In June and July, 1999, we went on a Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door trip. We visited the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and France in just over three weeks. It was a wonderful tour, and a terrific introduction to the continent. I want to go back!
I couldn't possibly recommend a tour company more highly. The trip was extremely well organized, our guides were terrific in every way, and we did an awful lot of traveling without feeling rushed.
Choose a region by clicking on one of the links below.
View from room where we stayed in Gimmelwald.
Ursula's house
Ursula's house
Outside funicular station
View from Gimmelwald
View from Gimmelwald
Inside a funicular
Inside a funicular
Waterfall inside mountain
Waterfall inside mountain in Switzerland
Waterfall inside mountain in Switzerland
Waterfall inside mountain
Waterfall inside mountain
Waterfall leaves mountain
We hiked through this valley in Switzerland.
Waterfall inside mountain in Switzerland
Waterfall inside mountain in Switzerland
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from gondola on the way down from the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
View from atop the Schilthorn
Gondola cables disappear into clouds atop Schilthorn
Gondola and sky atop Schilthorn
Gondola arriving to take us down from the top of the Schilthorn
Gondola arriving to take us down from the top of the Schilthorn
Flowers on balcony in town in valley
The view to the left as we left the barn in Gimmelwald
Gondola viewed from our room in Gimmelwald, Switzerland
Gondola viewed from our room in Gimmelwald, Switzerland
Arthur and Ferdinando, our tour guide, hiking with the tour group through a valley in Switzerland
River in Switzerland
Swiss mountains
Swiss meadow
Our entire tour group
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
View from the Schilthorn
The main building at the top of the Schilthorn
The main building at the top of the Schilthorn
View, from the Schilthorn in Switzerland, of a town far below