HI, I'M RICK STEVES, EXPLORING
MORE OF THE BEST OF EUROPE. THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING MEDIEVAL, CRUISING RIVER GORGES
STEEPED IN LEGEND AND CLIMBING CASTLES IN THE MOST ROMANTIC CORNERS
OF GERMANY. THIS TIME WE'RE
ENJOYING THE CHARMS OF GERMANY'S VILLAGES
AND EVOCATIVE RUINS. WHILE MOST OF THIS COUNTRY IS AN
URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL POWERHOUSE, THIS EPISODE IS ALL
ABOUT STORYBOOK GERMANY. AFTER CRUISING THROUGH
A FAIRY-TALE WORLD OF RHINE LEGENDS, WE'LL CLIMB THROUGH MY FAVORITE
CASTLE IN ALL OF EUROPE, AND CHECK OUT A SLEEPY
AND LAID-BACK ALTERNATIVE TO THE RHINE. WE SAMPLE FINE RHINE WINE, LEARN THE HISTORY
OF CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS, AND EXPLORE THE BEST-PRESERVED
MEDIEVAL TOWN IN GERMANY, WITH SOME HELP
FROM THE NIGHT WATCHMAN. GERMANY, ABOUT THE SIZE
OF MONTANA, WITH OVER TWICE
THE POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA, IS THE HEART OF EUROPE. THIS TIME WE FOCUS ON GERMANY'S
ROMANTIC RHINE REGION. WE'LL CRUISE THE MOST
CASTLE-STUDDED STRETCH OF THE RHINE, VISITING ST. GORE,
BACHARACH, AND KOBLENZ BEFORE EXPLORING THE MOSEL
RIVER AND THE ELTZ CASTLE. THEN WE VENTURE EAST
TO ROTHENBURG. WHILE THE RHINE IS
OVER 800 MILES LONG, THE 36-MILE STRETCH
FROM MAINZ TO KOBLENZ IS BY FAR THE MOST INTERESTING,
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EXPLORING. IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT THE GREAT MEDIEVAL
SIGHTS OF EUROPE LIE ALONG THE IMPORTANT TRADING
ROUTES LIKE THE RHINE. IT TOOK BIG MONEY
TO BUILD THE STRUCTURES THAT WE TRAVELERS WOULD
MARVEL AT CENTURIES LATER. SINCE ANCIENT TIMES, THE RHINE HAS BEEN ONE
OF THE WORLD'S BUSIEST RIVERS AND THIS REGION'S
MAJOR TRADING ROUTE. TODAY THERE'S A STEADY FLOW OF
BARGES WITH THOUSAND-TON LOADS, WHILE BUSY TRAIN TRACKS
AND HIGHWAYS LINE BOTH BANKS, ALL UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE
OF ONCE-MIGHTY CASTLES. MANY OF THE CASTLES WERE
ROBBER BARON CASTLES, EXTORTION STOPS, BUILT BY PETTY
PRINCES AND TWO-BIT RULERS BACK WHEN THERE WERE 350
INDEPENDENT LITTLE STATES IN WHAT IS TODAY GERMANY. THE SHIPSHAPE PFALZ CASTLE,
ACTUALLY BUILT MID-STREAM, EFFECTIVELY TAXED
RIVER TRAFFIC. ITS TOWN GREW RICH
AS THE CASTLE RAISED ITS HEAVY CHAINS
ACROSS THE RIVER WHEN BOATS CAME AND LOWERED THEM ONLY WHEN THE MERCHANTS
HAD PAID THEIR DUTY. ALONG THIS STRETCH, THERE WERE
CUSTOM STOPS LIKE THIS ABOUT EVERY SIX MILES. NO WONDER MERCHANTS
WERE EARLY SUPPORTERS OF THE CREATION
OF LARGER NATION STATES. IN THE MIDDLE AGES, EMPERORS,
POPES, AND THESE LITTLE PRINCES WERE JOCKEYING FOR
POWER AROUND EUROPE. IN GERMANY, THE EMPERORS
CONTROLLED THE PRINCES. BUT IN THE 11th CENTURY, THE POPE ESTABLISHED HIS POWER
OVER THE EMPEROR. THIS ALLOWED THE LITTLE
GERMAN PRINCES TO GO WILD AND BUILD ALL THESE CASTLES. THAT'S WHY MOST OF THE CASTLES
ALONG THE RHINE DATE FROM THIS ERA. A COUPLE HUNDRED YEARS LATER, AS THE EMPEROR BEGAN
REASSERTING HIS CONTROL OVER THE PRINCES,
THESE CASTLES SAW ACTION. WHILE THE CASTLES
