we can enjoy the entire performances. and there's much more great christmas music from all around europe coming up later in the show. and you can enjoy it all with a contribution at tonight's higher giving level. and at that level, you'll receive every gift we're talking about, including rick's exciting dvd collection. take a look. the rick steves' europe anthology is the definitive video library of european travel. eighty episodes take you from the fjords of norway to the heart of iran, from the wild coast of ireland to the charms of the czech republic. you'll discover hidden alpine villages, explore modern cities layered with history, and relax in my favorite mediterranean hideaway. and there are bonuses you'll never see on tv. there's the practical"europe through the back door"lecture i've been giving for three decades, a fast-forward look at my children growing up on the road, and outtakes, proof that things don't always go as smoothly as it seems.

[ speaks in italian ] didn't understand a word he said. for any traveler or europhile, these 80 episodes, with nearly 50 hours of video, offer a lifetime of travel learning, lessons, and fun. so, rick, do you recommend traveling during the holidays? well, it's exciting to be over there during the big holidays: christmas, easter, new year's, and so on. generally things are shut down for the day, but other than that your sightseeing is wide open, and there's a few special holiday treats tossed in. we'll be skating on the eiffel tower. you'll see that in just a few minutes. i'd say the main concern is to have your hotel firmly reserved if you're traveling over the holiday, as things can be jammed up. by the way, make a point to know the holidays you'll be encountering during your travels. every country has a 4th of july type day: may 17 in norway, july 14 in france, and so on. also, you may be surprised by other days. may day's a big deal for workers all over europe,

and august 15th, that's the assumption of mary day across catholic europe. as we learned, many countries celebrate the christmas season with an emphasis on different days. santa lucia day is really big in norway; that's december 13. and epiphany -- that's january 6th -- that's a big time in italy. we'll see why later in this special. well, this show is a travel experience in its own right, so thank you for bringing it to us. and your support is what made it all possible. make your call, make a contribution, and make a difference right now. and here's something we really hope will encourage your support. let's quickly review today's top thank-you package. support your public television station with a contribution of $200, and we'll thank you with all the gifts we've been talking about today. you'll receive the book, the dvd, the cd, the map, and our exciting boxed set of dvds. this 80-episode, 13-disc anthology brings you the entire rick steves' europe library, 45 hours of travel fun,

including every program we've ever produced. today we're celebrating the public in public television, and the choice is yours: $80 for my european christmas book, dvd, and cd, or $200 for absolutely everything: those three gifts, plus the map and my exciting dvd boxed set anthology. thank you. okay, rick, i have my passport. where are we headed next? we have lots more to see. up next is france, germany, and austria. and if you're learning the languages, it's joyeux noel and frohliche weihnachten. thanks again for your calls. if you've already called in, thank you. and if not, well, we'd love to thank you next. paris is nicknamed europe's city of light for its incandescent energy and effervescent culture. in the dark of winter, the city's best-loved icon, the eiffel tower, brilliantly heralds this happy season.

by night, paris's biggest department stores dress up the streets. printemps is pretty in pink, and the galeries lafayette has woven an exquisite embroidery of lights. there's ice skating at the hotel de ville. and all along the champs-elysees, it's a festive forest of 2,000 twinkling trees. [ bells chiming ] by day, the signs of christmas are more subtle but can be found everywhere. the best-dressed trees are seen here at the pompidou center. where else but in paris will you find avant-garde christmas trees making a fashion statement? with visions of versace dancing in their heads, inspired fashionistas can bundle up their wish lists and head to the designer boutiques on the rue royal.

parisians buy fewer christmas gifts than their american counterparts -- it's more a matter of quality than quantity -- and they favor small specialty shops like these. christmas in paris is elegantly understated and the city yields unexpected moments. turn a corner, and you just might find yourself in a stylish arcade all wrapped up in red. busy parisian shoppers fuel up on the city's street food: steamy crepes... and hot roasted chestnuts. joyeux noel! and neighborhood brasseries are full of friends slurping fresh oysters rushed in from the brittany coast. oysters are favorites at christmas, which makes perfect sense as they're plump and delicious this time of year.

