Rick: This looks very nice. Arnaud: Oh Rick, look that. For more tips, check out Cassandra Overby's Explore Europe on Foot. Hang your head out the window, enjoy the silence, and explore every corner of your view. If you don't have time for the whole route, a good option is to hike the section from Chamonix to Courmayeur, Italy — roughly half the loop — and return to Chamonix by bus via the Helbronner and Aiguille du Midi lifts (or, far less scenically, by bus through the Mont Blanc Tunnel). In many ways, the France we know today grew from this Gallo-Roman civilization. Garlic, parsley… Later, this Enlightenment provided the French Revolution with a philosophical basis, and it gave the American constitution many of its basic principles. Along with its characteristic Old World lanes, Lyon has grand quarters with 19th-century architecture that feels much like Paris. Today, any remnant of that Latin is buried by a touristy tabouli of ethnic restaurants. Crowds overwhelm this place much of the year, with one- to two-hour waits to get in (unless it's rainy, when lines can evaporate). Travel with Rick on this video guide to Paris, France and find out what to do on your next trip. Then climb the 284 steps to the observation deck up top, with sweeping skyline panoramas and a mesmerizing view down onto the traffic that swirls around the arch. Until about the year 1800, people didn't climb, or hike, or even paint mountains much. And we hike the Tour du Mont Blanc — the trail that circles that iconic mountain. And when silk was the main industry in this city, they used to transport the silk from one street to another — being covered from the weather. So, 500 years ago, the noble families of Lyon used to live here. After Paris, it's arguably the most historic and culturally important city in the country. Au revoir. Arnaud: Dancing all around the place. Arnaud: Old books, yes, and they sell prints, you know…magazines… Merci! These scenes, like about everything else in the church, lead to the high altar, where Mary reigns as Queen of Heaven. We'll ride the lift up to the Aiguille du Midi, and then cross over to the border of Italy. At the time, sex was considered dirty, and could be exalted only in a more pure and divine form. This bouchon serves Lyon's tastiest quenelles, offering five types, including the traditional brochet (pike), scallops (my favorite), and original varieties made with wild garlic. The Promenade Plantée is popular for jogging or strolling, or just a peaceful break from the city. Arnaud: Oh, Rick. And it was here that Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, and over 2,000 others were made "a foot shorter at the top.". But the little Ile St. Louis, connected by a pedestrian bridge, is laden only with the delights of good living. It's very chewy you might say. From here the "City of Light" fans out at your feet. The Aiguille du Midi is the most spectacular mountain lift in Europe — and the most popular ride in the valley. Season 11 of Rick Steves' Europe debuts this October and features eight all-new episodes. Enjoy the luxury of this neighborhood by window-shopping, or as the French say, faire du lèche-vitrines — window licking. The building itself is magnificent. Tour Account › Travel Forum › Home / Travel Forum / France; Please sign in to post. It's all about Notre Dame — "Our Lady." Cassandra: So, one of the really interesting parts about this route is that it used to be an old Roman road. Claude Monet is called the "father of Impressionism." This is sacred, you know, for lunchtime — to stop for at least an hour. We don't work. Rick: Really? American travel authority Rick Steves guides viewers through his favorite European cities. From Chamonix the cute cogwheel Train du Montenvers toots you up to tiny Montenvers to see the dirty, rapidly receding Mer de Glace glacier and enjoy fantastic alpine views up the Vallée Blanche. Trekkers are rewarded with top-notch mountain vistas, of course, as well as medieval bridges, deep gorges, ancient trade routes with a thousand years of ruts worn into the stone, farmers making cheese the old-fashioned way, tiny alpine chapels, and inviting huts offering a break and a drink. Arnaud: Aperitif is to open your appetite. It's the city I can return to more than any other, with grand monuments that need no introduction. Rick: OK, the "principle plate." Arnaud: After the dessert…always. And Parisians called this university district "the Latin Quarter" because that's the language they heard on the streets. Your Parisian experience is a blend of great museums, fine food, and characteristic neighborhoods. It comes from the name "bouquin," which means it's old French. Look at these people; they've been here forever. Rick: Au revoir. Explanations are in French only, but many displays are self-explanatory. Everything