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Angela Rippon S River Cruises S01E01
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00:03I'm Angela Rippon. I've spent decades working as a broadcast journalist, but now I'm bringing you
00:10some very different global stories as I explore the world by river cruise. That's the thing with
00:17this river, there's always something to see. So join me on a breathtaking journey of discovery.
00:24We're underway. Hello. In Austria, we'll whirl around the magical ballrooms.
00:32Try to make it faster. So one, two, three, four, five, six. In Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City, we'll be
00:37going for a spin.
00:39It's a majestic building. And in the trash old Kajapet forest, we'll slow things down a bit in stunning tranquility.
00:48This is so lovely. In Germany, I get ahead with some Hollywood stardust.
00:55Is that Johnny Depp's hat? Yes. And in Cambodia, we'll indulge in some scrumptious street food.
01:02Watch that. Prickets.
01:04Prickets.
01:14This time, in Budapest, a poignant monument moves me to tears.
01:20I don't think I've ever seen a more telling reminder of how cruel mankind can be.
01:27In Vienna, I'm enchanted by an equine ballet. You fear you want to laugh when he does that, but you
01:34can't.
01:36In Krems, we witness a magnificent abbey with a stunning interior and a culinary secret.
01:43Tasting. You've been waiting for this since the beginning.
01:46Yeah, that's the reason why I'm here.
01:47In Dernstein, we discover how a medieval castle has connections close to home.
01:54Richard the Lionheart, who was kept here as our prisoner.
02:25The Lionheart, who was kept here as a prisoner.
02:26I've just travelled up the steep 95 metres from the river to Buda Castle Hill, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
02:34I'm in Hungary's capital city, Budapest, where my waltz along the Danube begins.
02:40And up here, this is the best place to get a view of the river that's going to be my
02:45guide for the next few days.
02:47What a glorious view of the river Danube in this early morning sunshine as this mighty river slices through Budapest.
02:59I think it's been a good 10 years since I was last in this city and it's going to be
03:04so exciting discovering this river all over again.
03:08There are going to be wonderful things to see, new experiences to have, the music, the architecture, the culture in
03:17each different country.
03:19And my travelling companion is right there, the river Danube.
03:26I'll be joining my ship later and will then sail west to the Austrian city of Vienna and then into
03:34the Wachau Valley and the towns of Krems and Dernstein.
03:38My cruise then continues to Brandstadt, where I'll detour to Salzburg and then pass through the German city of Passau
03:46before heading on to Regensburg.
03:49For the last leg of the cruise, I'll come off the Danube and onto the main Danube canal, sailing through
03:55the Continental Divide as we head to Nuremberg and on to my final destination, Bamberg.
04:02It's going to be quite the journey.
04:08I flew to Budapest to meet my ship, but I've got some time before I can hop on board, so
04:14I'm taking this opportunity to meet a local guide, Andrea.
04:20Hello, are you Andrea?
04:21Yes, I am.
04:22Oh, hi, Andrea.
04:23So nice to meet you.
04:24What a magnificent backdrop.
04:26What a perfect place to meet you.
04:28Yes, exactly.
04:28What a place.
04:30Oh, this is fantastic.
04:34Budapest is only one of the four capital cities that are on the Danube, which is more than any other
04:40river.
04:41It's also a very popular city full of tourists who come for the historic buildings and the ancient thermal spas.
04:48The view from here is magnificent, Andrea, isn't it?
04:51Just talk me through what we can see.
04:54Yes, so basically we can see the entire Pest side of Budapest, which is much...
04:59Because we're in Buda.
05:00We are on the Buda side.
05:01Yes.
05:01That's the first thing to know, that this is Buda side, the other side is the Pest side.
05:06You can see it's so much larger than the Buda side.
05:08But until 1873, the capital of Hungary wasn't even Budapest, but only Buda, only this side.
05:15This side.
05:16Budapest was once three cities, Buda, Obuda and Pest, but they were combined to form the current capital city.
05:25Where we are right now in Buda Castle is the old historical area of Budapest, and the Pest side is
05:30a much more cosmopolitan, grandiose, European style, but primarily 19th century settlement.
