[ Conversing in German ] -Hi. I'm Rick Steves, back with more
of the best of Europe -- and this time, we're cooking up some unforgettable
German treats -- and that includes
my favorite sausage anywhere -- "Danke schoen." We're in Frankfurt
and Nuernberg. Thanks for joining us. ♪♪ Germany is
Europe's economic powerhouse, and you feel that
in its great cities, like Frankfurt and Nuernberg. These are examples of how Germany has put
the 20th century behind it and learned that the most
effective way to be powerful is to be constructive. In Frankfurt,
a city of contrasts, we see today's Germany -- a vibrant mix
of the new and the old sprinkled with
people-friendly zones, parks,
and a stunning riverfront. Then, in Nuernberg, we marvel at remnants
of Germany's First Reich -- with the Holy Roman Emperor's
castle -- and we learn of Hitler
and the Third Reich -- with the architecture
of a megalomaniac. Finally, we go underground for a peek
at history seldom seen. Dominating the north of Europe
is Germany, the size of Montana. We start where many
trans-Atlantic flights stop, in Frankfurt, and then travel
a couple hours to Nuernberg. For an honest look
at today's Germany, travelers need to venture
beyond the ruined castles and cute cobbled towns. Frankfurt may be low
on Old World charm, but it offers a great look
at no-nonsense, modern Germany. Ever since
the early Middle Ages, people have gathered here
to trade. Today, cosmopolitan Frankfurt,
nicknamed "Bankfurt," is a trading hub
of a united Europe, home to
the European Central Bank and a center
for global commerce. With its trading heritage came
people from around the world. You'll notice the strikingly
multi-cultural flavor of the city. A quarter
of its 700,000 residents carry foreign passports. Frankfurt is often avoided
by tourists who consider it just a business
and transportation hub. But with its modern energy, Frankfurt is a unique
and entertaining city well worth a look. The city, with its forest
of skyscrapers perched on the banks
of the Main River, has been dubbed Germany's
"Main-hattan." While it leads the country
in high-rises, mostly bank headquarters, it has plenty
of people-friendly parks. In fact, Frankfurters boast that a third of their city
is green space. This park is part of a greenbelt
that circles the old center and marks the site of Frankfurt's long-gone
medieval fortifications. Today that greenbelt weaves through Frankfurt's
banking district. And history hides
among these trees. The Marshall Plan -- that massive
American aid program that helped Germany rebuild
after World War II -- was administered
from this building. After World War II,
Germany was in ruins, and its economy was in chaos. In 1948, the United States gave it
a complete currency transfer. It was like
a blood transfusion -- literally printing up the new
German Deutsche Marks, shipping them
across the Atlantic, and, from here in Frankfurt, injecting them directly
into the German economy. That aid helped rebuild Germany, and it shaped Frankfurt,
as well. And, as if attracted
to all that money, banks naturally grew up
right here. The architecture is striking. By law, no German worker can be kept out of natural light
for more than four hours. That's why work environments
are filled with windows. And unlike any skyscraper
I've been in, Germans have office towers
with windows that open. The Main Tower
is open to the public and offers a breath-taking view. From its rooftop, 650 feet high,
you can survey the city. With new construction
nearly obliterating the river upon which the city was founded, its ever-expanding skyline exudes the vitality
of the German economy. In contrast
to the glassy skyscrapers, Frankfurt's train station
is a classic. This late 19th-century
glass-and-iron construction somehow survived the bombs
of World War II. The building's elegant facade dates from
the Industrial Revolution and shows the pride
of that age. Atlas carries the world, but only with
some heavy-duty modern help as figures representing steam
power and electricity pitch in. Stepping inside, you feel the energy of
Germany's busiest train station, where 350,000 travelers
catch 1,800 trains every day. Kaiserstrasse,
a grand 19th-century boulevard, was built to connect the station
and the city with style. Towering above and beyond
its fine 100-year-old facades, and reflecting
the glaring modernity of this ever-changing city, are the skyscrapers
of Frankfurt's banking district. Frankfurt is full of contrasts. Just a few blocks away,
under those same skyscrapers, is a red light district
with about 20 legal brothels -- the pragmatic result of
a policy of tax and regulation to take the crime out of a reality
that just won't go away. Just a couple blocks away, there are fashionable streets
lined with top-end boutiques. People-friendly pedestrian zones make it easy
for both shoppers and diners. And on a hot day, people of all ages
enjoy the refreshing fountain fronting Frankfurt's
fine opera house. The many small
German-speaking states finally united into modern
Germany in about 1870. Within a couple of years,
Frankfurt, which helped spearhead
the unification movement, built this fine opera house. It celebrated both
high German culture and the newly created nation. While bombed in World War II, it was rebuilt
in the original style. Mozart,
whose operas were a hit here, and the esteemed
Frankfurt writer Goethe flank the entrance, reminders that this is a house
of both music and theater. Lunchtime
beneath the skyscrapers can be entertaining as herds of bankers
fill countless restaurants. This street
is nicknamed "Fressgass," roughly the "Feeding Street." As a contrast to the many trendy
restaurant chains, Frankfurt's Kleinmarkthalle,
that's "little market hall," is a delightful,
old-school alternative. The venerable farmers' market was saved from developers
by a local outcry and remains
a neighborhood favorite. Explore and enjoy the samples. -This is anti-aging.
