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00:39Raise your travel dreams to their upright and locked positions.
00:44Join us now as we discover the ins and outs of travels in Europe.
01:01Hi, I'm Rick Steves in the French region of Alsace.
01:04In this program, we'll sample a lush land of villages, vineyards, ruined castles, and memorable cuisine.
01:13Alsace is bound by the Rhine River on the east and the well-worn Vosges Mountains on the west.
01:19From our Alsatian home base in Kormar, we'll drive to Verdun, Reims, and Epernay.
01:26After enjoying a few Alsatian village streets, we'll ponder the bloodiest of World War I battlefields.
01:33Then we'll go Gothic at the Reims Cathedral and visit the bubbly birthplace of Champagne.
01:42And once again, we're traveling with the help of my Francophile partner, Steve Smith.
01:46Steve, thanks for joining us.
01:47Bonjour, Rick. I taught him everything he knows.
01:50Then this show should be how you say, a formidable.
01:54Alsace is France with a German accent.
01:59Historically, the Germans thought the mountains were the logical border.
02:02The French thought the Rhine River was.
02:05The Alsace, that's the area in between.
02:08Standing like a flower child referee between Germany and France, the Alsace has weathered many invasions.
02:15The region's many castles remind us that Alsace has been a long fought over crossroads.
02:21And all these centuries, as a political shuttlecock between Germany and France, have given the Alsace a hybrid culture.
02:29Visitors enjoy a rich blending of two great societies, French and German, Catholic and Protestant.
02:36A Latin joy of life with just enough Germanic discipline.
02:41Alsace has carefully coiffed poodles and the best beer in France.
02:48The restaurants serve sauerkraut with fine sauces.
02:54Signs are bilingual.
02:56So are many names.
02:58And with German popularity low after World War II, many families with German surnames gave their children French first names.
03:07My name is Dominique Freiberger.
03:11Monique Freudenreich.
03:14Maurice Glouftz.
03:19The rich mixing of cultures has done the Alsace well.
03:22Visitors delight in the region's distinctive cuisine and superb wines.
03:28Centuries of successful wine production have built prosperous and colorful villages.
03:37Wine continues to fuel the local economy.
03:40We're exploring the wine road of Alsace, the Route du Vin.
03:44This asphalt ribbon ties 80 miles of vineyards, villages and feudal fortresses into an understandably popular tourist package.
03:52The dry and sunny climate has produced good wine and happy tourists since Roman times.
04:05Alsatian towns like Egushaim are historic mosaics mixing flower bedecked fountains, cheery old inns and characteristic wineries colored in with
04:16half-timbered pastels.
04:18The ever-present symbol of the Alsace, magnificent white storks build nests on the town's highest perches.
04:26Despite the seemingly precarious setting, they manage to raise their young while keeping an ever-watchful eye over the vineyards.
04:38Kaisersberg is a colorful bundle of 15th-century houses.
04:45The town's church features a centuries-old crucifix, reminding us of the deep roots of Alsatian towns.
04:58The carving over the door of the church dates from 1235.
05:05The great humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer, once lived in this peaceful village.
05:10His profound reverence for life led him to Africa, where he established a hospital in 1913.
05:17He spent the better part of his life expanding and supporting this effort, and in 1952 was awarded the Nobel
05:24Peace Prize.
05:28Today, his Alsatian hometown is a relaxing and enjoyable getaway.
05:37Here in the Alsace, wine is the primary industry, topic of conversation, and perfect excuse for countless festivals.
05:45It's a tradition upon which much of the local folk culture is built.
05:51The devastation of World War II was a hit-or-miss affair in the Alsace.
05:55Some towns were spared, while others were destroyed.
06:00Benvir was flattened.
06:01But the recovery of this village is remarkable.
06:04The small family-run vineyards of many villages like Benvir spring back as large, efficient, and successful co-ops.
06:18In the village of Benvir, over 200 families produce grapes, and most of those grapes come here.
06:26This production line handles 10,000 bottles an hour, and by the end of the day, hundreds of tons of
06:31grapes are processed.
06:33Four million bottles are exported all over Europe each year.
06:45Harvest time is in the fall, but we're here in June.
06:49While we're missing the crushing of the grapes, we can catch a glimpse of the modern production line as it
06:54bottles the popular white wines.