SURVIVED THESE BATTLES, MOST WERE DESTROYED LATER
BY THE FRENCH BECAUSE THEY FEARED
A STRONG GERMANY, AND THEY FELT THE RHINE
WAS THE LOGICAL BORDER BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. IN THE ROMANTIC AGE,
THE LATE 1800s, MEDIEVAL THINGS WERE IN VOGUE AND MANY OF THE RUINS
WERE REBUILT. TODAY THE RHINE CASTLES
ARE ENJOYED AS RESTAURANTS, HOTELS, HOSTELS, AND MUSEUMS. AND TRAVELERS CRUISE THE RIVER
JUST TO CASTLE-WATCH. TOUR BOATS COME AND GO
ABOUT HOURLY. VARIOUS LINES EACH
HAVE THEIR OWN DOCKS AND ADVERTISE
THEIR OWN SCHEDULES. BUYING TICKETS FROM A KIOSK
BEFORE BOARDING, TOURISTS CAN PUT TOGETHER THEIR
OWN HOP-ON AND HOP-OFF TOURS OF THIS MOST ROMANTIC STRETCH
OF THE RHINE. ALONG WITH TRANSPORTING
CAMERA-TOTING TOURISTS, THE RHINE MOVES A STEADY
FLOW OF CARGO TO THE WORLD'S
BIGGEST PORT, ROTTERDAM, WHICH WAITS AT THE MOUTH
OF THE RIVER. BARGE WORKERS ARE
ALMOST A SUBCULTURE. MANY OWN THEIR OWN SHIPS. THE CAPTAIN AND HIS FAMILY
LIVE IN THE STERN, CAR PARKED ON THE ROOFTOP. THE CREW LIVES IN THE BOW. LOGICALLY, IMPORTS LIKE OIL
GO UPSTREAM, AND EXPORTS LIKE GERMAN
MANUFACTURED GOODS GO DOWNSTREAM. THE POWERFUL RHINE HAS LONG
BEEN TREACHEROUS TO NAVIGATE. BOATS GENERALLY PASS
ON THE RIGHT. SINCE DOWNSTREAM SHIPS CAN'T
STOP OR MANEUVER AS FREELY, UPSTREAM BOATS ARE EXPECTED TO
DO THE TRICKY DO-SI-DO WORK. LARGE TRIANGULAR SIGNALS POSTED BEFORE TROUBLESOME
BLIND BENDS IN THE RIVER WARN OF ONCOMING SHIPS. EACH TRIANGLE COVERS
A SEGMENT OF THE BEND, THE LOWEST TRIANGLE
BEING THE NEAREST. THEY WARN
OF APPROACHING SHIPS. IF THE BOTTOM SIDE
OF A TRIANGLE IS LIT, THAT SECTOR IS EMPTY. BUT IF THE LEFT SIDE IS LIT, THERE'S AN ONCOMING SHIP
IN THAT SECTOR. THE MOST DANGEROUS BEND
IN THE RIVER SWINGS AROUND A ROCKY BLUFF
CALLED THE LORELEI. BECAUSE OF REEFS JUST UPSTREAM, MANY SHIPS NEVER MADE IT
SAFELY PAST THE LORELEI AND THE ROCKY CLIFF REMAINS
STEEPED IN MYTH. SAILORS BLAMED THEIR MISFORTUNE
ON A Fräulein -- SO wunderbar -- HER LONG, BLONDE HAIR
ALMOST COVERED HER BODY. THIS LEGENDARY SIREN FLIRTED AND SANG HER DISTRACTING
SONGS FROM THIS ROCK. JUST DOWN RIVER
FROM THE LORELEI IS THE PLEASANT
TOWN OF ST. GOAR, FOUNDED IN THE 6th
CENTURY BY A MONK FAMOUS FOR HIS HOSPITALITY. ACCORDING TO LEGEND, EARLY
SAILORS WOULD STOP HERE FOR A REST
AND A PRAYER OF THANKS AFTER SURVIVING THE SEDUCTIVE
AND TREACHEROUS LORELEI. TODAY ST. GOAR
IS A TOURIST TOWN. ITS ONLY HAZARD, STREETS
OF SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS SHOP BRAGS IT HAS THE WORLD'S LARGEST
FREE-HANGING CUCKOO CLOCK. THIS ONE SPECIALIZES IN STEINS. RHEINFELS CASTLE SITS LIKE
A DEAD PIT BULL ABOVE ST. GORE. ONCE THE BIGGEST AND MIGHTIEST
CASTLE ON THE RHINE, RHEINFELS RUMBLES WITH GHOSTS
FROM ITS HARD-FOUGHT PAST. WHILE IT WITHSTOOD A SIEGE OF
28,000 FRENCH TROOPS IN 1692, THE FRENCH FINALLY
DESTROYED IT A CENTURY LATER. TODAY THIS HOLLOW,
BUT FASCINATING, SHELL OFFERS YOUR BEST HANDS-ON,
RUINED-CASTLE EXPERIENCE ON THE RIVER. DURING THE PRE-GUNPOWDER
GLORY DAYS OF CASTLES, DEFENSES WERE BETTER