05:36And tell me about where we are here.
05:38So we are standing right now on the top of the Fisherman's Bastion.
05:42When Natályas Church was beautifully restored, they finished it in the late 1800s, the architect, who was an outstanding Hungarian
05:48architect, built Fisherman's Bastion, which is a lookout terrace.
05:52But why Fisherman?
05:53The reason is that down below us, close to the river, there used to be the former fish market, and
05:58fishermen were the guards for this area of Buda Castle, and that's why it was given the name the Fisherman's
06:03Bastion.
06:05Walking tours, like the ones led by Andrea, are the ideal way to have a whistle-stop tour of what
06:11is a sprawling city.
06:13So the chain bridge was designed by William Tierney-Clark, British architect.
06:18And it's very familiar to British people, particularly people who live in London, because this is a copy, isn't it,
06:25of a bridge that is in Hammersmith in London?
06:29Yes, absolutely.
06:30Andrea, why are there holes in the middle of the flags?
06:33Yes, so the flags are the reminders of the 1956 uprising.
06:37When the uprising started out, the angry local people cut the communist coat of arms from the flags.
06:45Within two weeks, the uprising was squashed by the Soviets, with over two and a half thousand Hungarians killed.
06:51This is a reminder of that uprising in 1956, the communist invasion of Hungary, wasn't it?
06:56Absolutely.
06:59The Pest side of the river, whilst still historic, is a much more vibrant and trendy part of the city.
07:06So it's time for a coffee and a sit-down.
07:10This is an area which is very cosmopolitan.
07:12You have lots of local people.
07:14You have people that come here for the weekend from surrounding countries.
07:18It's a mixture of different people and of all ages as well.
07:21We're in the heart of the Jewish district, which is not just important historically to Budapest, but also in terms
07:30of the culture of the city.
07:32Yes, absolutely.
07:33So this used to be a very flourishing area of the city up until the Second World War.
07:38So it started out with Spanish Jews coming from Spain in 1492 and were not allowed to buy land within
07:45the city.
07:45So just outside of the city wall was the area where they bought their lands.
07:51And here there was a kosher butcher and different synagogues.
07:55It was a very vibrant, flourishing area for the Jewish population.
07:59But all that changed during the Second World War.
08:03What happened to this whole area?
08:04After the mass deportation started in the spring of 1944, in this area there were still thousands of Jewish people.
08:12And many of them died because of the terrible conditions during the siege of Budapest.
08:17The whole place was sieged, wasn't it? They weren't allowed in or out.
08:20And because of the hardships, because of the cold weather, starvation, many Jewish people died in this area.
08:26That's why they're buried in the middle of the city, as it were, behind the synagogue.
08:32That's right.
08:32So it's actually the courtyard of the synagogue, or the special permission was given by the rabbi to bury more
08:38than 2,000 victims over there.
08:45It's a sombre reminder of the past.
08:48The history of the Jewish community in Budapest is marked by tragedy.
08:55And having said goodbye to Andrea, I'm going to visit a stark reminder of that time, immortalised in a unique
09:03memorial by the river.
09:08Back in the winter of 1944, when we were getting right to the end of the Second World War, here
09:16in the city of Budapest, Jewish people were being given sanctuary in the homes of ordinary Hungarians.
09:24But at the same time, there was a pro-Nazi, fascist, Hungarian group who were called the Arrow Cross.
09:39Over the winter, they took those people out of the homes where they were being given sanctuary, and they brought
09:50them to the banks of the Danube.
09:54They lined them up, they shot them, and pushed their bodies into the river.
10:02But before they did, they made them take their shoes off, because they wanted their shoes.
10:18Just makes me feel sad.
10:23I don't think, I don't think, I don't think I've ever seen a more telling reminder of how cruel mankind
10:34can be.
10:36Created in 2005, this haunting memorial represents 60 pairs of the victim's shoes.
10:46It's so easy when you're travelling to do the fun things, but for me, learning about a country's history helps
10:53you better understand it, even if you do have to confront the horrors of the past.
