Rick Steves
@RickSteves • 247,704 subscribers
Guidebook author, TV & radio host, business owner, Lutheran, and NORML Board Member. Fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. https://t.co/gmLVmKePmA
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Many don’t realize that the first people Hitler sent to his concentration camps weren’t everyday Jewish citizens, but his political opponents. So, when Trump rants about retribution, locking up his opponents, and giving them “very long sentences,” I can’t help but take him seriously… because history teaches us that is what fascist dictators do during their “Day One” period to consolidate their power. (After all, if you’re hellbent on staying in power but aren’t likely to win the next election, you can’t have your political opponents running around free.) To keep fascism out of our lives, vote for democracy!
Rick Steves5,230,982 次观看 • 1 年前
As a traveler, I'm both a proud American and a citizen of the world — and I've got a few thoughts on this coming election. This election is deeper than partisanship. It's far more than Republican versus Democrat. In the future, big challenges like pandemics, refugees, and climate change will be blind to borders. They'll be everyone's problem and only solved by working together as a family of nations. The world needs not American isolation, but American leadership. Not the chaos of Trump, but the stability of Kamala Harris. Of course, how you vote is your choice. But if you believe, as I do, in the importance of nations working together constructively, the stakes are really high...and the best candidate is clear. Register to vote today at — and encourage your travelin’ friends to do the same!
Rick Steves3,735,827 次观看 • 1 年前
When I’m in Europe, I hear a lot of people complaining about the crowds. And generally, it’s because they’re all going to the same famous places at peak times. But I’d estimate 99% of Europe has no crowds at all. So, stop moaning about crowds and instead think about avoiding them. The theme of my spring trip was exploring neighborhoods and finding serendipitous magic moments — in a market, in a park, at the cobbler’s, popping into a church — to turn into travel memories. In this clip, it was early evening in a crusty district of Naples called Sanitá (your choice of neighborhoods makes a big difference)… the church was open… a middle school orchestra was practicing… and I stumbled onto a moment I’ll never forget. What magic moments have you found in the untouristy parts of Europe? Inspire me with a little positive serendipity you enjoyed… because you left the crowds.
Rick Steves2,555,681 次观看 • 2 年前
A century ago, Germany’s democracy was hijacked by a bombastic and charismatic tyrant — and in this five-minute video, you’ll learn how he did it. Why did I produce this? Because I believe that history is speaking to us, and all too often, those who refuse to learn from it are doomed to repeat it. As you watch, imagine filling out a Bingo card filled with Germany 1933/USA 2024 parallels: big rallies, rage-filled and hateful rhetoric, simple answers promising quick and easy solutions to complicated problems, empty promises of a great-again future, scapegoating outsiders, and political enemies silenced on day one. And notice the caring wisdom and concern from my German friends as they share these lessons from their dark history. It’s hard to understand how Trump could, on the eve of a tight election, paint a picture of Liz Cheney before a firing squad by actually saying, “Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? And let’s see how she feels about it when the guns are trained on her face.” You can’t get into the mind of a dictator with an insatiable appetite for power — but you can recognize the playbook they all seem to follow. Just watch this clip. It’s excerpted from my hourlong public television special “The Story of Fascism in Europe,” which is streaming free (and ad-free) at If you care about our democracy and love our country, it’s hard to stop watching. When I produced this in 2018, I hoped this day would never come in our country. But November 5th is upon us. Please share this with anyone in your life who might need a reminder that the stakes are high...and this is very real.
Rick Steves2,009,223 次观看 • 1 年前
I miss the Grand Old Party (GOP) and long for the day when we can return to healthy and principled partisan debates. (We idealistic hippies sometimes need to be reined in by practical conservatism.) But this election is different… and much deeper than D versus R and left versus right. It’s a clear choice, and the survival of our democracy is on the line. The world needs not the chaos of Trump but the stability of Kamala Harris. The world needs America.
Rick Steves1,773,978 次观看 • 1 年前
America could wake up on Wednesday with all three branches of our government — the — Executive, Legislative, and Judicial — Trumpist. With this clip, take five minutes to ponder Germany’s memorials and the price that nation paid for being bamboozled by a bombastic autocrat. Listen to the heartfelt message of my German tour guides, for whom these memorials are like ghosts of mistakes made and evils allowed… ghosts that haunt their society still. These are the same guides who clink glasses in the beer halls and yodel from the hilltops with our American tour members. They admire America. They love America. And they are worried for America. If we vote for fascism, it’ll likely be won by one or two percent (or even less)…and perhaps just a few stadiums of people will tip the balance. And history has taught my European friends that the cost of a course correction is infinitely more heartbreaking after a wannabe dictator wins an election than before. We are all participants, we are all responsible, and we will all bear the consequences of our collective choice.
