Rick Steves's Blog, page 11

Last week, I shared several posts about the nationwide protests. I declared my solidarity with Black Lives Matter. I drew parallels between our president’s response and the rise of fascism in 1930s Europe. And I solicited contributions for Lawyers and Collars, an initiative by Sojourners to protect the vote of people of color in US elections.

While the response to these posts was predominantly positive (we inspired over 1,500 people to donate more than $100,000 to that campaign), I got the usual...

One summer evening, the American president ordered a park next to the White House to be cleared of peaceful protesters. He had just declared himself “the law and order president” and announced his intent to mobilize the US military to subdue dissent across the country. And he was about to show off with his own display of force.

The militarized police’s rubber bullets and choking gas drove back throngs of people who were in Lafayette Park lawfully, to protest police brutality. Once the smoke clea...

A glimmer of hope in a time of crisis…this painting feels made for our current time.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. Here’s one of my favorites.

In 1816, the French ship Medusa went down off the coast of Africa, and the tragedy gripped the nation. Accounts poured in of the unspeakable hardships these F...

In this age of austerity, the opulence of the Palace of Versailles seems more over-the-top than ever. And that’s all because of the giant ego and extravagant personal style of one man: Louis XIV.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. Here’s one of my favorites.

The official portrait of the King of France sho...

Even just a few months ago, travelers were complaining about the crowds in the Sistine Chapel. Today many of us wish we could be in that crowded room (safely) again. But for now, this virtual visit will have to do.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. Here’s one of my favorites.

Twenty-three years after doi...

In a palace in Rome’s leafy Borghese Gardens stands this dramatic statue, displayed in the very room Bernini sculpted it for.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. And I’m currently featuring 10 of my favorites — including this one.

When you visit the Borghese Gallery in person, the statue reveals itself exa...

Italian Renaissance artists get all of the attention. But don’t miss the huge talents of the Northern Renaissance — especially Albrecht Dürer.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. And I’m currently featuring 10 of my favorites — including this one.

Albrecht Dürer was the first artist to paint a self-portrai...

To solve our problems, the world needs to listen to smart people right now. When I think of our current predicament, I picture Raphael’s great painting that assembles all of the smartest people in ancient Athens in one place: The School of Athens.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. And I’m currently featur...

When he was just 24 years old, Michelangelo carved the statue that made him famous: His Pietà debuted in St. Peter’s in Rome for the Holy Year of 1500. Thousands of pilgrims filed by and were amazed by what appeared to be a miraculous event carved out of marble yet unfolding before their eyes.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art m...

On my next trip to Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, I can’t wait to lay my eyes on that famous “Venus on the Half-Shell” painting…one of the masterpieces of the Renaissance.

The coronavirus can derail our travel plans…but it can’t stop our travel dreams. And I believe a daily dose of travel dreaming can actually be good medicine. One of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. And I’m currently featuring 10 of my favorites — including this one.

This work was revolutionary: the f...