THAN OFFENSES. THE BEST WAY TO BEAT
A CASTLE LIKE THIS WAS A LONG, BORING,
STARVE-'EM-OUT SIEGE. THEREFORE, A CASTLE NEEDED
TO BE WELL-STOCKED AND SELF-SUFFICIENT. IMAGINE THIS COURTYARD
500 YEARS AGO. IT HAD A BAKERY, PHARMACY,
HERB GARDEN, LIVESTOCK, A WELL, EVEN A BREWERY. DURING TIMES OF PEACE, A COUPLE
HUNDRED PEOPLE LIVED HERE. BUT DURING A SIEGE,
AS MANY AS 4,000 PEOPLE WOULD PACK WITHIN THESE WALLS, HOPING TO HAVE ENOUGH PROVISIONS
TO OUTWAIT THEIR ATTACKERS. IN ITS HEYDAY, THESE WALLS, WHITEWASHED AND GLEAMING
IN THE SUN, FLAGS FLYING HIGH, MUST HAVE EXASPERATED ATTACKERS
CAMPED OUTSIDE FOR SO LONG. IF YOU MISS YOUR BOAT, HOURLY TRAINS CONNECT RIVERSIDE
TOWNS QUICKLY AND CHEAPLY. THE HISTORIC TOWN OF BACHARACH
MAKES A FINE HOME BASE FOR EXPLORING THIS REGION. HERR JUNG, BACHARACH'S
RETIRED SCHOOLMASTER, IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE. OVER THE YEARS, HE'S ENJOYED SHOWING MY TOUR
GROUPS AROUND TOWN. NOT MANY PEOPLE
IN THIS TOWN. NO, WE ARE
A SMALL TOWN, BUT IN MEDIEVAL TIMES
WE ARE A BIG TOWN. WE HAVE 3,000
INHABITANTS. IT WAS A BIG TOWN
AND A FAMOUS TOWN. THIS WAS THE CAPITAL
ONCE OF GERMANY. AND FOR TWO YEARS
THIS WAS THE RESIDENCE OF THE HOLY
ROMAN EMPERORS. Rick:
ACTUALLY,
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR RULED FROM HERE? Herr Jung:
YA. IN ITS HEYDAY, BACHARACH WAS
FORTIFIED BY A GREAT WALL, WHICH YOU CAN STILL HIKE ON
ABOVE THE TOWN TODAY. AT ONE TIME THERE WERE
16 TOWERS ALONG THE WALL. SIX OF THEM SURVIVE. THE WALL EXTENDED ALL THE WAY
TO THE CASTLE. Rick:
SO THIS WAS A VERY
IMPORTANT CITY? Herr Jung:
BUT WE HAD BIG
PROBLEMS BACK THEN BECAUSE WE HAD 15 FIRES
AND THE PLAGUE -- HALF OF THE POPULATION
DIED AWAY BY THE PLAGUE -- AND WE HAD
THE THIRTY YEARS WAR, AND BACHARACH WAS
OCCUPIED EIGHT TIMES: BY THE SWEDISH,
BY THE SPANISH, BY THE FRENCH,
EIGHT TIMES. AND THEN WE BECAME
A SLEEPING BEAUTY, FROM 1650 TO 1850,
FOR 200 YEARS. Rick:
200 YEARS,
NOTHING... Jung:
NOTHING CHANGED. THEN IN THE MID-19th CENTURY,
THINGS CHANGED. ROMANTIC ARTISTS
AND WRITERS WERE CHARMED
BY THE RHINELAND'S MIX OF PAST GLORY, RUSTIC POVERTY,
AND RICH LEGEND. THEY DISCOVERED THIS AREA, PUTTING IT ON THE GRAND TOUR
MAP AS THE ROMANTIC RHINE. VICTOR HUGO STOOD HERE AND WROTE OF BACHARACH'S
IVY-COVERED, RUINED CHAPEL, "A MAGNIFICENT SKELETON
PUTS ITS SILHOUETTE AGAINST THE SKY." AND THE ROMANTICS REPORTED
ON THE REGION'S WONDERFUL WINE, WHICH HAD BEEN POPULAR
SINCE ANCIENT ROMAN TIMES. LIKE OTHER TOWNS
ALONG THE RIVER, BACHARACH HAS A LONG TRADITION
OF VINTNERS MAKING WINE, AND OFFERING THEIR
LABEL TO THE THIRSTY PUBLIC. THE HEINRICH FAMILY HAS MADE
WINE HERE FOR GENERATIONS. MARKUS AND SUZANNE SHARE
THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR IN THE FAMILY CELLAR. Rick:
TELL ME
ABOUT THE GRAPE. WHAT IS THE GRAPE
THAT WORKS THE BEST? OKAY, RIESLING IS
THE BEST WHITE WINE GRAPE. IT'S THE QUEEN
OF THE WHITE WINE GRAPES. SO, WHAT IS TYPICAL
FOR THIS WINE? ITS SMELLS
VERY GOOD. YOU CAN TASTE
THE EARTH IN IT,
THE SUN. IT'S SOMETHING
SPECIAL. YEAH. YOU LIKE IT? I LIKE IT.
