Original subtitles

(wind whooshing)

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Our journey begins

at the island town of Lindau, on Lake Constance.

We then head west past a series of dramatic castles,

before arriving at the spa town of Baden-Baden.

From there it is east, past the city of Ulm,

and then South course towards Fussen,

and on into the Bavarian Alps

and a series of fantasy castles.

At Oberammergau, we had east to Lake Chiemsee

before heading further east into the Alps

and onto Berchtesgaden,

and a dramatic house on top of a mountain.

Running roughly along the middle of Lake Constance

is the border between Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

In Germany, the lake is called the Bodensee

and on this island is the ancient Bavarian town of Lindau.

It was only joined to the mainland in 1853

when the causeway was built,

which enabled trains and carriages to get to the island.

This was followed by new harbor

and Bavaria's only lighthouse.

In its history, the town has belonged

to both Austria and France.

And it was only in 1955 that it was finally returned

to Germany by the French.

Every year since 1951,

there is a Nobel Laureate scientific meeting in Landau,

where prize winners interact with young researchers

from all over the world.

It was only in the middle of the 19th century that Germany,

as we know it today, came into being

under the guiding hand of Otto von Bismarck.

He unified a series of independent federal states

into one country.

This was also a period which saw German Romanticism

become a dominant movement,

and one of its most visual symbols

are all the castles, rebuilt in a romantic medieval style.

This is Sigmaringen Castle,

once home to the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

It has its roots back in the 11th century,

though what we see today dates from the 19th century.

It was built to impress and became a meeting point

for the rich and powerful nobility of Europe.

The deep sided valleys with rocky crags

gave castle builders an excellent vantage point

to site a fortress and later in the 19th century,

rebuild them in a romantic style

that look back to earlier times.

Perched on this crag is Werenwag Castle.

There's been a castle on this site since the 12th century.

But what we see today dates from the 1830s

when the Princes of Fürstenberg inherited Werenwag

and began remodeling it into this amazing construction.

One can only imagine how hard it must have been

for the men who had to build it on this high crag

of the valley.

Since then, the castle has suffered a fire in the 1890s

and even an earthquake in 1911 when a staircase tower

and some of the battlements suffered cracks

and falling masonry.

On the other side of the valley is the Wildenstein Castle,

begun in the 12th century.

What we see today still includes some parts of the original.

A narrow bridge joins the stables and ancillary buildings

to the main castle on its rocky crag.

Castles come in all sorts of styles and sizes

in this part of Germany,

and many are perched on rocky outcrops with wonderful views.

However, this small castle cannot compare

to another 20 miles to the north

which is one of the great castles of Europe

and one that can be seen from miles around.

Sitting on top of this near 3000 foot mountain,

is Hohenzollern Castle.

It was built by Frederick Wilhelm the Fourth,

King of Prussia, starting in 1850.

And it took 17 years to complete.

This is another good example

of a German Romantic movement castle built

on an enormous scale.

The style incorporates the idealized vision

of what a medieval knight's castle should look like.

Though it's doubtful it ever really looked

like this fairytale version.

It was also designed to impress

and enhance the reputation of the Prussian royal family

who could trace their roots back to the first castle

on the site in the 11th century.

In 1423, Hohenzollern was besieged for a year

and totally destroyed.

Only written records tell of its existence.

30 years later, it was rebuilt

and then over the next three centuries, was occupied

by various different countries,

including the Austrians and later the French.

By the end of the 18th century,

the castle was falling into ruins.

Only the Chapel of St. Michael remained usable

and was incorporated

into the third incarnation we see today.

After the castle was rebuilt, it was not regularly occupied,

but rather used as a showplace.

It is still privately owned

by two lines of the Hohenzollern family.

Today the castle has over 300,000 visitors a year,

making it one of the most popular in Germany.

On a smaller scale, but no less impressive

is Liechtenstein Castle above the town of Honau.

(stately music)

This romantic Neo-Gothic castle was built in the 1840s

for Duke Wilhelm of Urach, Count of Wittenberg.

The design was inspired by a popular historical novel,

"Liechtenstein", published in 1826.

Just as at Hohenzollern this is the third castle

on the site with the first two destroyed

in fairly quick succession during the 14th century.

After that, it fell into disrepair

until it came into the hands of Duke Wilhelm.

Some of the lower rooms are carved out of the rock

which supports the building.

The tall tower was added 50 years later,

at the end of the 19th century.

And the fairytale castle still belongs to the Dukes of Urach

and is a very popular place to visit.

12 miles away is the town of Tübingen,

one of the five classical university towns in Germany,

the other four being Marburg, Göttingen,

Freiburg, and Heidelberg.

The old castle is now part of the university

and the 25,000 students account

for nearly a third of the town's population.

Amongst the eminent students

who no doubt walked through these ancient streets

was the astronomer Johannes Kepler

At the end of the 16th century.

And in the 20th century, Joseph Ratzinger,

now Pope Benedict the 16th.

