I'm going on a bike tour today. It all starts in Austria, just across the border with Germany.
In the middle of the mountains — the Alps. A great countryside.
The Rhine, the Danube, the Moselle these are all rivers you ve probably before.
But do you also know the Lech?
The Lech is one of the last wild mountain rivers in Europe. With rapids and gravel banks.
Left and right you can see high mountains.
In Forchach, there is the first little challenge for me: a suspension bridge.
To be honest, I'm a little nervous, walking over this bridge.
This is unbelievable.
You can cycle all along the Lech — from the source to the confluence.
That's around 250 kilometers. The way is well signposted.
My route is a part of the way: from Forchach in Austria to Landsberg am Lech in Germany,
that's about 90 kilometers.
I'm looking forward to lots of nature, action and a little bit of sightseeing.
The Lech pours into Germany with all the power brought from the Alps.
This is the Lechfall near Füssen. At the moment, the river's carrying lots of water,
and you can feel that .
You get a little wet up here.
The Lech's hydropower has been used to generate energy for centuries,
here by harnessing a natural waterfall using weirs. This was driving mills 200 years ago.
From here, I follow the Lech into Füssen. That's the first town north of the Austrian border
on the very south of Bavaria.
Füssen has a very pretty old town that you should definitely see.
Medieval streets, historical buildings — the town is over 2000 years old.
These facade paintings are typically Bavarian.
But the main event for Füssen is found well outside the town: Neuschwanstein Castle!
The whole world knows about this place. And believe it or not, I've NEVER been there:
but now it's time!
Neuschwanstein is the largest and most expensive of the three castles
Bavarian King Ludwig the 2nd had built. Bavaria's most famous monarch ruled from 1864 to 1886.
We're only allowed to shoot here outside of normal visitor hours, so...
We have the whole castle to ourselves.
Neuschwanstein was built as a medieval fairy-tale castle
— playful and teeming with sumptuous details.
Each hall is decorated with a different subject
from the world of Germanic myths and legends.
The royal family's heraldic symbol shows up everywhere:
NeuSCHWANstein Castle. Schwan is swan .
It was supposed to look medieval, but the fixtures had to be ultra-modern.
And so, the castle is subtly peppered with modern technology.
A telephone! That was sensational at the time.
And this, too!
This is some kind of motion detector. Every little window represents a room.
And, when one of those small things here came down, the king needs something right there.
The opportunity to walk through here alone really is a privilege.
On normal days — before Covid — around 7,000 people passed through the castle every day.
Up to 60 people at a time were here in this bedroom. Hard to imagine.
Sleep like a king here: that's what I would like to do. And the bed is even long enough,
because King Ludwig the 2nd was a little taller than me: one meter and 91 centimeters.
Ludwig the 2nd is also called the fairy tale king. Not only did he create beautiful castles
he tended to live in his own dream world.
He had this grotto built in the middle of his living quarters. Pretty crazy idea.
It put him in the world of the Wagner opera "Tannhäuser".
Ludwig was a great admirer and patron of the famous composer Richard Wagner.
Wow! What a view!
The sad part is that Ludwig only knew this castle as a construction site.
He died before Neuschwanstein was completed.
He never had a chance to experience the Singers Hall filled with music.
Richard Wagner's operas were meant to be performed here. But that never happened.
The frescoes all around show scenes from the opera Parsifal.
Yep. I think this is my favorite room.
During Ludwig's reign, there was little understanding for his building craze.
What the Bavarian King had created only came to be appreciated by later generations.
Today, Neuschwanstein is one of the most visited castles in Europe.
That was fantastic. Finally, I've been to Neuschwanstein Castle.
It maybe downhill from here but it's fun! Now, I m heading back to Füssen.
Hardly any other region in Bavaria is home to so many traditional costume
and regional history societies as the Allgäu.
I have a meeting with someone who is passionate about Bavarian tradition.