'tis also the season of elegant edibles. foie gras, a pate made from goose liver and a smidge of cognac, is especially popular during holidays. and chocolate shops and patisseries -- wonderful any time of year -- get even better at christmas. there are chocolate chestnuts... yummy yule logs... and delights fit for a king. this patisserie, the oldest in paris, was opened in 1730 by an ex-pastry chef of the royal court. even sophisticated paris rolls out the magic carpet for children. french families from all over the country rendezvous at the windows of the grand department stores. displays are especially designed to enchant the little ones. and stools provided by thoughtful stores make sure that even the tiniest tot enjoys a good view.

during christmas, the eiffel tower becomes the highest ice-skating rink in paris. kids ride ponies at luxembourg gardens... and the city's magical maneges de noel, the carousels of christmas, spin memories. a clear, cold day brings out parisians, trying to soak up as much sunlight as possible on these, the shortest days of the year, while a dusting of snow brings out hopes for a white christmas, like at home. whether you're young or just young at heart, christmas in paris is the stuff of dreams. if paris is a grandam strutting her christmas finery, then burgundy, where we're heading next, is her pious country cousin. [ choir singing in french ]

burgundy lies in the quiet, religious heart of this mostly secular nation. france's most venerable abbeys are here, and their spirit seems to animate the small villages throughout the region. ancient traditions survive comfortably here. this 13th-century abbey resonates with the rich sounds of the french group phonema, singing medieval carols just as they were sung centuries ago. [ singing continues ]

[ song ends ] a sense of community runs strong in rural france, and it expresses itself in simple rituals shared by families and friends. [ chainsaw buzzing ] [ men shouting ] [ crashes ] these old friends come here each winter to cut and gather wood for their fireplaces and stoves. it's the kind of hard work that builds an appetite. fortunately, they brought drinks to cut the chill... [ men laughing ] with just enough red wine for the duck.

there's bacon to sizzle... and potatoes to roast... ahhh...c'est bon! [ men talking in french ] a winter picnic in the woods is as good for the soul as it is for the stomach. [ speaks french ] in burgundy, no one goes without. communities take good care of one another year-round, with special treats at christmas. this amiable village mayor, accompanied by her entourage, gets into the spirit of things by delivering baskets of delicacies to the elderly for the christmas eve feast. [ both speaking french ]

this morning my friends the berteloots are shopping for seasonal fare at the saturday market. [ speaking french ] [ speaking french ] finefood's at the center of life in burgundy, even in the dead of winter. right about now the truffles are at their pungent best. [ all speaking french ] delphine and emmanuel prepare for the grandest culinary event of the year. the french call their christmas eve feast "le réveillon de noel." [ speaks french ] at home the family's busy preparing for the big event. the children are decorating candles to set on the windowsill on christmas eve to light up the dark on the night so filled with anticipation. [ speaking french ]

[ speaking french ] and the tree's not quite done until capped with a star. [ both speak french ] in the kitchen, delphine slices her foie gras... then devotes herself to the centerpiece of the réveillon: filet of beef wrapped in brioche. stretching the pastry is a two-person job. after generously grating local truffles the beef is tenderly wrapped and ready for the oven. and there's still the serious business of selecting the perfect wine from the cellar. soon guests will be arriving. this time of year, when the days are short and the nights are long, it's customary to leave a welcoming light in the window. we'll be back when dinner's ready. but first, we've got some shopping to do...in germany.

when it comes to traditional holiday images, germany's bavaria is the heartland. here we'll savor classic holiday themes: glittering trees, old-time carols, and colorful christmas markets. these markets, called christkindl markets, enliven squares throughout germany. the most famous is here in nurnberg. it's a festive swirl of the heartwarming sights, sounds, and smells of christmas. long a center of toy making in germany, a woody and traditional ambiance prevails. nutcrackers are characters of authority: uniformed, strong-jawed, and able to crack the tough nuts. smokers, with their fragrant incense wafting, feature common folk like this village toy maker.

prune people, with their fig body, walnut head, and prune limbs, are dolled up in bavarian folk costumes. and hovering above it all is the golden rausch angel, an icon of christmas in nurnberg. rausch is the sound of wind blowing through its wings. it's a favorite for capping family christmas trees. bakeries crank out old-fashioned gingerbread -- the lebkuchen nurnberg -- using the original 17th-century recipe. back then, nurnberg was the gingerbread capital of the world, and its love affair with gingerbread lives on. shoppers can also munch the famous nurnberg bratwurst, skinny as your little finger... and sip hot spiced wine. as in so many cultures, kids love their local version of santa claus. while santa is a legend, his character is based on st. nicholas, a kind and generous bishop who actually lived in turkey in the 4th century.

