All language subtitles for Rick Steves Europe Collection 1 03of12 Austrian and Italian Alps 1080p

-Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with
more of the best of Europe.

And right now, I'm the highest
person in Germany,

proving that almost anybody

can make the summit
in Europe's Alps.

And from up here
we venture south,

for the best of the Alps
in Austria and in Italy.

Thanks for joining us.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

-I love how in Europe,
nature and culture mix it up.

And here in the Alps,
each region

has a distinct flavor.

In this episode, we'll celebrate
both nature and culture

in the Alps of Austria
and Italy.

♪♪

After conquering
the Zugspitze,

we'll visit a remote farm
in Austria,

and join in
a Tirolean village festival.

Then, we cross the Alps,

tour a uniquely
well-preserved medieval castle,

and joyride deep into Italy's
rugged Dolomite Mountains.

After an unforgettable hike,
we'll catch our breath

in Europe's
largest high-altitude meadow,

and then enjoy
some more Alpine folk music.

♪♪

Germany, Austria, and Italy
come together high in the Alps.

We start in Bavaria
at the Zugspitze.

From there, we travel
south into the Tirol,

an historic region
that today is split

between Austria
and Italy.

We visit
Innsbruck and Hall

before crossing
Brenner Pass into Italy.

From Kastelruth, we
explore the Dolomites.

Across the Alps,
mountain resorts

are investing
in their infrastructure.

And here in Bavaria,
they've made it quick and easy

to experience
their mightiest peak.

♪♪

The Zugspitze,
at nearly 10,000 feet,

is Germany's highest mountain.

And this cable car zips us
to the top in ten minutes.

The cable is about 3 miles long.

It's supported
by only one pylon.

And it stretches nearly
two miles to the summit

with no support at all.

♪♪

While there are many
higher mountains in the Alps,

the Zugspitze is unique.

It stands alone, offering a view
of hundreds of peaks in Germany,

Austria, Italy,
and even Switzerland.

The mountain marks the border
between Germany and Austria.

From here, the Alps arc like
a grand Alpine symphony,

from Vienna way in the east

all the way
to the French Riviera,

where these mountains finally
plunge into the Mediterranean.

The Zugspitze summit
attracts huge crowds.

As on so many European
mountain tops,

you'll find restaurants, shops,
and well-entertained tourists.

The Zugspitze is famed
for a cold and ghostly wind

that can really howl
in the winter.

This hikers' hut
has been perched here

for well over a century.

And thanks to these
beefy cables,

it's never been
blown off the top.

The summit, first climbed
in 1820,

is marked by a golden cross,

carried up here by
hardy villagers back in 1851.

Today, with the help of iron
steps and cables,

it's climbed, either from
the distant valley floor

or from the adjacent
summit restaurant,

by families, seniors,
and even travel writers.

These days, escaping the tourist
crowds takes initiative --

and having a car
can be helpful.

We've crossed into Austria
and are ready to explore.

Detailed maps show tiny roads
you might not realize exist.

For a car-hiker's look
at life high in the Alps,

we're switch-backing up
to a 5,000-foot-high perch.

From the end of the road,
it's an easy 20-minute stroll

to the Walderalm farm.

It's actually a cluster of three
family-run dairy farms --

with 70 cows --
sharing their meadow

amid staggering mountain views.

These families have eked out
a living on these farms

with remarkably little change
for generations.

Hans, while well
into his 80s now,

is still involved
in the family farm.

Today, it's so hot, the cows
are hanging out in the barn.

But there's still work
to be done.

And with the chores finished,

Hans enjoys whittling
in his spare time.

His favorite subject?

Cows, of course.

[ Cattle lowing ]

The traditional Alpine farmhouse
was energy efficient,

considering the technology
of the day.

The family lived here
on the middle floor.

The cows got the ground floor.

There's about 40 cows
just down there.

They'd catch the body heat
of the cows,

and that would help
to heat the family.

And the hay loft
provided insulation

and the assurance
there'd be enough food

to get the cows
through the winter.

And on this farm,
the system works to this day.

These days, family farms
struggle to survive.

Here in Europe,
many manage only

with the help
of government subsidies

and by tapping
into the tourist trade.

A steady stream of hikers
and bikers work hard

to reach this idyllic spot.

And Hans and his family
are happy

to serve a hearty lunch
or a refreshing drink.

From up here,
it's all downhill to Innsbruck.

Filling the valley floor,

it's one of the biggest cities
within the Alps.

