american public television presents the splendors of the world in the lifelike reality of high-definition television. hi. i'm rudy maxa, climbing through a bavarian wonderland. proud and playful, fierce and fanciful, southern germany is a garden of alpine beauty and world-class beer. now it's munich and bavaria on smart travels. smart travels is made possible in part by... a travel website that offers travelers a variety of ways to find the trip they're looking for, including flights, hotels, and vacation packages. captioning made possible by u.s. department of education

narrator: 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... maxa: resonating with wagnerian opera and oompah bands

and graced with extravagant castles and enchanted villages, bavaria has a mystique all its own. perhaps it's because this part of southern germany remained a separate kingdom until 1918 that natives here consider themselves bavarians first and germans second. munich, bavaria's largest city, flows with beer, merriment, and tradition. this is a city of vitality, where locals spend their free time in beer gardens discussing politics and art while sipping frothy brews. munich is the most popular vacation spot for northern germans, who are drawn to the relaxed atmosphere in the sunny south. images of lederhosen, smoked sausages, and frauleins in dirndl skirts still thrive.

but there's also another side to munich, one of sophistication and refinement. this wealthy urban center is justifiably proud of its great museums and elegant restaurants. and with a recent boon in high-tech industries, munich has become upscale and up to date. in today's munich, you'll encounter a modern, cosmopolitan lifestyle against a backdrop of traditional bavarian culture. the people here work hard and play even harder, savoring all the pleasures the city has to offer. we've started our visit here in munich, investigating some of those pleasures. after a side trip to the moving memorial at dachau, we'll head south to the fantasy castle neuschwanstein, and then on to the alpine villages of oberammergau and mittenwald. this square has been the heart of munich since the 12th century. for hundreds for years marienplatz was a hub, where farmers and merchants came to buy and to sell.

the name munich comes from the german word for monks, and indeed a monastery existed in the area all the way back to the 8th century. heinrich the lion, a powerful saxon duke, founded the city in 1158, and named it for those early monk residents. over the next century, munich became home to the great wittelsbach dynasty, a family that ruled bavaria until the end of world war i. my daughter sara joined me on this trip. we're off to check out the famous glockenspiel clock on the town hall. accompanied by jousting knights and dancing coopers, the glockenspiel chimes its 43 bells several times a day. the mechanical marionettes perform scenes from the city's history. according to legend, it was the town's barrel makers who coaxed people out of their homes with singing and dancing to celebrate the end of the great plague.

today, marienplatz is the major hub for the city's transportation. this is where the main pedestrian streets come together, and many of the city's best attractions can easily be reached on foot or by hopping on and off trams. the splendid residenz, home of the wittelsbach dynasty, was built between the 14th and 19th centuries. what started as a single castle expanded to an ever more vast complex. when king ludwig i returned from a 7-month tour of greece and italy, he was so enamored of the architecture there that he vowed he wouldn't rest until munich was as beautiful as athens. of course, this palace doesn't exactly look like the parthenon. building was a family tradition with the wittelsbachs, and over a span of 600 years, successive generations created a cluster of palaces

with 130 rooms around 7 courtyards. this courtyard holds a fountain made entirely of seashells. the treasury is one of the most stupendous collections of its kind in europe. magnificent displays of gold work, enamels, carved ivories, and crystal reflect the bavarian ruler's passion for collecting things. the highlight is this gold statue of saint george, covered with thousands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. bronze lions faithfully guard the outer walls of the residenz, and locals, when passing by, always rub a lion's paw for good luck.