holiday gift giving, especially in catholic regions, is often associated with the feast day of st. nicholas, december 6. but germany is luther country. back in the early 1500s, the great reformer, martin luther, wanted to humanize the christmas story by shifting the focus away from the saints and back onto the birthday boy: jesus. rather than jolly old st. nick bringing the goodies on december 6th, luther established the idea that gifts would be given on the 25th by the christ child or, in german, christkind. [ speaking german ] [ laughing ] but for kids, it was hard to imagine the little baby in the manger delivering gifts, so an angel served as the gift-giving christ child. and somehow the angel came to be represented by a young girl. she spends her reign spreading the joy of the season. the christkind concludes by telling the entralled children, "if you're very, very gentle, you can touch my wings."

nurnberg's favorite angel then leads her fans into the children's section of the market where expertly bundled kids enjoy a christmas wonderland. [ children shouting ] the christkind isn't the only one handing out good cheer. carolers spread the joy of christmas using the town's historic courtyards as impromptu concert venues. and here in the land of bach, beethoven, and mozart, seasonal music fills the churches. [ choir singing in german ]

[ song ends ]

now we cross the border into austria to the town that to me always feels like christmas: with its old town gathered under its formidable castle, salzburg celebrates the holidays with an alpine elegance. [ horseshoes clopping ] christmasy shopping lanes delight browsers. markets are busy as shoppers gather last-minute holiday decorations and perhaps a fresh sprig of mistletoe. [ gunshots ] these tiroleans celebrate the season in noisier fashions as well. [ gunshot ] from the castle ramparts, high above town, traditional gunners fire away as they have since the days when they really believed these shots would scare away evil spirits. [ gunshots ]

salzburg, nicknamed the rome of the north, has a magnificent cathedral inspired by st. peter's at the vatican. locals here in the town of mozart pack the place to mix worship with glorious music. [ orchestra playing, choir singing ] [ bells chiming "silent night" ]

it was here, in the region of salzburg that the most loved carol of the christmas season, "silent night," was sung for the first time nearly 200 years ago. according to legend, a local priest went out one christmas night to bless a newborn baby. as he walked home in the snow, he was so moved by the stillness of the starlit and holy night that he wrote a poem about it. he gave the poem to franz gruber, the organist in his church, who composed a simple tune. on christmas eve, 1818, the carol was sung for the first time accompanied only by a guitar. [ plucks introductory notes ] both: ♪ stille nacht ♪ heilige nacht ♪ alles schlaft... austria is one of europe's most traditional corners. its strong catholicism and love of heritage

shine especially brightly at christmastime in the countryside. ♪ ...hochheilige paar ♪ holder knabe ♪ im lockigen haar we're visiting the weissacher family farm. a typically tirolean christmas yodel offers us the warmest of welcomes. [ group singing in harmony ] rick: sehr schone, danke. [ speaks german ] this family happily shares its love of the season with a guest. like just about anywhere, part of christmas is making cookies with grandma.

more unique to austria is this ritual in which the dad blesses the home with incense as his daughter follows with holy water. the prayer is for a healthy and happy new year. maria teaches her daughters how the advent wreath marks the four weeks of advent: the season of preparation leading to the advent or arrival of jesus. ancient peoples were the first wreath makers. for christians, that evergreen circle came to symbolize everlasting life. the candles, one for each week, reminded them that the birth of their savior was approaching. austrians lovingly decorate their tree, but keep it secret and hidden from the children until december 24th arrives.

we'll check back a little later to see what christmas brings. from here in the alps, we journey to a grand city that was the capital of the western world on that first christmas two thousand years ago and remains a leading city in christendom today: rome. but first, we're taking a short break to remind you that this is public television, and programming like this just can't happen without your support. did i get that right?n. perfect. okay, and we're headed to rome soon, so that will be...? buon natale. ah, okay. hi, i'm kc cowan, here in the studio with our guide extraordinaire, rick steves. and right now, so this hardworking station so committed to bringing you the best in noncommercial broadcasting can be strong into the next year, we need to get you heading over to that phone. that's right. if you like this programming, let me suggest one effective way to show your approval. call the number on your screen right now and support the best television on television with your contribution. this station relies on the support

of our viewers who become members. it's thousands of people coming together and doing their small part that makes everything public television does possible. so do make your call right now. wow, rick, skating in the eiffel tower. yeah, well, european cities are so much fun and they're just into being people-friendly and celebrating the holidays. and small-town charms complement the big-city charms, like that village mayor going door-to-door with her french christmas cheer. we tried to get a good mix: big city, small town. everybody seems to be enjoying an excuse to celebrate. and as usual, you invigorated your show with just really some great people. oh, yeah, the people are critical. i've found that it's the people that make good travel. whenever i'm leading a tour, writing a guidebook, or working up a script for a new tv episode, if i can't connect with real people, that travel experience is just going to be flat. and i'm not talking about the woman in the dirndl sent by the tourist board to take me to the slap dancing show. i mean real workaday people who don't make their living off of tourism. we met maddy and her family in england,

