Since joining the podcasting industry, what has fascinated me most is how audio can connect listeners across borders and cultures through storytelling. This is why I fell in love with podcasting in the first place. But too often audiences – and the industry itself – forget about the value of looking beyond their own cultural bubbles.
For the past few years, I’ve been writing about the best European podcasts and building an international community through eurowavesThe first and only European podcasting newsletter. This list is a full-package introduction to European podcasting. It includes shows from Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Spain, Romania and beyond – all in English, some in English and other languages – so you can enjoy them to the fullest.
Happy Eurosummer!
lost cells
I recently re-listened to Lost Cells, a cross-border trilingual production that focuses on three poignant stories about the use of stem cells to save lives. It’s a really beautifully produced series, an original SWI swissinfo.ch, and in the episodes, they promote their other fascinating shows, Inside Geneva. If you think this is a local-based podcast, let me correct you; It is a show about global politics, humanitarian issues and international aid, which has great appeal to a wide audience. I started the episode asking, “Is the United Nations still relevant at 80?” And it shares a lot of interesting insights from a critical perspective. lost cells Running since 2019 and it’s still going strong.
T&J: A Roman Empire Love Story
Christine Laskowski is an American, Berlin-based journalist who is behind T&J: A Roman Empire Love StoryA history podcast about how Europe became Europe. Not only is her voice the perfect blend of soothing and humorous, but she combines it beautifully with sound design, music and comedic timing. More than just an educational listen, T&J It’s a lot of fun.
Trying to make history podcasts accessible to a wide audience is a task in itself, but Christine does it very successfully. T&J This is a great example of how podcasting can be used in teaching, and should be used as a template for others wanting to create educational podcasts.
made for us
Tosin Suleiman is amazing host made for usAn award-winning podcast about designing for inclusivity. The show’s most recent episodes cover current trends like AI and brand efforts to create more inclusive technology. The episode I really enjoyed was with Lucy Edwards, a creator who is redefining how disability is understood. Lucy tells her story with great sensitivity and strength. She talks about how she lost her sight, but also a lot more: her work, her wedding planning and wedding day stories, her relationship with her mom, and her new makeup line. It’s heartwarming to hear, and Tosin is a thoughtful interviewer.
echoes of memory
European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture launched echoes of memory, A video history podcast about the genocide in 2025. The first six episodes have arrived; In Episode 1, they explore topics such as the deep significance of the Roma Memorial, its design, and the decades-long struggle to recognize Roma victims of the Holocaust. The second episode discusses several communities targeted by N*zis: queer people, people with disabilities, political dissidents, black Germans, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and others.
This podcast starts important conversations about European anti-racism, specifically against the Roma community. I love how it brings together personal stories, systemic issues, and historical angles in an accessible and approachable format.
Rigidity and Flow with Aiwan and Tamanda
Aiwan and Tamanda have over twenty years of experience in entertainment, research and social justice. He runs AIAI Studios, an award-winning, UK-based storytelling and production studio that works for clients globally. They are also a married couple who are on their journey towards figuring out how to pursue life and business together. On his podcast, hardness and flowThey cover topics such as UK Black Pride, abuse in queer relationships, beauty standards, faith and culture.
Aivan and Tamanda’s energies complement each other beautifully. This is one of those podcasts where you feel like you’re listening to a group of friends as they debate life and love — and you find yourself responding before you remember you’re not in the same room. As well as being reliable, the quality is top-notch and it’s a great example of how to do a video-first podcast right.
CULMEA Curiosity
CULMEA Curiosity A Romanian podcast for kids and their parents that’s built around questions rather than lessons. With no screens and no rush, each episode invites play, observation and simple conversation about nature and the world around us. Released once a season, CULMEA Curiosity Winter follows the rhythms of spring, summer and autumn, serving as an invitation to slow down, listen and spend time together, whether outside or at home.
Brussels Playbook Podcast
hosted by political Chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, Brussels Playbook The podcast runs Monday to Thursday, providing a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. This daily news podcast is a perfect companion to your morning coffee. Each episode takes listeners through the decisions, regime shifts and debates shaping negotiations in Brussels and how they connect to national capitals across Europe.
On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest topics, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle, with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic.
european
european is a podcast that talks about European news in a fun and engaging way. Hosts Katy and Dominic also occasionally produce narrative miniseries about economic or cultural stories.
One of them is The Oatly Chronicles. Europeans love dairy. In fact, as I learned from this series, Europeans are projected to consume 220 kilograms of dairy per capita in 2022. This mini-series is very well produced and puts forward a lot of strong, well-researched arguments about dairy consumption and its impact on the environment.
of europeans The catalog is extensive: along with impressive limited-series, it also has your classic conversational and informative episodes about European news.
Europod: Sea of Wrath
WePod The project had some of the best cross-border stories I’ve heard. Europod: Sea of Wrath Podium is co-produced by Podcast and Chora Media. It was released this year in Spanish and Italian, and an English version has recently begun to be released. This podcast follows the streets of Barbet and Gioia Tauro to uncover the real stories of its residents. They are about 2,000 km apart, but these places have high unemployment rates, complaints against institutions and another connecting link: drug trafficking.
The show’s on-the-ground reporting, combined with historical research and storytelling, makes for interesting listening. Hearing first-hand about the impact of trafficking is an important aspect of the conversation. These issues are always more complex than they appear on the surface, and Sea of Rage uncovers new perspectives.
titania
If you’re a fan of fiction podcasts or an audiophile like me, do yourself a favor and check out these two podcasts. titania (spread out in English) is a branded audio thriller where “technology changes the rules of the game.” The sound design is top notch and the acting absolutely hooks you; You have to listen with headphones to do justice to the production.
The series was originally made in Spanish and made a splash in the Spanish-speaking world. titania Won several well-deserved awards: “Best Podcast” at the Premios Ondas 2023 and “Best Branded” at the Premios Ondas Globales del Podcast 2023. The Spanish version will end Season 2 soon, and the English version was released this year. The series shows how creative these types of partnerships can be if brands are open to the possibilities of audio.