our lady's church is munich's cathedral and chief landmark. dating to the 15th century, its onion-domed towers have become the symbol of the city. embedded in the floor is the so-called devil's footprint. according to legend, the architect made a pact with satan in order to get enough money to finish the church. the agreement was that he would build the church without a single window. when the devil approached the finished cathedral, he was certain he'd won the architect's soul, since, from the outside, there appeared to be many windows. but once inside, he was led to a spot where no window was visible. stamping his foot in rage, the devil stormed off, leaving a footprint in the new pavement. not far from the city center, munich's vast english gardens

are where muncheners kick back and relax. this is the largest urban park in germany and one of europe's oldest landscaped green spaces. designed to resemble the rolling parklands of english manor homes, this was the brainchild of a british-american scientist who spent much of his career working for the bavarian government. on warm days, locals love to cavort here. near one of the little lakes is an open-air beer garden where groups converge at the slightest hint of sunshine. no question about it, this city's most beloved pastime is drinking beer, preferably in a beer garden or hall. and the promise of sipping a stein of one of munich's thirst-quenching brews draws eager visitors from around the world.

the beer-brewing tradition started in the monasteries. when medieval rulers discovered there were profits to be made by taxing beer, they enthusiastically encouraged its production. and we support that completely. we do, don't we? maxa, voice-over: this not only raised cash, but also kept the population happy at the same time. even today, the beer quality here is based on a purity edict introduced by the bavarian duke wilhelm iv in 1516. the edict forbids the use of anything other than the basic ingredients of barley, hops, and water for brewing. the hofbrauhaus is the best known of munich's many beer halls. [singing in german] there's been a brewery on this site for more than 400 years. the present hall was built at the end of the 19th century. in an atmosphere thick with sausages and tobacco,

waiters haul 17,500 liters of beer a day to thirsty customers. at the rowdy hofbrauhaus, it's like oktoberfest all year long. the happy crowds are regaled with those bavarian standards-- yodeling... [yodeling] and bell ringing. [ringing bells] then everyone cheers for the male schuhplattler dancers who, clad in lederhosen of course, show off their wood-chopping skills, and kick up their heels.

i love munich's folksy, traditional touches, but there's much more to the culture here than yodeling and beer. this is a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city with terrific art galleries and museums-- and we're off to check out a few. the alte pinakothek, which means old art gallery, was part of king ludwig i's scheme to class up the city. the colossal building was designed to hold the impressive collections amassed by the wittelsbachs from the early 16th century onward. it features some of the world's most important paintings by european old masters. you'll find such notables as botticelli and his lamentation of christ. and titian's evocative crowning of thorns.

there are more rubens here than in any other museum in europe. located in a post-modernist style building just opposite the alte pinakothek is the neue pinakothek, or new art gallery. this collection was also conceived by ludwig i and was intended to showcase the modern art of the day. it holds european painting and sculpture dating from the second half of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century. along with a healthy selection of german painters are such greats as van gogh... and cezanne. munich recently rounded out its art museum triad

with a gallery devoted to contemporary art. the massive white interior of the pinakothek der moderne creates an ideal canvas for 20th- and 21st-century artworks collected from around the world. the galleries extend over 3 floors and 13,000 square meters and include such masters as pablo picasso... and salvador dali. critics have praised the bright, light-filled museum for its original exhibits reveling in the art of modern design. for a completely different but utterly essential munchen experience, head to the viktualienmarkt. open-air markets are very popular in european cities, and this is one of the best.

you'll find everything and anything to do with food-- luscious-looking fruits and vegetables-- what do you think? shall we get 'em? and all kinds of meats and cheeses. sounds good. [speaking indistinctly] maxa: mild? mm-hmm. von kuh? from a cow? man: it's goat. goat? oh, it's goat. from goat? maxa: it's not the cheapest place in town to shop, but the quality is excellent across the board. beer is so beloved here that locals even decorate their houses in beer hops. woman: it has a very intensive smell. oh, really? you see? want to smell it? it smells nice. maxa, voice-over: munich has no shortage of hotels, and if your tastes lean toward the luxurious, the mandarin oriental is one of the best. this renovated neo-renaissance building

was a high-society ballroom in the late 19th century. today, it recaptures some of that old-time sophistication with its large, elegant rooms and marble baths. and the rooftop patio has terrific city views. we could even see our next destination! this is munich's most unusual church. it's officially named for st. john of nepomuk, but is commonly called "asamkirche," after the two asam brothers who were the building's architects. the entrance is framed by rock foundations and above the doorway is a carving of st. nepomuk, a 14th-century bohemian monk who drowned in the danube. angels are leading him from the riverbank to heaven. inside is an explosion of late-baroque architecture. the asam brothers created the plans themselves and supervised every stage of work.