the wonderful weissacher family in austria, and we'll meet lots more people coming up. "and if you're very, very gentle you can touch my wings." oh, i love the christkind. oh, so do i. i've got to say, i was really enamored by the christkind. i'm lutheran, and i love to see old martin luther getting into the mix, you know, shifting the focus from a saint back to jesus, and somehow it ends up a beautiful teenage girl. one of my favorite extras in our christmas dvd, included in every level today, is a private interview with the christkind. she granted me a little time to talk with her. she's got her own press agent, and after the interview, we filmed me hauling out my stash of mistletoe. she played along, as you'll see on the dvd extra, but only with certain very strict conditions. that was a fun bit to film, but my producer, simon, said, "it's cute maybe, but it's not going to make it in the christmas show." thank goodness for those dvd extras. and the christmas dvd has plenty of fun extra. here's a review of the gifts that we're offering when you make that call.

steves: to encourage your support of this station, we have some exciting ways to show our gratitude. contribute $80, and we'll thank you with three gifts: our european christmas book, the program dvd, and a cd of european carols. the book is filled with vivid photographs and tells the story of christmas in europe. the dvd includes the program we're enjoying right now with lots of fun and musical extras. and the cd is a collection of our favorite 20 carols chosen from the many we filmed. make a gift of $200, and we'll thank you with those gifts plus our exciting boxed set of dvds. this 80-episode, 13-disc anthology brings you the entire rick steves' europe library, 45 hours of travel fun, including every show we've produced, plus special programs, lectures, and a bonus disc giving you a virtual seat on one of our european bus tours. we'll also include the european planning map i designed locating all my favorite hard-to-find discoveries. and at both amounts, you'll also receive dancing with europa,

my personal journal from recent travels, and a special 64-page edition of our travel newsletter, featuring my favorite european travel destinations for the coming year. together, we support public television. make your call and make your choice: $80 for the christmas book, dvd, and cd, or $200 for everything: those three gifts, the map, and that 80-episode dvd anthology. and thanks for supporting your public television station. give your public tv station a merry christmas gift. it's a great idea. call right now, the number's on your screen. we find programs like rick steves' european christmas on public television only because of viewer support. the programming you've enjoyed this year on this station was made possible to a large degree by the generous support of those who called in last year. those of you calling in right now are fueling the pbs tank for more of the quality noncommercial programming you'll all enjoy next year. that's how public broadcasting works.

so now the ball's in your court. we're waiting to hear from you. we are indeed. call the number on your screen and stand up for quality, diversity, and individual enrichment right here on your public television station. contribute at any level and you're doing your share. in fact, you're doing more than your share. you'll be doing a service for those in your community who depend on this station but can't afford to help support it. please make that call of support to this station right now. thank you. christmas has deep cultural roots. today we're offering three gifts to invigorate your holiday season with traditions from across europe: the show dvd with lots of extras, a book tracing the story of christmas, and a cd of wonderful carols. the rick steves' christmas dvd includes the special you're watching today, plus 90 minutes of extras: more of john paul ii's inspiring last christmas mass, full-length choral performances, a slideshow capturing the joy of the season,

and an interview with germany's christkind. frohliche weihnachten. the european christmas book explores the rich traditional roots, both christian and pagan, that shaped the christmas festivities we enjoy today here at home. it contains more information on the history of this special season than we were able to include in the tv program. each chapter uncovers the fascinating story behind the many traditions so familiar to americans. there's a chapter telling how we actually produced the show, and there are recipes for every festive meal we enjoyed. this beautiful book takes you vividly over to europe for christmas, and it will for years to come. [ singing ] and the rick steves' european christmas cd complements the book and the dvd with a fresh collection of carols sung on location in the seven countries we visited. performances range from inside a rustic stone church in oslo to one of england's best choirs in downtown london. this collection reminds us

that while our heritage may be diverse, we can all enjoy the spirit of the christmas season through the joy of music. however you celebrate christmas, it's a time rich in tradition, wondrous for children, and for families to come together. these three gifts -- the show dvd, the book, and the music cd -- promise to become a part of your future holiday celebrations. this is a team effort. it's the station staff, so many phone volunteers, business supporters, and most importantly, you. together we're all making a difference. please, support the team in your community that's so committed to the value of public television. take a couple minutes, it's fun. please, give us a phone call right now. rick, i know how truly committed you are to making travel accessible through public television. well, since i was a kid teaching travel, i've taught travel everywhere i can. i wanted travel to be both accessible and meaningful.