The WORST episodes of Rick Steves' Europe

#1 - Sevilla

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/27/2004

Sevilla, Spain, is the flamboyant city of Carmen and Don Juan. It's where bullfighting is still politically correct and where little girls dream of growing up to become flamenco dancers. Sevilla has soul-and we feel it in its lacy Moorish palace, massive cathedral, lavish royal tombs, labyrinthine Jewish quarter, and its people-filled streets. After munching tasty tapas, we head south for Andalusia's ultimate whitewashed hilltown, Arcos de la Frontera.

#2 - Travel Skills (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.

#3 - Travel Skills (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.

#4 - 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.

#5 - London: Royal and Rambunctious

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 11/12/2000

We whisper secrets across the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral and eat our way through Soho. Then we check out the treasures of the new British Library, roll with the drums at the Changing of the Guard, and cruise the Thames to Kew Gardens.

#6 - Iran: Historic Capitals

Season 5 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/10/2009

Iran's rich history goes back millennia, to the days when Persepolis was home to the "king of kings." In this episode, we explore three historic capitals of Iran: Persepolis, with its splendid monuments; Shiraz, with the tombs of Iran's most beloved poets; and Isfahan, with its extraordinary mosques and endearing people.

#7 - Iran: Tehran and Side Trips

Season 5 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/3/2009

As he's done with previous programs on Israel, Egypt, and Eastern Turkey, Rick takes us beyond Europe to a place that's rich with history...and mystery. In this first of two half-hour shows on Iran, Rick dodges traffic in Tehran, enjoys the tranquility of a nearby village, and encounters both anti-American propaganda and a warm welcome from everyday Iranians.

#8 - Andalucia: The Best of Southern Spain

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/2/2010

#9 - Palestine

Season 8 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/8/2014

Palestine is the Muslim and Arab half of the Holy Land. After visiting Jerusalem, we harvest olives near Ramallah, follow pilgrims to the place of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, approach Abraham's tomb — as both Jews and Muslims do — in Hebron, drop in on friends for dinner, and bob in the Dead Sea. We'll also learn about walls, Israeli settlements, and the challenges facing this region.

#10 - Rome: Back Street Riches

Season 7 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/20/2012

In this third of three shows on the Eternal City, we'll explore this grand metropolis — so rich in art and culture — on a more intimate scale, delving into its back lanes and unheralded corners. Venturing through the crusty Trastevere district, visiting the historic Jewish Ghetto, and enjoying art treasures in a string of rarely visited churches, we uncover charms of hidden Rome that compete with its marquee sights.

#11 - Rome: Baroque Brilliance

Season 7 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/13/2012

This second of three shows on Rome reveals a city busy with life and bursting with Baroque. We'll ramble through the venerable heart of Rome, admire breathtaking Bernini statues, ponder sunbeams inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, and mix and mingle with the Romans during an early-evening stroll. Following an exquisite Roman dinner, we'll join locals after dark, lacing together the Eternal City's most romantic nightspots.

#12 - Eastern Turkey

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/5/2000

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.

#13 - Amsterdam

Season 8 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/29/2014

Europe's best-preserved 17th-century city, Amsterdam is quaint and jarring, traditional and modern. Filled with history and happy-go-lucky, it's a delight to explore. Uniquely entertaining Amsterdam shows us Rembrandts and Van Goghs, more bikes than cars, flirting prostitutes, and pot-filled coffeeshops — all under tall, skinny facades leaning out below quaint church towers.

#14 - Germany's Fascist Story

Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/7/2020

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.

#15 - The Making of

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/16/2006

After 16 years and seventy travel shows, Rick and his crew take you behind the scenes to show you just how they produce this series. Joining the crew as they scamper through Milan and around Lake Como, you’ll follow the creative process as the challenges and surprises (and the need for a good sense of humor) that come with travel are shaped into a finished show.

#16 - Rome: Ancient Glory

Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/6/2012

Part one of three on the Eternal City, this episode resurrects the rubble and brings back to life the capital of the ancient world. Focusing on the grandeur of classical Rome, we'll marvel at the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the empire's exquisite art. Then we'll go offbeat by bicycle to see the Appian Way and marvels of Roman engineering.

#17 - Italy's Amalfi Coast

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/4/2006

Just south of Naples, we'll experience the breathtaking Amalfi Coast, the trendy resort of Positano, the limoncello charms of Sorrento, the ancient Greek temples at Paestum, and the iridescent Blue Grotto hidden beneath the enchanting Isle of Capri.

#18 - Copenhagen

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/6/2008

Denmark's capital is the most fun-loving in Scandinavia. As we get to know Copenhagen, we'll discover reminders of its Viking history and see reflections today of its proudly independent ways. We'll stroll down Europe's first great pedestrian boulevard, ogle crown jewels in the palace treasury, and take a bike ride through an inspirational hippie squatter community, finishing at Copenhagen's full-time carnival, Tivoli Gardens.

#19 - French Riviera: Uniquely Chic

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 10/30/2004

A longtime favorite escape of Europe's elite, the Riviera coastline still sparkles with yachts. In fairytale Monaco we listen to the graceful reshuffling of personal fortunes at the casino. Then we follow in the footsteps of 19th century aristocrats along Nice's promenade des Anglais, and visit the picturesque, artist hangouts of Chagall, Matisse and Picasso.

#20 - Art of the High Middle Ages

Season 12 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/5/2023

As Europe passed A.D. 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.

#21 - Istanbul

Season 5 - Episode 12 - Aired 12/20/2008

Where Europe comes face to face with Asia, we'll explore the fascinating, multilayered city of 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 the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi 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.

#22 - North Wales: Feisty and Poetic

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/14/2006

From towering Mount Snowdon and evocative medieval castles to grand Victorian promenades, North Wales is a poem written in landscape. We'll climb a mountain aboard a steam train, learn some Welsh, follow a miner deep into a slate mine, herd sheep with a very clever dog, and work in a pop pilgrimage to the Beatles' Liverpool.

#23 - Milan and Lake Como

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/11/2006

No trip to Italy is complete without Milan and Lake Como. In Milan we'll take a peek at Italy's highest fashion, fanciest delis, grandest cemetery, and greatest opera house...not to mention Leonardo's Last Supper. Then we'll cruise along Lake Como, settling down in the lakeside village of Varenna...classic honeymoon country, where Italy meets the Alps.

#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.

#25 - Granada, Cordoba, and Spain's Costa Del Sol

Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/30/2010

Andalucia's Moorish heritage sparkles in the historic capitals of Granada and Cordoba. Tasting the smooth sherry and marveling at prancing stallions, we find the passion in Andalucian culture, the top it off with some fun on the costa del Sol.