I DO. SURE? WELL, LET ME
TRY ANOTHER,
A LITTLE MORE. [ laughter ] TODAY, THE RHINE'S CASTLES
EARN THEIR KEEP, NOT BY LOCKING PEOPLE OUT,
BUT BY WELCOMING THEM IN. BACHARACH'S CASTLE HAS BECOME
ONE OF GERMANY'S TOP HOSTELS, WITH PLENTY OF BEDS
AND A WARM WELCOME. THE SIMPLE DORM ROOMS, WHETHER
FOR INDIVIDUALS OR FAMILIES, ARE A GODSEND
FOR BUDGET TRAVEL. MANY COME WITH THE ORIGINAL
MEDIEVAL VIEW. AND HERE, THE KIDS TAKE THE
CASTLE AMBIENCE TO HEART. HOSTELERS CAP THEIR SIGHTSEEING
DAY HERE ON THE TERRACE, WATCHING OVER RIVER TRAFFIC WITH NEW FRIENDS FROM
AROUND THE WORLD WHILE ENJOYING THE CHEAPEST
ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE RHINE. THAT'S GOOD TRAVEL. THE MIGHTY RHINE IS JOINED BY
THE MOSEL RIVER AT KOBLENZ. THE CITY'S NAME COMES FROM
THE LATIN WORD FOR CONFLUENCE, A REMINDER
OF THE REGION'S ROMAN PAST. THIS POINT, WHERE
THE TWO RIVERS MEET, THE DEUTSCHES ECK
OR GERMAN CORNER, THE TOURISTS' JUMPING-OFF POINT
FOR EXPLORING THE DREAMY MOSEL BUT FOR GERMANS, IT HAS
A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE. Rick:
EVERY TIME I COME HERE
TO THE DEUTSCHES ECK, I FEEL IT'S VERY CLOSE
TO THE HEART OF GERMAN PEOPLE,
OR SOMETHING. YOU SHOULD. WHY IS
THAT? WHAT IS
THE DEAL? DEUTSCH ECK TO A GERMAN
IS A FEELING OF BELONGING, OF UNITY,
OF BEING GERMAN. NOT BEING BETTER
THAN THE REST OF US, BUT HAVING A SENSE OF HISTORY,
WHERE WE CAME FROM, WHO WE ARE. THIS SPOT HERE, THIS CORNER,
THIS MONUMENT, THE MOSEL,
THE RHINE RIVER, IT IS REALLY THE HEART
AND SOUL OF GERMANY, OF BEING A GERMAN. Rick:
SO THIS IS REALLY LIKE, LIKE
WHAT WOULD IT BE IN AMERICA? SORT OF
A RALLYING CRY? THE ALAMO? THAT IS
EXACTLY IT. YOU COULDN'T HAVE
PUT IT BETTER. THIS IS
THE GERMAN ALAMO. Rick:
NOW THIS GUY HERE,
KAISER WILHELM? Man:
YA, KAISER WILHELM
BUILT GERMANY. I MEAN, KAISER WILHELM -- KAISER WILHELM
HAD THE FOUNDATION. Rick:
SO THIS MAN
SYMBOLIZES -- Man:
THIS --
THIS IS IT. Rick;
THE MODERN UNIFICATION
OF GERMANY? HE DID IT. HE HELD IT. THE THOMAS JEFFERSON
OF MODERN GERMANY. AMEN. WOW. THE MOSEL MOSEYS 300 MILES
FROM ITS SOURCE IN FRANCE WHERE IT'S CALLED
THE MOSELLE. THIS STRETCH, JUST BEFORE
IT MEETS THE RHINE, IS THE MOST INTERESTING. THE MOSEL IS THE RHINE'S
PEACEFUL LITTLE SISTER, WITH ROMANTIC VILLAGES SLIPPED BETWEEN STEEP VINEYARDS
AND THE RIVER, LOTS OF FRIENDLY B&Bs AND A SPRINKLING OF CASTLES. BOAT, TRAIN, AND CAR TRAFFIC
HERE IS A TRICKLE COMPARED TO THE ROARING RHINE. THE TOWN OF COCHEM IS
THE MAIN TOURIST CENTER, EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY TRAIN,
WITH A COBBLED OLD CENTER, AND A DELIGHTFUL
WATERFRO PROMENADE. IT HAS A STORYBOOK CASTLE,
BUT COCHEM CASTLE IS ACTUALLY A 19th-CENTURY
RECONSTRUCTION, MORE FANCIFUL THAN