10:59And I know this image will stay with me.
11:10For now, I must leave the capital, as I need to get on board Scenic Amber, my home for the
11:16next seven nights.
11:19Bye-bye, Budapest.
11:21We're underway.
11:23So this is where our voyage of adventure really begins.
11:41Coming up...
11:42Angela, if you would be so kind.
11:44We'll whirl around an iconic Viennese dance school and learn how to Viennese waltz.
11:49And be dazzled by the stunning horses of the acclaimed Spanish riding school.
11:55Just touch his nose first.
11:57Just touch his nose first.
11:58Now you can have your sugar.
12:07I'm on my great river cruise journey, heading west along the Danube.
12:12And as the guests settle in for a day on the river, I'm up on the deck, taking in the
12:17sights.
12:18We're travelling through four of the ten different countries that the Danube passes through.
12:23And although we just sail past Slovakia, there is still plenty to see from the deck.
12:29We're sailing through Bratislava, which is the capital of Slovakia.
12:35And we're just going through the old part of the city here, with the White Castle up on the hill
12:41there.
12:42That white building is Bratislava Castle, the former seat of the royals, and now a museum.
12:49And can you see behind me, that thing up there?
12:51They call it the UFO, it's a restaurant.
12:53When this country was under communist rule, apparently the communist leaders used to go and have their lunch up there
12:59so they could look down on the city and make sure that everything was as it should be.
13:09After a day gently sailing along the Danube, we've arrived in Vienna, Austria's capital.
13:16Morning.
13:17Good morning.
13:18Good morning.
13:19Nearly half a million cruisers visit this city every year to take in a place that's renowned for its quality
13:25of life and for its culture.
13:32City of music and of dreams and of some quite extraordinary and beautiful architecture.
13:41The Habsburgs, who ruled here from, what, 1282, were rich, so rich, that they wanted to make this a city
13:50of culture.
13:51Everywhere you look, they've left their stamp.
13:55And they had 600 years in which to do it.
13:58And, oh my goodness, what the Habsburgs have done with those six centuries is extraordinary.
14:04Because as well as attracting a lot of musicians, I think they must have obviously attracted some stunning architects.
14:11These artists and intellectuals flocked to the cafes of Vienna, which became places for creative people to meet and socialise.
14:21So what better way to start your day than at one such place, Cafe Central.
14:30Look at that ceiling.
14:32Oh, this is so beautiful.
14:37Oh, my goodness.
14:39Just look.
14:41The cakes here are just divine.
14:45This place, famous for them, has been here since, what, 1876?
14:52Throughout the 150 years that this place has been serving coffee, you might have bumped into a rich collection of
14:59historical figures, all sharing their creativity and spurring each other on.
15:04Along with enjoying some Viennese classics, like Saka Torta.
15:24Oh, my gosh.
15:30And I was just, I was, I was just, I was just thinking how wonderful it would be to come
15:35here and sit here and have tea, for instance, with perhaps Gustav Mahler, the composer sitting there, or Puccini.