Innsbruck was an important
outpost of the Habsburg Empire.

For five centuries, it was
their capital of the Tirol,

with all the imperial
trappings --

a grand church,

an stately palace,

and an extravagant balcony
fit for a king.

This much-admired Golden Roof
was built

for the Habsburg Emperor
Maximilian in 1494.

The roof, with over 2,000
gilded copper tiles,

remains the town's centerpiece.

Innsbruck's historic center
is now a pedestrian zone.

Looking past the crowds,

it still feels like a once-grand
provincial capital.

The city's folk museum is
a medieval Tirolean home show.

Humble as that rural
farming community may have been,

an artistic touch prevails.

The plow seems
to honor hard work.

One-legged milking stools
were finely carved.

Cribs were decorated
with religious themes

to be sure
God watched over the baby.

Fantastical characters
warded off evil

and even served
as human scarecrows.

Merchants carrying their wares
on their backs

would hike from village
to village.

This one sold fine fabric.

Intricately whittled
dioramas show off

the region's tradition
of fine woodcarving.

While this could be
any Tirolean village,

upon closer look,
it's Bethlehem in the Alps.

Bible stories like this
Nativity scene

made most sense to locals

when presented in
a familiar hometown setting.

Today, this manger scene gives
you a glimpse of village life

in the Tirol
a couple centuries ago.

Innsbruck's worth a quick look,

but I prefer a smaller town
with fewer tourists.

Tonight, we're sleeping
five miles downstream

in the town named Hall in Tirol.

Even before the time
of the Habsburgs,

Hall was an important
trading city.

Back then, its medieval center
was actually larger

than Innsbruck's.

Today's laid-back Hall
cradles its market square.

Its pastel buildings
and quaint streets

feel refreshingly traditional.

Actually, too traditional
if you're trying

to accomplish anything more
than a leisurely lunch

from noon till 2:00 --
when everything closes.

[ Children shout playfully ]

During the Habsburg rule,

Hall's Castle served
as the local mint.

Old-time methods
are still used here

to strike shiny souvenir coins.

[ Indistinct conversations ]

500 years ago, this...

was how you made money.

♪♪

The town's name,
Hall, means salt.

Hall was so important

because it was a center
of salt mining and trade.

In the past, salt was mined
like a precious mineral.

It was so valuable because
before modern refrigeration

it was used to preserve food.

Salt helped people
survive the winters.

That's why they called it
"white gold."

Back when salt was money,
Hall was loaded.

Its seal features
a barrel of salt.

The town's elegant architecture
and rich church

made it clear that in its day,
Hall was a local powerhouse.

While the church's structure
is mostly 15th century Gothic,

the décor inside
is 17th century Baroque.

And with a close look,

you can see
the wealth was founded on salt.

Miners generated the wealth

that paid
for the lavish altars,

extravagant starbursts,

and this statue of
the miners' patron,

St. Barbara.

And even the little cupids
carry barrels of salt.

♪♪

The old pedestrian bridge
leads over the milky,

glacier-fed Inn River,
to our hotel.

Gasthof Badl is run
by the Steiner family.

I love a family-run hotel,
and here,

three generations
are hard at work.

I've enjoyed Frau Steiner's
warm welcome for a generation.

She makes each guest
feel right at home.

Now her daughter Sonia
runs the show

with the same flair
for hospitality.

And clearly granddaughter
Laura is next in line.

We're dining on Tirolean
favorites --

spaetzle,
a traditional kind of pasta,

and dumplings.

As is typical of the guest
houses I like to recommend,

Frau Steiner shares
the local culture,

and that includes
both food and music.

[ Traditional music playing ]

Tonight, under the convivial
chestnut tree,

the town band
and the dancing group

are performing for each other
as much as the hotel guests.

The Tirolean brass band
starts things off.

♪♪

The maiden with the schnapps

makes sure
to lubricate as necessary.

♪♪

♪♪

[ Song ends ]

-Bravo!

[ Applause ]

-Then, it's time
for the dancers.

♪♪

I love how folk dancing recalls

the courting rituals
of medieval societies.

Dancing was an acceptable way
to meet the girl or guy

from the next farm
back in an age

when simply connecting
was a challenge.

♪♪

And with slap dancing like this,
what girl wouldn't say yes?

♪♪

♪♪

[ Song ends ]

-Ya-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
[ Applause ]

-Heading south, we cross
Europe's cultural

and geographical divide,

driving from the Germanic world,
over the Alps,

into the Mediterranean world --
Italy.

