dramatic scenes of both hedonism and reverence, from Veronese to Bellini.

#714: A French Feast at Château de Pray (2:38:21)
A fine French meal can be a lifelong memory, as Rick and his France co-author, Steve Smith, learn when they dine like kings at Château de Pray, near Amboise.

#715: Kaymaklı: Turkey's Underground City (2:43:25)
The underground world of Kaymaklı, Turkey, provided refuge for locals over many centuries of invasions. Rick squeezes through Kaymaklı's narrow passages to see its kitchens, ventilation shafts, and roll-away-the-giant-stone doors.

#716: The Old Town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria (3:00:06)
Plovdiv's atmospheric Old Town is a showcase of delightful Bulgarian National Revival buildings from the 1800s. Rick tours a fine old trader's mansion and visits a museum celebrating the fascinating paintings of Zlatyu Boyadzhiev.

#717: Rome's Capitoline Museums (3:19:01)
The Capitoline Museums help you imagine life before the fall of Rome: Michelangelo's original statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, various evocative reliefs of historical events, and stirring sculptures from the Dying Gaul to the Drunken Faun.

#718: Dartmoor, England: Wild Ponies and Stone Circles (3:23:17)
England's remote, windswept Dartmoor National Park is famous for ponies that run wild. Touring Dartmoor, Rick climbs the rocky summit of Haytor, crosses ancient stone-slab clapper bridges, and wanders across a lonely moor to a forgotten Neolithic stone circle.

#719: Prague's Jewish Quarter (3:28:21)
Prague, the Czech capital, is home to one of Europe's oldest Jewish quarters. Rick explores its interesting museums, beautiful synagogues, poignant memorials, and evocative cemetery — all while learning about the history of Czech Jews from the Middle Ages to the present day.

#720: Dresden, Germany: Green Vault Treasures (3:31:03)
In Dresden's Royal Palace, the Green Vault showcases the glittering Baroque treasures of Saxony — from priceless objects carved from amber and ivory, to painstakingly detailed dioramas, to a well-equipped royal armory with jousting suits of armor.

#721: Veliko Tarnovo: Bulgaria's Medieval Capital (3:31:19)
In strikingly set Veliko Tarnovo, Rick learns about the medieval history of Bulgaria, and wanders a street of busy craftspeople eager to show off their trades: wood carving, icon painting, clay throwing, and delicate silversmithing.

#722: Tuscany: Chianti Region Vistas (3:33:12)
In Italy's Chianti region, rugged hills and fortified farmhouses charm visitors with a slower, more rustic lifestyle. Rick also visits the Crete Senesi, a quintessential Tuscan landscape featuring clay hills and iconic lanes of cypress trees.

#723: A "Zero-Kilometer" Meal in Tuscany (3:41:15)
In Tuscany, Rick visits a working family farm that welcomes guests — called an agriturismo — to enjoy a "zero-kilometer" meal, with a table full of food…all produced right there.

#724: Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum (3:47:09)
At Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum — one of Europe's artistic highlights — Rick offers a crash course in Dutch Golden Age art, from Rembrandt's energy-packed The Night Watch to tranquil works by Vermeer to Jan Steen's slice-of-17th-century-life scenes.

#725: Dutch Windmills and Reclaimed Land (3:53:02)
Most of the Netherlands is below sea level. Rick learns how dikes, dams, windmills, and Dutch ingenuity have reclaimed the polder land upon which much of Holland sits.

#726: Nürnberg's Old Town and Castle (4:13:25)
Five hundred years ago, Nürnberg was one of Germany's leading cities. Rick visits its scenic medieval landmarks (largely rebuilt after World War II), enjoys its contemporary urban bustle, and tours the castle that the Holy Roman Emperors once called home.

#727: Jewish Dress and Faith in Modern Jerusalem (4:29:28)
Jerusalem offers a fascinating mix of east and west, secular and sacred, and modern and traditional. With the help of local guide Abie Bresler, Rick learns that the way local Jewish people are dressed can tell you a lot about their specific beliefs.

#728: Florence's Medici Sights (5:41:05)
Florence, Italy, was the epicenter of the Renaissance...and that's largely thanks to the wealthy Medici family. While touring their opulent former palaces, chapels, and Michelangelo-designed tomb, Rick explains how the Medici promoted humanism and embraced art as something simply to be enjoyed.