Rick Steves' Europe

Culture Series / 11 Seasons

Catch Rick Steves' latest one-hour special on Iceland. Explore Reykjavík, with endearing sights and thermal pools, plus a side-trip to the Golden Circle's gorges, geysers, and waterfalls.

25m / TV-G

Art Bites 114: Ancient Greek Temples, the Parthenon and Its Art

1m 36s

Temples like the Parthenon, gracing the mighty Acropolis overlooking Athens, and the Temple of Concordia on Sicily — with their fluted columns, finely carved reliefs, and impressive design — trumpet the sophistication of ancient Greek society.

Art Bites 113: Egyptian Pyramids and Tombs of the Pharaohs

4m 30s

Egypt is rich in towering pyramids, lavish tombs hidden deep in hillsides, and glorious art treasures that filled those tombs. Thanks to the ancient Egyptian belief that you could take it with you, the wonders of this society survive and take us back four or five thousand years.

Art Bites 112: Prehistoric Art: Fertility Figurines, Bog People, Artifacts

4m 11s

Societies from the Stone Age and into the metal ages created figurines that indicated a concern for the mysteries of life — fertility, birth, death, and what lies beyond. Bodies and artifacts discovered in bogs and tombs from Ireland to Denmark offer a peek into these people’s lives and deaths.

Art Bites 111: Prehistoric Tombs and Necropoli in Ireland and Orkney

5m 28s

Thousands of years before Christ — and long before the pyramids of Egypt — mysterious societies in Europe built necropoli and tombs. In remote corners like Ireland and the isle of Orkney, they line up with the sun and indicate a kind of religion and a concern for the afterlife.

Art Bites 110: Prehistoric Stone Circles and Megaliths

2m 57s

Thousands of years ago nomadic hunter-gatherers of the megalithic age built with huge stones, including ingeniously designed stone circles, like those at England’s famous Stonehenge and Avebury, that functioned as celestial calendars.

Art Bites 109: Prehistoric Cave Paintings and Artifacts

4m 42s

Walking through the caves of Lascaux, under a stampede of 600 impressively painted animals covering its ceiling, we marvel at the artistry and artifacts of people 15,000 years ago.

Art Bites 108: Greece’s Age of Hellenism

3m 55s

Around 330 BC Alexander the Great spread Greek culture far and wide. The art of the age traded the calm balance of the Golden Age for more exuberance and realism as seen in statues like the Nike of Samothrace.

Art Bites 107: Ancient Greek Theaters and the Golden Mean

3m 52s

Ancient Greek civilization peaked in the 5th century BC. The theaters of that age (with their fine acoustics); the idealized statues of gods and athletes (with their sophisticated contrapposto poses); and guiding principle of balance, nothing in excess — the Golden Mean, make it easy to appreciate that Golden Age.

Art Bites 106: Ancient Greek Columns and Capitals

2m 1s

Columns and their capitals were both functional and decorative. And a quick lesson on their features makes it easy to identify the three orders of ancient Greek architecture: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

Art Bites 105: Ancient Greek Temples, the Parthenon and Its Art

5m 43s

Temples like the Parthenon, gracing the mighty Acropolis overlooking Athens, and the Temple of Concordia on Sicily — with their fluted columns, finely carved reliefs, and impressive design — trumpet the sophistication of ancient Greek society.

Art Bites 103: Ancient Greek Pottery

1m 49s

Painted pottery, the pots and pans of the ancient world, tells the story of the rise of Greek civilization. Over time, that art evolved from the simple stick figures of the Geometric Period to the refined and realistic compositions of the Golden Age.

Art Bites 102: Athens’ Acropolis and the Greek Golden Age

2m 35s

Around 500 BC, Athens thrived with its stately Acropolis temples, busy market (or agora), and civilization that provided a foundation for European culture that followed. Its surviving art and architecture tell the story.

Art Bites 101: Mycenaean Art and Architecture

3m 26s

The Mycenaeans were a warlike people who thrived on the Greek mainland from about 1600 to 1100 BC, leaving mighty fortified walls, awe-inspiring stone-igloo-like tombs, and troves of golden treasures including the legendary Mask of Agamemnon.

Art Bites 126

3m 55s

A hundred interstitials showcasing Europe's great art and architecture in bite-size chunks. Join Rick as he explores the rise of Western Civilization as seen through Europe's most beautiful and evocative art: climbing deep into prehistoric tombs, summiting Michelangelo's magnificent dome, waltzing through glittering palaces, and pondering artistic genius from Praxiteles to Picasso.

Art Bites 121

2m 39s

A hundred interstitials showcasing Europe's great art and architecture in bite-size chunks. Join Rick as he explores the rise of Western Civilization as seen through Europe's most beautiful and evocative art: climbing deep into prehistoric tombs, summiting Michelangelo's magnificent dome, waltzing through glittering palaces, and pondering artistic genius from Praxiteles to Picasso.

Fontainebleau, France: Royal Château

3m 5s / TV-G

It seems every king, queen, and emperor since has loved this palace — Louis XIII was born here, Louis XV was married here — but Fontainebleau has more Napoleon Bonaparte connections than any other palace.

Supported by