DVD European Getaway / Classical Europe / Renaissance Europe

Extras include helpful maps, Rudy's Smart Tips, promos and clips from our other destinations, and exclusive video previously seen only by viewers of PBS High Definition channel.

The superb visual quality of imagery originally captured in the HDCAM High-Definition format and random access of the DVD format provide a superior means to research your travels!  Watch enhanced for 16x9 widescreen TV or in letterbox .  And because our DVDs are not constrained by region codes, you can also watch on virtually all PAL and NTSC DVD players around  the world.    

Here's what you'll see in the shows:

Classical Europe
Here's where we pull together some of Europe's most rewarding sites from the Classical World. Ancient Greek and Roman remnants are more than cold stone.  They hold centuries of stories.  So we revisit some favorite classical sites around the Mediterranean, pick up some new stories and see what kinds of connections we can make.  It's the Greeks in Athens, Delphi, Delos, Paestum, and Syracuse--and the Romans, in Pompeii, Rome, and Provence, with a little history of wine and olives thrown in for good measure.   more

Renaissance Europe
Travelers adore Italy, and Italy adores the Renaissance. In this half-hour, we follow Western Europe's transition from medieval to modern times, by exploring the arts and ambiance of that vibrant period. In Florence, Milan, and Venice, we find works by Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Titian. Side-tripping to France's lush Loire Valley, we visit Renaissance castles and abbeys, including the timeless haunts of Ambois, Chenanceau, and a few less-traveled chateaux along the way. And we drop into the Northern Renaissance with a visit to Hampton Court and Henry VIII.    more

European Getaway
A key attraction of travel in Europe is that 30 minutes outside of any city there lurks a Getaway, a quiet spot to catch one's breathe. In this program, we explore a few such magic places. We begin in peaceful Holland with visits to the windmills and canals of Zaanse Schans and Delft. Then in the Bavarian Alps we breath-in pristine Mittenwald and check out the handiwork of a local violinmaker.  In Austria, a cruise on the Danube takes us to a spectacular Baroque abbey.  Finally in Tuscany, we go underground to ancient Etruscan tombs beneath the town of  Orvieto and we sample great wine at Castello Banfi.  
TIPS on how to find one's own hideaway, how to meet locals, and how to avoid much tourist hassle.   more