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(wind blowing)
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(inspirational music)
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(triumphant music)
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- [Narrator] Our journey
starts in the forests
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and farmlands of southeast Germany.
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From Bayreuth, the home
of Wagner's operas,
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we travel to the historic
city of Nuremberg
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then it's east along one
of the greatest waterways
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in the world, the Danube.
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On its banks is Walhalla, Germany's answer
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to Athens Parthenon.
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Close to the Austrian
border is the sleepy village
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of Marktl, birthplace
of Pope Benedict XVI.
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We finally arrive at Munich
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in time to join the biggest beer festival
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in the world, Oktoberfest.
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(Bavarian accordion music)
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To the rest of the world, it's Bavaria
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more than any other part of Germany
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that sums of the land of lederhosen,
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sausages, beer, and quaint medieval towns.
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Like Bad Berneck here in the
northern part of Bavaria.
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(Bavarian music)
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Nestled in a picturesque valley,
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it's topped with it's own
12th century castle ruin.
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(Bavarian music)
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(inspirational music)
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Situated in the southeast of Germany,
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Bavaria is the largest of
the country's 16 states.
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In fact, it's almost equal in size
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to its two neighboring countries,
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the Czech Republic and Austria.
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Bavaria is one of the
oldest states in Europe
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and with a rich history going
back to the first millennium
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its people see themselves
Bavarian first and German second,
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with they're own culture and traditions.
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(inspirational music)
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And one of the greatest of all
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Bavarian traditions are its festivals.
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In the medieval town of Bayreuth,
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holds one of the most famous in the world,
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the monthlong Wagner Festival.
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(orchestral music)
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Every summer the town attracts
thousands of opera fans,
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some of whom have waited up to 10 years
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for one of the annual 58,000 tickets.
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(orchestral music)
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The Richard Wagner Festival was started by
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the 19th century composer himself,
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who set out to design the ideal place
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to perform his epic operas.
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(orchestral music)
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The result was this, the
Bayreuth Festival Hall.
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(orchestral music)
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From the 1930s to the Second World War,
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the town became the
center for Nazi ideology,
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bowing to Hitler's particular
love for Wagner's music
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and the festival.
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(orchestral music)
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But the Nazi dictators
personal interest in Bayreuth
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led to heavy bombing by the allies,
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laying waste about a third of the town
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and resulting in the loss of
hundreds of civilian lives.
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Amazingly, the festival
hall was undamaged.
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(orchestral music)
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After the war Bayreuth
tried to distance itself
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from its Nazi past and
it wasn't until 1951
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that the Wagner Festival was revived.
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It's been sold out ever since.
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(orchestral music)
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The town of Bayreuth is situated
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within the district of the same now.
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Well known for its temperate
climate and fertile soil,
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it's lush farmland such
as this that makes Bavaria
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one of the top agricultural
regions in Germany.
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The flat farmland soon gives way to hills
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and dense forests.
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This is Franconia, a nature park,
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an 1,100 square kilometer
conservation area
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that's a testament to the German tradition
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of loving the outdoors.
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Franconia Park is one
of the sunniest areas
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of southern German
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and offers a very varied landscape
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with mixed forests,
rivers, and even vineyards.
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Intended to align nature with people,
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it's one of over hundreds
such projects in Germany
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that together make up a quarter
of the country's land area.
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On the edge of the nature park is Ansbach,
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a town with a population around 40,000.
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It's well known for its
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Christmas Winter Wonderland exhibitions
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held in the town center,
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as well as the 18th century palace,
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which was once home to a
succession of nobles and royals.
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The court gardens were created
to the formal French style
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which also incorporated an
orangery and herb garden.
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The Riccoco Festival takes place
in the gardens each summer,
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during which the periods
splendor of the court
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is brought back to life.
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(orchestral music)
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Today Ansbach is a
thriving university town.
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But as with so many places in Germany,
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the numerous plaques
commemorating murdered civilians
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during Nazi rule are a constant reminder
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of the ill-fated events
of the last century.
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And not far from Ansbach is the city
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that witnessed both the rise
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and fall of the Nazis, Nuremberg.
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(dramatic music)
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Southeast of the town is
Dutzendteich People's Park
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where the Nazi Party
infamously held annual rallies
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in the 1920s and '30s.
