Rick Steves - Rick Steves Best of Europe

London, a thriving metropolis, teems with world-class museums, monuments, churches, parks, palaces, markets, theaters, pubs, and double-decker buses.

Barcelona is the center of Catalan culture, with the Ramblas people zone, Gothic old town, sandy beaches, and works by native sons Gaud, Picasso, and Mir.

Madrid is urban Spain at its best, boasting top-notch art treasures (Prado Museum, Picassos Guernica) and an unsurpassed tapas scene.

Paris, the stylish world capital of food and culture, features the Eiffel Tower, grand boulevards, cutting-edge architecture, corner cafs, chic boutiques, and incomparable art at the Louvre and Orsay.

Provence is home to Arles (with Van Gogh sights and a Roman Arena), Avignon (with the famous bridge and brooding Palace of the Popes), the ancient Roman aqueduct of Pont du Gard, and the beautiful Ctes du Rhone wine road.

The French Riviera, a tempting stretch of sun-washed resorts, stars the elegant city of Nice, with its relaxed vibe, delicious seafood, and inviting beaches.

Rome is truly the Eternal City, studded with Roman remnants (Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon), floodlit-fountain squares, and the Vaticans Sistine Chapel.

Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance, offers the masterpiece-strewn Uffizi Gallery, Brunelleschis dome-topped Duomo, Michelangelos David, and Italys best gelato.

The Cinque Terre consists of five idyllic Riviera hamlets along a rugged coastline, connected by hiking trails and dotted with vineyards and beaches.

Venice is a romantic island city, powerful in medieval times and famous for St. Marks Basilica, the Grand Canal, and singing gondoliers.

Munich is a bustling city with a traffic-free center, excellent museums, Baroque palaces, stately churches, rowdy beer halls, and the beautiful English Garden.

Rothenburg, a medieval, half-timbered town encircled by a walkable wall, is the highlight of the Romantic Road route, linking time-passed towns in the lovely countryside.

The Rhine Valley stars a mighty river steeped in legend, lined with storybook villages and imposing castles.

Berlin has thought-provoking museums, gleaming architecture, and trendy nightlife, plus evocative sections of the Wall that once divided the city and country.

The Swiss Alps best chunk is the Berner Oberland, featuring sky-high mountains, cliff-hanging villages, thundering waterfalls, scenic hikes, soaring lifts, and cogwheel train rides.

Amsterdam is a progressive world capital with magnificent museums, dreamy canals, Golden-Age architecture, and the eye-opening Red Light District. Nearby Haarlem is a cozy, small-town home base alternative to big-city Amsterdam.