15:44imagine sitting in over a cream cake discussing with them the music that they'd written but it
15:50wasn't always the nicest of people who were attracted to Vienna I think it was 1913 when
15:57this city played host to Hitler Trotsky Tito and Stalin I think that those four might have
16:07actually turned the cream in these delicious cakes quite sour and that would be a real shame
16:14especially as this peanut caramel slice is a delightful gooey sweet and salty treat with
16:22just a hint of rich chocolate but I can't soak up the atmosphere here all day as I'm off to
16:29the
16:29Hofburg Palace it was originally built for the Habsburg dynasty as a grand home and a base from
16:35which to run the country and it covered 60 acres this is one of those places you absolutely have
16:42to visit in Vienna because it's full of history and is now a cultural hotspot including museums
16:49and event spaces and it's here at the winter riding school in the palace that the famous Spanish riding
16:55school trains when I was in my 30s I moved to live on the edge of Dartmoor so I I
17:04learned to ride I've
17:04got a horse and I used to ride her over the mall and that was when I learned and discovered
17:10the joy of
17:12being able to ride being at one in harmony with another living creature famous for their ballet of the
17:20white stallions the Spanish riding school of Vienna opened in 1565 it preserves the tradition of dressage where a
17:29horse and rider work as one to pull off delicate moves of strength agility and elegance they only
17:36ride the Pizzana stallions descended from a Spanish breed that was imported to the school when it opened
17:42hence the name the Spanish riding school
17:52I've arranged to meet Marius who joined the school 30 years ago and now trains horses and new riders as
18:00well as performing in the shows I have to say I am in in horse heaven here but this is
18:07not your average
18:08stable is it we have here space for 71 horses yeah yes and one of my special horse you will
18:15see here
18:16who's this this is a master's alia he's 19 years old I am from him in the performance for the
18:25schools
18:26above the ground and I do live art yeah moves that are referred to as above the ground are highly
18:33skilled
18:33movements where the horse literally leaves the floor that's all that very sort of um advanced dressage
18:40isn't it yes it is when did you start riding I started riding when I was uh 12 so around
18:4612 years old
18:47and um I'm here since uh 1996 oh the joy you must have felt the first time you went into
18:56the arena on your
18:57horse was that special it was very very special yeah yes it's it's uh I think my whole life it
19:03will
19:03stay in my brain it can take a whopping 12 years to be fully qualified as a rider and performer
19:09at this
19:10school what is the sensation you get when you're on your favorite horse I think when you know a horse
19:18like him for 15 years we learn together and we train together excuse me you are you are photobombing
19:26our shots you do realize that don't you sorry you were saying so after five years you get to have
19:35you can ride a full trained horse well it seems a layer is more taken with my cameraman than with
19:44us
19:44but marius has just the thing to get his attention
19:48let me touch his nose
19:54he's laughing
19:59you want to try it can I there we go just touch his nose just touch his nose first there
20:04we go now you
20:04can have your sugar there you go marius and alea are off to train
20:12fortunately for me and my cruising friends you can come along and watch these sessions most mornings
20:18getting a chance to see for yourself just how talented the riders and their horses are
20:29watching the elegance and grace of these beautiful animals working in harmony with their skilled riders is
20:35almost like watching a ballet especially in this stunning baroque setting
20:47to witness this living breathing historical institution is a never-to-be-forgotten experience
21:09it's wonderful to watch the horses they're showing what they do in training it isn't a sport this
21:14it's an art form and if you love horses oh coming and watching a performance or even the training like
21:23that is it's an absolute joy my next adventure requires a quick trip back to the ship so that
21:41I can get a change of outfit because I'm going to be putting myself through some paces okay I cannot
21:50come come to Vienna and not learn how to do a Viennese waltz properly so I've come to the top
21:57dance school in the city and a couple of friends from the ship are going to join me to give
22:03it a whirl
22:09here at the Elmeyer dance school they've been teaching students of all ages for over a hundred
22:15years hi Hilda Joe Mike Leslie oh this is gonna be fun isn't it yeah emerging in the ballrooms of
22:25Vienna in the late 18th century the fast-paced Viennese waltz is in fact the original waltz with
22:32the slower waltz or English waltz developed later hello Bernie hello nice to meet you today the school
22:40director Bernie is going to teach us all how to spin the light fantastic how long have you been dancing