in this episode is within easy reach by foot or metro. From here, tourists get to see why Chamonix attracts climbers from all over the world. It's time for the revolution of Impressionism to begin. Virginie: You like it? Rick: You know, a lot of tourists don't want the escargot, but I love it. The elitism of this place prompted former President François Mitterrand to have an opera house built for the people in the 1980s, situated symbolically on Place de la Bastille, where the French Revolution started in 1789. Arnaud: Ah, the onion soup is something you eat more in the wintertime. You'll spot Sacré-Cœur, the Byzantine-looking, onion-domed, bleached-bone basilica atop Montmartre, from most viewpoints in Paris. From here, it's clear why the glacier is called the Mer de Glace — "sea of ice." The atmosphere and setting, both inside and out, is unforgettable. Arnaud: Mmm-hmm! Each transfer was finished with a plaque identifying from which church the bones came, and the date they arrived. Rick: How do you like the onion soup? Great Paris scenery, some fun info on culture and language. Season: OR ... France; Chamonix in France; riding the lift up to Aiguille du Midi and to the border of Italy; hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc- … It's like a huge park — part in France, part in Italy, part in Switzerland — and it's busy June through September. "the Sun King" — was the ultimate king back when people accepted the notion that a few were born to rule and be rich, while most were born to be ruled and taken advantage of. Edouard Manet rubbed realism in the public's face. The actual theater is a palace of plush and ornate seating. If you really try, you can almost imagine Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso who came here a century ago — poor, carefree, and seeking inspiration. Most of the essential sights lie near the Notre Dame, between the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter, and Montmartre — the city's highest point. I love this place. Auguste Renoir caught Parisians living and loving in the afternoon sun. Up close it doesn't work. So, eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty, and the moment that anything feels uncomfortable — if it's your backpack, or your shoes — just stop and take care of it before you go on. Rick: This is raw beef? Episode 103C: France's Alsace. Arnaud: Plat principal. Virginie: And you want some of mine? From the Aiguille du Midi, you can ride all the way back to Chamonix; or — way, way better — get off halfway down at Plan de l'Aiguille, where you'll find a scenic café, paragliders jumping off cliffs (except in July–Aug), and plenty of spots to just hang out in the sun. From manger scenes and mistletoe to wintry wonderlands, RICK STEVES' EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS celebrates the Christmas season throughout the European continent. Virginie: Et voila, l'escargot! Arnaud: I just don't like it! In fact, the University of Paris, a leading university in medieval Europe, was founded here in the 13th century. Packing the best of Paris into one episode, we scale the Eiffel Tower, bask in medieval majesty at Notre-Dame Cathedral, stroll Montmartre and its Sacré Cœur church, study the Latin Quarter, remember the Revolution at Place de la Concorde, saunter the Champs-Elysées, get impressed by the Orsay Museum, bone up on Paris's past at the Carnavalet Museum — and in the catacombs, and sample the artistic high life at the Jacquemart-André Museum. ... Emily in Paris TV: cj-traveler: 38: 10/20/20 11:17 AM: First timer in Paris: looking for a good hotel: Phil: 29: Rick: I'm heading for the Orsay Gallery. The pose is classic, but the sharp outlines and harsh colors are new and shocking. The Gauls were the original French tribe. Rick: And it goes back a long time? Arnaud: Ah, this is dessert time, Rick. I'm taking Arnaud to lunch. You can almost reach out and pat the head of Mont Blanc. Dangling silently for 30 minutes, we glide over the glacier. FULL EPISODES … Server: Escargot? The damned — a sorry chain gang — are on his left. The people you meet on the trails come from many lands, and your days are filled with cheery greetings. Virginie: In the first century, the Roman city of Lyon had a population of 50,000 people — which is four times as big as Roman Paris. The trail around Mont Blanc is one of Europe's top long-distance hikes and, while demanding, it's doable for any fit hiker. Arnaud: It's good eh? Be sure of your date, as reservations are nonrefundable. Rick: So, that's four capitals? This left the Opéra Garnier home only to ballet and occasional concerts. Check if it is available to stream online via "Where to Watch". Rick: Oui. Rick Steves' Europe. Eventually engineers constructed a state-of-the-art array of trains and lifts to get the influx