NaN/100 votesLoading...#1 - Slovenia and Croatia
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 11/19/2000
We discover that Dubrovnik is still the "jewel of the Adriatic" while nearby villages decorate their dreamy archipelago with small-town Venetian charm. Ljubljana is like Salzburg without tourists. The Julian Alps glisten with pristine lakes as Lipizzaner stallions are eager to strut their stuff.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#2 - Ancient Roman Art
Season 12 Episode 3 - Aired 10/1/2023
We follow Rome's rise through its awe-inspiring art, starting at Rome's humble birthplace in the Forum. Soon Rome is graced with supersized monuments like the majestic domed Pantheon and the Colosseum, where gladiators battled to the death. We also get a glimpse of Rome's more intimate side: the colorful mosaics, luxurious frescoes, and realistic portraits of the solid citizens who made Rome great.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#3 - Art of the High Middle Ages
Season 12 Episode 6 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#4 - Art of the Florentine Renaissance
Season 12 Episode 7 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#5 - Art of the Renaissance Beyond Florence
Season 12 Episode 8 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#6 - Baroque Art
Season 12 Episode 9 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#7 - Art of the Neoclassical and Romantic Ages
Season 12 Episode 10 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#8 - Art of the Impressionists and Beyond
Season 12 Episode 11 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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NaN/100 votesLoading...#9 - Art of the 20th Century
Season 12 Episode 12 - Aired 10/1/2023
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.
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6.3/1017 votesLoading...#10 - Portugal's Heartland
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 9/3/2000
Leaving Lisbon for the countryside, we eat barnacles in a salty old fishing town, march with pilgrims on the anniversary of a miracle, ponder the local Romeo and Juliet, sample university life, and rummage through the riches of Portugal's Golden Age.
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6.5/1017 votesLoading...#11 - Why We Travel
Season 11 Episode 8 - Aired 12/7/2020
In times of crisis and challenge, we ask ourselves: What is the true value of travel? Is it just hedonism…or something more powerful? After a lifetime of exploring Europe — and inspiring Americans to see Europe as the springboard for world exploration — Rick Steves shares his reasons why. This special episode is a sonnet to travel — an introspective love story, set in Europe, that vividly celebrates the rewards of exploring our world and the joy that awaits those who travel.
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6.7/109 votesLoading...#12 - Berlin: Resilient, Reunited and Reborn
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 11/16/2002
Berlin is back, resuming its place as a great European capital. We climb the Reichstag's glass dome, sway at a modern-day cabaret, and pop a few chocolates in the now thriving eastern sector. Along with Germany's finest art, complicated Berlin also has hidden remnants of its fascist and communist past. In a city that's rebounding and rebuilding, we crane our necks at Potsdamer Platz, Europe's newest Times Square.
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6.8/1010 votesLoading...#13 - Travel Skills Special (3)
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 12/17/2000
Beautifully filmed on location, this 3-part, 90-minute special distills Rick's 25 years of travel experience into practical tips on: planning a trip, overcoming the language barrier, getting around, finding accommodations, staying safe, and more. In this third of three shows focusing on travel skills, we'll visit the Swiss Alps, Paris, and London while covering tips for finding the best accommodations, getting around in big cities, and enjoying Europe's cuisine. This information is key to making the most of your travel time and, if you're on a budget, can help you cut the cost of your travels in half.
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6.8/1010 votesLoading...#14 - Venice Side-Trips: The Best of Veneto
Season 2 Episode 2 - Aired 9/14/2002
Pulling on hip boots, we settle into the muck of Venice, then take a speedboat tour of the lagoon. On the mainland, we head for Padova to tour a once-illegal anatomy theater and track the restoration of Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel. In Vicenza, we admire elegant Palladian-style streets and villas. In Verona, we climb the Roman arena, jostle with tourists to rub the brass breast of Juliet, and taste-test grappa before riding the train to Ravenna for its dazzling 1500-year-old mosaics.
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6.8/1015 votesLoading...#15 - Siena and Assisi: Italy's Grand Hill Towns
Season 2 Episode 4 - Aired 9/28/2002
In red-bricked Siena, we tour the town's innovative medieval hospital, lavish cathedral, and a bakery that makes panforte (like fruitcake, only delicious). Exploring the Chianti region, we sip Brunello di Montalcino — with its makers. Spending the night at a farmhouse, we meet the family and its sheep, learn of the Slow Food Movement, and enjoy a homegrown dinner. In Assisi, we follow the footsteps of St. Francis, from his humble chapel to the Giotto-frescoed basilica that holds his tomb.
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6.8/1021 votesLoading...#16 - France's Dordogne
Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 10/11/2008
The Dordogne River Valley — with its dramatic castles, evocative cave paintings, and prized cuisine — is an unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty. We'll take an idyllic canoe ride, and then visit a goose farm and savor the foie gras. We'll also wander through a lamp-lit castle, enjoy a country market, and visit the Sistine Chapel of the prehistoric world. Then we head south to Albi, home of Toulouse-Lautrec, and the imposing fortress city of Carcassonne.