The Brenner Pass has been
the easiest way over the Alps

since ancient Roman times.

2,000 years ago,

Roman legions followed
this route, the Via Claudia,

as they marched north
to conquer much of Europe.

Sections of the ancient road
are still preserved.

Deep grooves are reminders
of countless wagon wheels

that followed this very route.

Today, the Brenner Pass
is easier

than ever to cross
as drivers arc gracefully

along one of the engineering
wonders of Europe.

From the top of
the Europabrucke,

or Europe's Bridge,

it feels like
just another freeway,

but from the windy old road
at the valley floor

it looks like
a mighty sculpture.

The freeway zips drivers
from Innsbruck

to the Italian border
in about 30 minutes.

How about pasta for lunch?

While the Autobahn in Austria
and Germany is toll-free,

the Italian Autostrada
has plenty of toll booths.

But that's nothing new here.

This crossing has long been
a gauntlet of toll booths

and forts.

Empires from Roman times
to World War II

understood the strategic value
of Brenner Pass.

This fortress,
called Franzensfeste,

was built in the 1830s.

It was one of the mightiest
of its day.

A huge investment by
the Habsburg emperor in Vienna,

it was designed
to protect his empire

from invasions from the south.

Throughout the Middle Ages,
this was the trade route

that connected
the Germanic world

with cities
like Venice and Florence.

When medieval traders
reached this valley,

chances are
they were stopped,

willingly or not,
at a castle like this.

Reifenstein Castle was built
to control trade.

But Reifenstein has grown
more welcoming with age.

While it used to take
a battering ram

to get these doors open,
now all it takes is a few Euros.

-Hello. Hello.
-Hey -- Guten Tag.

-Welcome to Reifenstein.

-Reifenstein offers one of
Europe's most intimate

looks at medieval
castle life.

The actual count and countess
of Reifenstein

are determined to preserve
their historic castle.

♪♪

The castle caretaker shows
visitors around on tours

several times a day.

We're enjoying
a private visit.

♪♪

While the castle was originally
built a thousand years ago,

what we see today
is about 500 years old.

It's a rare opportunity to see

an intact
medieval castle interior.

Within its mighty stone walls,

hefty timbers flesh out
the staircases and rooms.

The woodwork is artful,
and the engineering ingenious.

While there was no well,
rainwater was collected

into a cistern
that functions to this day.

Paintings
adorning the walls feature

only one family --
the noble German family

that has owned
the castle for centuries.

Here the lord and lady seem
proud of what must have been

an impressive fortified home
in its day.

Here's a fun fix
for a tipsy lord.

Too much to drink?

A clever funnel guides the key
right into the hole.

From the looks of
the sumptuous green room,

medieval life for the nobility
was pretty comfortable.

The painted walls
are original --

a rare example
of secular art

surviving from the Middle Ages.

With voluptuous swoops
and curls, this scene,

frescoed in 1498,
is a fantasy of elves,

jesters,

archers,

and fruity symbols
of fertility.

♪♪

You can catch a view
across the valley

to Reifenstein's sister castle.

Two castles like these,

strategically straddling
the valley,

could control much
of the trade passing

between Germany and Italy.

To exercise his power
and collect those tolls,

the castle lord needed
a small personal army.

This room is
the knights' quarters.

Up to eight men
shared each of these boxes,

complete with hay
for maximum comfort.

Imagine 40 snoring knights
packed into one room.

There was no fire for warmth,
as an accident

would set the entire place
up in flames.

So, the knights huddled together
to stay warm.

And every good castle
needs a dungeon,

used mostly to enforce
the payment of debts.

The only way in or out
was through this hatch.

If you couldn't pay your bills,

you could spend days
down here --

no food,
only a little water.

♪♪

Okay, enough about debts
and dungeons.

We've escaped,
and we're on our way

to Italy's
dramatic limestone rooftop.

The Dolomites, with their
distinct and jagged peaks,

offer some of the best
Alpine thrills in Europe.

And these mighty mountains

seem to protect
the traditional culture

in the region's villages
and bucolic farmsteads.

Historically, the Tirol
was its own state.

Today, that region is divided --
part in Austria

and part in Italy.

The Italian part
is called South Tirol.

The region is a mix
of the two cultures

and officially bilingual.

While the traditional economy
is farming,

today tourism is also big --

skiing in winter,

hiking in summer.

The Great Dolomite Road,
beautifully engineered,

leads to the nearly
7,000-foot-high Sela Pass.

