While Athens sprawls, its historic core survives. After climbing the majestic Acropolis, rowing the Plaka, and cheering Greece’s best folk dancers, we take some easy trips outside the city. We make a pilgrimage to the famed oracle of Delphi and tour a beautiful medieval monastery. Then it’s off to the Peloponnesian Peninsula, where we scope out Nafplion’s charming port and visit the epic ruins of King Agamemnon in the ancient capital of Mycenae. Along the way, we investigate local superstitions and sample tangy specialty treats. Tip: Finding great Greek food, traditional and contemporary.

On the Greek Islands we get familiar with the ferries as we island-hop the Aegean. Sun-drenched, upscale and exotic, Santorini sits on the rim of an ancient, but still active, volcano. At one end of the island, the archeological site at Akrotiri uncovers a city frozen in time by the volcano's eruption 3,600 years ago. The island of Naxos offers serenity, a low-keyed pace and bargain accommodations. Its massive marble quarries and kouros sculptures were the toast of ancient Greece. We catch some R&R on trendy Mykonos, and then head to sacred Delos—an uninhabited island covered entirely with ancient ruins, and the place where the great god Apollo was born. Tips: Discovering little off-the-beaten-path surprises.

From Nice to St. Tropez, we drop in on the hot spots along the Mediterranean's famous Cote d'Azur. Based in lively Nice, we visit the local beaches and superb modern art museums featuring works by Matisse, Picasso and Signac. A short hop up along the winding Grande Corniche leads to wealthy Monaco. Then it’s on to glamorous Cannes and the lively beaches at Juan le Pins. In stylish St. Tropez, we visit the prettiest beaches and tour the colorful town. Inland, we make our own perfume in Grasse and explore a medieval hill town. Tips include renting a car, and accommodations.

The Burgundy region boasts top French wines, romantic canals, Romanesque churches and some of France's most renowned cuisine. We base in the small town of Beaune and learn about its history of winemaking. From the vineyards of the Côte d’Or to the culinary delights – we discover the exquisite taste of Burgundy. The city of Dijon and the cathedral at Vezelay add artistic treasures to the Burgundy experience. For the second half of our trip, we head for the Loire Valley and chateaux country. From our home base in Amboise, we visit the famous chateaux, including magnificent Chenonçeau, and François I's overwhelming Chambord. Tips include touring wine country, discovering smaller chateaux and ballooning over the Loire.

With world-class cultural sites, dynamic new architecture and unstoppable energy, Berlin is a city on the move. We visit the museums – the ancient treasures of the Pergamon and the Egyptian museum, German Expressionism at the Neue Nationalgalerie and the newly designed Jewish Museum. From dynamic Potzdamer Platz to the stark reminders at Checkpoint Charlie, we feel the past and see the future in Berlin. Our base is the luxurious and historical Hotel Adlon. Even shopping in Berlin brings history with it—we shop and snack at the fabulous KaDeWe department store. An outing to Potsdam takes in the Prussian past. Tips on touring this historic city, and best beers.

Munich's lively Marienplatz pulses with outdoor cafes, shoppers, street musicians and happy tourists. At the famous Hofbrauhaus, we sample Bavarian beer and kick up our heels with Schuhplattler dancers clad in lederhosen. Next stop is the Residenz, the family palace built by the Wittlesbachs, who ruled Bavaria for more than 700 years. Just outside of town, a sobering visit to Dachau concentration camp reminds us of the dark side of Germany's past. Then, we move on to lighter vistas—a trip into the mountains takes us to "Mad" King Ludwig's fairytale castle Neuschwanstein and on an exhilarating luge ride. Tip: Finding Bavaria’s best beer gardens.

