Step inside a grand church in Paris on a sunny afternoon to see for yourself why it's called the City of Light.

Suddenly, the sun came out, and it came through the clarestery windows, which are up at the high point at the cathedral, and it was dazzling.

Marvel at a rare celestial event on the winter solstice in one of Ireland's most sacred ancient

sites. If you're one of the lucky few, you might get to witness it from inside the burial

chamber at New Grange.

The central chamber was always in darkness, you see. And then when the sun would go in,

a laser beam of light would go up the central chamber and illuminate it.

Walk through magical holiday lights in the streets of Rome.

The lighting displays, they get more beautiful and more ornate,

and every year is a little bit different.

And take a look at Christmas traditions in Venice and in Estonia.

Step into the light with us in the hour ahead on Travel with Rick Steves.

Thank you. Step into the light with us in the hour ahead on Travel with Rick Steves. As the days of December darken at the temperatures dip,

it's no wonder that so many winter traditions invoke light and warmth.

Coming up today on Travel with Rick Steves,

an Irish friend tells us how he was able to enter

inside Ireland's New Grange burial mound

on the winter solstice

to await the illumination from the rising sun,

much like people did more than 5,000 years ago.

Fred Plotkin invites us into the steamy comfort

of a traditional sauna the way they do it in Finland.

...