You have not need of it. -I don't need it, no.
"Immer Jung." -[ Chuckles ] -This stall
is all about German sausages. And amid this carnivore's
delight hides this, the city's classic wiener,
the frankfurter. My best market tip? Find the most popular eatery,
get local advice, and go for the town specialty. Just around the corner
is Romerberg, Frankfurt's old main square, lined with
half-timbered buildings. Because of
its historic importance, it's one of the few bits of
the old town rebuilt after the war in its original
medieval style. On a sunny day,
people head for the Main River. A centerpiece
of the riverside park is this welcoming
19th century iron bridge. Enjoy the lively scene
along the riverbanks in the shadow of Frankfurt's
towering skyscrapers. Taking a riverside stroll,
I'm struck by how Germans, while so productive
in the workplace, are also expert at relaxation. From Frankfurt, trains zip travelers
to all points. Heading southeast, in a couple hours we cross
into the state of Bavaria and arrive in Nuernberg. Nuernberg was one of Germany's,
in fact Europe's, leading cities 500 years ago with an imposing
Imperial Castle. The city's formidable walls
were state-of-the-art -- they were redesigned
from square towers, which worked just fine before
the threat of cannon fire, to round ones -- so enemy cannonballs
were more likely to glance off without doing any damage. Back then, with 80 water wheels powering mills
along its now sleepy river, Nuernberg
was an industrial marvel. The scenic remnants
of its hard medieval past are now just an added dimension of a delightfully
people-friendly historic center. 90% of downtown Nuernberg
was destroyed in 1945. To rebuild,
city fathers had a choice -- go entirely modern
like Frankfurt did -- that was the Manhattan plan -- or maintain the pre-war
footprint and rebuild modern while preserving
the traditional character. That was Nuernberg's choice. With one of Europe's
largest pedestrian zones, the city of half a million
has the charm of a smaller town. Playful street art, a series of bridges
with scenic river views, and no traffic noise make it a joy to experience. Nuernberg is dominated
by its mighty castle. In the Middle Ages,
Holy Roman Emperors, Europe's most powerful rulers,
stayed here when in town. The Holy Roman Emperor
ruled much of Europe for over a thousand years. The institution was finally
ended by Napoleon in 1806. The emperor ruled a vast realm -- it was bigger
than today's Germany -- but it was never centralized
like France or England. Rather than inheriting
his power, he was elected by the top
bishops and nobles of the day. They were called
"prince electors." The emperor
had to keep on the move and didn't have
a real capital city. While the emperor
claimed supreme authority inherited direct from
the emperors of ancient Rome, historians like to joke
that the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman,
nor an empire. The most famous
of these medieval emperors was Charlemagne, shown here in a painting by Nuernberg artist
Albrecht Duerer. Charlemagne,
or Charles the Great, was crowned by the pope
in the year 800. When ruling from Nuernberg, the emperor would have received
visiting delegations in the castle's Lower Hall. It's empty of furniture because
the imperial court was mobile. Each city would scramble
to suitably furnish its royal quarters
before the emperor arrived. The castle's 800-year-old church
is Romanesque in style and gives a peek
at how structured even medieval society's
top 1% was. It has a triple-Decker design: The lower nobility worshiped
from the lower level, the upper nobility worshiped
at this level, and the emperor, he worshiped
above everybody else -- from the balcony. ♪♪ As effective as
the castle fortifications were, there was always an ultra-secure
refuge of last resort -- the towering keep. And security required
more than stony towers. Any good castle needs a secure water source
within its walls. And when your castle sits
on a high rock, you need a very deep well. This castle illustrates that
in a fun and memorable way. -[ Speaking German ] -Even without understanding
much of our guide's German, he made it really clear that
this well goes way, way down. [ Water splashing ] [ Laughter ] -It's cool, huh? [ Chuckles ] -Nuernberg's
Germanic National Museum is dedicated to sharing
the cultural history of the German-speaking world. For German history buffs,
this museum alone -- with a vast and gorgeously
presented collection -- makes a visit to Nuernberg
worthwhile. When it comes
to Germany's reputation for fine craftsmanship, its passion for quality
goes way back. These finely crafted, centuries-old
precision instruments were intricate, innovative,
and artful. This is the world's oldest
surviving globe, crafted by a Nuernberger. Since it dates from 1492,
the Americas are missing. While they understood