In musical Salzburg, we focus on Austria's easy approach to life. We visit the city's grand cathedral, take a funicular up to Europe's greatest medieval fortress, and shop along fine Baroque streets reminiscent of Mozart's time. We visit the house where the young Amadeus was born and where he composed his first masterpiece. Investigating the sumptuous palaces of Salzburg’s prince-archbishops, we discover some “secret” passions. Then we relax in Austria's woodsy "Sound of Music" land, the Salzkammergut Lakes District. We soar high into the mountains to tour magical ice caves and then stroll little spa towns where Europe’s crowned heads once “took to the baths”. Tip: Best bargain for seeing lots of sights in a short amount of time.

Habsburg palaces, coffee houses, Strauss waltzes…all are symbolic of Vienna. Visiting elegant Schoenbrunn Palace, riding in carriages, sampling luscious apple strudel and listening to Mozart concerts, we see that Austria's capital still lives its elegant, proud past. We get a behind-the-scenes peek at how exquisite china is made at Augarten, Europe’s second oldest porcelain manufacturer. For a change from urban to countryside, we cruise down the Danube past vineyards and castles, stop at the dazzling Melk Abbey, and sample "new" wines—unique young varieties special to this part of the world. Tip: Where to experience Vienna’s hot new art scene.

Milan symbolizes the powerhouse Italy of the 21st century—a European center for finance and fashion. We explore Italy's most extravagantly decorated Gothic cathedral, look at Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Last Supper and shop, shop, shop. A visit to the Milan Design Museum shows how, for the Milanese, everyday life is art. We take a train north to serene Lake Como, where we ferry-hop among lakeside villages, explore elegant villas and stop over at the historic Villa D'Este Hotel. A side trip to the ancient city of Bergamo and an alpine festival in the Valtellina complete our journey. Tips include train travel and boat itineraries.

We wend our way across this largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Once the hub of the ancient world, Sicily offers up a vibrant, sun-soaked brew of history, tradition and intense cultural pride. At Palermo, a city bursting with its atmospheric past, we visit the lively market, and marvel at Monreale Cathedral, which shows off remnants of its Arab, Norman and Byzantine past. The finest classical Greek temples outside of Greece stand near Segesta and Agrigento, while the Villa Romana del Casale houses the most extensive and unspoiled Roman mosaics surviving from the ancient world. Then it’s on to ancient Syracuse, once the rival of Athens for wealth and power. Finally, we climb to the top of Mount Etna, for steaming craters and unearthly views. Tips include getting around the island and when to visit.

Here's where we pull together some of Europe's most rewarding sites from the classical world. Ancient Greek and Roman remnants are more than cold stone. They hold centuries of stories. So we revisit some favorite classical sites around the Mediterranean, pick up some new stories and see what kinds of connections we can make. It's the Greeks in Athens, Delphi, Delos, Paestum and Syracuse—and the Romans in Pompeii, Rome and Provence, with a little history of wine and olives thrown in for good measure.

Travelers adore Italy, and Italy adores the Renaissance. In this half-hour, we follow Western Europe's transition from medieval to modern times by exploring the arts and ambiance of that vibrant period. In Florence, Milan and Venice, we find works by Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo and Titian. Side-tripping to France's lush Loire Valley, we visit Renaissance castles and abbeys, including the timeless haunts of Amboise, Chenonçeau, and a few less-traveled chateaux along the way. And we drop into the Northern Renaissance with a visit to Hampton Court and Henry VIII.

A key attraction of travel in Europe is that 30 minutes outside of any city there lurks a getaway, a quiet spot to catch one's breath. In this program, we explore a few such magic places. We begin in peaceful Holland with visits to the windmills and canals of Zaanse Schans and Delft. Then, in the Bavarian Alps, we breathe in pristine Mittenwald and check out the handiwork of a local violinmaker. In Austria, a cruise on the Danube takes us to a spectacular Baroque abbey. Finally, in Tuscany, we go underground to ancient Etruscan tombs beneath the town of Orvieto and sample great wine at Castello Banfi. Tips on how to find one's own hideaway, how to meet locals and how to avoid much tourist hassle.