22:46dancing for more than 25 years now and it takes some time to practice you have loads of balls here
22:53in Vienna we have about 450 ball festivities each year in Austria well we might not have 25 years to
23:01learn but if anyone can teach us it's Bernie first up a demonstration every time I take a turn I
23:09try to make
23:10it I'll to turn more and try to make it faster so one two three four five six one two
23:15three four five
23:16six no pressure then so let's start with the basics for the way knees waltz we need three different types
23:23of steps so one step to the side very good and now we close the left foot to the right
23:29foot one step
23:30forward then to the side and close and while closing don't forget to shift the weight so forward side
23:38change of weight backward side change of weight and forward with the steps mastered it's time to
23:46partner up and just a tiny bit of pressure here Angela if you would be so kind as the other
23:52four
23:53are in couples I'm dancing with the teacher so she will start left foot backward and then going right
24:00forward four five and forward side close backward oops side and forward side close and backward here
24:15we go side the Viennese waltz is believed to be the very first ballroom dance in a close hold which
24:22was seen as rather racy now it's our turn to try those dizzying Viennese spins and as we're on the
24:29Danube there really is only one piece of music that should be our soundtrack this unofficial Austrian
24:34anthem it's called the blue Danube waltz from Johann Strauss arguably the most beautiful waltz ever
24:40written and let's try it but slightly faster ready here we go so one two three four five and one
24:53two three four
24:54four five six
25:03sure should we swap directions yes okay so
25:20with such an iconic piece of music playing it's like being taken back to the glittering age of ballroom
25:30thank you very much what a fabulously culture-filled day I've had in Vienna but for now it's time to
25:37head back to my ship and I dare say I'll be waltzing the whole way there
25:50coming up I'm astounded by the thousand-year-old Gutwig Abbey how many adjectives can you use to
25:57describe this it's breathtaking and I'm fascinated by the many things that the monks produce from
26:03apricots please tell me you don't put apricot jam on the sausages no no never never
26:16I'm on a cruise along the great river that runs through central Europe the Danube
26:24when you're enjoying a leisurely sail on the river dinner is a great time to make new friends and find
26:31out what draws them to this iconic waterway hi Danny hello oh thank you for joining me for dinner
26:40thank you Luana and Danny are experiencing the Danube for the very first time you're both from
26:46Canada aren't you correct we're in Canada Ontario ready to the bottom of Lake Huron oh you're on the
26:52bottom of Lake Huron yes so you're used to being near the river that long to me yeah there's a
26:56river
26:56the lake and then the river yes awesome cheers cheers yeah cheers cheers cheers wonderful dinner
27:04to our river cruise but why a trip down the Danube we just were so fascinated that we would be
27:11going
27:11to so many countries along this river and just the scenery oh it's a lot of sceneries yeah castles
27:18the churches just magical and all of it's so old I mean the number of places that we visited that
27:25were here in the 12th century yes it is an interesting way to discover a continent actually
27:31isn't it by sailing down a river oh you get a flavor of every every you know country and every
27:37city I always think that Buddha when you look at it from the Peche side you look across and there's
27:44one little bit of it that looks as if it should be part of a Disney set you know you
27:48expect Tinkerbell
27:49to come flying over like a picture and it's not just scenery my fellow travelers are taking every
27:57opportunity to experience all that the Danube has to offer including the food I love the fact that we
28:05get to eat the foods of the region so as we travel down the Danube you know the menu shifts
28:15so when you go
28:16back to Canada what are the memories you'll take back of this river and this trip you know a memory
28:23I'll have our time right now at this moment to travel yes the next day we've traveled almost 50
28:39nautical miles from Vienna to reach our next destination the city of Krems it's the oldest city
28:47in lower Austria and it's a popular stop for cruise ships as it's part of the Vachau Valley a UNESCO
28:54World Heritage Site that's celebrated as one of Europe's most stunning river valleys this whole area
29:02is renowned for its beauty for its wildlife for its history when you look at the hills behind we are
29:08surrounded by vineyards so this whole area produces some pretty impressive wine as well as apricots you
29:18can't go far on the Danube without finding something really wonderful to eat and drink
29:25just a short trip from the dock is Gutwig Abbey I'm told it's a must see if you visit Krems
29:32for its
29:33architecture and history around 34 monks still practice here and I've arranged to meet one of