07:04And after a good tour of the winemaking, visitors enjoy the refreshing finale of any visit, the tasting.
07:13For less machinery but more personality, we're visiting one of the countless Alsatian family wineries.
07:20In the Alsat, wineries are typically passed from generation to generation.
07:25Steve's friend, Dominique, carries on his family's winemaking tradition.
07:29This is my cellar, and this is the oldest barrel in the cellar.
07:36It was made from my grand-grandfather.
07:40M is mandres, and the other M is mongold, so my grandfather and the grand-grandfather, so two families.
07:49This is the Edelswicker. That's the only blended Alsatian white wine.
07:54So all the other wines are made only with one grape.
07:58And the wine is named after the grape.
08:01Rieslings and the spicy Gewurztraminer are the fine wines of Alsace.
08:06The unique Gewurztraminer and Alsatian cuisine are a perfect match.
08:12Apart from an opportunity to taste some great wine, a visit like this gains us a few Alsatian friends
08:17and some help singing the French national anthem.
08:20Allons enfants de la patria,
08:26Le jour de gloire est arrivé,
08:31Contre nous de la tyrannie,
08:35Rétendre sans glorie nous.
08:40Cellar hopping and wine shopping is a great way to spend an afternoon on the route to Van.
08:45Roadside degustation signs mean wine tasters welcome.
08:50With free tasting and inexpensive bottles, French wine tasting can be an affordable sport.
09:06Comar is a scenic home base for our Alsatian explorations.
09:11Long popular with French and German tourists, this well-preserved old town of 70,000 is often overlooked and underrated
09:19by overseas travelers.
09:21Historic beauty was rarely an excuse to be spared the ravages of World War II, but it worked for the
09:27most beautiful city in the Alsace.
09:29The American and British military were careful not to bomb quaintly cobbled Colmar.
09:41Today, Colmar not only survives, it thrives with 15th and 16th century buildings, rich art treasures and popular cuisine.
09:54Colmar's charms are rooted in a wealthy medieval past.
10:0215th century Colmar was one of ten cities that joined together to make the Decapolis, a league of trading cities.
10:11As merchants met in this customs house, they were creating a new economic order.
10:16Trading leagues were reacting to the business problems that came with feudalism.
10:23No uniform currency, different weights and measures, terrible duties every few miles.
10:29This was good for the nobility, medieval Europe's rural landlords, but a chaotic nightmare for city merchants.
10:37To remove those barriers to free trade, many medieval European cities banded together to form trading leagues, like the Decapolis.
10:47This proudly decorated 16th century building was the home of a wealthy Colmar merchant.
10:55In those days, houses were taxed by square footage at street level, an incentive to build both up and out.
11:08Originally, Colmar's canals were busy transporting goods.
11:12Today, this canal only adds to the ambience in a neighborhood locals call La Petite Venice, the Little Venice.
11:31Colmar's knack for trade and its local industries, such as the leather business in this tanner's quarter, added up to
11:37a strong economy.
11:40Prosperity from trade meant money for art, and Colmar had more than its share.
11:46Three great artists, Bartholdi, Schoengauer, and Grunewald, called Colmar home.
11:52The Frederick Bartholdi Museum honors the great sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France to the
11:59United States on its 100th birthday.
12:03The museum offers interesting historical detail describing the creation of Lady Liberty, and displays many of Bartholdi's sculptures.
12:21He adorned his hometown with many statues, most, it seems, with one arm held high.
12:29400 years before Bartholdi, Martin Schoengauer was Colmar's leading artist.
12:35His Virgin of the Rose Garden looks as fresh and crisp as the day it was painted in 1473.
12:44It's magnificently set in a Gothic Dominican church, surrounded by 14th century stained glass.
12:55The Latin words on Mary's halo read,
12:58Pick me also for your child, O Holy Virgin.
13:04And for Schoengauer, nature is more than a backdrop.
13:08Mary and Jesus are encircled by it.
13:11The way Jesus holds his mother, the Latin message, and the prominence of nature,
13:16all work to drive home the theological point.
13:20Mary is accessible.
13:26A few blocks away, the Unterlinden Museum, my vote for the best small museum in Europe,
13:32fills a 750-year-old former convent.