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(dramatic music)
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Tens of thousands would
travel from all across Germany
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to see Adolf Hitler deliver his speeches.
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Monumental buildings were planned
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to denote the supposed
greatness of the Third Reich,
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like the Congress Hall,
whose facade was modeled
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on the Colosseum in Rome.
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The structure, which
was to have a domed roof
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and seating for 50,000,
was never completed.
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(dramatic music)
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And this field served as a
parade ground for the rallies.
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A giant swastika once
sat atop the grandstand.
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It was ceremoniously blown apart
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after the Allies victory in 1945.
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And since Nuremberg was
the ceremonial birthplace
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of the Nazi Party, it was
considered by the Allies
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to be a fitting place
for its symbolic demise.
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And the dramatic conclusion to Nuremberg's
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role in the war took place
here at the Palace of Justice.
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An international tribunal
tried 21 top ranking Nazis
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for war crimes.
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11 were subsequently hanged.
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(dramatic music)
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But despite the town's association
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with some of the darkest
episodes in German history,
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today's Nuremberg is a thriving
city of half a million.
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(dramatic music)
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After the heavy bombing by Allied forces,
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much of its architectural
heritage was restored,
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like these bridges from the
16th and 19th centuries.
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It's castle, which had to be rebuilt
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and St. Lawrence church
which was also devastated
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during the war.
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(dramatic music)
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The town has also maintained
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its centuries old
connection with toy making.
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Nuremberg now holds the
largest international
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trade fair for toys
and games in the world.
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Approximately 2,700 exhibitors
from about 60 countries
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come to present around
one million products.
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As an important industrial hub
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for central and eastern Europe,
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Nuremberg is served by
four key expressways.
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(inspirational music)
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These autobahns, as they
are known in Germany,
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are famous for having no speed limit,
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though the advisory limit
is 130 kilometers an hour.
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(inspirational music)
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The autobahns formed the
first high speed road network
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as early as 1935.
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And they were even used to
break land speed records.
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(upbeat music)
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The world record of
432 kilometers an hour,
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set by Rudolf Caracciola in 1938
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remains one of the fastest speeds
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ever achieved on a public road.
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(upbeat music)
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Germany's autobahn network
now has a total length
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of almost 13,000 kilometers,
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which ranks as the fourth
longest in the world
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after the USA, China, and India.
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(inspirational music)
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And tucked away from the A6
Autobahn as it heads west
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is one of Bavaria's hidden
gems, the town of Amberg,
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nicknamed The Egg after the shape
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of its intact medieval wall.
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(inspirational music)
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Mining iron ore made the city
rich during the Middle Ages
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and it was able to afford some of the best
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fortifications in Germany.
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(inspirational music)
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As well as the city wall,
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Amberg once had a water-filled moat
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and about 100 defensive towers.
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Its greatest test was on
the 24th of August, 1796,
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when the occupying Austrian Army
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held off a ferocious onslaught
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of 35,000 revolutionary French soldiers.
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(inspirational music)
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Medieval scribe Michael Schweger declared
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Munich is the most
beautiful princely city,
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Leipzig the richest,
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but Amberg the most secure.
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(inspirational music)
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Today this historic town's
most recognizable landmark
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is this 16th century defensive bridge,
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that was part of the city's wall.
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The three arches once
operated heavy iron gates
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that would be lowered during an attack.
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(dramatic music)
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Flying south, we leave the
patchwork of greens and golds
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and approach the forests
of the Naab Valley.
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(dramatic music)
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And it's on the picturesque
Naab River itself
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that we find Pielenhofen, a small town
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that originally grew around
the centuries old monastery
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which it served.
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Today the monastery is
used as a boarding school
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for the world famous Regensburg boys choir
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and the cathedral where they sing
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is just 10 kilometers along the river.
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(dramatic music)
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Dedicated to St. Peter,
Regensburg cathedral
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is one of the finest examples
of gothic architecture
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in southern Germany.
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(dramatic music)
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Although the cathedral has been here
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in one form or other since 700 A.D.,
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the main features we see today,
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like the towers and spires
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weren't completed until the 1870s.
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The cathedral lies at the heart
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of one of the best preserved
medieval cities in Germany
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and one of the few that
were largely undamaged
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during the Second World War.
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But it's not just the splendid Old Quarter
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that pulls tourists to the area.