♪♪

It's great for a joy ride,

and famously a big challenge
for bikers.

Making it to the summit
is always a good excuse

for a triumphant group photo.

-[ Speaks foreign language ]

-These bold limestone pillars
offer something for everybody.

This is rock-climbing
country --

thrilling,
even for spectators.

♪♪

From the town of Ortisei,
we're catching the Seceda lift.

All over this region, the lifts
do the climbing fast and easy,

depositing hikers sweat-free
at thin-air trailheads.

I love walking on a ridge.

And with as many nationalities
enjoying this scene

as there are
flowers in the fields,

the blissful world up here
is one of pristine nature

and happy hikers.

These slopes are busy
with skiers in the winter.

When planning, be aware that
in early spring and late fall --

that's between seasons here
in the Dolomites --

many lifts, huts,
and restaurants are shut down,

and trails can be
covered in snow.

We're here in summer,
and everything's wide open.

Everywhere I look feels like
an Alpine adventure

awaiting my arrival.

♪♪

One thing I love
about Europe --

I've been coming here
all my life,

and there's still places
to discover.

The town of Kastelruth feels
like an Alpine village

rather than a ski resort.

That's why I feature it
in my Italy guidebook

as the ideal home base
for exploring the Dolomites.

[ Bells tolling ]

The hyperactive bell tower seems
to ring out the wisdom

of honoring local traditions.

Buildings are painted
with murals

celebrating
the town's rich heritage.

♪♪

Clearly, fire has long been
a concern.

Saint Florian,
the patron of firefighters,

is shown all over town
putting out fires.

The town cemetery is like
a lovingly tended garden.

Entire families share
a common plot.

♪♪

Cobbled lanes lead
past friendly shops

to the welcoming
town square.

And for generations,
the fountain,

with its metal cup,

has invited all
for a refreshing drink.

The fountain also
watered horses,

back when coaching inns
lined the square.

♪♪

Here in the region
of South Tirol,

even though we're in Italy,

locals speak German first
and Italian second.

That's because for centuries
it was

in the Austrian Habsburg realm
ruled from Vienna.

After World War I, South Tirol
ended up as part of Italy.

Mussolini did what he could
to Italianize the region.

He even gave each city
a new Italian name.

This town, Kastelruth,
became Castelrotto.

But the region's Germanic
heritage endures.

You can see it
in its prosperity

and in its lively folk culture.

[ Folk music playing ]

Amateur folk bands have fun
keeping that heritage alive.

The instruments are traditional,
as are the costumes.

The blue aprons come from a time
when humble workers

needed to protect
their precious clothing.

♪♪

-[ Singing in foreign language ]

-It's nice to think
that these boys

are both modern
and traditional,

and their traditions
are clearly

surviving into
the next generation.

-[ Singing in foreign language ]

-Whoo!

[ Singing continues ]

♪♪

♪♪

[ Cheering ]

♪♪

♪♪

-[ Whistles ]

♪♪

[ Song ends ]

[ Cheers and applause ]

-Kastelruth is the gateway to
Europe's largest Alpine meadow,

the Alpe di Siusi.

As automobiles are
generally not allowed,

visitors approach
by cable car.

Landing at Compatsch, the
commercial hub of the meadow,

hikers can hop a lift
or a shuttle bus

to the trailhead
of their choice.

The Alpe di Siusi is
a natural preserve

at the foot
of the mighty Sassolungo

and Sasso Piatto peaks.

The meadow is 3 miles wide
by 7 miles long,

and seems to float
at 6,000 feet above sea level.

It's dotted by farm huts
and wildflowers,

surrounded by
dramatic Dolomite peaks,

and crisscrossed
by meadow trails --

ideal for equestrians,
flower lovers, and walkers.

It's also just right for someone
needing a lazy beer

with a spectacular view.

And completing this storybook
Dolomite setting,

the spooky Mount Schlern,
home of mythical witches,

looks boldly into the haze
of the Italian peninsula.

♪♪

I hope you've enjoyed our look
at the Alps of Austria

and Italy -- the Tirol,

where nature is wild
yet so accessible.

Thanks for joining us.
I'm Rick Steves.

Until next time,
keep on traveling.

-This is Rick pretending
to relax.

to see if he can pull it off.

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughing ]

-Ha!

We've been making these
TV meals for 20 years,

and I still don't know
how to do it.

[ Laughter ]

Yeah! [ Laughs ]

Yeah!
[ Laughter ]

♪♪

♪♪

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