Rhine River Cruise

-I've been traveling all over the world for two decades, and I'm finally doing something that I have wanted to do.

It's been on my bucket list for, like, 30 years, and that is to take a tour through Europe on a river.

10 days, 4 countries, 2 rivers.

I want castles, I want cathedrals, I want burgs, I want bourgs, I want gelato in every stop.

I want to see statues that I have no idea who that person is, but wow, that's amazing.

And I want vistas, I want churches where the bells ring all the time.

I want perfect little ferries that go into my shot.

I want to drain my battery taking every little picture of every sweeping view.

[ Sighs ] It's good to be back in Europe.

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path, on storied rivers, with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

-To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

-I'm taking an epic journey along the Rhine River, enjoying an original road trip of sorts through Europe, touching four countries and about 1,000 years of history.

I'll be highlighting several cities along the river in France and Germany, but my first stop, the enchanting city of Freiburg, is actually away from the Rhine and enjoys a unique distinction that makes it the envy of an entire country.

So, Peter, this is the sunniest city in Germany?

-Yes.

-The story checks out.

-Like we have today.

That's true.

-It's very sunny.

Oh, this is lovely.

How long has this market been here?

-On the cathedral square since about 200 years, so... -Which makes it quite new in these parts.

-Yes, but the market was in Freiburg since the foundation of the city.

-Which is when?

-It was at the end of the 11th Century, and since these days, Freiburg had the function of a market.

-My goodness.

So, Freiburg, you have a commerce, you have a university, and you also have a cathedral.

[ Bell tolling ] How old is the cathedral?

-The first building was made at the end of the 11th, beginning of the 12th Century, and it lasted almost 300 years to build it.

But it was not built as a cathedral, in fact.

It was built as a normal parish church, so it was paid by the citizen, not by a bishop.

-You know, I always think that I should always invest in a European scaffolding company, because there ain't a cathedral in Europe that isn't wrapped around it.

Obviously, they're doing some construction here, but these are old and they need a lot of love and care.

♪♪ Freiburg is situated right on the edge of the famous Black Forest of Germany, but I heard there was a new cake in town.

-Oh, there's Stefan's Kasekuchen, which is such a wonderful thing.

-It's what?

-Stefan's Kasekuchen -- Stefan's cheesecake.

-Ah!

Stefan.

Kasekuchen.

I get it.

I'm learning German one pastry at a time.

So, you started up in the Black Forest in the mountains?

-Yeah.

No cars.

Just bikes.

-And hikers.

-And hikers, yes.

-And they want cheesecake 'cause they're hungry.

-They are burned out and they like a little bit fat, calories, yes, and so -- -So your cheesecake has a little more fat and a little more calories?

-Yes, it is.

-So, most people, like myself, traveling to the Black Forest area come here for Black Forest cake.

-Yeah.

-Right?

That's what you're known for.

This is something new.

-This is our Black Forest cake.

-This is your -- I want to try the official Black Forest cheesecake.

-Huh?

-So good.

-Fluffy.

-Stefan, excellent.

-Do you feel the calories?

-I feel -- I feel the calories.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

There's a lot of love here.

♪♪ My next stop is on the Rhine -- Strasbourg, France.

The seventh largest city in France began as a Roman camp in the 1st Century AD, and parts of this city look like time stopped around the 16th, which makes it a perfect backdrop to act out my inner future and unsuspecting princess.

So, this is every traveler's dream of a storybook village.

I feel like right now that I should be more sashaying down the street while holding a basket, right, and singing, and then all the villagers come out of their shops and the keepers and the bakers and the butchers to greet me in song.

Anyone?

Anyone?

You up there?

No.

Guess I'll just walk.

I may have been sashaying through Petite France, but a few blocks away is something that isn't petite in the least.

[ Bells tolling ] Another day, another country, another cathedral.

When it comes to cathedrals, Europe does not disappoint, and no wonder we love them so, okay?

They are just marvels of architecture and creativity, and of course, then the center of the city just sort of built up all around it and we're all sort of drawn to this heart of the city.

All the scaffolding does make you wonder what are they doing?

-Okay, so you saw the scaffolding on the cathedral, and right now, we are in charge of a complete restoration of this facade.

-The entire facade.

-Right now here, we are in the cathedral workshop.

We have stone masons, stone carvers doing exact copies to preserve, restore the cathedral.

-And this workshop is actually as old as the cathedral itself, dating from the 1300s.

-Everything is done by hand.

