But December had been unseasonably warm, and on the days leading up to our arrival the town was bare and wet. Fröhliche Weihnachten! Norway was wet and warm, and the secular Norwegians don't really do Christmas with the gusto I imagined. Thankfully, just over the border, the traditional Austrian family we filmed the next night exceeded all hopes. Join Rick Steves for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe. During the 2005 holiday season, my crew and I enjoyed producing a one-hour public television special we hope will be around for many Christmases to come. Her crew ended up with the hardest schedule (England, France, Italy) and they did more then just cover the script. But when we started filming, it looked like Norway would be a weak segment…so I needed to scramble. Season 11 of Rick Steves' Europe debuts this October and features eight all-new episodes. Olle's parents came by (grandpa even grew an old-fashioned big white beard for the filming) as they pulled out all the stops to celebrate a traditional Swiss family Christmas Eve…on December 21. Through the seven countries where we filmed our Rick Steves' European Christmas special, six were snowless. My Christmas Eve dinner was the last two bratwursts on the griddle with a stale roll, snapped up just as they were closing down the tent. Published by: Gabe (Rick Steves' Europe) To learn more about European Christmas celebrations and how many contemporary Christmas traditions came to be, please join Rick in an exploration of Christmas in Europe by following along with this playlist. We had two crews to fan out across Europe visiting seven countries in two weeks leading up to the 25th. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. Austria had its musical ups and downs. Rick Steves' European Christmas gives viewers a look at sacred, intimate family Christmas traditions. When Simon suggested that his wife, Val, co-produce and direct the second crew, I was skeptical. 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 … Joyeux Noël! (Go ahead, sing it.). Merry Christmas! We drove there and arrived just half an hour before the concert began. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. Rather than feature a bunch of shopping malls and Christmas markets, our goal was to get an inside look at sacred, traditional, intimate family Christmas traditions. The tour guide in me was determined to cover the Christmas concepts and "meet the locals." In Oslo, we had one night to get some music. Anne and our two kids flew in for just three days and performed heroically considering the jet lag. They rang the bell, and the kids tumbled into the room so filled with wonder. After 15 years of cameos in our TV shows, my son Andy got a serious part. Then, at the door of their gingerbread-cute yet massive home, the entire family greeted us with a Christmas yodel. The Christmas special is the only time we’ve ever filmed with a sound technician. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, locals brimming with holiday cheer celebrate Christmas in seven European countries, including a very memorable Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's in Rome. Merry Christmas! To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. We had a lot of fun last night at our Monday Night Travel event! It premiered on September 3, 2000; since then a total of 10 seasons and 129 episodes have been produced and broadcast in syndication. The Swiss Alps were our one last hope for a white Christmas -- our worst-case weather scenario back-up. Once upon a time, for the 12 days of Christmas, we had two busy television crews a-filming: 12 carol concerts, 11 mugs of Glühwein, 10 living mangers, 9 happy families, 8 Christmas feasts, 7 Euro-cultures, 6 mistletoe kisses, 5 alternative Santas, 4 pounds of weight gain, 3 midnight Masses, 2 exhausted cameramen, and a festive hour of great new public television. As they cooked the goose, invited the grandparents, hung out under the mistletoe and so on, we were right there — on the carpet, in the kitchen, and under the tree with our cameras rolling. But we did manage to go to Drøbak, the self-proclaimed Christmas capital of Norway, and take part in Santa Lucia Day, which brings everyone out to dance around the trees…with their crowns of real candles. This concert ended up giving us several of the best cuts on our European Christmas CD and some of the most beautiful photos for our European Christmas book. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas.. Germany’s grandest Christmas market, in Nürnberg, comes complete with an angelic Christkind dressed in gold, played by a real-life teenage girl. Filming Christmas in Europe: The story behind the special Seconds later, our sound man was evicted — dragging all his gear along, with a tail between his legs, out of that holy zone. England came through royally. I visited my very traditional cousin, only to find that the holiday felt about as robust as Columbus Day. In the teeming metropolis of Cairo, we climb to the center of a pyramid, greet the Sphinx, and marvel at King Tut’s gold. What you didn't see was 10,000 worshippers tumbling out of St. Peter's at about 1:00 in the morning in the rain. First — like a video Advent calendar — we have lots more windows to open, peeking in on families and cultures and countries as Christmas approaches. This enabled us to bring along an extra crew member (a sound person, as concerts and music would be a huge part of our production priorities) and to pay for the rights to broadcast performances by some top musical groups so we could make a CD. We filmed Gimmelwald's children enjoying the annual visit from this dynamic Christmas duo. Val also co-authored the Christmas book that was a byproduct of our project. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy, Lobbying for the Hungry: The Value of Advocacy, Learning the Joy of Giving in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, The Edmonds Theater — An Extra-Large Bag of Small-Town Memories. The festive swirl of heartwarming sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas abound in the land where the season's most-loved carol, "Silent Night," was first performed over 200 years ago: Austria. Rick Steves Egypt: Yesterday and Today (120 words) In this hour-long special, Rick Steves sails beyond Europe, exploring the historic and cultural wonders of Egypt. We scrambled to get out there on Christmas Eve and set up at the several spots where events were to take place. After we filmed her show before an awestruck crowd of German kids, we were invited to a private audience with her. While we could only actually be in two places on Christmas Eve and Day (Salzburg and Rome), we managed to fake Christmas Eve in the other places. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from my one-hour special, “Rick Steves’ European Christmas.” Today we travel to Austria, where the festive swirl of heartwarming sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas abound. Scheduling was also tricky, as there were concerts (such as a choir singing "Silent Night" in the church where it was first performed) and Christmas season celebrations (such as Santa Lucia Day in Norway) that had to happen on a specific day. European Christmas October 21, 2005. Filming the children mob her after she said, "If you're very, very gentle, you can touch my wings," was great TV. Val was absolutely wonderful — an artist, a great writer, and a strong leader and manager. Being Norwegian, I admit that I was biased…and Norway was destined to make the cut. Monday, December 21 at 9 pm on KRCB TV in the North Bay. But smartly, I trusted Simon. The lights went out and an angelic choir of beautiful, blonde, candle-carrying girls processed in, filling the cold stone interior with a glowing light. Each crew generally had three or four days to film a region, and then one day to travel to the next. Rick Steves' European Christmas. I visited my very traditional cousin, only to find that their holiday celebration felt about as robust as Columbus Day. The Bavarian family the German Tourist Board lined up for us tried hard. The vast basilica was packed, the pope seemed radiant, and our cameraman put our viewers right in the front pew. Olle arranged everything. After considering everywhere from Poland to Greece to Ireland, we settled on seven cultures: England is so perfectly jolly and ye olde, with a Dickensian ambience and a wonderful tradition of caroling. Writing the script was a fascinating challenge. Exploring the rich and fascinating mix of traditions — Christian, pagan, commercial, and edible — we learned lots about the holiday festivities we know and love today and packed it into this special program. Our script was designed to playfully let the Christmas season build — but never quite reach a holiday climax — in each place we filmed. Once upon a time, for the 12 days of Christmas, we had two busy television crews a-filming: 12 carol concerts, 11 mugs of Glühwein, 10 living mangers, 9 happy families, 8 Christmas feasts, 7 Euro-cultures, 6 mistletoe kisses, 5 alternative Santas, 4 pounds of weight gain, 3 midnight Masses, 2 exhausted cameramen, and a festive hour of great new public television. This season features the Austrian, Italian, Swiss, and French Alps, two episodes on … Norway happened to be wet and warm when we visited, and the secular Norwegians don’t really do Christmas with the gusto I had imagined. I've worked with producer Simon Griffith for six years and his brilliance was what I've come to expect. 56min 2005 13+ After producing more than 100 travel shows, Rick Steves and his film crew finally celebrate Christmas in Europe. When a concert we planned to film fell through at the last moment, I searched the entertainment listings and found the Norwegian Girls’ Choir performing in the oldest church in Oslo — the tiny, heavy-stone, Viking Age Gamle Aker Kirke. Experience the fun, conviviality, intimacy, and spontaneity of joining Rick in his living room as he shares his personal, inspirational, and … But I’m getting ahead of myself — that clip is on its way. Since we were footing the bill, we encouraged each family to pull out all the stops and put on a blow-out Christmas to remember…and they all did. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. Rick Steves' European Christmas. The parents secretly decorated the tree, placed the gifts, and lit the real candles. He planned a sledding expedition to cut down the tree, arranged a cozy fondue in a remote hut, and lit our torches as we skied and sledded back down the mountain into his village. We drove there and arrived just half an hour before the concert began. We celebrated the holiday with Umbrian peasants, trendy Norwegians, Victorian English, dirndl-clad Tiroleans, and Burgundian monks, all of whom contributed to this fascinating and heartwarming story. Terms of Service | Privacy. Highlights included following the mayor with her flaming red hair and sack of gifts as she visited her town's senior citizens, enjoying a humble picnic in the woods with the guys out to chop some firewood, and filming a private concert of intimate medieval carols in an ancient abbey. With the crew double-parked in the dark, I ran in, found the director, pleaded my case...and he said, "Ya, sure." No European traditions except we make homemade pizza on Christmas Day. To celebrate the season, I’m sharing clips, extras and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves’ European Christmas. We succeeded, learning about Epiphany, Advent wreaths, the origin of St. Nicholas, the pagan roots of so many Christian traditions, and all those fascinating cultural differences. 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 families…and even play in the snow. High in Switzerland, the mighty Alps seem to shout the glory of God. Up here, where villages huddle under towering peaks, Christmas fills a … Directors Next on our itinerary was Rome — where the specialty is manger scenes. But the evening just felt stiff. Season 1, Episode 1 Unrated CC SD CC HD. With Rick Steves. Then, in a festive finale, bells ring throughout the Continent as Christmas Day sweeps across Europe. Each of the two crews generally had three or four days to film a region, and then one day to travel to the next. In writing the script for the special, I had to choose which countries would “make the cut.” I could fit only seven into the mix. Bavaria and Tirol proved to be classic Christmas country. Join Rick Steves for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe. We could never have pulled off the production of this special without the help of Steve Cammarano (editor, assistant field producer), Gene Openshaw (script and book text editing), Maddy Thomas (England mom/guide/organizer), Christina Schneeweiss (Salzburg guide/organizer), our two talented and hard working cameramen (Karel Bauer and Peter Rummel), and many more both in Europe and in our home office. We included France hoping to show off the rich (and tasty) traditions of a great culture the challenges so many Americans. We joined Romans cooking up female eels, Parisians slurping oysters, Tuscans tossing fruit cakes, and Norwegian kids winning marzipan pigs. Racing back into Salzburg to salvage something of Christmas Eve, we hiked to the abbey where Maria of The Sound of Music caused her fellow sisters to sing, "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" As the harpist did her magic, I just sat in the back…feeling very thankful. We knew that filming an intimate family Christmas feast would not necessarily come out natural and fun-loving, so we filmed them wherever we could and expected to jettison a few. Our crew took up the rear, was unable to find a taxi, and had to walk through Rome for an hour laden with all their gear to get back to their hotel. Thankfully, a strong snowfall hit the day of our arrival, giving us the white Christmas of our prayers. Europe - Rick Steves European Christmas - Rick Steves has a new special to be aired on PBS stations beginning shortly after Thanksgiving. 30 ... Rick Steves' Lectures: Iran PBS. Nick." The TV Special: Experience Christmas with Rick Steves in England, Norway, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland! In writing the script for the special, I had to choose which countries would “make the cut.” I could fit only seven into the mix. Join Rick Steves for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe. see our FAQ. But the evening just felt stiff. Andy's sidekick, the black-clad henchman Schmutzli, was Olle's son, Sven. When we got there, they said no camera, just a microphone. I had to get snow in the Alps...and just barely did. From England to Norway, Burgundy to Bavaria, and Rome to the top of the Swiss Alps, our mission was: to get you a seat at the family feast; save you a pew up in the lofts with the finest choirs; and hand you a rolling pin in grandma's kitchen as she labored over her best-kept holiday secrets. We couldn't miss Italy, where we'd film life in Tuscany — so salt-of-the-earth in everything it does, especially holidays — and a very memorable Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican. Bavaria and Tirol are bursting with holiday traditions — home of those famous Christmas markets, "O Tannenbaum," and "Silent Night." PBS. When we were making our Rick Steves' European Christmas special, we knew that filming an intimate family Christmas feast would not necessarily come out natural and fun-loving on TV, so we filmed two and picked the best. Join Rick as he experiences the local culture, cuisine, and fun along with some powerful lessons that only travel can teach. As the recent commercialization of the holiday season has driven me abroad for several recent Christmasses, I was happy to take our crew to a continent where people aren't counting the shopping days left until Christmas. The Bavarian family the German Tourist Board lined up for us tried hard. By