29:40them to learn more about the monastery and its culinary secrets hello welcome to Gutwig Abbey
29:49Father Pius nice to meet you my goodness you live in a magnificent place isn't that a lovely place yeah
29:57how do you feel living here I've lived here for nearly 30 years I became a monk 1996 yeah and
30:04always
30:04when I'm driving towards Gutwig when I see our monastery on the top of the hill my heart is always
30:10beating and I'm not surprised it is a magnificent building and very much a tourist attraction yeah
30:15about 125,000 guests every year coming to Gutwig Abbey most of them by ships they are cruising on the
30:23River Danube because we're here in the Vachel Valley next to the river founded in 1083 the original Abbey
30:30was destroyed by fire in the 18th century but it was rebuilt and is now baroque splendor at its finest
30:38and behind that facade gosh oh Father Pius this is you didn't expected that right you would never
30:50expect this from outside no no because the church can't be seen from outside and this is the beating
30:56heart of the monastery where the monks are gathering five times during the day for the prayers
31:04oh what a glorious place to pray look at that organ for instance yeah you could just have pipes look
31:11at
31:11it the organ is from 1703 a mechanical stop organ and it still works in itself it's a work of
31:18art
31:19frescoes the gold the panelling and the colour of blue absolutely everywhere and the reason is
31:27the blessed virgin mary is patron saint of our monastery and in arts blue is a sign of royalty
31:55it's truly humbling standing in a building like this the attention to detail and craftsmanship
32:02it's simply stunning it's not just the buildings that are impressive it's also the 60 plus acres of
32:11vineyards which get me one step closer to those culinary secrets wow spectacular this view is just
32:21spectacular isn't it I mean how many adjectives can you use to describe it's breathtaking it's awesome
32:28it's gorgeous it's unique because from here you see the river danube this is the direction to vienna
32:34yes then you see krems and behind krems uh the border of the czech republic all the vineyards here
32:40these are your vineyards not all but the majority of our vineyards are here in this direction
32:48and it's in their orchards that you'll find that secret ingredient apricots they turn this delicious
32:54fruit into a number of products to help generate an income for the abbey and father pious has invited
33:00us into the kitchens to learn just some of what can be done with an apricot so this is the
33:06place where
33:06we produce the apricot jam oh the jam hello hello i'm angela do you want one oh i better put
33:14a penny
33:14on yes i suppose so yes there we go the jam starts life as one part fruit to one part
33:20sugar with some
33:21vanilla thrown in for good measure it has to simmer about five to ten minutes have they always been
33:26making jam here yeah it's typical typical for breakfast we love it for breakfast so it's apricot
33:32jam with your toast in the morning not marmalade no apricot jam every time not every time sometimes we
33:39have sausages as well please tell me you don't put apricot jam on the sausages no no never never
33:46mustard but maybe must be the flavor of apricot we have this in the shop
33:53apricot flavored mustard that's new to me i don't think you just produce jam out of the apricot
33:58oh we produce other things as well we produce juice for example just to depress the fresh fruit
34:04and then we have the juice brandy schnapps liqueur sparkling wine yeah you get your value out of your
34:13apricot trees don't you you really do so presumably the whole monastery is involved in this each monk has
34:19got his own job or work to do um this is a very old tradition um saint benedict writes in
34:26his rule
34:26there must be always a balance between work and prayer now i did say i was going to help out
34:33but um
34:34i have got a bit carried away just chatting to father pious now comes the best part of the cooking
34:39demonstration the tasting you've been waiting for this since the beginning that's the reason why i'm
34:45here for you that's for you oh yeah that on a breakfast muffin or toast perfect perfect perfect
34:57well there are no breakfast muffins here though father pious does have one last treat for me outside
35:04surrounded by the stunning valley view we have a special thing for you our famous apricot dumpling
35:11yet guests to the abbey can take part in a dumpling making lesson and they sell around 18 000 dumplings
35:19a year in their restaurant and of course that's not all this is the apricot sparkling wine look at that
35:28inside the dumpling there is the apricot excellent the sweet center of the dumpling a whole apricot
35:40this is absolutely superb father pious your good health and your apricots thank you very much for
35:49your visit come back soon and god bless you thank you and just in case you were wondering what i
35:56thought
35:56of the dumplings anybody want to try this because it's lovely well i came here to explore the beautiful