13:35Matthias Grunewald's Gripping Eisenheim altarpiece is the museum's most important work.
13:42A model shows how this is a series of paintings on hinges that pivot like shutters.
13:52To understand the purpose of this particularly gruesome crucifixion scene,
13:56it helps to know who paid for it.
14:01The Eisenheim altarpiece was commissioned 500 years ago by a monastery hospital
14:06filled with people suffering terrible skin diseases, a common cause of death back then.
14:14The hospital's goal, long before the age of painkillers, was to remind patients that Jesus understood their suffering.
14:36The many panels led patients through a series of Bible stories, culminating with this reassuring resurrection scene.
14:55The other great French art in the Alsace is edible art.
15:00Alsatian cuisine is world famous.
15:03Even vacationers traveling on a shoestring should spring for a fine meal in Alsace.
15:10In our France guidebook, Steve and I recommend a splurge at Restaurant Le Rapre.
15:19Steve's friend, Bernard, runs the restaurant.
15:21And he's taking our taste buds on a tour through the culinary treats of Alsace.
15:27What else do you recommend, Bernard?
15:29Try perhaps the escargot of Alsatian.
15:33Snails.
15:34Now, I think of snails as burgundy.
15:38It's the same way, but in Burgundy they put only the butter and the herbs and the garlic.
15:44And in Alsace, they put also a bouillon with the butter.
15:48The snails were excellent.
15:50And for the main course, it's quiche, lamb and chicken, all prepared with an Alsatian flair.
15:59Pace yourself.
16:01The meals are served in courses, about five or six.
16:04And each one delicious.
16:12And don't miss the cheese course.
16:14It's standard before dessert.
16:16While the French claim it helps the digestion,
16:19for us, it's simply an opportunity to sample some of the world's best cheeses with great red wine.
16:26So you have Camembert.
16:29It comes from the Normandy.
16:31Roquefort.
16:32It's a blue cheese.
16:34Comté.
16:34It comes from the Jura.
16:36It's a goat cheese.
16:38This is Bleu d'Auvergne.
16:40And this is a local cheese is a monster.
16:44Ah.
16:45I like a monster.
16:48After the cheese, we top off the evening with a tasty, light dessert.
16:54Steve, what is this called?
16:55Hey.
16:56It's called mine.
17:03We've enjoyed our visit to Colmar and our stay at Maison Yund.
17:07Small family-run hotels like this are one of the great accommodations values in Europe.
17:14Now it's time to continue our travels.
17:17We're on the way to three historical destinations.
17:21Reims, Epernay, and our first stop, Verdun.
17:36Facing squarely toward Germany, Verdun has been France's logical point of defense and its principal fortress since the late 1800s.
17:45Verdun offers a memorable chance to revisit World War I.
17:52Now, even the survivors of that war have died, and little remains to remind us of the carnage.
17:59But Europe still wears the scars of the war that did not end all wars.
18:07Verdun is a chilling reminder of one of the most costly battles of World War I.
18:13700,000 died as waves of Germans and French fought to take and retake the miles of trenches and forts.
18:33The Memorial Museum de Florey shows reconstructed scenes and models of the trench warfare that raged along the Western Front
18:41for over four years.
18:44Casualty figures were numbing as day after day heroes of 19th century wars waved their swords and thousands of troops
18:52climbed out of their trenches and ran into the bullets of 20th century machine guns.
19:00At the much-pummeled Fort Douaumont, you can tour an underground bunker and tunnels and see the remnants of a
19:06World War I command center.
19:12The Ossuer de Douaumont is the thought-provoking culmination of any visit to Verdun.
19:18This huge tomb is the final resting place of 130,000 unidentified French and Germans who died in the muddy
19:25trenches of Verdun.
19:29This was a battle of attrition, when two nations, or at least their leaders, decided to bash their heads against
19:35each other, calculating that the other would bleed white and drop first.
19:42World War I left half of all the men in France between the ages of 15 and 30 dead or
19:48wounded.
20:00It's a powerful, somber experience.
20:07From a shocking lesson in 20th century warfare, we make our way next to the cathedral in Rheims for a
20:14visit to one of Europe's greatest Gothic cathedrals.
20:18This auto route zips us quickly and efficiently across France.