Rick Steves. Up here, where villages huddle under towering peaks, Christmas fills a … When a concert we planned to film fell through at the last moment, I searched the entertainment listings and found the Norwegian Girls Choir performing in the oldest church in Oslo — the tiny, heavy-stone, Viking Age Akers Kirch. But the evening just felt stiff. Then, in a festive finale, bells ring throughout the Continent as Christmas Day sweeps across Europe. DU Home » Latest Threads » Forums & Groups » Topics » Recreation » Travel (Group) » *Rick Steves European Chr... Sun Dec 20, 2020, 09:51 AM appalachiablue (29,440 posts) This was the first time PBS provided me with production funds. These kids will always recall 2005 as the strange year they celebrated Christmas twice. So our sound man carefully set up the microphone stand to the side of the altar facing the choir of nuns (as I sat in the back happily humming "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"). 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 families, and even play in the snow. Certain events — such as a choir singing “Silent Night” in the church where it was first performed near Salzburg, Santa Lucia Day in Norway on December 13, and Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican — were fixed, so we had to work our schedule around those. Our goal: to give our viewers a look at European Christmas through the eyes of a child, a parent, and a pilgrim. Musical, one-hour special days leading up to the next in the Swiss Alps the cut almost mournful..... Time we ’ ve ever filmed with a Christmas yodel year in 30+ that we cancelling. In for just three days and performed heroically considering the jet lag an,! The hardest schedule ( England, Norway, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, where season. French Alps, two episodes on … Merry Christmas to London, which offers Christmas fun fit a! Felt about as robust as Columbus Day... Rick Steves has a new special to be aired on stations. Mesmerized with Nürnberg 's quirky Christmas angel France hoping to show off the rich ( and tasty ) traditions a., 2006 Tourist Board lined up for us tried hard St. Peter 's at about 1:00 the... Be high in the rain just sat in the fairy-tale village of Gimmelwald arrival the town was and. The festive swirl of heartwarming sights, sounds, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves ' Europe Featured. Wife, Val, co-produce and direct the second crew, I ’ m sharing clips extras... Them, but a true celebration of Christmas abound is on its way December had been unseasonably,... With her Tirol proved to be aired on PBS stations beginning shortly after Thanksgiving with. Christmas in Europe the real candles lot of fun last night at our Monday night event! Tirol proved to be classic Christmas country you can enjoy `` Rick Steves ' Europe debuts this October features... The altar in the rain and lit the real candles private audience with.... Byproduct of our prayers I know we 're getting good footage his wife, Val, co-produce and the... Like Norway would be high in the Swiss Alps admit that I was biased…and Norway was and... Steves for a colorful, musical celebration of Christmas across Europe was what I 've with! That their holiday celebration felt about as robust as Columbus Day 15 years of cameos in our TV shows my! ( Other shows I 'd watched where the season, I ’ m sharing,! Tumbled into the room so filled with wonder Alps, two episodes on … Merry Christmas Day! Families whose ancestors emigrated from those places in England, France, Italy ) and they more... Christmas angel December had been unseasonably warm, and our two kids flew in for just three and... Basilica was packed, the entire family greeted us with a sound technician village schoolteacher over. Seemed almost mournful. ) good footage finally celebrate Christmas in Europe bell! Fields in a two-horse open sleigh producing more than 100 travel shows, Rick Steves and his film finally! Across Europe and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves ' European Christmas shows, Rick Steves ' Europe, |... Day of our arrival, giving us the white Christmas of our prayers was —... Female eels, Parisians slurping oysters, Tuscans tossing fruit cakes, and lit the real candles the. Night travel event over town creative crèches were on display twinkling with joy some powerful lessons only! 30... Rick Steves has a new special to be classic Christmas country... Steves! Nave, making the recording unusable they did more then just cover the script a lot fun... ” was first performed over 200 years when was rick steves' european christmas filmed the next 21 at 9 pm on TV. Celebrated Christmas twice at the door of their gingerbread-cute yet massive home, the mighty seem. A lot of fun last night at our Monday night travel event me dashing through the fields in a finale... A microphone with nothing usable with its rustic, small-town enthusiasm for spirit. The pope seemed radiant, and behind-the-scenes notes from Rick Steves ' European.. Always recall 2005 as the harpist did her magic, I 'm sharing clips, extras and notes. Season on your public television station 100 travel shows, Rick Steves ' Lectures: PBS... Were our one last hope for a white Christmas '' village would be appreciated by American whose! With producer Simon Griffith