Rick Steves' Artistic Tour Offers A Unique European Cultural Experience For Music Lovers

You don't need to travel across the Atlantic to experience a different culture. Sometimes, you can be transported there through its history, art, or, in this case, music. Travel expert and PBS host Rick Steves teamed up with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra to create "Europe: A Symphonic Journey." This concert special whisks you away to seven European countries through the power of music, visuals, and storytelling. The televised recording, which lasts around 60 minutes, captures the heart of Romanticism in the 19th century, from Vienna to Paris. As Steves shares his detailed perspective and historic insights, you'll be treated to spectacular sights in Europe, brought to life by some of the era's greatest composers such as Edvard Grieg, Johann Strauss, and Richard Wagner.

Freedom of expression through art, music, and literature was one of the fundamental ideas behind Romanticism. After years of strict rule under kings and tyrants, artists and writers sought inspiration from the past through ancient fables, while composers turned folk tales into symphonies brimming with passion, capturing the spirit and struggles of a nation. Steves starts his symphonic journey with an emotional nod to North America, in a tribute to the American Revolution, as aerial views let you soar over the country's most spectacular landscapes to the melody of "America the Beautiful." As the musical tour progresses, Steves says, you'll be treated to "Romantic-era music that stoked the pride of nationalities all across Europe."

Steves' European musical tour begins in Austria. Enjoy views of the ornate interiors and boulevards of the glittering city of Vienna to the lilting tempo of Strauss's "Emperor Waltz." The capital was once home to Strauss, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Then, float up the River Danube into Germany, accompanied by Wagner's exhilarating "Lohengrin." Myths and fairytales are brought to life as you gaze upon castles whose turrets rise from the forested slopes of the Bavarian countryside. Amongst the great ruling empires of Austria and Russia, the Czech Republic was an underdog, staking a claim to its own identity with pride. The Czech journey is perfectly symbolized by Bedřich Smetana's "The Vltava." This melodic tribute grows from a trickling stream into a fast-flowing river alongside views of Prague.

No piece of music captures the pageantry and traditions of Great Britain quite like Sir Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance." Get swept along the streets of London in a ceremonial celebration full of triumph and glory. Then onwards to Italy, to soar over the rolling hillsides and stark mountain peaks, past terracotta rooftops and the crumbling remains of the Roman Empire, as the operatic overture of Giuseppe Verdi's "Nabucco" places you at the heart of the country's struggle for independence. The Romantic era is perfectly captured in the gentle melody of Grieg's "Morning Mood," set against the unspoiled beauty of Norway's vast fjords. The journey ends in France, the land of liberté, égalité, and fraternité. Camille Saint-Saëns blends romantic ideals and revolutionary spirit in the "French Military March," as you travel the streets of Paris, where you can almost hear the passionate crowds marching toward freedom.

With just enough room at the end of this musical postcard to fit in a grand finale, the celebration ends with Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," a symbol of the European Union's diversity. If you share Rick Steves' love of travel, history, and music, "Europe: A Symphonic Journey" is currently touring across the U.S. with regional orchestras. The last concert of 2025 is on November 16 in Phoenix, Arizona, but the tour restarts in March 2026. Upcoming dates have been announced in Buffalo, New York, Detroit, Michigan, and Merrifield, Virginia. Tickets vary in price depending on the venue and the seats you choose, starting at $20.95 in Detroit and up to $240 in Buffalo.

In the meantime, you can watch the TV special, "Rick Steves Europe: A Symphonic Journey," where Steves joins the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. If it inspires you to waltz your way across the pond and visit the real places behind the music, Vienna is where you should start, and according to Steves, it is one of Europe's most elegant cities. Here, you can enjoy a concert in the grand halls once graced by the presence of Mozart, making Vienna a must-visit destination for classical music lovers.