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6.9/109 votesLoading...#17 - Surprising Bulgaria
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 10/22/2000
Bulgaria is a time warp of old and new — from chic shops in the city to donkey cars in the country. We hike to a mountain monastery, meet two sculptors (dad does Stalin, son does nudes), and enjoy a traditional dinner feast at a local home.
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6.9/109 votesLoading...#18 - Rome: Baroque, After Dark
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 10/29/2000
After a pilgrimage to Michelangelo's Pieta, we climb to the top of St. Peter's Basilica. We seek out tucked-away Renaissance paintings and a cleverly-painted false dome. At the Borghese Gallery, it's exquisite sculptures by the master of marble, Bernini. Then we join the locals on an after-dark stroll, lacing together Rome's Baroque and bubbly nightspots.
Director: N/A
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6.9/1011 votesLoading...#19 - Travel Skills Special (2)
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 12/10/2000
Beautifully filmed on location, this 3-part, 90-minute special distills Rick's 25 years of travel experience into practical tips on: planning a trip, overcoming the language barrier, getting around, finding accommodations, staying safe, and more. In this second of three shows focusing on travel skills, we'll visit Venice, Siena, and the Cinque Terre in Italy to learn about trip planning, packing, safety, and — perhaps the most rewarding skill of all — connecting with the locals. Going beyond the sights, Rick shares some practical tips to help make European travel fun and hassle-free.
Director: N/A
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6.9/1017 votesLoading...#20 - Dublin and Mystical Side Trips
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 10/26/2002
Dublin's story is of feast and famine - from its 18th-century Golden Age to its 20th-century struggles for independence to its boomtime today. We explore the town's foreboding castle, patriotic jail, and Trinity College with its Book of Kells-a bright light in the Dark Ages. At night we party in Temple Bar, awash with Celtic music and frothy pints of Guinness. We side-trip to the prehistoric necropolis of Newgrange and the medieval monastery at Glendalough, tucked in the scenic Wicklow Mountains.
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6.9/1025 votesLoading...#21 - Istanbul
Season 5 Episode 12 - Aired 12/20/2008
In Istanbul, we’ll lose our way in the Grand Bazaar and munch our way through the famously fragrant Spice Market. We’ll follow the fall of the ancient capital of Byzantium and the rise of Islam at the city’s ancient wall, and wander among the treasures of Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapı Palace. To escape the city bustle, we’ll cruise the churning waters of the Bosphorus, make friends over backgammon, and try a traditional Turkish bath.
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7.0/1011 votesLoading...#22 - Florence: City of Art
Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 9/21/2002
In the birthplace of the Renaissance, we look into the eyes of Michelangelo's David and Botticelli's Venus, learn tricks for touring the Uffizi art gallery, and climb the dome that kicked off the Renaissance. Then we delve into the Florentine good life: visiting a fragrant 400-year-old perfumery, sipping Campari on a rooftop, chasing the sunset on a Vespa, and sleeping serenely in a converted monastery.
Director: N/A
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7.0/1026 votesLoading...#23 - Naples and Pompeii
Season 4 Episode 4 - Aired 10/28/2006
Naples is Italy in the extreme. We'll prowl backstreet fish markets, dodge fast-moving Vespas, and dine on pizza where it was invented. We'll climb to the top of nearby Mount Vesuvius, then wander through the amazing ruins of Pompeii, the Roman town it destroyed.
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7.0/1021 votesLoading...#24 - Tuscany's Dolce Vita
Season 4 Episode 7 - Aired 11/18/2006
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 our way through an artichoke festival, share a farmhouse feast, and ride a classic convertible through the cypress groves of Mona Lisa's backyard.
Director: N/A
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7.1/1011 votesLoading...#25 - Caesar's Rome
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 10/1/2000
Rome welcomes the new millennium spiffed up as never before. We tour Rome's ancient sights from the Forum and Colosseum to the glorious Pantheon. Then, after hiking the Appian Way and exploring the catacombs, we track down the best gelato in Rome.
Director: N/A
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The Worst Episodes of Rick Steves' Europe
Every episode of Rick Steves' Europe ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Rick Steves' Europe!
Rick Steves, America's leading authority on European travel, returns to transport viewers to the continent's bustling cities, quaint villages and picturesque countryside.
Genre:Documentary
Network:PBS
Worst Episodes Summary
"Slovenia and Croatia" is the worst rated episode of "Rick Steves' Europe". It scored N/A/10 based on 0 votes. Directed by N/A and written by N/A, it aired on 11/19/2000. This episode scored NaN points lower than the second lowest rated, "Ancient Roman Art".