Rick Steves' Mona Winks: Self-Guided Tours of Europe's Top Museums

I used this book (the first edition, this one is even better) at the Doge Palace in Venice (where there were no guided tours) reading the descriptions aloud to my mother. By the time we finished, there was a group of about 20 English speaking people (from the US, UK, Canada, Austrailia and South Africa) following us, asking me questions like I was the expert! Great information and great fun!

I used this book all through Italy and it was nothing short of outstanding. While touring the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel in Rome, I actually had a group of people following me as I read the descriptions of what we were seeing. This book walks you through all the major museums room by room, describing the most significant items of art. If you don't want to be tied down to a tour guide, but want to get the most out of what you're seeing, this is the answer! A must buy!

Rick Steves takes the vast museums of Euope and tells you how to navigate them to see the good things and not waste time on the mediocre. The book is a joy to read. My wife and I tear out the sections covering the museums we are visiting so we do not have to carry the entire volume. This is a very entertaining book. -- FJD

This book opened my eyes to many of Europe's treasures. I backpacked for 2 months through Europe last summer, and found this book to be one of the best things I brought along. Rick gives a thoughtful, entertaining description of the best works of art in Europe's top museums. As I never took an art history class, this book gave much more meaning to my museum visits. Rick's explanations and descriptions are so personal, it was like having a good friend take me on a tour of the museum. Additionally, to lighten my backpack load as I went along and to make new friends, I'd rip out each museum's chapter on my way out the door and give it to an english-speaking person on their way in. If you don't know much about art and plan on seeing Europe's great art musuems, don't leave without this book.