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The Best Episodes of Rick Steves' Europe

Every episode of Rick Steves' Europe ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Rick Steves' Europe!

Binge this in 2d 19h•Peaking at 9.3/10

Rick Steves, America's leading authority on European travel, returns to transport viewers to the continent's bustling cities, quaint villages and picturesque countryside.

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 12 - Art of the 20th Century
    9.3/10(7 votes)

    #1 - Art of the 20th Century

    S12:E12

    Europe's tumultuous 20th century spawned a kaleidoscope of cutting-edge art. From Spain to Hungary, Glasgow to Oslo, we seek out all that's wild, colorful, surreal, and just plain fun. The fascinating work of Pablo Picasso leads us through the century's major art styles. And in today's gleaming cities, we see how a persistent artistic spirit connects us with both our past and an exciting future.

    Director:Unknown
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  2. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 11 - Art of the Impressionists and Beyond
    9.2/10(7 votes)

    #2 - Art of the Impressionists and Beyond

    S12:E11

    The late-1800s saw old notions of beauty challenged by revolutionary artists. We enjoy pioneering Impressionist works — Monet's lilies, Renoir's ladies, Degas' snapshots and Rodin's statues — that capture the joie de vivre of the age. We trace the tempestuous travels of Van Gogh through his incomparable art. And we finish in Spain, with wild and crazy buildings that herald the dawn of a new century.

    Director:Unknown
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  3. Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 1 - Iceland's Reykjavík and the Golden Circle
    8.9/10(10 votes)

    #3 - Iceland's Reykjavík and the Golden Circle

    S13:E1

    Reykjavík is a world capital with a small-town feel. We tour the city's endearing sights, get to know the uniquely Icelandic way of life, and take a dip in a thermal pool. Then we side-trip into majestic Icelandic nature: its famous Blue Lagoon; the classic Golden Circle, bubbling geysers, thundering waterfalls, and otherworldly scenery; and Snæfellsnes Peninsula, an "Iceland-in-miniature" loop.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 10 - Art of the Neoclassical and Romantic Ages
    8.8/10(7 votes)

    #4 - Art of the Neoclassical and Romantic Ages

    S12:E10

    Around 1800, Europe was in transition, reflected in two art styles. First, we visit Europe's great cities with their stately Neoclassical buildings of columns and domes. Meanwhile, the Revolution has unleashed a call for freedom, both political and personal. We see dramatic Romantic canvases depicting extreme emotions and awesome Nature, and tour dreamy castles — virtual theme parks of Romanticism.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 8 - Art of the Renaissance Beyond Florence
    8.7/10(6 votes)

    #5 - Art of the Renaissance Beyond Florence

    S12:E8

    From Italy, the Renaissance spread across Europe, revolutionizing art. We travel to Spain and Portugal where overseas plunder is transformed into lacy architecture and ethereal paintings by El Greco. In bustling Germany and Belgium, new technologies enable Durer's mass-produced engravings, Van Eyck's meticulous oil paintings, Brueghel's peasants at play, and the futuristic visions of Bosch.

    Director:Unknown
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  6. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 9 - Baroque Art
    8.7/10(7 votes)

    #6 - Baroque Art

    S12:E9

    Forged in Europe's religious struggles, Baroque art inspired the faithful and dazzled the masses. We start in Rome, with its awe-inspiring St. Peter's, fleshy Bernini statues and bubbly fountains. In Belgium, we see the dramatic canvases of Rubens. And finally: the ultimate Baroque palace, Versailles, with its chandeliered Hall of Mirrors and vast gardens where nobles played as Revolution brewed.

    Director:Unknown
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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Rick Steves' Europe

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  7. Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 2 - Iceland's Ring Road
    8.7/10(10 votes)

    #7 - Iceland's Ring Road

    S13:E2

    Europe's ultimate road trip is the 800-mile loop around Iceland on Highway 1 — the Ring Road. We visit the geothermal hot zone of Lake Mývatn, the rugged Eastfjords, the glacier lagoons of the Southeast, the waterfalls and beaches of the South Coast, and side trip to the Westman Islands to see puffins. We also break for insightful folk museums, sod-roofed settlements, and a little whale watching.

