Rick Steves advocates smart, affordable, perspective-broadening travel. As host and writer of the popular public television series RICK STEVES' EUROPE, and best-selling author of 40 European travel books, he encourages Americans to travel as "temporary locals." He helps American travelers connect much more intimately and authentically with Europe — and Europeans — for a fraction of what mainstream tourists pay.
Courtesy of Rick Steves
Luxembourg Gardens, Paris.
In this special, join Rick as he cruises the Seine River, visits Napoleon’s tomb, and takes in the Louvre. Then we 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.
Then we 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.
Courtesy of Rick Steves
La Defense, Paris
Rick's Travel Philosophy:
Travel is freedom...one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It's recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual...Through the Back Door.
Once the biggest palace for the ultimate King, the Louvre now houses the world's grandest art gallery with over 300,000 works of art. First open to the pubic after the French Revolution in 1793, the Louvre is one of the oldest museums in the world. For more information on the RICK STEVES' EUROPE TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit http://www.ricksteves.com.
For organ lovers, a visit to St. Sulpice in Paris is a pilgrimage. On Sunday mornings, the magnificent organ thrills tourists and locals alike. After mass, organ enthusiasts can step into a world of 7,000 pipes and meet Daniel Roth, the current organist. For more information on the RICK STEVES' EUROPE TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit http://www.ricksteves.com.
Rick's guide takes him through an iconic Parisian afternoon, topped off with a "cliche" Parisian lunch. For more information on the RICK STEVES' EUROPE TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
Built in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower is a marvel of the Industrial Age and trumpets progress and man's ingenuity. Meanwhile, centered on the Isle de la Cite, Notre Dame sits atop what centuries ago was a Roman temple. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit http://www.ricksteves.com.
In the 13th century, the University of Paris was founded on the south bank of the Seine River. Soon after, the area became to be known as the Latin Quarter for the language passers-by would hear on the street. Today the Latin Quarter makes up the core of Paris' Left Bank, offering a variety of ethnic restaurants, tangled lanes, and the city's famous cafe scene. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
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