AUTHENTIC. FOR A MOREEAL-CASTLE
EXPERIENCE, WE'RE VISITING BURG ELTZ. HIDING OUT FOR 800 YEARS
IN A MYSTERIOUS FOREST, IT'S BEEN LEFT
AMAZINGLY INTACT. THIS IS MY FAVORITE CASTLE
IN ALL OF EUROPE. VISITORS ASSEMBLE
IN THE CENTRAL COURTYARD, THE COMMON GROUND OF A TINY
FORTIFIED COMMUNITY. FROM HERE, GROUPS ARE GUIDED
THROUGH THE CASTLE. THE PLACE IS TRULY AUTHENTIC,
FURNISHED THROUGHOUT BASICALLY AS IT WAS
500 YEARS AGO. THAT'S RARE IN CASTLES. THANKS TO SMART DIPLOMACY
AND CLER MARRIAGES, BURG ELTZ AVOIDED WARS
AND WAS NEVER DESTROYED. IT'S BEEN IN THE ELTZ FAMILY
FOR EIGHT CENTURIES. THE PRESENT COUNTESS
LOVES FLOWERS AND ADORNS EACH ROOM
WITH FRESH BOUQUETS WEEKLY. THE NOBLES FROM THREE BRANCHES
OF THE ELTZ FAMILY, WHO SHARED THIS FORTIFICATION, MET AND WORKED OUT THEIR
PROBLEMS HERE, IN THE GRAND GALLERY. THE DECOR HAD MEANING. SINCE THE JESTER COULD SAY
ANYTHING TO THE KING, THIS RELIEF REMINDED PEOPLE
THEY SHOULD TALK FREELY. BUT THE ROSE OF SILENCE
REMINDED THEM THAT WHAT'S SAID IN HERE
SHOULD STAY PRIVATE. THE MASTER BEDROOM WAS
FINELY DECORATED AND AS COMFORTABLE
AS POSSIBLE BACK THEN. IT CAME WITH A TOILET,
ONE OF 20 IN THE CASTLE, EACH FLUSHED, OCCASIONALLY,
BY RAIN WATER. THIS BED IS ABOUT 500 YEARS OLD. IT'S BUILT HIGH
BECAUSE HOT AIR RISES. THE CANOPY IS ROMANTIC NOW,
BUT BACK THEN IT WAS PRACTICAL. IT KEPT THE HEAT IN
AND THE BUGS OUT. THE CASTLE'S
500-YEAR-OLD WALL PAINTINGS HELP YOU IMAGINE
WHO LIVED HERE. IN THE BEDROOM, THE THEME, A FESTIVAL OF PHALLIC
AND FERTILITY SYMBOLS, HINTS AT A PLAYFUL
AND LUSTY WORLD. BURG ELTZ HAS A LACY
LITTLE GOTHIC CHAPEL. THE PAINTINGS AND STAINED GLASS
ARE ALSO 500 YEARS OLD. THE CHAPEL WAS
ON A LOWER FLOOR. BECAUSE IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL
TO LIVE ABOVE THE HOUSE OF GOD, THE CHAPEL JUTS OUT,
CLEVERLY FILLING A BAY WINDOW. ALL THESE CASTLES ARE REMNANTS
OF EUROPE'S FEUDAL SYSTEM. FEUDALISM WAS
THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE THAT CAME OUT OF THE CHAOS
AND FRAGMENTATION THAT FOLLOWED THE FALL OF ROME. THE FEUDAL SYSTEM WAS BASED
ON A SERIES OF AGREEMENTS BETWEEN A HIERARCHY
OF LANDLORDS. BASICALLY, A BIG LANDLORD GRANTED LAND
TO A LESS POWERFUL GUY IN RETURN FOR SERVICE
AND LOYALTY. TO PUT IT INTO FEUDAL TERMS, A LORD GRANTED A FIEF,
THAT'S LAND, TO A VASSAL,
THAT'S A LESS POWERFUL LORD, IN RETURN FOR FEALTY,
OR LOYALTY. FROM THE KING ON DOWN, ONE MAN'S
VASSAL WAS ANOTHER MAN'S LORD. THE FEUDAL HIERARCHY,
ALL THESE LAYERS OF LORDS, RESTED UPON THE BACKS
OF THE LANDLESS PEASANT OR SERF. AND THE SERFS WHO
SURROUNDED THESE CASTLES HAD NO REAL OPTIONS IN LIFE
BUT TO WORK THE LAND IN RETURN FOR PROTECTION
AND ENOUGH FOOD TO SURVIVE. AS ON THE RHINE, TOWNS
