History's greatest cities

About History's greatest cities

Travel writer and history buff Paul Bloomfield will be joining expert guides with rich local and historical knowledge. Venturing to the great cities of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, they'll explore centuries-long stories of foundation and growth, and examine how contact between continents shaped these far-flung places. Along the way, they'll introduce the colourful characters who played pivotal roles in the development of these cities, and lead listeners through the must-visit palaces, temples, bazaars and, of course, bars and restaurants. And, our experts will also share insider tips to help visitors discover hidden facets of each fascinating destination. History’s Greatest Cities is produced by the team behind HistoryExtra. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including the HistoryExtra Podcast, History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories and HistoryExtra Long Reads. Find out more at historyextra.com/podcast. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram or YouTube to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/

Publisher

History Extra

Category

education · history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Dec 2022

Latest episode

11 May 2026

Latest episodes

6 of 52 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   11 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Tunis

   Travel writer Paul Bloomfield interviews classicist and archaeologist Dr. Eve MacDonald about the rich history of Tunis and ancient Carthage, uncovering their key figures and cultural landmarks.

2. 

   4 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Vienna

   Travel writer Paul Bloomfield interviews Florian Pollock about Vienna's rich history, from Roman origins to modern cultural influence.

3. 

   27 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Kyoto

   Travel writer Paul Bloomfield interviews historian Lesley Downer about Kyoto's thousand-year imperial history and cultural significance.

Inside a recent episode

Tunis

Published 11 May 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Punic people, it's occupied by Romans, it's occupied by the Byzantines, the Vandals, it's occupied by everyone who's come and Arabs. And finally, in the 13th century, we have the Hafsid dynasty, which is a breakaway from the Almohad Caliphate, which rules all of North Africa and Andalusia in the period. And it sets up an indigenous dynasty and it makes Tunis the capital. So really, Tunis becomes the center of a thriving medieval kingdom. And it is absolutely such an interesting place in this period. In the 13th century, we know that there's ships coming back and forth from Genoa and Pisa, There's trade all around the Mediterranean. […]

Who has been a guest on History's greatest cities

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Barnaby Rogerson
• Laila Ellmoos
• Paul Bloomfield

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

19,372,287

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

66 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

176 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

99

Contact History's greatest cities

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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Questions about History's greatest cities