    Director:Unknown
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  8. Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 5 - Italy's Highlights
    8.7/10(7 votes)

    #8 - Italy's Highlights

    S13:E5

    From north to south, Italy is a nonstop highlight reel. On this whirlwind look back through our travels, we sample la dolce vita in seductive Venice and Renaissance titan Florence, then soak up the Italian Riviera and the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. We touch down in the historical epicenter of Rome, embrace intense Naples and the Amalfi Coast, and finish amid the beautiful chaos of Sicily.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 1 - Art of Prehistoric Europe
    8.6/10(13 votes)

    #9 - Art of Prehistoric Europe

    S12:E1

    As the Ice Age glaciers melted, prehistoric Europe bloomed with surprisingly sophisticated art. From Ireland to France, Scotland to the Greek Isles, we traverse that mystical world of mighty megaliths, torchlit cave paintings, magical goddesses, and wrinkled bog people. We stand in awe as a massive tomb is radiated by a dramatic beam of sunlight and listen to ritual horns that still play today.

    Director:Unknown
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  10. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 2 - Art of Ancient Greece
    8.6/10(12 votes)

    #10 - Art of Ancient Greece

    S12:E2

    Ancient Greece laid the foundations of Western art. Traveling from its sun-splashed isles to the rugged mainland to bustling Athens, we trace the rise of Greek culture. We marvel at the timeless Acropolis, perfect Parthenon, and Golden Age theaters. And we watch as art evolves from stiff statues to perfectly balanced Venuses to the exuberant Winged Victory, capturing the spirit of the age.

    Director:Unknown
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  11. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 6 - Art of the High Middle Ages
    8.6/10(10 votes)

    #11 - Art of the High Middle Ages

    S12:E6

    As Europe passed AD 1000, its growing prosperity was reflected in soaring Gothic cathedrals graced with colorful altarpieces, lacy stonework, and radiant stained glass. We visit luxurious castles to see exquisite tapestries showing a new secular love of worldly pleasures and, end in Italy, where pioneering artists like Giotto were mastering realism and pointing the way to the future of art.

    Director:Unknown
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  12. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 7 - Art of the Florentine Renaissance
    8.6/10(7 votes)

    #12 - Art of the Florentine Renaissance

    S12:E7

    After its medieval struggles, Europe rediscovered the art of the ancients, led by booming Florence. We revel in the bold spirit of the Cathedral's lofty dome and Botticelli's sweet Venus. Leonardo da Vinci gives us the iconic Last Supper and enigmatic Mona Lisa. And Michelangelo — sculptor of David, painter of the Sistine, and architect of St. Peter's — takes the Florentine Renaissance to new heights.

    Director:Unknown
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  13. Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 10 - London: A Royal Tour
    8.6/10(5 votes)

    #13 - London: A Royal Tour

    S13:E10

    Our royal tour of London starts with red-coat pageantry at Buckingham Palace. Riding red buses, black cabs, and the Tube, we pop into the Houses of Parliament at Westminster and visit Churchill’s underground war rooms — a World War II time warp. After looking into the eyes of those who put the great in Britain at the Portrait Gallery, we cruise the River Thames to the mighty Tower of London.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 4 - Art of the Roman Empire
    8.5/10(12 votes)

    #14 - Art of the Roman Empire

    S12:E4

    With its vast empire, ancient Rome gave Europe its first common culture. From England to Turkey, we explore the greatest Roman cities, marveling at their over-the-top art, soaring aqueducts, and crowd-pleasing theaters. As Rome fell, saints replaced Caesars and Christianity filled the vacuum with art-filled churches — preserving the grandeur of imperial Rome and inspiring the Europe to come.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Rick Steves' Europe Season 12 Episode 5 - Art of the Early Middle Ages
    8.5/10(11 votes)

    #15 - Art of the Early Middle Ages

    S12:E5

    After Rome's fall, Europe's Christians kept culture alive with art rooted in their deep faith. We visit sturdy Romanesque churches filled with art that reinforced the ruling order. Meanwhile, Europe was invigorated from the fringes: Byzantines to the East, with their dazzling mosaics; Spanish Muslims with their lush palaces; and fierce Vikings of the North — all part of Europe's rich cultural stew.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Rick Steves' Europe Season 11 Episode 1 - Austrian and Italian Alps
    8.4/10(22 votes)

    #16 - Austrian and Italian Alps

    S11:E1

    In the Alps of Austria and Italy, we celebrate both nature and culture. After conquering the Zugspitze, we tour Innsbruck, visit a remote farm in Austria, and join in a Tirolean village festival. Then we cross the Alps into Italy and tour a uniquely well-preserved medieval castle before joyriding deep into the rugged Dolomite Mountains.

    Director:Unknown
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  17. Rick Steves' Europe Season 13 Episode 8 - Istanbul: Capital of Emperors and Sultans
    8.4/10(7 votes)

    #17 - Istanbul: Capital of Emperors and Sultans

    S13:E8

    Istanbul's rich heritage spans the centuries from Christian Byzantium to Muslim Ottoman rule to today's thriving city. We start our look back at the Roman-tinged Hippodrome, then indulge in the ancient ritual of the Turkish bath. We take in the Blue Mosque and the grand Hagia Sophia, taste Turkish delight at the venerable Spice Market, and explore Topkapı Palace and its harem room deep within.