ON THE MOSEL, LIKE BEILSTEIN, GREW UP LOW THEIR CASTLES. TODAY, WITH NARROW LANES
AND AN EASYGOING AMBIENCE, THEY MAKE IDEAL
OVERNIGHT STOPS. INVITING LITTLE FERRIES SHUTTLE FARMERS, HIKERS AND
BIKERS BACK AND FORTH. I'M STAYING AT HAUS LIPMANN, A FAMILY-RUN RESTAURANT THAT
RENTS OUT A FEW ROOMS UPSTAIRS. THE TRADITIONAL GUESTS
HERE ARE GERMANS, WHO COME YEAR AFTER YEAR
TO ENJOY THE CASUAL LIFESTYLE, GOOD COOKING, AND MOSEL WINE. THE CREAKY WOODEN STAIRCASE LEADS TO SEVEN INEXPENSIVE,
YET COMFY ROOMS. AND I RESERVED MINE
WITH A RIVER VIEW. WHILE SLOW TRAINS LACE TOGETHER
RHINE AND MOSEL VILLAGES, EXPRESS TRAINS MAKE THE LONGER
CONNECTIONS TO OTHER REGIONS. IN THREE HOURS,
WE'RE IN ROTHENBURG, GERMANY'S ULTIMATE WALLED CITY. IN THE MIDDLE AGES,
WHEN FRANKFURT AND MUNICH WERE JUST WIDE SPOTS
ON THE ROAD, ROTHENBURG WAS ONE
OF GERMANY'S LARGEST CITIES WITH A WHOPPING
POPULATION OF 6,000. TODAY, EVEN WITH ITS CROWDS
AND OVERPRICED SOUVENIRS, I LOVE THIS PLACE. DURING ROTHENBURG'S HEYDAY --
THAT WAS ABOUT 1200 TO 1400 -- IT WAS AT THE INTERSECTION
OF TWO GREAT TRADING ROUTES, PRAGUE TO PARIS
AND HAMBURG TO VENICE. BUT TODAY THE GREAT
TRADE IS TOURISM. ROTHENBURG IS A HUGE HIT
WITH SHOPPERS. TRUE, THIS IS A GREAT PLACE
TO BUY CUCKOO CLOCKS, STEINS AND DIRNDLS,
BUT SEE THE TOWN FIRST. MOST OF THE BUILDINGS
WERE BUILT BY 1400. LIKE MANY MEDIEVAL TOWNS,
THE FINEST AND BIGGEST HOUSES WERE BUILT ALONG HERRENGASSE, NAMED FOR THE HERREN,
OR THE WEALTHY CLASS. THE COMMONERS BUILT
HIGGLEDY-PIGGLEDY FARTHER FROM THE CENTER
NEAR THE WALLS. HANGING SHOP SIGNS
ADVERTISE WHAT THEY SOLD: KNIVES, ARMOR,
BREAD, WHATEVER. ROTHENBURG'S WALL, WITH ITS BEEFY FORTIFICATIONS
AND INTIMIDATING GATES, IS ABOUT A MILE AROUND
AND PROVIDES GREAT VIEWS AND A GOOD ORIENTATION. RÖDERTOR IS THE ONLY TOWER
YOU CAN ACTUALLY CLIMB. IT'S WORTH THE HIKE
FOR THE COMMANDING CITY VIEW AND THE FASCINATING DISPLAY
ON THE BOMBING OF ROTHENBURG IN THE LAST WEEKS
OF WORLD WAR II, WHEN MUCH OF THE CITY
WAS DESTROYED. BUT ROTHENBURG'S MOST
DEVASTATING DAYS WERE 400 YEARS AGO
DURING THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR. IN THE 1600s, THE CATHOLIC
AND PROTESTANT ARMIES WERE FIGHTING
ALL ACROSS EUROPE. THE CATHOLIC ARMY TOOK THE
PROTESTANT TOWN OF ROTHENBURG AND, AS WAS CUSTOMARY, THEY PLANNED TO EXECUTE
THE TOWN LEADERS AND PILLAGE AND PLUNDER
THE PLACE. BUT THE CATHOLIC GENERAL
HAD AN IDEA. HE SAID, HEY, IF SOMEBODY
IN THIS TOWN CAN DRINK A THE-LITER TANKARD
FILLED WITH WINE IN ONE GULP, I'LL SPARE THE CITY. ACCORDING TO LEGEND, ROTHENBURG'S RETIRED
MAYOR NUSCH SAID, "I CAN DO THAT." MAYOR NUSCH DRANK THE WHOLE
THING, THE TOWN WAS SAVED, AND THE MAYOR SLEPT
FOR THREE DAYS. AND TODAY TOURISTS GATHER