To the west, and on the edge of the Black Forest

is the spa town of Baden-Baden.

The German word baden translates as to bath or to bathe.

In earlier days, the time was simply known as Baden,

and the double name only officially came into use in 1931

and was shortened from Baden-in-Baden

as the town is in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

It was way back in Roman times

that the healing power of the water was first recognized.

It's thought that the Emperor Hadrian founded the town

and certainly Emperor Caracalla came here

to ease his arthritic aches.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire,

the town declined and fell into partial ruin

for several centuries.

It was only at the end of the 18th century

that Baden rediscovered as a spa town

and in the early 19th century,

the resort attracted rich and famous,

including the composers Berlioz and Brahms,

and the writer, Dostoevsky, who wrote "The Gambler"

whilst gambling himself in the casino.

European royalty came to stay in the luxury hotels,

including Queen Victoria, Napoleon the Third,

and the German emperor, Wilhelm the First.

High on a hill overlooking Bad Urach

is the old castle of Hohenurach

which was used as a prison during the Middle Ages.

Over the centuries, it was feared and hated

by the local people, so that when the prison shut down

in the 18th century, they climbed the hill and destroyed it.

(peaceful music)

The old center of Bad Urach is full of half timbered houses.

The same cannot be said the city of Ulm,

30 miles to the east.

A devastating air raid in 1944 destroyed much of the city,

but the glorious church was left barely damaged.

Even the houses around the square in front of the church

where the market is, were wrecked.

The church is large enough to be a cathedral.

But as Ulm is not a seat of a bishop,

it is known as a minster.

However, it is the tallest church in the world,

at just under 170 meters.

From the top, it's possible to look south on a clear day

and see the Alps over 70 miles away.

(reverent music)

Building began in the mid-14th century

and was held up several times

with work halted all together in the 16th.

It was only in 1813 that work began again

and the church was finally completed in 1890.

10 miles to the east is Roggenburg Abbey

which was founded back in the 10th century.

Though what we see today, dates from the mid-18th century.

In 1802, the monastery was closed down

during a period of secularization

and the abbot stripped of his office.

In 1986, in a move that comes full circle,

the abbey buildings and church have been returned

to a new set of monks who are reestablishing the abbey

as a thriving community after a gap of nearly 200 years.

Our journey now head south through the Bavarian landscape

towards the foothills of the Alps,

the great mountain range that acts as the border

with Austria and Switzerland.

And lying close to the border

on the north side of the river Lech

is the old town of Füssen

(peaceful music)

It was the Romans who founded the town here

as it was on a main road to the mountains to Italy

and they needed a base for soldiers

in order to guard the route.

The town's landmark is the castle

which overlooks the town and is one

of the area's best preserved late Gothic buildings.

The town itself is full medieval houses,

and the center remains remarkably untouched.

Füssen has become a popular place to stay

when exploring the beautiful mountain landscape,

as well as two remarkable castles.

The first is Hohenschwangau, built on the remains

of an earlier castle in 1833

by King Maximilian the Second of Bavaria

and his wife, Marie of Prussia.

The queen particularly enjoyed walking in the mountains

and often took her two sons Otto and Ludwig with her.

When Ludwig inherited the throne in 1864,

he began planning and building one

of the most remarkable fantasy castles in the world

less than a mile away from his childhood home

on the site of another old castle.

(uplifting music)

This is Neuschwanstein Castle,

designed as a personal refuge for King Ludwig,

who gradually became more and more reclusive.

He had become obsessed with Richard Wagner's operas

and in a way the castle was to be an interpretation

of his most famous works, Tannhäuser and Lohengrin.

Wagner's music made a lasting impression on the young king

And this is a part of a letter he wrote to Wagner in 1868

about his new picturesque castle.

"It is my intention to rebuild the old castle ruin

"of Hohenschwangau near the Polit Gorge

"in the authentic style of the old German knights' castle

"And I must confess to you

"that I am looking forward very much

"to living there one day.

"You know, the revered guest

"I would like to accommodate there.

"The location is one of the most beautiful to be found,

"holy and unapproachable, a worthy temple

"for the divine friend who has brought salvation

"and true blessings to the world."

The cost of the castle was immense and would run

to over 100 million pounds today.

At various times over 300 workmen would be employed

and often working at night by the light of oil lamps.

All the funding came from the king's purse

and the money he borrowed.

Costs inevitably escalated and by the end, the castle

had cost twice the original budget.

One of the reasons for siting the castle here

may well have been the view he got

from the bridge his mother had built to span the gorge.

She loved walking in this landscape

and it must have had a powerful effect on young Ludwig.

Sadly, he only spent 172 days in his fantasy castle.

Because Ludwig was finally declared mentally unstable

and died aged only 41 in 1886.

He was later to be known, perhaps unkindly,

as Mad King Ludwig.

But he left behind one

of the most remarkable fairytale castles ever built.

And the inspiration

for Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland.