of nature-hungry city folk high into the mountains with ease. One of the first, this two-car cogwheel train — inaugurated in 1909 — transported turn-of-the-century visitors to the edge of the Mer de Glace glacier. Whether it's après-ski or après-hike, the streets of Chamonix are always lively. Making the trip gives you membership in the exclusive society of the quarter of a billion other humans who have made the Eiffel Tower the most visited monument in the modern world. If you don't like Impressionism, visit this museum. Against his advice, I'm eating all the Parisian cuisine clichés — in one meal. Virginie: Lyon is famous for its traboules, which are hidden covered passageways — that enables you to cross from one street to another, being protected. Cassandra: Right. And you can look down on the classic hundred-mile trail that circles Mont Blanc — part of which we'll be hiking later. You're having crème brûlée and I have a fondant au chocolat. Virginie: There are more than a hundred of those passageways in the Old Lyon. The little boy seems to admire the artist — already notorious for his nonconformity. From England to Wales, France, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, you'll see the bright Christmas markets, hear local choirs, share holiday traditions with … Arnaud: Oh my God, wonderful…all along the streets you've got some galleries, quaint, you know, little boutiques and restaurants, and just down the street there, there's a place, Berthillon, where you have the best sorbets in Paris. Chamonix is in the valley floor, the great city of Lyon's about an hour that way, and we're gonna see 'em all. The local bishop vowed to build a tribute to the Virgin Mary if the city was spared. So far, so good with the first three episodes. We'll see some icons of this great city, the industrial age iron of the Eiffel Tower, and the medieval stonework of Notre-Dame. The city grew rich from its silk industry, trade fairs, and banking. This 900-foot-tall tower has three observation levels; the higher you go the more you pay. Virginie: River number three! Rick: Merci, I think. Episode 101C: Alps of France and Switzerland. I hope you've enjoyed our look at this corner of France — the great city of Lyon, the mountain resort of Chamonix, and something new for me: a sample of a classic European long-distance hike. Thanks for joining us. Hikers share co-ed dorms and follow the mountain hut etiquette: Bring your own sleep sack, no boots inside, and so on. But the French love of fine living couldn't be kept down. Chamonix is in the valley floor, the great city of Lyon's about an hour that way, and we're gonna see 'em all. When I first came here, back in the '80s, the Mer de Glace was hundreds of feet higher than it is today. With the shuttle loaded with colorful silk thread, the loom worker patiently wove the prized fabric. see our FAQ. From Avenue de l'Opéra, once lined with Paris' most fashionable haunts, its facade suggests "all power to the wealthy." This technique made beautiful silk less costly and therefore more accessible to the masses. This is the empire of death." …And Tiepolo, whose fresco graces the mansion's lobby. This is a place where locals and travelers alike congregate to marvel at Paris, or each other. Santé! As I float downstream in the Beaujolais, our main dishes arrive including duck, the traditional quenelles — or, fish dumplings — and for me, tripe. Rick: That makes sense actually. Rick Steves' Europe Season 10 [16 words] Rick covers Portugal, Greece, Sicily, England, and Scotland, plus festivals across Europe and tips for cruising. Until the 1800s, from Sicily to Sweden, Latin was the language of Europe's educated elite. Ah, the steps of Sacré-Cœur. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. Before any serious hike in this region, it's smart to drop by the mountain guides center in Chamonix to review plans and be sure you know all the latest. Rick: Oh, looks good. So the city was a critical hub for transportation, and it became the economic, religious, and administrative capital of Roman Gaul. France is a country with lots of variety, from grand cities to awe-inspiring mountains. Rick: So that's an aperitif? Alps of France and Switzerland (episode) Basque Country (episode) Burgundy: Profoundly French (episode) Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral (clip) France’s Alsace (episode) France’s Dordogne (episode) France’s Loire: Château Country (episode) France’s Loire River (clip) French Alps and Lyon (episode) French Riviera: Uniquely Chic (episode) It's serious skaters only on Fridays (they meet on Place Raoul Dautry at 21:30 and are ready to roll at 22:00), but anyone can join in on Sundays (at 14:30; skaters leave from the south side of Place de la Bastille). 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