announcer: american public television presents the splendors of the world in the lifelike reality of high-definition television. castles and kings, medieval towns and gourmet cuisine, history and the art of fine living meet in this heartland of france. next up: burgundy and the loire valley on smart travels. smart travels is made possible in part by expedia.com, a travel web site that offers travelers a vaetof way to find the trip they're looking for, including flights, hotels, and vacation packages. captioning made possible by u.s. department of education

smart travels is a grand tour of the old world-- the people, places, sights, and distinctly european flavors. our host is travel writer and columnist rudy maxa, public radio's original savvy traveler. now, tips, trips, and secret places on smart travels. rudy maxa: rich in history and romance,

in fine food and wines, in charm and natural beauty... at once breathtakingly grand and delightfully simple, the regions of burgundy and the loire valley turn an ordinary vacation into a regal holiday. i've got ideas for how to best indulge in the experience of the place: barging the canals of burgundy, sampling the world's finest wines, and living like royalty in your own chateau in the loire valley. in search of glory past and present, we begin our journey in burgundy and end it exploring the chateaus of the loire valley. burgundy. peaceful, rural burgundy invades the soul

with its charming villages, medieval churches, quiet waterways... and world-famous vineyards. how do you sum up burgundy? well, it's all right here in my glass-- the sun, the soil, the centuries of tradition. this is a wine truly fit for a king. burgundy's best wines come from a 25-mile strip of land known as the cote d'or. literally "the golden slope," this land produces world-class red and white burgundy wine, and the town of beaune is the heart of the area. quaint, lively, and utterly obsessed with wine, beaune makes a great base in burgundy, and you won't go hungry. some of france's best restaurants make beaune home.

separate from and more powerful than the kingdom of france, burgundy in the 14th and 15th centuries controlled flanders, which is today's belgium and the netherlands. the flemish influence is evident in the spectacular tiled roof of the hotel dieu, a former hospital and the premier cultural attraction in beaune. in 1443, a wealthy nobleman founded the hotel dieu for the sick and the poor. an 18th-century visitor remarked, "here the poor were lodged in the most princely grandeur. it would tempt one to be ill." a masterpiece of flemish art was commissioned for the great hall. the front panels of the polyptych by van der weyden open to reveal this dramatic scene of the last judgment and the weighing of souls. the painting shows the vibrant realism,

vivid imagination, and attention to detail characteristic of the flemish masters. the last judgment was displayed on sundays, holidays, and when a patient died. beaune is the very best place to get to know burgundy wines, but remember that while burgundy produces some of the best wine in the world, not all burgundy is top-notch. so if you're interested in tasting some of burgundy's best, talk to your local wine merchant and ask him or her the names of the very best vineyards. the more casual wine lover can head out to the cote d'or for a day of wine tasting and a stroll along the quiet streets of a stone village. everywhere you look, vineyards carpet the land.

many wine producers open their caves to the public and invite you to sample their wines. look for signs that offer tastings-- degustation-- and wine for salevente. wine is a way of life in burgundy. in some villages, everyone grows grapevines. the town talk revolves around the weather. is there enough rain, enough sun? will the autumn be wet or dry? owning 10 acres of vines in this golden countryside can make you quite wealthy if the weather cooperates. [bell clanging] i'm visiting one of the premier wine producers in burgundy. domaine dujac makes a grand cru and a premier cru wine.