As a child, Ludwig had enjoyed hunting trips

with his father, and in a valley not far from his home,

he inherited his father's hunting lodge.

With his obsession for grandiose building projects,

he eventually tore it down

and built the Linderhof Palace.

But this time in a more classical French style,

which look back to his idol, Louis the 14th,

the Sun King of France.

He intended Linderhof,

named after the surrounding linden trees,

to be like the Royal Palace of Versailles.

But this was never realized

as he later attained an island a large lake

where his grand plan to match the size of Versailles

could be carried out.

Later on in our journey, we will see the result.

Linderhof may be the smallest of Ludwig's palaces

but it is still an impressive sight.

The formal gardens surrounding the house

certainly have the feel of the French style of the time.

To the north, the sloping ground enabled a cascade

to be built, where the flowing water

could fall over 30 marble steps

and then drop into the Neptune fountain at the bottom.

At the top is the music pavilion.

On the west and east sides are for more colorful parterres

with statues, fountains and covered walkways.

On the south side, a golden fountain

could rise up around 70 feet and stands

at the foot of a three step terraced garden

leading up to a golden top temple.

In The park, inspired by the English landscape movement,

he had garden buildings put up, including a Moorish kiosk

which he bought in 1876.

Needless to say, his extravagance knew no bounds

and eventually led to his downfall.

Right at the other end of the valley is one

of the most important monasteries in the Alpine region

and built on the primary trade route

between northern Italy and the city

of Augsburg in Germany, Ettal Abbey

The Benedictine abbey was first founded back

in the 14th century, but what we see today is

from the mid-18th century and built in the Baroque style.

This followed the disastrous fire in 1744

when the abbey church

and many of the other buildings were destroyed.

This was the beginning of the golden age of Ettal

and in this period, the Knights; Academy was established

which developed into a highly successful school.

But all this came to an end

with the secularization of church property in 1803.

And it was not until 1898

that the buildings were bought back

by a wealthy Catholic supporter

and given to a group of Benedictine monks

from a nearby monastery.

A mile away to the north is Oberammergau

a town which is known the world over

for its passion play, performed since 1634.

It began because of a vow the local inhabitants made

that if God spared them from the plague,

they would stage the passion every 10 years.

They were spared.

And since then, the play is performed

in the years ending in zero.

The 2010 play involved around 2,000 people

and lasted for seven hours

with performances given between May and October.

60 miles to the east, on the edge of the Bavarian Alps,

is Chiemsee, a freshwater lake.

It's sometimes referred to as the Bavarian Sea

and is a very popular place for sailing

and all the other water sports.

Those looking for a gentler means of travel

might take a trip on the paddle steamers

which offer a more sedate way of seeing the lake.

The lake has a number of islands

and the second largest is Frauenchiemsee.

The paddle steamers drop off both visitors

as well as those residents who do not have their own boats

to get to and from the island.

The island itself is car free

and has a local population around 300 people.

Visitors in their thousands come

to see the Benedictine convent,

which was founded back in 782.

To help raise funds for the convent,

the nuns make a local drink called Kloster Liquor

as well as an excellent marzipan.

The largest island on the lake is Herrenchiemsee.

And hidden in the woods is King Ludwig's unfinished tribute

to the Palace of Versailles in France.

(stately music)

Unfortunately, Ludwig only spent a few days here

a year before he died.

However, the cost of what he did build

probably equates to about 70 million pounds today.

Only the central section was constructed

as all building was halted a year after Ludwig's death.

The section of garden

which was completed copies the style of Versailles

with fountains and parterres

as well as a long central allee or avenue

which runs right across the island for well over a mile.

And as the palace is on an island,

and only accessible by a small ferry,

it has remained in the shadow

of Ludwig's best known castle, Neuschwanstein.

But this island palace is well worth the trip

for anyone interested in the architecture

of the German Romantic movement.

For our last destination, we had east

into the Bavarian Alps and Berchtesgaden,

a place forever associated with Adolf Hitler.

His house near Berchtesgaden has been destroyed

but one mountaintop house does survive,

The Eagle's Nest.

It survived because it was given

to him as a present in 1939.

But he rarely visited it

and this lack of a close association saved it

from demolition after the war.

It was built by Martin Bormann on top of a 6,000 foot ridge

and reached by four-mile private road carved

into the mountainside, which goes through five tunnels.

The cost today of just the road

has been estimated at over 100 million pounds.

On the other side of the mountain,

the road ends at a car park below the house

where coaches deliver present day visitors.

From here a tunnel leads into the mountain

where a 407 foot lift carries visitors up

to The Eagle's Nest.

As we climb up to take a look,

we discover we're not the only aircraft in the area

and decide to give a wide berth to the powered hang glider.

The Eagle's Nest is now a small restaurant and bar

where visitors can marvel at the view.

Though as the clouds thicken,

it is difficult to see anything.

This weather also makes flying dangerous.

So this is a good time to end this journey.

(dramatic orchestral music)

(wind whooshing)