the spectacular ceiling frescoes tell the story of the saint's life. if you sit in the center of the church and look up, the images give the illusion of 3-d. according to local lore, king ludwig i spent hours flat on his back staring at the painting. located on the western edge of the city is another fine royal residence: nymphenburg palace. this was built as a summer residence for the wittelsbach family. you can tour 20 of the rooms where the royal family ate, slept, and entertained. the most glorious room is the great hall-- its majestic size accentuated by the symphony of light that glitters off the elaborate decoration.

ludwig i decided he wanted to immortalize the most attractive women of his day and commissioned their portraits to be hung here in the gallery of beauties. the group even includes ludwigs notorious mistress, lola montez. symmetrical, beautiful, and impressive, the palace is surrounded by parkland cultivated in the 18th and 19th centuries. today, the palace serves as government offices. the period between wwi and wwii marked a low point in munich's history. the city was the cradle of the nazi movement following the first world war, and in 1923, munich was the site of hitler's first attempt to seize power. dachau, just 12 miles northwest of munich and easily accessible by public transportation, is a dark reminder of those days. this was the site of the first nazi concentration camp. a visit here can't help but be an emotional experience.

it gives a shocking immediacy to the horror that was nazi germany. the first prisoners of the camp were political opponents of the nazi regime, such as communists and social democrats. later, new groups of prisoners were deported to dachau: homosexuals, gypsies, and jews. after the pogrom of 1938, the so-called "night of broken glass", many more thousands of jews were brought to dachau. before the war, the prisoners were forced to do slave labor. when the war began, the camp became a place of mass murder. more than 30,000 of the 200,000 prisoners died. many succumbed to fatal illnesses because of the atrocious health conditions of the camp. the infamous site has been preserved with reconstructed barracks and crematorium. memorials to the victims are found throughout the grounds.

the poignant museum contains heart-wrenching photos and documents. one of the few prisoners who escaped dachau described it this way: implacable, perverted, an organization that was totally murderous, a marvelous machine for the debasement and de-humanizing of man." our drive south gives us time to reflect and to decompress. after stopping at a 700-year-old monastery, we'll continue on to the alpine towns of southern bavaria. just outside town, the ammersee lake is a popular resort area for vacationing muncheners. andechs, a graceful 14th-century monastery, sits atop the hill. it was built to celebrate the rediscovery of relics

that had been brought here from jerusalem by a local count in the year 952. buried in the church is composer carl orff of carmina buranfame. modern pilgrims are drawn to andechs by the potent beer brewed by the monks who live here. this isn't exactly a rowdy beer garden. out of respect for the holy site, no singing is allowed. but the special bock beer is so powerful that it's only served during the week for fear of causing car accidents on the weekends. the food here is nothing if not hearty. now, this is what i call a pig's knuckle. lots of pork, potatoes and the world's best sauerkraut. well into rural bavaria, we catch our first breath of mountain air. the snow-rimmed purple alps provide a dramatic backdrop for southern germany's forested beauty and legendary castles.