Even if we try to, we have all the modern technologies, but we take really care to use the old handcraft build skills.

-So, these are the stone carvers?

-Yes, and he's replacing one part of this balustrade you just saw on the plan, which was marked in red, and exactly the piece you see behind, which he's doing the exact copy.

-Are you just using your eye?

-[ Speaking French ] -Ah, okay.

What is the most difficult stone to reproduce?

Is it a spire?

Is it the balustrade?

-[ Speaking French ] -I think we really like the variety, to not always do the exactly same pieces all the time -- statues, balustrade, pinnacles.

I think they like the changes sometimes, not always repeat the same, do the same things.

-In the building of cathedrals, they take 300, 400, 500 years.

Do they have a deadline?

-The work on the cathedral is always going on.

It will never finish.

You always have to do a conservation work to maintain the cathedral in the best way.

Once you're around, you have to start again.

-Start all over again?

[ Laughing ] You have a job for life.

Because the Rhine serves as part of the border between Germany and France, I started my tour to its east in Germany, then to the west in France, and now I'm back in Germany again.

The little jewel of a city, Heidelberg, is nestled along the Neckar River amidst thickly wooded mountains.

And while it doesn't have a cathedral, it does have another European superstar -- a castle.

So, Klaus, I've seen a few castles in my time, but none where I can look at the anatomy of a castle.

I mean, we're really looking into it.

-This is because Heidelberg Castle is not a castle in the proper sense, but a ruin, yeah?

The Heidelberg Castle did not become famous as a castle, but as a ruin in the 19th Century.

-Why is that?

Just romance?

-Right.

The time of the Romantics.

This was already sold to a wreckage company beginning of the 19th Century to pull it completely down.

-Sold to a wreck-- They were gonna sell this?

-They had sold this, but there was a small group of men in Heidelberg -- professors, artists of all kind -- and they thought about these ruins as a symbol, being a symbol for the golden days of German history, and they fought for the maintenance of it, and after a long quarrel with the government, they finally succeeded in persuading them yes, it's worth keeping those ruins, fortunately for us today.

It's the main tourist attraction, not only in Heidelberg, but in the whole of Germany and maybe even in Europe.

-The outside is impressive as a ruin, but the inside is in phenomenal shape.

Wow!

You have no idea that this is inside of that.

Wow!

-There are several palaces -- different times, different styles, as you can easily see.

And that was built by a man called Frederick -- the man with the sword in his hand.

-Oh.

-That's Frederick IV of the Palatine, the guy who built this building.

-And what was his stature?

Was he a prince?

Was he a duke?

-He was a prince, he was a prince, and he was an important prince in the German Empire.

He had three hobbies -- he liked hunting, he liked ladies, and he liked drinking.

He died 35 years old of cirrhosis of the liver.

-How would you know it?

-They cut him open.

It was the first autopsy done here.

They were curious.

He died so young, so they cut him open, didn't find a liver, then they knew.

Yeah.

-You might have a liver problem, too, if you lived in a castle that had this.

This is the largest wine barrel in Germany, and it held 50,000 gallons of wine.

Red, white, it didn't matter.

And up at the top, that wasn't a balcony.

That was a dance floor for all the parties.

Heidelberg is a college town and is home to Germany's oldest university established in 1386.

But behind this gentile facade is one of the school's most notorious dwellings.

This is a very strange place, Klaus.

Klaus asked me if I had any idea where I was, and the only thing that came to mind was an old fraternity.

I wasn't that far off.

-These are five prison cells exclusively only for students.

This is the historical student prison of Heidelberg.

-But I'm looking at the cells/"rooms" right now and they're spacious.

They're nice, right?

This wasn't my dorm room when I went to college.

This is maybe three times the size.

-These boys were not poor students.

-And these silhouettes here, what are they?

-These were the students who were in there, and they used the -- how you say that -- the sort of candles.

-Okay.

-They painted or they draw.

-So they basically put their own mugshot on the wall?

-That's right.

-Okay.

-And they were proud to be a prisoner.

In those days in the late 19th Century, it was a must for every student who studied at Heidelberg University to spend at least a couple of days in this prison.

-It was bragging rights.

So, I'm a student at Heidelberg University, and I maybe drink a little too heavily.

-And you were caught, yeah.

-Maybe I picked on a cop, and then I was brought here.

-Right.

-But I could still go to my lectures during the day.

-Yes, you could.

-But then at night, I'd have to return here.