ON THE TOWN SQUARE SEVERAL TIMES DAILY FOR A LESS-
THAN-THRILLING REENACTMENT OF THAT LEGENDARY CHUG. NICE STORY. BUT IN ACTUALITY, THE TOWN
WAS OCCUPIED AND RANSACKED SEVERAL TIMES DURING
THAT 30 YEARS OF WAR. AND WHEN PEACE FINALLY CAME, ROTHENBURG WAS NEVER AGAIN
A MAJOR PLAYER. IT SLUMBERED PEACEFULLY UNTIL REDISCOVERED
IN THE 19th CENTURY BY THOSE SAME ROMANTICS
WHO PUT THE RHINE ON THE GRAND TOUR MAP. THEY CAME HERE
TO PAINT AND WRITE ABOUT THE BEST PRESERVED
MEDIEVAL TOWN IN GERMANY. SHOPS ARE FILLED
WITH ETCHINGS AND PRINTS INSPIRED BY THIS 19th CENTURY
ROMANTIC TAKE ON THE TOWN. AND ROTHENBURG IS LINED WITH
OTHER SHOPPING OPPORTUNITIES. TOURISTS FLOCK TO THE KÄTHE
WOHLFAHRT CHRISTMAS VILLAGE, A PHENOMENON REQUIRING
A SPECIAL ELECTRICAL HOOK-UP AND OFFERING A CHRISTMAS
SHOPPING FANTASY 365 DAYS A YEAR. UPSTAIRS, ITS MUSEUM
OF CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS GIVES A KIND OF HISTORIC
LEGITIMACY TO ITS MERCHANDISE. WHILE CELEBRATING A WINTER
FESTIVAL WITH TREES PREDATES THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, ABOUT 500 YEARS AGO,
GERMANY WAS THE FIRST PLACE WHERE DECORATED TREES BECAME A PART
OF CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS. THESE FIRST TREES WERE STREWN
WITH COOKIES, APPLES, NUTS, AND SUGAR STICKS,
WHICH CHILDREN EAGERLY RAIDED. IN THE 1800s, WHEN CANDLES
BECAME AFFORDABLE, THE TREE OF LIGHTS ARRIVED. AND THE TRADITION
OF THE FAMILY GATHERING AROUND THE TREE
FOR GIFT-GIVING WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED. IN THE EARLY 1900s,
DURING THE ART NOUVEAU AGE, TREES WERE DRAPED IN TINSEL AND ORNAMENTED WITH LOVINGLY
PAINTED GLASS BULBS. IN GERMANY, THE LAND
OF "O TANNENBAUM," CHRISTMAS TREES WERE SO POPULAR
THAT DURING WORLD WAR I, THOUSANDS OF THEM
WERE ACTUALLY MAILED TO SOLDIERS
ON THE WESTERN FRONT. THESE TINY TREES, ASSEMBLED
RIGHT OUT OF THE POSTAGE BOX, WERE MADE OF FEATHERS
AND PAPER. OKAY, YOU GOT TO DO
YOUR SPPING. BUT ROTHENBURG HAS TWO SIGHTS
YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST SEE: THE MEDIEVAL CRIME
AND PUNISHMENT MUSEUM AND THE GREAT ART
IN THIS CHURCH. ST. JAKOB'S CHURCH,
BUILT IN THE 14th CENTURY, HAS BEEN LUTHERAN SINCE 1544. ITS 12 APOSTLES ALTARPIECE
GRABS YOUR ATTENTION. WITH SEVERAL LARGE PANELS
THAT SWING ON HINGES, IT'S PERMANENTLY LEFT IN ITS
OPEN FESTIVAL-DAY POSITION. BUT HIDING UPSTAIRS
IN THE BACK OF THE CHURCH IS THE ARTISTIC HIGHLIGHT
OF ROTHENBURG AND, PERHAPS, GERMANY'S
MOST WONDERFUL WOOD CARVING, THE GLORIOUS 500-YEAR-OLD
ALTAR OF THE HOLY BLOOD. TILMAN RIEMENSCHNEIDER -- THIS IS SUPPOSEDLY
HIS SELF-PORTRAIT -- WAS THE MICHELANGELO
OF GERMAN WOOD CARVERS. HE WHEN WHITTLED THIS
INCREDIBLE ENSEMBLE TO HOLD A PRECIOUS
ROCK CRYSTAL CAPSULE, BELIEVED TO CONTAIN A DROP
