Original subtitles

(uplifting music)

- Our journey begins at Chorin Abbey,

one of the finest examples

of the brick Gothic style in Northern Germany.

We then head for the coast, at its seaside resorts

before exploring Peenemunde and its wartime role

in rocket development.

Further north is Rugen Island and Cape Arkona,

with its dramatic white cliffs and historic lighthouses.

Following the coast west is Rostock

and its historic city center,

and modern ship building industry.

Lubeck was founded in the 12th century

as a major trading center for Northern Europe,

and one of the most important cities

in the Hanseatic League,

an historic economic union of Baltic states.

We end our journey at Schwerin and its magnificent

19th century fairy tale palace set on an island in a lake.

Built in a beautiful area of beech forests, meadows,

and lakes is the Cistercian abbey of Chorin.

It was founded in 1258 by an aristocrat,

the Margrave of Ascania, and had a far reaching influence

on the Slavic population

that occupied the region in medieval times.

Chorin Abbey is generally considered

one of the finest examples of brick Gothic

in Northern Germany, the abbey was dissolved in 1542,

following the Protestant Reformation.

It was later damaged by war,

and fell into an even more ruinous state,

until repairs were carried out in the 19th century.

Now restored to its former glory,

Chorin has once again become one of the most

outstanding structures in the district of Brandenburg.

For many decades now, its fascinating architecture

and the beauty of the surrounding area,

have made Chorin Abbey a very popular tourist destination.

To the north is the Mecklenburg Lake District,

an impressive landscape known as the Land of 1,000 Lakes.

This beautiful region which, as its name suggests,

is shaped by lakes and rivers,

is the largest such one in Central Europe.

In spite of its popularity with holiday makers,

there are few large hotel complexes,

or overcrowded lakeside beaches.

Most people stay in a house or apartment

close to the water, or use one of the many camping grounds.

Of course the best way to discover and enjoy

the Mecklenburg Lake District is from the water,

and everything from a cabin cruiser,

to a motor yacht can be hired,

and there are always plenty of marinas

and small towns to stop at.

This waterway system extends to around 2,700 kilometers

of navigable waterways, with over 1,000 lakes,

providing a never ending variety of routes.

And as the boats gently cruise

this peaceful waterway system,

which is part of the Muritz National Park,

it's likely that people will see eagles, black storks,

herons, and thousands of cranes and wild geese.

On the northern end of the Mecklenburg Lake District,

on the banks of Lake Tollensesee, is Neubrandenburg.

The old circular city is famous for its rich,

medieval heritage of brick Gothic,

especially one of Europe's best preserved

defensive walls of this style,

and the St. Mary Church, which is used for concerts.

Neubrandenburg is part

of the European Route of Brick Gothic,

a route which leads through seven countries

along the Baltic Sea Coast,

including Chorin Abbey, we saw earlier.

It's estimated that around 80% of the old town

was burnt down by the Red Army in 1945,

during the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Since then, most buildings of historical relevance

have been rebuilt.

During the late 19th century,

sea bathing became fashionable,

and resort spas like Banzine on the Baltic Sea,

have become very popular.

In the days of communist East Germany,

resorts like this were mainly used by party officials

and top members of the Free German Trade Union Federation.

West Germany had very few beaches,

so after the reunification of the country,

this whole coastline, with its miles of golden sand

was opened to everyone.

(upbeat music)

Zinnowitz still has its 19th century feel,

with grand houses and hotels,

which survived the communist era and have now been restored.

It's also only 200 kilometers from Berlin,

and it's become a very popular place to go for a weekend.

Just inland from Zinnowitz, is Peenemunde,

a village that only got electricity in 1928,

but within 10 years had changed beyond recognition.

It was to become one of the world's

most advanced research centers of its time,

the Nazi rocket development and testing area

during World War Two.

This region was of great importance

to their search for new powerful weapons

that would help them to make Germany a superpower,

and it could be divisive in turning

the rigid balance of power in Europe to their side.

The (foreign language) F1 103,

and the (foreign language) A4,

generally known as the V1 and V2 rockets,

are the most notorious products

that ever came out of the Peenemunde factory.

Experiments with rockets had been carried out before,

but the Nazis, with a team of scientists,

led by Wernher von Braun, were the first to successfully

apply rocket technology in long range weapons.

The site was bombed by the Allies several times

between 1943 and 1944 in Operation Crossbow.

Today, the site is a military museum

with exhibits from many ages.

Across the bay, on the way to Rugen Island,

we come across the (foreign language), the White Dune.

She was built as a barge in the Netherlands in 1909,

and launched as the Klara Katarina.

Sadly, she was sunk in a storm in 1942,

and her crew lost, the nephew of the captain

salvaged the ship, renamed her, and restored her back

to a trading vessel until the year 2000,

when she was converted into a two masted schooner,

and became a tourist trip of day trips,

or for exclusive charters.

We now head for the island of Rugen,

and its oldest resort, Putbus.

It was founded in 1810 by Prince Wilhelm Malte zu Putbus,

who had it built in the Neo Classical style,

so that the town formed in harmonious union with the park.