simply put, they're the best of the best. so what we're probably going to do here is... maxa, voice-over: i spoke with jeremy seysses about dujac's world-class wines. what we call a green harvest. right here, i want to divide between morey-saint-denis and gevrey-chambertin, two different villages, but also between a grand cru and a premier cru. the premier cru is lower in the order of classification. the grand cru is at the top of the burgundian pyramid. but now, jeremy, this vine right here is what, 18, 20 feet away from this vine here? yet that's grand; this is premier. what does that mean? you have to look at the whole parcel. this one is really in the midslope. you can see the slope is very even throughout and better. if you look at the premier cru, in contrast, you can see that the slope is much less even. there's a dip down there where water tends to accumulate a tiny bit more. which is not necessarily good. which is not necessarily a good thing. maxa, voice-over: the perfect lay of the land is reflected in the taste and the price of the wine,

and, well, it may just take me several tries to taste those subtle differences. i've got a real problem, jeremy. i love them both. capital of burgundy, the town of dijon marks the north end of the cote d'or. dijon flourished in the 14th and 15th centuries under leaders like philip the bold, john the fearless, and philip the good, who presided over the most splendid court in western europe. for a walking tour of dijon's past glory, visit the notre dame quarter, dominated by the 13th-century church with its tiers of gargoyles. in these back alleys, you'll discover the town houses of rich merchants from dijon's heyday-- some houses half-timbered, others in stone. [speaking french] and you can feast on an array of burgundian delights at the local market or take in the dijon scene from an outdoor cafe.

when in burgundy, a fine meal is an experience not to be missed. parisians think nothing of driving south for dinner here. after all, this is the food and wine capital of the world. my friend and favorite gourmand daisuke utagawa is joining me for dinner at le charlemagne, a restaurant set spectacularly in a sea of vineyards not far from beaune. chef laurent peugeot prepares an appetizer with lobster and escargot that's topped with a poached egg. merci, monsieur. bon appetit. what have they put before us here, daisuke? well, really, this is a delight. it's actually one of the specialties of the house. what's particular about this dish is the escargot itself. snails. yes. now, you're in france, and you would think escargot is from france, but today, most of the escargot comes from southeast asia. but this one is grown here. and now, as you can see outside, is the perfect time to come and visit to taste escargot

because it's so green, and you can almost taste the grass in the escargot. it's a wonderful time. well, shall we try it? join me. well, you first. join me, or you're not gonna get any. leaving the cote d'or behind, we're headed to rural northwest burgundy to see small-town life, drift on a canal, and visit one of burgundy's architectural gems: the basilica of vezelay. gentle rivers meander through lush countryside, trees droop with ripe fruit, and fragrance fills the air. burgundy begs the visitor to slow down and to savor life. on a cliff above the fields and pastures, the medieval town of semur-en-auxois makes a striking impression.

a natural citadel, semur further fortified itself against invaders with ramparts and 18 towers, of which 4 remain today. the mightiest is the 140-foot tour de l'orle-d'or. one of the finest churches in burgundy graces the semur skyline. the church is from the 13th century, when the gothic passion for height manifested itself in the narrow, tall, and elegant nave. rare 13th- and 14th-century stained-glass windows lend color and brilliance to this small-town church. [bell ringing] the area around semur is laced with canals. it's possible to travel around most of france by cruising some 5,000 miles of canals and rivers

on a rented boat or a full-service barge. in times past, the canals were used to ship wood, stone, and wine to the people of paris. one very sweet way to explore burgundy is on a canal boat. steve adams from france afloat invited me aboard to find out how it's all done. so, most folks stay on the canals for how long? for about 7 nights-- a week starting on saturday afternoon and finishing the following saturday morning. and there are different size barges? yeah, we do everything from a small 2-berth up to a 12-berth. generally, you need to choose a boat with a bigger number. so if you were two people, you'd be really looking for a boat that said it slept 4, if you're looking for comfort. what about food? food--either you can stop and go to the restaurants along the way, or there are plenty of villages with little shops and boulangeries where you can buy your supplies. the boats have on-board cookers, fridges, et cetera.

