Uncover historic German locales with Karine Hagen
[Music] All my life, I’ve been a global traveler, seeking cultures and traditions that are just as vibrant today as in times past. We’re opening doors, stepping into worlds most never see, because that’s where the best stories are, behind closed doors. We’re sharing stories of local life and the working world, plus spending time with some of the most interesting people you’d ever want to meet. It’s truly privileged access that always leaves me excited to explore more Berlin. It’s been said that this vibrant city is always becoming but will never be because it’s always reinventing itself. If you only have half a day in Berlin, there are a few things you really should experience. iconic Brandenburgg Gate is definitely one of them. Equally impressive is the Berlin Wall, a ribbon of concrete that divided the city and became the focal point of the Cold War. Its scale must be seen to be believed. The Richag Parliament is a landmark you really shouldn’t miss. Entirely rebuilt, its crowning dome designed by Sir Norman Foster is an architectural masterpiece. And another mustsea is Museum Island, a world heritage site. It’s a wonderful place to stroll around by foot. In all, there are five fascinating museums. If you have more time, Berlin’s Jewish Museum is definitely worth a look. Designed by Daniel Leekin, the museum is internationally known for its dramatic architecture and thought-provoking exhibits. A tour of the now closed Templehof airport is unforgettable. In 1948, it was a lifeline providing food and supplies to West Berliners after the Soviet blockade. And then there’s always shopping. Experience Berlin for yourself with Vikings explore more package. It’s a great way to beat jet lag or unwind after your memorable cruise. You’ll enjoy a comfortable hotel in a location near the sites, complete with your own Viking host in the lobby, ready to assist and make recommendations during your time in Berlin. Common. Welcome to Vikings Real Berlin. We can’t wait to share it with you. See you soon. Berlin’s contemporary, thought-provoking Jewish museum is a dynamic zigzag design created by American architect Daniel Libiskin. In this building, really everything’s different from what you’re used to. All the lines you see in the surroundings are uneven. the architect. He wanted to disorient people that you somehow experience maybe a little bit the difficulty of German Jewish history and this makes the experience of what you see in the exhibitions much stronger. There are many dramatic exhibits that engage all your senses, inviting you to imagine, reflect and contemplate the path German Jewish citizens have traveled. While the Holocaust experience is a part of the museum, there are many exhibits that are a celebration of German Jewish life. Subtle elements of the culture and heritage are explained through the eyes of Jewish citizens and their families. Personal stories from the Middle Ages to modern times, providing context and enhancing the experience. The museum is also a symbol of hope, personified by its pomegranate tree, long important in Jewish culture, where visitors are invited to climb up and hang their wishes for the future. I would like to invite Viking guests to come and see our museum, to see the wonderful architecture of Daniel Leiskin, and to experience the complex German Jewish history and culture we are presenting. Viking river cruisers. Let us share with you the culture and history of old Europe. Tucked into the forested banks of Germany’s mine river is Schllo Lurvinstein. This prized location handpicked long ago. the wife of our ancestor, she sent out riders and they checked all the villages along the river where the parish books showed the best weather, the most fresh wind, the least fog and she bought the land. So that was done. The whole estate is so full of nature you lose your way. Nothing is comparable to this spot. In this idilic setting, the Lensteines thrived. Unlike most, the family’s rise to prominence came not militarily, but via a more interesting route. One of our philosophies was it’s much nicer to grow by marriage than by war. So we never won anything by war but we won quite a bit by marrying nice girls with a bit of property attached to it. This grand estate was the only French style palace in lower Franconia. The vision of de laos architect of the chatau de Versai. Official archives trace the family roots back to the year 900, and reminders of their enduring legacy and traditions are plentiful. But one of the family’s most precious possessions cannot be found adorning these walls or for that matter anywhere within the confines of this grand palace. That treasure is Hamburgg Calmouth, a rugged escarment with a remarkable combination of soil and microclimate. Over the centuries, the Lovensteines have cultivated some of the region’s most desirable grapes along this imposing cliff. Despite inclines of up to 80°, the property is a priceless asset for viticulture. Of course, the quality of the wine, it always depends on the spot. So, just by history and tradition, the aristocratic families have the best spots. Wine making grew into a passion when the family discovered the grapes actually thrived in the withering heat and unique geology of this ancient place. The name already is preeltic. So, it’s a very very old name and it means a warm place where you can stay over winter. In the 12th century, monks built the nearly 8 miles of vin terraces. But a thousand years before that, the site was planted with another crop by the Romans. The pharmacist of the Roman legion found out he could plant all his medical herbs and not import them from Rome in a dried version, but he had them fresh. We had this checked by botonist and they discovered 120 Roman medical plants all coming from the southeast Mediterranean and they have survived 2,000 years for us. We feel all this history and the microclimr there is very special. It’s probably the warmest microclimber in Bavaria. We totally feel Mediterranean. And with the Mediterranean feeling, we have the Mediterranean um taste in the wine. Harvesting this bounty is anything but easy. There are no machines. It’s all hunt. The sun burns down. It’s steep. It’s difficult to hold the balance. It’s a challenge. But the quality is so well known that we keep on [Music] After the harvest, new wines are born in the ultramodern wine good built within the historic stables. Combining insight and expertise, the grapes receive exceptional care. On one level, they are pressed by a technology which is the softest you can have and then they are pumped in one uh level into the barrels. Grapes from the Rine Gao and Bardon add depth and diversity. It’s a hands-on process inspired by centuries of acquired wisdom. We make wine in a very natural fashion. When the grapes come