Rick Steves1,610,019 次观看 • 1 年前
On Naxos, meet a 15-foot-tall boy who broke his leg 2,600 years ago. The Flerio Kouros hasn’t healed...he seems kind of lonely...and you can enjoy an unforgettable moment alone in a shady corner of that sun-burnt island with him. Look for our new Greek Isles guidebook in 2027!
Rick Steves81,622 次观看 • 1 个月前
How do fascists derail democracy? If you study history (or read Project 2025), it’s almost like there’s a recipe book: goose the economy, abolish unions, privatize what’s public, win the support of tycoons. But at what cost? Mesmerize your base so they don’t care. Blind them with your fear-mongering, lies, and promises. Fascism needs a bold leader…the only one who can fix things…a dictator who has the vision and expects others to follow (including women…whether they like it or not). I believe that history is indeed speaking to us — and those who refuse to learn from it are doomed to repeat it. To learn how fascism hijacked Germany a century ago, just watch this five-minute clip. If you care about our democracy and love our country, it’s hard to stop watching. This is an excerpt from my hourlong public television special “The Story of Fascism in Europe,” which is streaming free (and ad-free) at When I produced it back in 2018, I hoped this day would never come in our country. But November 5th is upon us. Please share this with anyone in your life who might need a reminder that the stakes are high…and this is very real.
Rick Steves648,870 次观看 • 1 年前
The most uninviting place I found this year in Rome: The Spanish Steps, long a romantic place for people to hang out and make the scene. These days, the local cops are on the prowl, making sure no one “sits on the monument”... even though it’s a monument that was literally designed for sitting on. (How do you say “For crying out loud” in Italian?) It is amusing, however, to watch people baiting the “no-sit patrol” just for fun. Do you have any sweet memories of sitting — or not — on the Spanish Steps?
Rick Steves274,801 次观看 • 1 年前
I’m just finishing up 2 weeks of pedal-to-the-metal research as we update our “Rick Steves Greece” guidebook & work on a new Greek Islands guidebook, coming in 2027. Every day, I’ve found new ways to connect vividly with the local culture…which often involves eating & drinking.
Rick Steves40,364 次观看 • 1 个月前
In Copenhagen, like in so many great European cities, it’s a joy to simply wander and be inspired by the different ways a city can be designed for its people. Rather than parking spots, why not have a harbor promenade with built-in trampolines for the populace? It can be done!
Rick Steves327,180 次观看 • 2 年前
As I get older, I’m enjoying more déjà vu moments. On my last trip to Rothenburg, I was wandering a back lane and realized I’d been there before…in a little half-timbered gingerbread cottage built into the town wall. I stayed there back in 1969 when I was just 14 years old…
Rick Steves184,515 次观看 • 1 年前
Lisbon is a jumbled & hilly collection of neighborhoods laced together by Rice-A-Roni trams. Of course, there’s lots of tourism. But if you venture out a little, you can enjoy a vibrant & memorable slice of life. Join me for 80 seconds of giddy funicular fun in Portugal’s capital
Rick Steves180,579 次观看 • 1 年前
In a speech before the United Nations General Assembly today, President Trump said climate change is a “con job” and climate scientists are “stupid people” — and he called green energy and immigration a “double-tailed monster” that is destroying Europe. After traveling through Ethiopia and Guatemala, I find it ironic that those most concerned about immigrants and refugees are the least likely to take climate change seriously. As you’ll learn in this clip, there’s no denying that climate change is here — and by causing more hunger, more conflict, and more destabilization in the poorest countries, it actually drives migration. The solution? Climate-smart agriculture. To find out how you can help, go to — and while you’re there, check out my one-hour public television special “Hunger & Hope: Lessons from Ethiopia and Guatemala,” streaming completely free and ad-free.
Rick Steves84,729 次观看 • 10 个月前
I recently met up with my friend Samantha Brown in New York City, and we took a moment in Central Park to share why we love public broadcasting — and why both PBS and NPR are so important. Every time I connect with Sam (of “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love”), I’m reminded of how her love of travel is such an inspiration and how thankful I am that we both host shows on public television that inspire our fellow Americans to reach out and connect with our world and celebrate it in all its diversity, humanity, and wonder. Both of us believe strongly in the value of public media to keep our country a land we can be proud of. (Once again, to help keep PBS and NPR strong, go to Thanks!)
Rick Steves88,222 次观看 • 1 年前