but equally, a lot of people like to take a barbecue with them, and you can stop and have a barbecue beside the canal. and even if you only speak english, you'll be able to navigate the locks and figure out how to use the boat? no problem at all. the majority of the users of the french canals are non-french people. really? hmm. maxa, voice-over: moderately priced and perfect for a family or a group of friends, a canal trip lets you take in burgundy leisurely. you can overnight anywhere on the canals and then take bike rides through the surrounding towns, castles, and countryside. whether by boat, car, or on foot, one of the delights of burgundy is discovering sleepy, storybook towns. one of my favorites is a small village called noyers-sur-serein, about 50 miles west of dijon.

in the 12th century, a powerful bishop built a great castle here, and noyers flourished. today the castle is gone, but delightful 15th-century half-timbered houses remain, with their exposed wood framing and fanciful carvings. in 1590, the population of noyers numbered some 3,000. today, only about 700 residents make this magical village home. of all the towns and churches sprinkled across burgundy, one of the greatest treasures is the town of vezelay, with its medieval basilica. in the 11th and 12th centuries, bones put vezelay on the map. pilgrims flocked to the basilica to see the relics of st. mary magdalene. churches sprang up all over burgundy in the 11th century-- a result of wealth and a period of peace.

the style of the time is known as romanesque, and it invokes power and austerity. the decoration above the central inside doorway is one of the most celebrated examples of romanesque art. the carvings depict the pentecost-- the descent of the holy spirit on the disciples. if burgundy is known for its romanesque and gothic art, the loire valley is known for the renaissance. there, fortresses gave way to palaces, and moats transformed into gardens. some 100 miles south of paris lies the loire valley. from our base in the town of amboise, we'll launch our exploration of the region's grand chateaus. hundreds of castles grace the banks of the loire and its tributaries. once a battleground defended by fortresses,

during the renaissance, the loire valley transformed into a playground for kings. our first stop is the chateau sully-sur-loire, a pre-renaissance feudal fortress that defended a strategic river crossing. it was one of the many fortresses built near the loire by warring lords, each with his own army and currency. france was not unified territorially until the late 15th century. in 1429, the peasant girl-turned-soldier joan of arc hurried to sully to meet the king after she had defeated the english at the nearby city of orleans. the upper hall contains one of the best-preserved timber roofs in france-- a virtual forest of 14th-century beams.

all over the loire valley, picturesque towns nestle around a castle. the town of amboise makes a lovely spot for spending the night. it's small, and there's nothing like having a chateau in your backyard. amboise nurtured one of the brightest stars of the french renaissance-- francis, or francois i. francois and members of his court created or revamped many of the chateaus in the loire valley, turning them from fortresses to country estates. keep an eye out for francois' emblem, the salamander. francois grew up in the amboise chateau in the early 1500s, heir to the throne. magnificent jousts, festivals, and masquerades filled his days until the young prince went off to battle for an ancestral claim in italy. pierre brantome, chronicler of the times,

described the prince as "young and gallant, "affable, full of grace and majesty, so much that everyone began to love him." francois returned from italy passionate about the ideas and art of the italian renaissance, and he brought with him the renaissance giant leonardo davinci. davinci lived his last few years in francois' manor house in amboise, le clos luce. here he designed flying machines and worked on francois' plans for new castles. today, davinci's house is a museum with models of his designs. during his reign, francois moved from chateau to chateau. some 18,000 courtiers followed him on horseback. he brought all his gold and silver, his tapestries and furniture with him. francois liked to hunt, so he built a little hunting lodge called chambord. the largest of the loire chateaus,

chambord is a jewel of renaissance design, in which davinci had a hand. this modest lodge has 440 rooms, 365 fireplaces, and 13 main staircases. from the glorious roof terrace, francois' court watched the start of the hunt, festivals, and great tournaments. in the nooks and crannies, romantic assignations unfolded, and secret plots were devised. like many of the well-known chateaus, chambord can be crowded. visit early or late in the day. the renaissance impulse to create a new, more decorative architecture extended to the natural world. the gardens at the chateau villandry are careful replicas of renaissance gardens.