At the center is this circle, or circus, of white villas,

fronting a formal open space, and a central obelisk.

The prince also introduced sea bathing

to Germany at (foreign language),

which is about two kilometers from Putbus.

When Wilhelm Malte founded the town,

he wanted to create a unique, urban ensemble

of architecture, art, and landscape.

Although his own palace is long since gone,

other buildings testify to his dream.

Today, this very individual architectural gem,

built by the prince for the well to do,

attracts thousands of visitors who can step back in time

and experience a 200 year old seaside resort.

Prince Wilhelm Malte also built himself

a hunting lodge in the woods,

on the highest point of Rugen Island, around 1840,

based on the style of Northern Italian Renaissance castles.

It was once a favored holiday destination

for European nobility and prominent people.

With over 200,000 visitors per year,

it's the most popular castle in the area,

and the greatest number of people

come from the nearby resort town of Binz.

This is the largest seaside resort on Rugen Island,

and it's famous for its charming

and well kept historical resort architecture.

Around 1875, as bathing in the sea came into vogue,

the first guests arrived in the small town of Binz,

took a liking to it, and recommended to others.

10 years later, the town officially became a bathing resort,

with new hotels, boarding houses, and villas

being built over the next few decades.

In 1953, the communist government of East Germany,

in which Binz was then situated, initiated Action Rose.

This was the name of the program

under which privately owned hotels and guest houses

were forcibly confiscated by the state

and taken into central ownership.

In 1990, following the collapse of communism,

and the reunification of East and West Germany,

Binz has undergone substantial change.

Many of the hotels and villas were returned

to their previous owners,

and the town was restored and modernized.

In 1994, a new pier, 370 meters long, was opened.

Just along the coast is Prora,

a beach resort known for its colossal

Nazi planned tourist structures.

This enormous building complex was built

between 1936 and 1939 as a strength through joy project.

Hitler's plans for prura were ambitious.

He wanted a gigantic sea resort with 20,000 beds.

In the middle, a huge festival hall was to be erected,

which could hold everyone.

At the same time, Hitler wanted it to be convertible

into a military hospital in case of war.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945,

the Soviet Army used it as a military base.

Following German reunification,

Prora lay empty for years, until in 2011,

the largest youth hostel was opened in one of the blocks

with a possible future expansion into others,

due to its popularity.

The complex has a formal heritage listing

as a particularly striking example

of Third Reich Architecture.

Following the coast, we come to some impressive

white cliffs in the Jasmund National Park.

These are the largest such chalk cliffs in Germany,

and are famous for containing the King's Chair.

They rise up around 160 meters above the Baltic Sea,

and along with the ancient beech forest on the top,

are now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the northeast corner of Rugen Island

is a small, picturesque fishing village

with a history stretching back to the 13th century,

and possibly even earlier, Vitt.

It may well have been in existence since the 10th century

as a fishing village and trading port.

It has survived the centuries with little alteration,

and can only be accessed by foot, bicycle,

horse and carriage, or the road train from the nearest town.

The village, which is a Heritage Site,

and protected from future development,

receives a constant stream of tourists in the summer months.

In the small harbor, trips and fishing boats

take visitors up to Cape Arkona,

which is where we're now headed.

The cape is 45 meters high,

on the northeast tip of Rugen Island.

On the cape, there is a navigation tower

and two lighthouses, the smaller of the two

was built in 1826, and was replaced in 1905

by a 35 meter one, which is still in use today.

The old naval navigation tower was built in 1927,

and acted as a marine navigation beacon.

Attempts were made to improve navigation

for the ferry between Sweden and Rugen Island

by using the emission of radio waves,

which was groundbreaking for that time.

All three towers were renovated in the early 1990s,

and are open to visitors.

We now leave Rugen Island to the west at Stroussend,

an important port since medieval days.

Two bridges, side by side, now cross the sound.

The low one is the Rugen Causeway, built in the 1930s,

with a lifting bridge to allow ships through.

Towering over it is the new Rugen Bridge,

which is 128 meters high.

The old part of Stroussend

is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This was an important trading center,

and also once part of the kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden.

It's also a prominent Hanseatic League Center.

This was a powerful economic and defensive alliance

of Baltic states that left a great cultural,

and architectural heritage.

It began in the 14th century,

and lasted for around 400 years.

In a way, it was a sort of forerunner of the European Union.

Straussend is renowned for its brick Gothic monuments.

And much of the architecture from this early period

still remains.

(melancholy music)

The north coast of Germany is well known

for the wind coming off the Baltic Sea,

and an increasing number

of turbines capturing it for electricity.

And across the whole of Germany,

there are around 22,000 wind turbines

producing about 8% of the country's total electrical power.

Germany is by far and away Europe's leading country

in the amount of wind power it produces.

Hundreds of thousands of people have invested

in citizens' wind farms across the country,

and thousands of small, and medium sized enterprises

are running successful businesses in this new sector

which employs over 100,000 people.

During the Cold War, many airfields were built

or taken over by Russian forces

after the defeat of Nazi Germany.

