Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa - Season 3

Irish eyes are smiling when we explore Dublin, Ireland’s urban core. There’s history around every corner, and Dublin delights with Trinity College, the Book of Kells, the famous Guinness Brewery, and the infamous Kilmainham jail where Irish rebels spent their last days.

The Romantic Road winds through some of Germany’s most picturesque countryside complete with medieval villages and Baroque Palaces. We start our journey in Würzburg where we visit the spectacular Baroque Bishop’s Palace or Residenz and taste wine at one of Würzburg’s many wine festivals.

For centuries the Rhine has been a natural border and the main route for trade, people and ideas. We start in the ancient Roman city of Trier and travel up the Mosel River visiting vineyards and ancient castles.

Known the world over for its wheels of golden cheese, its sweet prosciutto and divine vinegar, this slice of Northern Italy is a feast. From our base in Bologna we eat our way across the region, taking in the glorious art and culture along the way: cheese and mosaics in Parma, Balsamic vinegar and racecars in Modena, ham, pasta and university life in Bologna.

Graced with charming cities, countryside villas and precious art, this corner of Northern Italy also features a playground of Alpine peaks and meadows. After a spectacular night at the opera in fair Verona’s Roman arena, we set out in search of Giotto’s colorful frescoes in Padua and architect Palladio’s palatial villas in Vicenza and the surrounding countryside.