they were planted using engravings from the era as a reference. the trellises, rows of trees, and hedges create an architecture of color, pattern, and shape. francois cultivated an atmosphere of courtly love among his entourage. romance blossomed within the garden mazes. shrubbery were secret symbols and messages of love. beware of chateau fatigue brought on by crowds, heat, and endless chateau tours. decide which chateaus you think are worth an inside visit. then you can drive, hike, or bike past others or take in the chateaus' splendor from the air.

i'm off on an early morning flight with france balloons. hot air ballooning is quite popular in the loire valley. everything from short tours to full day trips can be arranged. weather and wind direction have a lot to do with what you'll see. it's a heavenly experience, sailing gently above the countryside, guided by the wind. and there is no better vantage point from which to take in the splendor of a chateau and its grounds like the magnificent chenonceau.

romance and intrigue blossomed at the chateau of chenonceau. in 1533, francois arranged the marriage of his son henri ii to the italian catherine de medici. unfortunately, henri much preferred the company of his mistress diane de poitiers. to catherine's horror, he gave diane a little gift-- chenonceau. much later, when henri ii was dead and catherine de medici ruled france, she took revenge and ousted diane from chenonceau.

you can see diane pictured in francois' bedroom or imagine the schemings of the medici queen in her green study. the great kitchen conjures images of renaissance feasts. queen catherine threw lavish parties and weddings at chenonceau, with fireworks bursting from the trees and fountains flowing with wine. mmm! [speaking french] maxa, voice-over: festivals are still a way of life in france during the summer months, and they make a great diversion from castle-hopping. maxa: very strong? maxa, voice-over: the charming town of tours hosts a garlic festival every july. you know, if there's any place in tours that you don't have to worry about vampires congregating, it's here at this fete today. look at all this garlic.

maxa, voice-over: while in town, don't miss the 15th-century half-timbered houses on the place de plumereau. tours is one of the gateways to the loire valley, as it's little more than an hour from paris on the tgv, the high-speed train. want to be a king or queen for a day? leave the crowded popular chateaus behind. grab a gourmet lunch from the tours market and a bottle of vouvray, the local wine, and discover your own chateau. the experience might be your most memorable. some 35 miles from chambord, i discovered a delightful small castle, the chateau du moulin, with enchanting red brick towers and a perfect moat. the de marcheville family bought the chateau from the descendants of moulin, and they have gracefully restored the interior in the style of the 15th century. so many visitors to the loire valley are unaware of the sheer number of castles here. woman, voice-over: when they come to the loire valley, they see chambord and chenonceau.

after that, they say, "we have been to the loire chateaus." maxa: but they haven't, have they? they haven't. there are many small chateaus. maxa, voice-over: if you really want to feel like royalty, you can stay in a castle yourself. the chateau de la bourdaisiere, located near tours, offers a princely retreat at reasonable prices. the owners happen to be french princes themselves. francois built la bourdaisiere for one of his many mistresses. a biographer once called francois "as amorous as a cat." the beautifully decorated rooms are mostly named for famous women. as magical as they are by day, at night, the chateaus dazzle. many of the larger chateaus host sound and light shows in the summer months.

while many are conducted only in french, the spectacle itself is worth seeing. some involve a cast of hundreds of local townspeople re-creating the past in front of their magnificent chateau. [applause] well, my 18,000 courtiers are amassing, so it's time to pack up my gold and tapestries and head off to another destination. so for now, from the chateau maxa, au revoir. announcer: all videos and dvds of smart travels are $24.95 each plus shipping. call 800-866-7425 for the two-episode dvd or video on the french riviera, burgundy, and loire. details of all of our travel videos, dvds,

and best guidebooks are on the web at smarttravels.tv. please have a credit card ready and call 800-866-7425 or visit us on the web. captioning made possible by u.s. department of education captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org-- announcer: smart travels is made possible in part by expedia.com, a travel web site that offers travelers a variety of ways to find the trip they're looking for, including flights, hotels, and vacation packages.