OF JESUS'S BLOOD. BELOW, IN THE SCENE
OF THE LAST SUPPER, JESUS GIVES JUDAS,
CLUTCHING HIS BAG OF COINS, A PIECE OF BREAD,
MARKING HIM AS THE TRAITOR. ART LIKE THIS GAVE
ROTHENBURGERS SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE. BUT SOME OF THE TOWNFOLK NEEDED A MORE PHYSICAL
FORM OF GUIDANCE, AS DISPLAYED IN ROTHENBURG'S MEDIEVAL CRIME
AND PUNISHMENT MUSEUM. THIS MUSEUM, THE BEST
OF ITS KIND, SHOWS GRAPHICALLY HOW PEOPLE WERE PUNISHED
IN THE MIDDLE AGES. EACH FEUDAL STATE
THOUGHTFULLY DESCRIBED ITS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL
PUNISHMENTS IN CAREFULLY WRITTEN LAWS. TORTURE, LIKE STRETCHING
SOMEONE ON THE RACK, WAS ONLY USED
TO GET CONFESSIONS. GENERALLY, JUST A QUICK LOOK
AT THESE TOOLS GOT THE ACCUSED TALKING. DEATH PENALTIES WERE COMMON
AND CAME IN DEGREES. A MINOR OFFENSE,
SUCH AS STEALING, EARNED YOU A QUICK DEATH
BY BEHEADING. MORE SERIOUS CAPITAL OFFENSES,
LIKE MURDER WITH THEFT, EARNED YOU A SLOW DEATH, LIKE HAVING ALL YOUR BONES
BROKEN UNDER A WHEEL BEFORE YOUR EXECUTION. BAD SOCIAL BEHAVIOR WAS DEALT
WITH BY PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT VIA SHAME MASKS. MEN ACTING LIKE PIGS
WORE THIS MASK. GOSSIPS, PEOPLE WHO HEARD TOO
MUCH AND TALKED TOO MUCH, WOULD BE LOCKED
INTO THIS CONTRAPTION WITH A BELL RINGING ON TOP. QUARRELSOME PEOPLE
WOULD BE LOCKED INTO A DOUBLE-NECK VIOLIN
UNTIL THEY WORKED THINGS OUT. GLORIOUS WOOD CARVINGS AND
CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENTS SHINE A LIGHT
ON MEDIEVAL LIFE. BUT MY FAVORITE TRIP
INTO MEDIEVAL ROTHENBURG IS WITH THE NIGHT WATCHMAN. NIGHTLY, HE LIGHTS
UP HIS LANTERN AND LEADS A GANG OF TOURISTS
INTO THE PAST. THIS TOWN WAS CONQUERED
THE FIRST TIME IN 1631, SO IT TOOK A WHILE,
HUNDREDS OF YEARS. NO ENEMY MADE IT
INTO THIS CITY. BUT THEY ALL
DID ONE THING. IF THEY COULDN'T GET IN,
LIKE IT WAS THEIR PLAN, AND THEY HAD TO GO BACK
WHERE THEY CAME FROM AFTER THEY TRIED
EVERYTHING THEY COULD, WELL, THEN THEY
PLUNDERED OUR VILLAGES. THEY KILLED OUR PEASANTS. THEY TOOK PARTS
OF OUR OUTSIDE TERRITORY. AND BUILT -- AND BURNED
OUR VILLAGES DOWN. THERE WAS ALWAYS
A PRICE TO PAY. THE TOUR FINISHES WITH A SCENE FROM THE ROTHENBURG
OF CENTURIES AGO. sound of Medieval horn ] AS THE NIGHT WATCHMAN
BLOWS HIS HORN, SIGNALING ALL IS WELL, WE KNOW THAT
MEDIEVAL GERMANY SURVIVES. FROM EVOCATIVE CASTLES
TO ITS ROMANTIC RIVERS, FROM FINE RHINE WINE
TO FANCIFUL COBBLED LANES, WITH A LITTLE IMAGINATION,
YOU CAN REKINDLE THE EUROPE OF OLD. THANKS FOR JOINING US
ON OUR VISIT TO GERMANY'S ROMANTIC RHINE,
MOSEL, AND ROTHENBURG. I'M RICK STEVES. UNTIL NEXT TIME,
KEEP ON TRAVELING. AUF WIEDERSEHEN!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhine_Gorge