The now abandoned airfield of Damgotten

was used in the 1950s by the 16th Guard's

Fighter Aviation Division of the Soviet Air force.

As a fighter formation in Germany,

planes would have taken off from here

and would have faced the NATO Allied Air Force

of Central Europe at any conflict broken out.

Since reunification, it has been abandoned,

and is a potent reminder of the reality of the Cold War.

(calm music)

This Danish ferry is about to enter

the port of Warnemunde,

which is a district of the city of Rostock.

The route is an important link between the two countries.

It was not quite the same in 1161,

when the Danish king, Valdemar the First,

sailed up the River Warnow and set fire to the place.

The town survived, and German traders began to move in.

And as with Straussend, Rostock became an important member

of the Hanseatic League.

By now a thriving city, Rostock built a university in 1419,

which is one of the oldest in Europe.

Such was the importance of the harbor

and its strategic position, that it provoked the envy

of its rivals, Danes and Swedes occupied the city twice.

First on the Thirty Years War of the 17th century,

and again at the beginning of the 18th.

Later, the French under Napoleon Bonaparte,

occupied the city for about a decade, until 1813.

The ship building industry grew in the 19th century,

and it was here that the first propeller driven steamers

in Germany were constructed.

Their success meant that during the second World War,

Rostock was a target for repeated,

and increasingly heavy Allied bombing raids.

After reunification, Rostock began to grow

as a tourist destination, and for a stopping place

for cruise liners exploring the Baltic Sea.

It has now become one of the most popular destinations

as the town can handle two and a half thousand passengers

disembarking for a day's sightseeing in the old city.

During the summer months, there are pristine beaches.

Though it has to be said that the sea can be a little cold.

So being in a boat can be an alternative source of fun.

Our journey now takes us west along the coast

to another historic city and port.

Lubeck was founded in the 12th century,

and prospered until the 16th century

as the major trading center for Northern Europe.

It was one of the most important cities

in the Hanseatic League.

The plan of the old town island of Lubeck,

with its oval shape determined by the waterways,

dates back to the beginnings of the city,

and attests to its expansion

as a commercial center of Northern Europe.

It's one of Germany's most beautiful cities.

During the 19th century, many ancient buildings

were threatened with demolition in the name of progress.

One that survived, and was subsequently restored,

is the Holstentor Brick Gate,

which guarded the city's western entrance.

Real damage to the city came in the second World War,

when it became the first German city

to suffer substantial Allied bombing.

The attack in 1942 created a firestorm

that caused severe damage to the historic center.

This raid destroyed three of the main churches

and large parts of the built up area.

After the war, a massive reconstruction plan

was put in place to rebuild the city

and return it to how it once looked.

One of the most important renovations

was St. Mary's Church, this basilica serves

as a model for the Gothic brick style

of churches in the Baltic Region.

For the first time, the Gothic stone cathedral

style of France was adapted to local brick.

And amidst the grandeur of this church

is the story of a mouse.

The people of Lubeck believed that as long as a rose bush

flowered next to the church their city would remain free.

But one morning, the rose bush had withered and died,

a mouse, so it is said, had made its nest in its roots.

And soon afterwards, Lubeck was handed to the Danes.

When the town was free once more,

the town council had the mouse carved

into a stone behind the choir,

as a reminder that dire misfortune can arise

from a lesser evil overnight.

They called her Rosemary,

and touching the small stone mouse will bring luck,

or at least that's what the local people say.

The preservation of Lubeck's medieval structure

represents an extremely important European monument.

As such, it's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

To the south of Lubeck, on the banks of Lake Schwerin,

is the city of the same name,

and the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

It's also the oldest city in the state,

with a history stretching back to 1160.

And unlike Lubeck, suffered only minor damage

in World War Two, leaving a largely in tact old town.

Schwerin is known by many names, City of the Seven Lakes,

Florence of the North, Cathedral City, and Royal Seat.

All are appropriate, as Schwerin successfully combines

nature and architecture, plus reminders of its long history.

However, most visitors cannot fail to let their gaze

fall on the magnificent castle out on the lake.

Schwerin Palace is amongst the most important

19th century architectural masterpieces

of Romantic Historicism in Europe.

It was created by remodeling

and reconstructing an older castle.

By the 1830s, the building was largely unused,

and in a relatively bad state of repair,

so when the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg

decided to move his main residence back to Schwerin,

he called in the best architects,

and started to rebuild the castle.

However, a few months later, the Duke died,

and construction was halted by his successor,

who wanted a complete reconstruction of the historic site.

And it's this creation we see today.

Inspiration for the design

came from French Renaissance castles,

with its towers, turrets, and golden dome,

it's the height of German Romantic architecture

on an enormous scale.

Even the garden was planned in a grand manner.

A swing bridge joins the castle to the garden,

which is a Baroque complex, unique in Northern Germany,

and loosely based on the great

garden of Versailles in France.

The castle survived the war, and was later used

by the communist government

as a college for kindergarten teachers.

In 1990, it once again became a seat of government,

and a massive preservation effort began to bring it back

to its original, magnificent glory.

The perfect place to end this journey.

(upbeat music)

(wind whooshing)