Smaller text Larger text

Destination: Italy

Posted on

Video: Europe Prepares for Easter

For the next week, to celebrate Easter with an international flair, I’ll be sharing daily clips from Rick Steves’ European Easter, my one-hour public television special that’s airing now nationwide (check your local listings) and streaming online.

In today’s clip, we see how traditional corners of Europe — from Italy’s Le Marche to Slovenia’s Lake Bled — prepare for their own local versions of the Easter feast. And we’ll meet an adorable band of Italian preschoolers bringing Easter joy to a retirement home.

—
Join our traveling community — connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

Posted on

Video: The World’s Most Insane Horse Race — Siena’s Palio

The Tuscan hill town of Siena is known both for its pride and for its independent attitude. And for five centuries, that spirit has shown itself in a crazy horse race — the Palio. Twice every summer, the entire community of Siena hurls itself into the traditional revelry of the event with abandon. In this clip from my new, one-hour Rick Steves’ European Festivals public television special, we get right into the thick of it all.

Want to check out the Palio in person? My Rick Steves Italy 2018 guidebook just hit the shelves.

Posted on

Video: Rick Steves’ Luther and the Reformation

On October 31, 1517 — 500 years ago today — Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church, kicking off the Protestant Reformation. This courageous stand by one man sparked a century of conflict, changing Europe and Christianity forever.

In Rick Steves’ Luther and the Reformation, you’ll learn the story of a humble monk who lived a dramatic life. I visit key sites relating to the Reformation (including Erfurt, Wittenberg, and Rome) and explore the complicated political world of 16th-century Europe — from indulgences to iconoclasts, and from the printing press to the Counter-Reformation. It’s a story of power, rebellion, and faith that you’ll never forget. To watch, check your local public television listings or stream the full hour right here: