City, State – This March on KXXX, join Rick Steves for a two-hour television special highlighting a dozen of his favorite discoveries is an adventure sure to stoke your travel dreams with places most American travelers don't even know exist.
In this select and intriguing collection of European gems, you venture with Rick from a fairytale Danish isle to a forgotten Tuscan hill town to a proud Basque capital. From the Slovenian Alps to a Bohemian dream town to your own hidden Greek port, this is your chance to enjoy the glories of offbeat Europe – truly Through the Back Door.
Rick Steves' picks for Europe's dozen most overlooked destinations are:
12. Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy: The most dramatic Italian hill town of all is a time-passed village barely surviving into the 21st century.
11: San Sebastián, Spain: The Basque culinary capital offers a fascinating glimpse at this plucky and resilient "nation without a state."
10: Český Krumlov, Czech Republic: Hemmed in by a tight bend in its river, this adorable town is watched over by a fanciful castle.
9. Tangier, Morocco: Bristling with minarets and crammed with colorful market stalls, this historic port city is an easy detour from Spain.
8. Lucca, Italy: This untrampled town's once-formidable walls corral plenty of good living.
7. Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Formerly war-torn, this Bosnian city is on the mend.
6. Hallstatt, Austria: Made wealthy by the salt trade, this village is nestled on a sleepy lake high in the Alps.
5. Slovenia's Julian Alps: The "sunny side of the Alps" mingles spectacular mountain scenery with unexpected World War I intrigue.
4. Volterra, Italy: This stony wonder boasts a rich history going back to Etruscan times.
3. Ærø, Denmark: This Denmark's capital of quaint is a hit with strollers, bikers, and those who just want to relax.
2. Rovinj, Croatia: A castaway Old Town and mighty bell tower distinguish this romantically crumbling seaside village.
1. Hydra, Greece: Idyllically traffic-free, this island is notorious for ruining carefully crafted trip plans: Visitors tend to toss their itineraries into the bay and find themselves thoroughly on vacation.
For all the details on each of Europe's dozen most overlooked destinations, don't miss Rick Steves' Hidden Europe on KXXX!
Rick Steves' film crew consists of Steves, producer Simon Griffith, cameraman Karel Bauer, and editor Steve Cammarano. The special is produced by Back Door Productions based at Rick Steves' Europe Through The Back Door Inc., presented by KCTS, and distributed through American Public Television at no cost to public television stations nationwide.
To learn more about Rick Steves' books, tours, television projects, and radio program, visit www.ricksteves.com.
For review tapes, photos, or interviews, contact Ashley Sytsma at Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, 130 Fourth Avenue North, Edmonds, WA 98020, Tel: 425-608-4293 / Fax: 425-771-0833 / ashley@ricksteves.com.
Rick Steves in on a mission: to help make European travel accessible and meaningful for Americans. Since 1973, Rick has spent four months every year exploring Europe. He has researched and written more than thirty travel guidebooks, writes and hosts the public television series Rick Steves' Europe, and also produces and hosts the weekly public radio show Travel with Rick Steves. He is currently the best-selling guidebook author for international travel in the United States. With the help of his hardworking staff at Europe Through the Back Door, Rick organizes tours of Europe and offers an information packed website (www.ricksteves.com).