the bavarian flair for the fanciful is best personified by king ludwig ii and his fantastic creation, neuschwanstein. maxa: truly the image of a fairy-tale castle, neuschwanstein seems more dreamlike than real. in fact, the disney castle was modeled after it. neuschwanstein was conjured from the imagination of ludwig ii, sometimes called "mad king ludwig". handsome, refined, and a lover of art and music, the young ludwig was like a prince from the pages of a storybook. maxa, voice-over: ludwig ii was only 18 when he was crowned king in 1864. at first, he tried to busy himself with ruling the kingdom, but a loner by nature, he really didn't have a talent for relating to his subjects. eventually he left the affairs of state to his ministers and became more and more obsessed with an extravagant scheme to build several grand and romantic castles, neuschwanstein being the most famous. initially, he funded his projects with his own money.

but when he started to draw on the state funds, the government stepped in and had the 41-year old king declared insane. three days later, he and his physician were found drowned in a lake outside of munich. to this day, no one knows if it was suicide or murder. despite the controversy surrounding his life and death, ludwig continues to be very much beloved by bavarians. for a bird's-eye view of the castle, hop the gondola on nearby tegelberg mountain. modern gondola cabins carry you up the mountainside to an elevation of nearly 5,000 feet. the recreation park below the gondola shows how a winter sports area can be converted for summer fun. this is a special treat for thrill-seekers: a luge ride.

you hop on a little sled that propels you up the steep hill... hello, mama! hello! maxa: i think going up is the easy part. this is the easy part! maxa, voice-over: then you head on down the slick metal track. it's actually not as scary as it sounds. you can control the speed with a hand brake. the further forward you push the stick, the faster you go. oh, yeah! whoa! maxa, voice-over: if you let up on the stick, the brakes slow you down. the whole ride is about a mile long and takes just a few minutes. i liked it so much, i'm going for a second run! woman: whee! maxa, voice-over: enveloped in breath-taking mountain scenery, i'm off in search of some alpine village charm. oberammergau, 59 miles southwest of munich, is surrounded by mountains and crowded with visitors. but despite the tourists, it remains surprisingly quaint. and the little streets are a pleasure to wander.

oberammergau's big claim to fame, of course, is that it is home to the passion play, which is performed once every 10 years. this must be the world's longest-running play, considering it was first staged in 1634. the town's residents took a sacred vow to perform the drama every ten years as a way of expressing thanks for being spared the effects of a devastating plague the year before. not far away, the little town of mittenwald has fewer tourists than oberammergau and is even more charming. mittenwald was deemed by the writer goethe as "a living picture-book," and some consider this the prettiest town in the bavarian alps. in middle ages, this was a stopover point for merchants traveling through the mountain pass to munich. a medieval boom-time is reflected in the ornately carved gables and colorful facades of the buildings that line the main street.

we're settling in at the post hotel, mittenwald's most popular accommodations. the cheery chalet dates to 1632, when coaches carrying mail and passengers over the alps stopped here to refuel. these days, it offers inviting rooms with the most comfortable beds in town. best of all are the spectacular mountain views. mittenwald gained a reputation in the 17th century as a violin-making center. a monument outside the town church commemorates matthias klotz, a student of stradivarius and amati, who introduced the manufacture of stringed instruments to bavaria. he taught his craft to the local woodcarvers, breathing new life into what had been a sagging economy. master violinmaker anton sprenger invited us into his workshop to see his meticulous handiwork. today, mittenwald is known throughout germany as "the village of a thousand violins."

the allure of southern germany lies in its deep-rooted traditions and its joyous approach to life. with great city sites, rowdy beer halls, thick forests, and fairy-tale castles, this is a diverse bavarian playground just waiting for you to jump in. well, i've got my walking stick and hat and i'm ready to take on some alpine trails. who knows, i may even learn to yodel. until next time, i'm rudy maxa. auf wiedersehen! maxa, voice-over: all videos and dvds smart travels are $24.95 each plus shipping. call... for the two-episode dvd or video on berlin, munich and bavaria. details of all of our travel videos, dvds, and best guidebooks are on the web at: please have a credit card ready and call...

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 website that offers travelers a variety of ways to find the trip they're looking for, including flights, hotels, and vacation packages.