36:07architecture overflowing with history but i think i'll be staying just a little longer to indulge in
36:13all the apricots that i possibly can coming up okay ready yep ready i'm blown away by the beauty and
36:23history of one of europe's most popular cycle routes such fun it's been lovely
36:31and the dramatic dernstein castle's horrible history is revealed richard the lionheart who was
36:38kept to here as our prisoner i'm on a great river cruise journey on the danube i've seen the vacau
36:54valley
36:54whilst sailing along the danube and from high up at gutwig abbey but there's another great way of seeing
37:02this landscape the next stop on my trip down the danube is the medieval town of dernstein i've discovered
37:11that the danube has a cycle path so i've actually decided that um it would be rather nice to cycle
37:19to dernstein and get a whole new feel for this not just the river but this rather beautiful valley that
37:27it flows through so um on your bike weapon here we go it's just a five mile cycle ride to
37:35dernstein
37:35but the danube cycle path stretches almost the full length of the river all 1770 miles of it but since
37:44that would take four to six weeks i'll save that for next time first it's time to meet my guide
37:50thomas
37:50who leads cycling tours here hello thomas hello how are you doing i'm angela hello thank you for
37:57bringing the bicycle nice to meet you yes i'm so looking forward to doing this while thomas has
38:02provided the bikes today many river cruise companies like mine have e-bikes on board so that you can
38:08borrow them to explore the places where they dock okay ready yep ready
38:15it's no surprise that this is one of europe's most popular cycle routes and this stretch is thought to
38:21be one of the most scenic sections and exploring by e-bike gives you a unique view of what life
38:28along the
38:28banks of the danube is like it's clearly a very popular thing to do to cycle along here isn't it
38:34yes
38:35it's an international cycle route look all around this would be the vineyards we're surrounded by
38:48vineyards what is it about this valley you think that makes it so beautiful and so special oh it's
38:54the beautiful landscape it's the many layers of history these stony walls which are also in the
39:02on our right some of them are six to seven hundred years old really these are very typical for wachau
39:09because the hillsides are so steep that you need to terrace them in order to cultivate the grapes on
39:17them after a jam-packed cruising schedule cycling through this stunning scenery is pure bliss
39:27so we're cruising through the romantic winemaking village several families making wine in the valley
39:36around 220 families make wine one village can have around 20 30 wineries you just come here knock on
39:45doors and taste them beautiful wines while it might not be something to do on a cycling tour visitors to
39:52the
39:52valley the valley can pop into the wineries for drop-in wine tastings but we're continuing on to
39:58dunstein you call it the medieval village of the valley and you can find buildings there from the
40:0714th and 13th century probably the most known building is the castle above the village on the right is
40:14that the castle up there on the right that's correct the dunstein castle towering just above the village
40:19of dunstein this castle made the valley famous uh-huh because of richard the lion heart who was
40:26captive here as our prisoner richard was captured near vienna on the way home from the crusades in 1192
40:34and he was held in dunstein for several months he was finally released after a massive ransom of a
40:41150 000 silver marks was paid and the ransom which we got for him kept us going for a while
40:51we built
40:52fortifications from this money we minted our first currency upon this silver yeah so uh it was a wise
41:01investment thank you for that thank you you're welcome and after a lovely leisurely cycle my ship has
41:09beaten us to dornstein so i'm going to need to hop on board and head towards the next leg of
41:15my adventure
41:16i've had such fun it's been lovely i'm glad to hear that oh and you've been the perfect guide
41:24well thank you very much you're a perfect guest thank you pleasure's on my side thank you very much
41:44what a wonderful travel companion the blue danube has been so far we've sailed through european history
41:52and culture seen how it's grown and developed over the years and there have been times when there've
41:59been quite a few treats for me personally there are still hundreds of miles of this river still to be
42:06explored and as our journey continues in the golden evening light i can't wait
42:15next time we travel to salzburg birthplace of the musical genius mozart he was like the beatles of
42:23yeah exactly yeah dine out at the world's oldest bratwurst kitchen in regensburg can i have one sausage
42:29okay with mustard oh yes and sauerkraut everything and embrace a centuries-old bavarian folk dance
42:57so
42:59so
43:10you
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