Part 5 of 5, this clip celebrates how, by traveling thoughtfully, we can connect with different cultures and end up building bridges rather than walls. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Rick Steves' Europe Video

Why We Travel: To Connect with Our World

When traveling, it's easier than you think to find authentic cultural experiences. Join Rick at a family-run hotel in the Austrian town of Hall in Tirol for an evening of traditional Tirolean culture, from tasty spaetzle to rousing folk music and dancing. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Hall in Tirol, Austria: A Tirolean Evening

In Glasgow's trendy West End, step into a pub for a traditional session — not a formal concert, but a casual gathering of musical friends. For the price of a beer, you'll get an evening of live music and good conversation. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Glasgow, Scotland: Popping in on a Traditional Session

The colorful Pena Palace, located in the town of Sintra, is the Versailles of Portugal. In the mid-19th century, the flamboyant Prince Ferdinand built this fantasy, mixing Gothic towers, Renaissance domes, Moorish minarets, and Disney playfulness. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Sintra, Portugal: The Pena Palace

In Switzerland's Berner Oberland region, a train takes visitors through mountain tunnels up to the highest railway station in Europe, the Jungfraujoch. At more than 11,000 feet, spectacular views of the Aletsch Glacier and majestic alpine peaks await, along with hiking paths, ice tunnels, and shops and restaurants. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Berner Oberland, Switzerland: The Jungfraujoch Station

Part 4 of 5, this clip celebrates how on the road, like pilgrims, we can seek meaning, and how leaving home, we can learn more about ourselves. For more European travel information, visit ricksteves.com.

Why We Travel: Like Pilgrims, to Learn and Grow

The Dolomites, Italy's dramatic rocky rooftop, offer some of the best mountain thrills in Europe. Here, the region's Austrian history survives in a warm, blue-aproned, felt-hat-with-feathers way. The Tirolean village of Kastelruth is a good home base for your exploration of the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest alpine meadow. More info at ricksteves.com

Dolomites, Italy: Tirolean Culture and Alpine Adventures

Taking a multi-day Nile cruise gives you a firsthand look at some of the famous river's most scenic stretches, with timeless slices of natural beauty and seemingly ancient scenes interrupted only by other boats. Travelers have few options other than to sit back, relax, and live at the pace of the Nile. More info at ricksteves.com

Egypt: Cruising the Nile

Of the hundred or so whisky distilleries in Scotland, about half lie near the valley of the River Spey — making the area practically a pilgrimage for Scotch whisky aficionados. Step inside a distillery for an up-close look at the whisky making process. More info about travel to Scotland at ricksteves.com

Speyside, Scotland: The Heart of Whisky Country

The Greek island of Mykonos is known around the world for its picturesque beaches. There are a range of beaches you can visit, from trendy Paradise Beach — with its bars, rentable lounge chairs, and party atmosphere — to the more remote and tranquil Agios Sostis.

Mykonos, Greece: World-Famous Beaches

Part 3 of 5, this clip celebrates how travel can be our teacher and the road our school as we better appreciate art and culture.

Why We Travel: To Appreciate Art and Culture

Looming nearly two miles above the town of Chamonix is the Aiguille du Midi, part of the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. At 12,600 feet, it's also the highest mountain peak served by cable car. Take the ride up from Chamonix to immerse yourself in snow-capped peaks, a sea of glaciers, and unforgettable views of France and Italy. More info about travel to France: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/france

Chamonix, France: Thin-Air Thrills at the Aiguille du Midi

In the famous Berner Oberland, gondola lifts and funiculars take visitors high into the Alps, making for easy and jaw-droppingly beautiful hikes back down. Along the way, cliff-clinging villages like Mürren and Gimmelwald offer hikers the chance to rest their feet, experience traditional Swiss alpine culture, and toast their adventure with a refreshing beer before heading back down. More info about travel to Switzerland: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/switzerland

Berner Oberland, Switzerland: Exploring the Swiss Alps on Foot

If you want the natural surroundings of Innsbruck without the crowds, head to Hall in Tirol. Built as a salt-mining town when Innsbruck was just a humble bridge, Hall became an important trading city. Today, its well-preserved medieval town center features a rich bundle of pastel buildings and cobbled streets that feel refreshingly traditional. More info about travel to Austria: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/austria

Hall in Tirol, Austria: The Town That Salt Built

The Pyramids of Giza are one of the most recognizable scenes in all of tourism. The grandest is known as the Great Pyramid; one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was designed to house the pharaoh Cheops' body — and help send his soul into the afterlife. Nearby, the Great Sphinx keeps watch over the rising sun.

Giza, Egypt: The Pyramids and Great Sphinx

Rick Steves' Europe Video — a video podcast based on Rick's popular TV series — gives you a colorful look at the sights, people and history behind Europe's most interesting destinations. Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more European travel info on these destinations.

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Rick Steves' Europe Video

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