20:27The only reason to stop is to pay the modest tolls and to enjoy some of Europe's slickest rest stops.
20:42The thoughtful French decorate their freeways with modern art and label the sights we'll be passing by.
20:49We'll be in Rheims in 31 kilometers.
20:52That's about 20 miles.
20:54For locals, Rheims is Rheims.
20:57It rhymes with France.
21:02The Cathedral of Rheims is a glorious example of Gothic architecture.
21:06In a moment, we'll tour the cathedral, but first, let's see how it's built.
21:11Steve and I like to illustrate the structure of a Gothic church by building one out of tourists.
21:16It only takes 13.
21:18Six columns, six buttresses, and a spire.
21:23Columns and ribs support the spire.
21:27Architecturally speaking, these are ribs. Forget the elbows.
21:31Four ribs come together to make a pointed arch which supports the spire.
21:35In Gothic, you've got pointed arches, not round arches.
21:38This is a Gothic innovation which sends the weight of the roof out rather than down.
21:42Therefore, we need buttresses to support the walls.
21:46With our buttresses in place, we've got a solid Gothic structure, more windows than ever, and a spire that'll never
21:52fall.
21:53Let's go to the church. Thanks. Au revoir, merci.
22:04Gothic architects organized buttresses, ribs, and pointed arches, sending walls soaring high above open and airy interiors.
22:16The sun pours through the upper windows, reminding us of the symbolic importance of light to medieval Christians.
22:29And the church is filled with history as well as light.
22:32This great cathedral was the coronation site of 800 years of French kings and queens.
22:39In 1429, a young and charismatic Joan of Arc stood next to a reluctant Charles VII to ensure he accepted
22:46the crown of France.
22:53In World War I, the cathedral was badly damaged by heavy bombing.
22:57Most of the stained glass was destroyed.
23:00Today, the cathedral is restored and houses many old treasures as well as a modern one.
23:06This 20th century stained glass created by contemporary artist Marc Chagall.
23:30To catch our sightseeing breath between blockbuster sights, we enjoy relaxing at French cafés.
23:37Throughout France, there are carefully positioned viewpoints from which to watch the river of local life.
23:44Cafés offer quick meals for nearly the same price as fast food chains.
23:48Look for the plate du jour. That's the blue plate special.
23:52With a few key phrases, you can get an egg on top of your grilled cheese sandwich or just the
23:57right salad.
23:59Bread and water are free. To get more politely asked, encore, s'il vous plaît.
24:08Next up, at Bernays, in the region called Champagne.
24:12Vintners here insist their area is the only place entitled to call its bubbly by that name.
24:19Our visit begins at Moet et Chandon, one of the grand champagne houses of the region.
24:25They welcome visitors here with fascinating tours.
24:29The story they tell is that around 1700, after lots of fiddling with double fermentation,
24:35one of the monks developed the first champagne.
24:38The now famous monk, Dom Perignon, ran through the abbey shouting excitedly,
24:43Brothers, come quickly, I'm drinking stars.
24:47Since then, this bubbly, sparkly white wine is synonymous with a first-class celebration the world over.
24:54You can see our enoteque.
24:57We keep in this enoteque our oldest bottle of champagne.
25:01There are 4,000 of old champagne still aging in this enoteque.
25:06The oldest one led back to 1869.
25:11The vineyards overhead conceal a labyrinth of some 30 miles of wine caves meandering into the surrounding hills.
25:24Our tour concludes with one more salute to French culture.
25:31Well, this glass is empty, and our visit's over.
25:34Thank you, Steve, for the travel tips, and thank you for traveling with us.
25:38Join us next time as we explore the Alps of France and Switzerland.
25:42I'm Rick Steves.
25:43Et je suis Steve Smith.
25:45Wishing you happy travel.
25:46Au revoir.
25:48Videos of this series are available for $24.95 each, plus $4 shipping.
25:54To order the 60-minute, two-program tape on Paris day trips and the Alsace, or any other tape, call
26:001-800-866-7425.
26:04Rick's 500-page handbook, Europe Through the Back Door, is $19.95.
26:09Have a credit card ready and call 1-800-866-7425.
26:14On the web, it's Travel Small World.
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26:55Transcription by CastingWords
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