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(birds chirping)
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Just outside the city on
the banks of the Danube,
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is this extraordinary
neoclassical building, Valhalla.
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(dramatic music)
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It was erected in 1842
by Ludwig I of Bavaria
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as a monument to Germanic
people across the world.
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This would include places as
diverse as Holland and Russia,
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00:14:13,020 --> 00:14:15,330
Britain, and the Baltic states,
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spanning a period of almost 2,000 years.
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But whereas the Valhalla
of Norse mythology
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was home to those
gloriously slain in battle,
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Ludwid's Valhalla was
intended not only for warriors
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00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,640
but also for men and
women of literature, art,
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music, science, and politics.
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00:14:36,155 --> 00:14:38,905
(dramatic music)
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The temple, which copied
the Parthenon in Athens,
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opened with 160 memorial plaques and busts
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and over 40 have been added since,
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from Albert Einstein to
German resistance fighters
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00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:54,370
against the Nazis.
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00:14:55,323 --> 00:14:58,073
(dramatic music)
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The building, with its riverbank setting,
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makes it a popular tourist spot.
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Each year, Germany's grandest hall of fame
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attracts close to one million visitors.
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(inspirational music)
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Our journey continues east,
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following Europe's second
longest river, the Danube.
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(inspirational music)
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Originating in the southwest of Germany,
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it spans the continent from west to east
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for almost 2,900 kilometers
until it flows out
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into the Black Sea between
Ukraine and Romania.
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(inspirational music)
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Throughout history, this
international waterway
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has defined territories,
from the Roman empire
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through to the present day,
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flowing through or acting as
the border for 10 countries.
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(inspirational music)
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It also flows through four capital cities,
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more than any other river in the world.
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(inspirational music)
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And it's a source of drinking
water for 10 million people.
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All along the Danube are reminders
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of the importance of this
river throughout the ages.
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(inspirational music)
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The town of Vilshofen hugs
the banks of the Danube.
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Its brewery, which is still
going today after 400 years,
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originally used the
river water for its beer.
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And up on the hill is
the Benedictine Abbey
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of Schweiklberg whose
monks use the river flow
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to drive an eco-friendly hydropower plant
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for their electricity supply.
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(inspirational music)
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Much of the Danube is navigable
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and in the summer months both
leisure and commercial craft
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make ample use of this grand waterway.
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(inspirational music)
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At Passau, which is also
known as the Three River City
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the Danube is joined by
two of its tributaries
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from the north and south.
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And it's here, close to
the border with Austria
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that tourists can embark
on one of finest ways
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to enjoy the Danube,
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a 250 kilometer pleasure trip to Vienna,
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the capital of Austria.
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It's a two day journey
from Passau which includes
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an overnight stop.
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But Passau, a town of 50,000
is far from being just a port.
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Noted for its Baroque
and gothic architecture,
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it's rich history and heritage,
goes back 2,000 years.
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In the Renaissance period,
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from the 14th to the 17th centuries
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Passau was best known as
one of the greatest makers
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of swords and blades.
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The weapons were famously
stamped with the Passau wolf,
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which was said to give
invulnerability to the bearer.
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In the heart of Passau's old
town, is St. Stephens Cathedral
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which houses one of world's
largest church organs,
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with over 17,000 pipes.
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(inspirational music)
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And sitting on a rocky
crest, high over the city,
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is the medieval fortress, Vesta Oberhaus.
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In its 800 year history, it's
been attacked several times
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but never conquered.
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For 100 years, the stronghold served
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as a state and military prison.
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Today it's a youth hostel and restaurant.
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Flying southwest toward our
final destination of Munich,
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it's not long before we
pass the village of Marktl.
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It rose to fame in 2005 as the birthplace
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of the first elected
Pope of the 21st Century,
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Pope Benedict the XVI.
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(inspirational music)
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Today, guided tours follow
the Pope's early years.
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They include visits to St. Oswald Church
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where Pope Benedict was
baptized on the same day
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he was born in 1927.
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And it's a Catholic connection
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that takes us to our final destination,
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because it was 12th
century Benedictine Monks
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who first settled here.
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They were drawn to this
region by the fertile soil
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and proximity to Italy.
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The settlement grew over the centuries
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to become the capital of Bavaria.
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Munich, a name derived from
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the medieval Munichen
meaning monk's place.