that the world was round, the Western Hemisphere was still just
a huge and mysterious sea. The delicate,
wooden "Nuernberg Madonna" is also 500 years old. This intimate, anonymous carving
of the favorite hometown girl was a symbol of the city
for centuries. The German painter Lucas Cranach was famous for portraits
of his contemporaries, like the great German reformer
Martin Luther. Cranach also painted poignant
psychological studies -- paintings that came
with a message. In "The Ill-Matched Couple," the lecherous old man thinks
he's got the young maiden. But she looks knowingly
out at us as if to say "he's a fool,
and he'll get nowhere with me." The great painter Albrecht Duerer worked in Nuernberg
around the year 1500. This is a self-portrait
of that ultimate German artist. Duerer, who was
from the same generation as Michelangelo and Leonardo, was in tune
with the Renaissance. He was a genius
with a curious mind, a love of nature,
and a passion for realism. After traveling to Italy and seeing how artists were
becoming well-paid and respected, rather than anonymous laborers, he returned to Germany bringing the spirit
of the Renaissance with him. He painted this portrait
of his mother when he was a teenager. While just 19, his passion for realistic detail
is already apparent. This painting of Duerer's teacher was done
after his experience in Italy. Its realism was unprecedented
in Germany, and it's signed. Again, now the artist
will be respected, and he proudly included
his initials, A.D. Duerer was a master
at producing engravings from finely etched
metal plates. The detail and realism,
a trademark of Duerer, is extraordinary. As he was famous
in his own time, and because many prints could be
made from a single master plate and therefore sold affordably, the engraving technique
enabled Duerer to become the first best-selling artist
in history. And he made a lot of money -- enough to purchase
this impressive mansion beneath the castle. Today, it's a fine museum about the life of perhaps
Germany's greatest painter. A visit here includes a workshop where you can learn about
Duerer's craft. It's with these tools that the artist engraves
an image into the copper plate. Visitors are treated
to a demonstration of making a print
from the plate. The subject is a hare. Duerer was famous for his vivid
portrayals of the natural world. -Wow. -To be able to enjoy such beautiful,
yet mass-produced art must have been a marvel
500 years ago. A few blocks away, towering nearly 300 feet
above the pedestrians, is St. Lawrence Church. When emperors paraded into town, they'd approach
its magnificent facade head-on. Stepping inside, you feel
the splendor of that age. Suspended over the altar
is the "Annunciation," by the great Nuernberg
woodcarver, Veit Stoss. Carved in 1517, it shows the angel Gabriel
telling Mary that she'll be giving birth
to the Messiah. Startled,
she drops her prayer book. The dove represents
the Holy Spirit. And God, looking as powerful
as a Holy Roman Emperor, looks down. This lacy tabernacle
is rich enough to hold the consecrated
Communion wafer, which Catholics consider
"the body of Christ." And supporting the tower
on his shoulders is the artist who created it,
Adam Kraft, gripping his noble tools
with a proud confidence. Again, this was around 1500, and the humanistic spirit
of the Renaissance was moving into Germany. While this church
along with the rest of the city was heavily bombed
in World War II, much of its art survived thanks to heroic and creative
efforts by its citizens. One part of Nuernberg that avoided bomb damage
was underground -- its vast
and long-established network of waterways, tunnels,
and beer cellars. They were outfitted
as air-raid shelters. During bombing raids, tens of thousands of locals
took refuge down here. It's also where
countless art treasures, both local and looted,
were safely hidden away. To learn more about this, and not get forever lost
down here, we're joined by my friend
and fellow tour guide Thomas Schmechtig. -So, Nuernberg was bombed
quite late in the war, and we saw what happened
to other cities, so we actually prepared
for the war and reconverted these old beer
cellars into air-raid shelters. That, for example,
where guards used to be who protected the artworks which were stored in here
during the second world war. -The Nazis hid crates of great
art in many different rooms in this sprawling
underground network. -This is one
of the many rooms down here which were filled up with art. Nuernberg was back then nicknamed "the treasure chest
of the German Empire." Plus, the Nazis looted
lots of artworks. -From countries
that they conquered, and they brought it here? -Correct. For example, right in this room, they had the crown
of the Holy Roman Emperor. -So, right here in these cellars were some of the great treasures