here into the cellar, nothing is added to it. No chemical, of course, no sugar. That means it’s very clear and natural. Each vintage is infused with the character of the season, the enchanting power of nature untouched. Schllo Lurenstein is a rare treasure. The essence of working aristocracy and an enduring wine legacy in the heart of Franconia in Nuremberg’s medieval district. I’m off to taste some of Germany’s most loved foods. I’m here with my friend Tom from Nuremberg and you’re going to tell us a little bit about typical German sausages. Yeah. And I love my German food. Look at that. What is very specific are these little tiny sausages. When they close the gates at night, they’re supposed to go through the keyhole. The poor outside can eat the nice Newberg sausages. You get them on a tin plate normally. And when you have them to go, you get them on a bun. But when you have them in the restaurant, you should definitely try the German bread. Very tasty, very healthy. These look like American pretzels. They are invention from Germany. We have paintings in Germany from the 12th century showing them already. It’s also symbol of the bakeries in Germany. It’s fantastic. You get this in every corner. You should definitely try that. Okay. With a sausage and Yeah. And you can eat it on a fork. This is how they serve this in the Middle Ages. We have also paintings from the day showing people with a fork and a sausage and a pretzel. Enjoy. Okay. So, one bite of each. Mhm. Double fisted eating. So you can also eat the sausages with potato salad and you can also have sauerkraut with this. Very We have sauerkraut with everything in Germany. Yeah. We have We have And we have This is much bigger than the tiny Nuremberg ones. These are Franconian sausages. They’re black. Yeah, they’re black because they are smoked. Okay. Which gives a very nice taste. Or you try these ones which are very, very spicy but also tasty. Okay. Can I try one of those? Yes, you can actually. And do you have to peel away the black skin or is the whole sausage black? No, you can eat it with with the skin. You don’t have to peel it away. Okay. It’s nice. Honestly, it looks weird, but it’s tasty. Yeah. Try it. It’s nice. But it’s not black all the way through. No. No. No. No. It’s only the skin is smoked. Mhm. But it’s tasty. And here’s the various types of mustard. We’ve got a sweet one. We’ve got a regular one and one with estrog spicy. Try this with a traditional Nuremberg sausage. And you literally dip the sausage in the horseseradish. It’s a little difficult to get it to stick, but all right. And since I’m not a big fan of horseradish, you can tell me what it tastes like. I could live with that every day. And now we finish it up with a nice German beer. I’ve got a um wheat beer here. And this is a light beer. I’ll take the light. You’ll take the wheat beer. Pro skull. Pro as we say in German. Pro. Berlin is home to an iconic complex began by Hitler and completed by the Americans that quite likely changed the course of history for Germany following World War II. We’re at Templehof Airport, once the lifeline to Berlin. The doors to this historic place have now been locked forever, but we’re going to take you for a special look inside. With its limestone facades and soaring ceilings, Templehof continued the Third Reich vision of building on a grand scale. But the imposing structure is not the reason for Templehof’s place in the history books. It was the role its runway played in saving lives and protecting West Berlin from Soviet dominance. After World War II, expansionist Germany was significantly reduced and four occupation zones were established, controlled by the Soviets, British, American, and French. Berlin, in the heart of the Soviet zone, was also split amongst the conquering forces, a divided city within a divided country. In 1947, American and British zones became one to better fight the march of communism with the French joining them in 1948. The Soviets took this as a serious threat and reacted by cutting off all land and water routes to Berlin. A thinly veiled plan to force the Allies to abandon the city. The blockade left West Berlin an isolated island with little food or supplies. The Allies countered with a Berlin airlift, using Templehof Airport as its main base for the greatest airlift in the history of mankind. More than 2 and 12 million tons of food, coal, and other supplies were delivered by crews from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. With planes arriving every 3 minutes, day and night, the Berlin Airlift kept more than 2 million West Berlin citizens from starving and equally important, free. If they would not have been in Berlin, this would not be West Germany anymore. There would be no reunification and we would be the Soviet Union part of it. At least the satellite. It was also very important what it did in the minds of the people. You know before the airlift even the western allied forces they were here as conquerors and occupants. After the airlift they were here as helpers and friends. One who left an immense impression was Lieutenant Gail Halverson who delighted children near Templehof by dropping chocolates attached to handkerchief parachutes. As pilots joined him, the fleet soon became known as the Raisin Bombers, drawing cheering crowds on every landing. All these kids were there piling on top of each other. I tried to get one. I never got one. The Soviet blockade ended after 11 months, by which time the allies and West Berliners had developed a fundamental trust and freedom was firmly entrenched. They kept Berlin free. We should not forget that. And we will not forget that. Templehof remained one of Berlin’s main airports for over half a century after the airlift, but closed its doors in 2008. Its historic terminal and legacy remain, and it’s an unusual and interesting visit to make in Berlin. Viking River Cruisers sharing privileged access to historic Europe.
Join Viking’s Karine Hagen as she embarks on a fascinating journey through Germany in this episode of Exploring More with Karine. In Berlin, she visits a museum with profoundly moving exhibits that trace centuries of Jewish history and culture. At Löwenstein Schloss, Karine meets one of the estate’s residents—Princess Stephanie, who is godmother to the Viking Hild—to uncover the legacy of this noble cultural treasure and learn more about the secret behind the renowned Fürst Löwenstein wines, which we proudly serve on board our river and ocean ships. Finally, Karine explores Tempelhof Airport, where she provides a historical overview of the Berlin Airlift—the post-war operation that saved the city.
Explore Germany River Cruises with Viking: https://www.vikingrivercruises.com/cruise-destinations/europe/countries/germany/index.html
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