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Though the city has had a turbulent past,
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particularly in the last century,
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today's Munich is frequently listed
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as one of the most livable
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and eco-friendly cities in the world.
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It's hosted major world events,
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like the 2006 Football World Cup.
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And Munich's most visible landmark
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is part of the Olympic Park
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created for the 1972 games.
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A 291 meter telecommunications tower
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has a revolving restaurant
that makes a complete turn
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every 53 minutes.
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The park itself still serves as a venue
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for social and cultural events.
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Munich is Germany's third largest city
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behind Hamburg and Berlin
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and it's a center for
finance and publishing.
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A visible reminder that Bavaria
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has one of the largest
and healthiest economies
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of any region in Germany,
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is the world headquarters
building for Bavaria Motor Works
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or BMW for short.
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Known globally as a
leading car manufacturer,
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BWM's distinctive blue and white logo
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is taken from the flag of Bavaria.
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(inspirational music)
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The 22 story tower was
designed to resemble
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a four cylinder engine.
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In Munich, sleek, modern architecture
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exists side by side with the old.
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The 15th century Cathedral of Our Lady
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is the most famous building
in the city center.
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(inspirational music)
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It was constructed from red brick
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in the late gothic style in only 20 years.
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That's half the time it took to build
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the elaborate new town hall,
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that's situated opposite.
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It's best known for its clockwork figures
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which operate twice daily.
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And to the west of Munich
there's a palace of gardens
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that few cities could rival, Nymphenburg.
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(inspirational music)
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The original Baroque central pavilion
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was built in 1675 to celebrate
the birth of a royal baby.
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Since then it's served
as a summer residence
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for generations of Bavarian rulers
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who each modified, added,
and extended the buildings.
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The Wittelsbachs the
royal family of Bavaria
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still own the palace and gardens.
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(inspirational music)
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The grandeur of the palace
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is only matched by its extended grounds,
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which started as a relatively
modest Italianette garden,
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then expanded and redesigned
as a formal French garden
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which included a network of
ornamental canals and lakes.
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In the mid-1800s the trend
for English style landscaping
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transformed much of the
grounds into what we see today.
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Nymphenburg Palace and
Gardens is open to the public
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and draws over 300,000 visitors a year.
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Few cities can match
Munich for music and art,
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museums and antiquities,
palaces and gardens.
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But we end this journey with
a different kind of culture,
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one that's dear to the heart
of every Bavarian, beer.
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(upbeat music)
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This vast space here
in the center of Munich
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hosts a tradition that's been
going for over 200 years:
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(upbeat music)
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The Munich Oktoberfest.
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(upbeat music)
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It's a 16 to 18 day beer festival
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running from late September
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to the first weekend in October.
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As well as being one of the
most famous annual fairs
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in Germany, it's also the world's largest
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with more than five
million people attending.
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00:24:23,788 --> 00:24:26,368
(upbeat music)
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It started in October 1810,
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when the people of Munich
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were invited to this very
place to join the celebrations
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of Crown Prince Ludwig's marriage
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00:24:38,390 --> 00:24:41,160
to Princess Therese of
Saxony-Hildburghausen.
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(upbeat music)
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It was so successful that
a resolution was passed
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to repeat the celebration
the following year.
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00:24:51,390 --> 00:24:54,390
And so the tradition of
Oktoberfest was born.
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00:24:55,590 --> 00:24:59,150
Only beer which is brewed
within the city limits of Munich
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is allowed to be sold in the festival.
433
00:25:02,410 --> 00:25:04,870
Large quantities of it are consumed,
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00:25:04,870 --> 00:25:08,050
typically around seven million liters
435
00:25:08,050 --> 00:25:09,980
throughout the 16 day festival.
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00:25:11,150 --> 00:25:13,770
As well as the beer and
the fairground rides,
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00:25:13,770 --> 00:25:15,480
visitors from around the world
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00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,880
can enjoy traditional Bavarian food
439
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,850
from cheese noodles and potato pancakes
440
00:25:20,850 --> 00:25:23,130
to white sausage and sauerkraut.
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00:25:25,780 --> 00:25:29,900
All in all, it sums up Bavaria's
famous love of festivals,
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00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:31,360
food, and beer.
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00:25:32,430 --> 00:25:35,260
A perfect place to end this journey.
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(inspirational music)
32453
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