of European culture. -Correct. We didn't just stash
the art treasures down here. They were carefully packed. For example, here, Rick, you see the wonderful
stained-glass windows from our St. Lawrence Church. They were taken out pane by pane and then put
into those wooden crates. The humidity was very dangerous
for the artworks, so they air conditioned
the whole place in here. -So, this huge duct was made
in anticipation of the war? -Yes, and already in 1939,
before the war broke out. -The bombing, of course,
eventually came, and this surviving
underground network became the foundation
for rebuilding the city. -So it did make sense to rebuild the city
on its original footprints. We have miles of underground
which survived the war. They date back
to the Middle Ages -- that, for example is
an old water conduit system. -Nuernberg,
so steeped in German history, was nicknamed the most German
of German cities. That's one reason
it was a favorite of Hitler's. A short tram ride
from the center is a collection
of important Nazi sites. When Hitler took power in 1933, he made Nuernberg's
Zeppelin Field the site of his enormous
Nazi party rallies. The stark remains of
this massive gathering place are thought-provoking. For several years, increasingly elaborate
celebrations of Nazi culture,
ideology, and power took place right here. -Imagine Hitler stepping
out of that door, overlooking the massive
200,000 people being lined up. He used propaganda
to create a new community -- in fact,
we even have a word for it. It's called "Volksgemeinschaft." -The chilling images from Leni Riefenstahl's
documentary "Triumph of the Will" were filmed at the 1934
Nuernberg rallies and then shown in every theater
and schoolroom in the country. The goal? To bring
a visual celebration of the power of the Nazi state
to every person in Germany. Looming over a now peaceful lake is another remnant of
the dictator's megalomania -- his huge yet unfinished
Nazi Congress Hall. Hitler was enamored
with the Roman Colosseum. He had his Congress Hall
modeled on that but built much bigger. -Imagine, 50,000 leading Nazis
in here. One third higher,
covered by a roof. A window inside the ceiling, sunshine would have fallen
down to the podium. Once a year,
one speech, of Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler
liked huge buildings. He was a big fan of the architectural style
named Neoclassicism. The idea was to make
the individual feel small. -This really makes me
feel small here. -Yeah, you give away
the responsibility of your life, and you get something back
in return. That is, a bright new future. -The Nazi Documentation Center
fills one wing of the hall. This superb museum does its best
to answer the question "How could Germany's
Nazi nightmare have happened?" It traces the evolution
of the Nazi movement, focusing on how it somehow
both energized and terrified the German people. This is not a WWII
or a Holocaust museum. In fact, those events
are barely mentioned. Instead, the center
frankly analyzes the origin and evolution
of the Nazi phenomenon, to help better understand it and help prevent it
from ever happening again. Exhibits offer insights
into the creation of the Messiah/pop star image
of Hitler -- the mass hypnosis
of the German nation. You'll see his manifesto,
"Mein Kampf," mementos that placed
the dictator alongside Bismarck and Beethoven in the pantheon
of German greats, and souvenirs from his rallies. With postcards like these, the Hitler-mania generated
by these rallies was shared across the land. Of course, Hitler's promises
were trumped up and led not to glory
but to war, the Holocaust, and the devastation of Germany. The challenges of building and
maintaining a peaceful future are ongoing. -Incorporated into these museums
are classrooms like this. -Why is that? -Because every student,
military, policeman should learn
from our difficult history. -So this really is, today,
part of German education. -Yeah, it finally arrived
in our education system. -Having learned powerful lessons
from its 20th-century history, today Nuernberg celebrates
its German character with a forward-looking gusto
that seems to really value life. You feel that
throughout the town -- the farmers
who sell their produce direct from stalls
on the bridge... fountains designed
to make kids giggle, along with their parents... and its tasty traditions. Here in Nuernberg,
you'll certainly eat well -- famous beer, classic pretzels,
sauerkraut, and the thing about this city
that steals my heart, these adorable little sausages. Thanks for joining us.
I'm Rick Steves. Until next time,
keep on travelin'. "Guten Appetit"
and "auf Wiedersehen." -The Holy Roman Empire was never really an empire
or holy or Roman. Bah! [ Laughs ] -[ Laughs ] -Military, too? -Yes. [ Laughter ] -Suck in your gut. Suck in your gut! You don't have a gut. You poor boy,
you don't have a gut.