    Director:Unknown
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  18. Rick Steves' Europe Season 1 Episode 3 - South England: Dover to Land's End
    8.3/10(16 votes)

    #18 - South England: Dover to Land's End

    S1:E3

    From the white cliffs of Dover to Land's End, we ponder Roman, Norman, and Nazi invasions. After exploring Admiral Nelson's flagship, we chase wild ponies across the moors and discover an ancient stone circle. For refreshment, it's cream tea and Cornish pasties.

    Director:Unknown
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  19. Rick Steves' Europe Season 9 Episode 9 - Southeast England
    8.3/10(27 votes)

    #19 - Southeast England

    S9:E9

    Arcing along the southeast coast of England, we'll travel from Canterbury (with its famous cathedral) to Dover (stoutly fortified from Roman times to the Battle of Britain). Then we'll hike the trails that top the towering chalk cliffs of the South Downs, wander into the beachy resort of Brighton (England's Coney Island), and push on to Portsmouth, whose naval heritage has left it with the best collection of historic sailing ships anywhere.

    Director:Unknown
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  20. Rick Steves' Europe Season 11 Episode 4 - Germany's Fascist History
    8.3/10(25 votes)

    #20 - Germany's Fascist History

    S11:E4

    Traveling across Germany, we learn how fascism rose and then fell, taking millions of people with it. Visiting actual locations — from Munich to Nürnberg to Berlin — we trace the roots of Nazism in the aftermath of World War I, when masses of angry people were enchanted by Hitler. We explore the totalitarian society Hitler built, and see the consequences: genocide and total war. Learning from Germany's fascist story, we can recognize that hateful ideology as well as the tricks of wannabe dictators in our own age.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Rick Steves' Europe Season 1 Episode 10 - Eastern Turkey
    8.2/10(8 votes)

    #21 - Eastern Turkey

    S1:E10

    After a Mount Ararat sunrise, we visit Abraham's 4000-year-old home town, tour one of the world's biggest dams, cheer on grease wrestlers, meet the gods atop Mount Nemrut, and dance with new friends in a village.

    Director:Unknown
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  22. Rick Steves' Europe Season 7 Episode 6 - Paris: Regal and Intimate
    8.2/10(39 votes)

    #22 - Paris: Regal and Intimate

    S7:E6

    In Paris, amidst all of its grandeur, the little joys of life are still embraced. In this first of two episodes on Paris, we'll cruise the Seine River, visit Napoleon's tomb, and take in the Louvre. Then we'll feel the pulse of Paris — shopping in village-like neighborhoods, attending church in a grand pipe organ loft, and celebrating the mother of all revolutions with a big, patriotic Bastille Day bang.

    Director:Unknown
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  23. Rick Steves' Europe Season 7 Episode 7 - Paris: Embracing Life and Art
    8.2/10(39 votes)

    #23 - Paris: Embracing Life and Art

    S7:E7

    In this second of two episodes on Europe's "City of Light," we'll ride a unicorn into the Middle Ages at the Cluny Museum, take a midnight Paris joyride in a classic car, get an extremely close-up look at heavenly stained glass in Sainte-Chapelle, go on a tombstone pilgrimage at Père Lachaise Cemetery, and savor the Parisian café scene. Few cites are so confident in their expertise in good living — and as travelers, we get to share in that uniquely Parisian "joie de vivre."

    Director:Unknown
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  24. Rick Steves' Europe Season 9 Episode 8 - West England
    8.2/10(27 votes)

    #24 - West England

    S9:E8

    The quintessence of charming England is the "West Country": quaint Cotswold villages with their fine churches, manor homes, and gastropubs; Wells, England's smallest cathedral town; and the New Age capital of Glastonbury, with its legends of the Holy Grail and King Arthur. We'll finish by pondering the dramatic prehistoric stone circles of Stonehenge and Avebury.

    Director:Unknown
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  25. Rick Steves' Europe Season 10 Episode 2 - Lisbon
    8.2/10(29 votes)

    #25 - Lisbon

    S10:E2

    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 climb hilltop ramparts with grand views.

    Director:Unknown
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Best Episodes Summary

"Art of the 20th Century" is the best rated episode of "Rick Steves' Europe". It scored 9.3/10 based on 7 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 10/1/2023. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Art of the Impressionists and Beyond".