Max is an ice hockey coach and a fan of traditional Bavarian dress.
It is important to him to pass the traditions on to the younger generation.
Because of the ice hockey, I received invitations to Switzerland and America and Cologne.
I never went, because I never felt quite up to it. I'm too closely tied to my home.
Max teaches the kids in his club — and anyone who asks him — a centuries old Bavarian folk dance:
Schuhplatteln.
What is Schuplatteln actually? I've seen clips on Youtube, but where does it come from?
What is it?
For us in the club, it originated in the Textil Company with the old craftsmen.
These were men from all over the region.
They were actually just trying to grab the attention of the women
in the area and beyond by showing off, more or less, in competitions.
That evolved into prize-platteln. It's easy to show off what you can do.
A show-off dance, so to speak?
Yeah.
And when did that start?
It started up in the year 1900. That's when our club was founded in Füssen.
By 1910 or 12, there were some very good dancers. That's when it really got going.
Is it just dancing, or is it more of a sport?
It s definitely a sport. It takes coordination,
stamina and strength. You'll see: if the slap on your upper thigh doesn't hit squarely,
it doesn't sound like anything.
Is this more of an old-fashioned tradition, or is it cool and popular with young people again?
It's both cool and old-fashioned. The traditionalist stands behind other traditionalists.
I'm the best example of that. I'm both modern and typically traditional in my clothes,
and I embrace both. I'm modern: I have tattoos that not many have here,
because it s a bit frowned upon.
Can anyone learn Schuhplattler?
Anyone who can count to eleven, not fall on their heads and is a bit coordinated.
So, I can, too?
I can show you how.
Has anyone not got the hang of it?
No, there's no one like that.
Now, the pressure is on. With my jacket?
No, wear as little as possible or you'll sweat.
OK!
Every plattler starts with the foot stomping: right, left, right, right.
Where's the applause?
No, I'll show you the basics of what a plattler really is.
This is how the Plattler starts.
Not bad.
It's easier if you look straight ahead.
Yes! Not bad. Now a little stronger?
Exactly. With, strength, coordination, stamina! And use your head. Keep your hands up.
One, two, three.
One, two, three. Exactly! Again.
One, two, three. It looks clumsy right?
It looks a bit clumsy, but we'll work it out.
Zero, zero, zero. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11.
Right. Again.
1,2,3,4 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11.
Good!
Now your tempo.
Almost. Again!
Okay, one more time.
We got it!! Can I hug you?
You may.
That was satisfying.
And that's simply tradition.
Many thanks!
Now it's time for the Lech again. Onwards, ever onwards.
Instead of high mountains, there are meadows and more lakes left and right.
That's typical of the Allgäu: small towns. Bavarian, easy-going.
Cycling is so easy here. It's all smooth.
And the countryside is incredibly beautiful.
I'll stop right here... because there's nothing but silence.
To follow the Lech in Germany, I need the GPS now and then.
The cycle path is not yet marked here — as it is in Austria.
On the German side, that won't happen until next year.
I've done about 60 kilometers so far.
Riding an e-bike makes it a lot easier.
I think I like it here. Time to take a little break.
Nothing like a prezel with a view.
And I continue downriver to Landsberg am Lech. My last stop.
Landsberg is a nice town. Everything you see here is actually still original.
Winding streets, colorful houses: the atmosphere here reminds me a bit of Italy.
There is even a piazza in Landsberg. The main square.
And the highlight there is the town hall. Take a look: it s the finest Rococo.
And then, there is my friend, the Lech. I can hear him - before I see him.
The Karolinen-Weir is one of the main attractions of Landsberg.
I've followed the Lech for 90 kilometers. Now it's time to say goodbye.
Well, this river was a real discovery for me. I didn t really know about the Lech before,
and I have to say the landscape here is just beautiful. So, grab a bike, ride along the Lech
and I am pretty sure you won't regret it. Just give it a try.