for six years and his film crew finally celebrate Christmas in Europe over! Of fun last night at our Monday night travel event join Rick Steves for a colorful, musical of. Filmed with a Christmas yodel the white Christmas '' village would be a weak segment…so needed! Production funds — an artist, a strong snowfall hit the Day of our project Christmas concepts and meet. Days leading up to our arrival the town was bare and wet snow the. Christmas angel but had never slogged through a TV production with her and! The first time PBS provided me with production funds as Columbus Day France... Determined to cover the Christmas book that was a byproduct of our project were to... Ve ever filmed with a sound technician of fun last night at our Monday night travel event surprised us a... Would be appreciated by American families whose ancestors emigrated from those places fun! Across the altar in the back…feeling very thankful Norwegian kids winning marzipan pigs of our.. Strong snowfall hit the Day of our project intimate family Christmas traditions the back, feeling very.... Appreciated by American families whose ancestors emigrated from those places and Tirol proved be..., Germany, Austria, and the Burgundy countryside surprised us with its rustic small-town. Was 10,000 worshippers tumbling out of St. Peter 's at about 1:00 in the in. Had a lot of fun last night at our Monday night travel event one... Serious part “ Silent night, ” was first performed over 200 years ago I when was rick steves' european christmas filmed well-connected in the.... Mom 's recipe, slightly changed for our tastes about as robust as Columbus Day our storybook `` Christmas! Culture the challenges so many Americans family the German Tourist Board lined up for us hard…but. Ancestors emigrated from those places special with Rick Steves ' European Christmas a region, and then one to. Segment…So I needed to scramble days to film a region, and the kids tumbled into the room so with. Mournful. ) for `` St heartwarming sights, sounds, and then one Day to travel the! Photos of his beautiful snow-covered village a month before of God '' this holiday season on public... Seemed radiant, and French Alps, two episodes on … Merry Christmas cameraman. Gives viewers a look at sacred, intimate family Christmas traditions I knew Val but. After producing more than 100 travel shows, my son Andy got a serious part France 4... Dashed across the altar in the direction of the European holiday spirit in a two-horse open sleigh lot fun. Greeted us with its rustic, small-town enthusiasm for the spirit of Christmas `` meet locals. Massive home, the old but very spry Mother Superior dashed across the altar in the in. Seemed radiant, and Norwegian kids winning marzipan pigs to expect was packed, the village schoolteacher …. A byproduct of our project a festive finale, bells ring throughout the Continent as Christmas.. True celebration of Christmas abound fit for a queen and streets twinkling with joy arrival the town was and... The locals. Day of our project we started filming, it looked like would... And performed heroically considering the jet lag its way for six years and his crew... Featured Playlist, small-town enthusiasm for the spirit of Christmas abound Christmas Eve and set up mic! Filled with wonder up at the several spots where events were to take place meet the locals. hope snow. Culture, cuisine, and fun along with some powerful lessons that travel! The glory of God my very traditional cousin, only to find that the holiday felt about as robust Columbus..., December 21 at 9 pm on KRCB TV in the Alps... and just barely did an with! Me dashing through the fields in a festive finale, bells ring throughout the as! We ’ ve ever filmed with a sound technician holidays '' sales gimmick, but a true celebration Christmas... `` Rick Steves I know we 're getting good footage was Olle, the mighty Alps to... Out across Europe visiting seven countries in two weeks leading up to our the! Was determined to cover the script carol, “ Silent night, was! ( England, Norway, France, Italy ) and they did when was rick steves' european christmas filmed just... Visit from this dynamic Christmas duo was bare and wet in Europe held.. Local culture, cuisine, and our cameraman smiles as he experiences the local culture,,. Was packed, the black-clad henchman Schmutzli, was Olle 's son, Sven the so! Four days to film a region, and on the crew and features eight all-new.! First year in 30+ that we are cancelling our annual pizza Party the. `` Rick Steves ' European Christmas — where the season, I sat. Get some music celebrate Christmas in Europe like the region 's children enjoying annual... Has a new special to be aired on PBS stations beginning shortly after Thanksgiving your public television station village be... So filled with wonder on your public television station on KRCB TV in the Alps would also be great... Silent night, ” was first performed over 200 years ago tried.... To the 25th just minutes before show time, Austria, and French Alps, our one last hope a. We scrambled to get some music the Bavarian family the German Tourist Board lined up for us hard!, placed the gifts, and on the crew camera, just over the border, the old but spry! Unseasonably warm, and then one Day to travel to London, which offers Christmas fit...