-You had to return in here, that's right.

Nice.

-But that's what this reminds me of.

This reminds me of a fraternity house.

-Typical for the time, that's right.

-Basically, students haven't changed in their behavior.

-No, they are -- It has never changed.

It's a never-ending story, student life.

-Well, the Rhine has now brought me to the German city of Mainz.

I wanted to come to a place that was a lot more laid back, still had a lot to do for the traveler, but there's always a seat at the cafe, there's never a massive line to get a gelato, and as you can see, you still get all that you want in a European city.

You've got the half-timbered homes, it has the cobblestones, and look at this.

It even has -- voilà -- a cathedral!

But Mainz also has an especially impressive claim to fame.

It's the birthplace of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press.

The Gutenberg Museum here celebrates printing of all sorts along with their most famous local, who created a machine that literally changed the world.

It's at the museum where you will learn that Gutenberg's printing press wasn't his greatest invention.

-The greatest invention was the making of letters.

-Mm-hmm.

-Without this, making -- fast way of making any kind of absolutely identical letters, book printing never would have taken place.

-It was this invention of Gutenberg's that was so groundbreaking -- a mold device that enabled him to quickly create thousands of individual letters using a molten metal formula that hardened in a second.

-So, I open the hand mold, and out comes one character.

-The letters would then be lined up into words and sentences, and every "A," every capital "W," every comma would be identical and consistent.

So, here we have a text.

-Yeah.

-Can I try the roller?

-Sure.

-This particular page will use three colors of ink, so they're all applied separately, and then the blocks are assembled into the intended design.

-For printing, you need paper.

-Yes.

-At the Gutenberg Museum, these hands-on presentations give you a sense of the real work that had to be done.

-And we both push.

Very good.

So, now I bring us the handle around here.

-Uh-huh.

-You put both hands on it.

I count one, two, and three, and then we pull as hard as we can.

-Pull?

Okay.

-Yeah.

One, two, and three.

Bravo.

-Okay.

-So, now we pull the sledge back.

We listen to the printer's kiss.

When the paper comes off the color, it makes... a smack.

-A smooch.

-Yeah.

Voilà.

We now have a facsimile of the Gospel of John.

It's in Latin -- "In the beginning was the Word."

So imagine, for printing one bible, this procedure we just made together was necessary 1,282 times.

-My gosh.

Next morning, I'm up bright and early to disembark in one of the most prominent cities in German wine country -- Rudesheim am Rhein.

The city has an old-world charm that draws visitors from all around the world, but it's especially attractive when you see it from above.

Yep.

Guess what I'm about to do.

Drink some wine.

This is the famous Rhine Valley where the Riesling is grown.

You see rows and rows of grapevines, and it's actually one of my favorite wines, but one that I have a lot of questions about, so I'm glad that I am in its home because I'm ready to drink and know a little bit about one of my favorite wines.

How long have they been growing wine on these slopes?

-On these slopes, since 912.

-No.

-Yes.

Okay, some of the grapes are not so old, but maybe for farmers, this is poor soil, but for wine growth, one of the best soils you can get here.

-And they've known that for over 1,100 years?

Incredible.

And how long has your family in particular been growing wine?

-So, we do produce wines in 1647.

-Oh, my goodness.

-So, we look not as old like this, but -- -You're 400 years old and you look fantastic, Adolf.

It's the wine, right?

-It's the wine, yeah.

It's the Riesling.

-It's the Riesling, and that's what these grapes are, Riesling?

All of it is Riesling?

-A good 80% of this district.

We do 15% of a craft grape called Muller-Thurgau, and the final 5% of productions is red wine.

-Mm-hmm.

-In the French language, called pinot noir.

-Oh, yes, of course.

-In the German language, called Blauer Spatburgunder.

-I'm not even gonna try that.

Pinot noir it is.

-Okay.

Let me offer two glasses.

-Two glasses of Riesling and I'll be able to pronounce pinot noir in German.

-Without accent.

-So, Adolf, you have spoiled me for every single view for the rest of my life.

-I hope so.

-And the hanging grapes -- nice touch.

-I prepared a little wine tasting for you.

I think we should have a Riesling, and it's a fruity wine, and I think it's a nice, pleasant wine.

It's not too sweet, not too dry.

-Oh.

-Have a swivel and drink it.

-I waited on tables for 10 years, and Riesling was the grape that confused me the most.

You could have a Riesling that was very sweet, you could have a Riesling that was very dry, and the people who wanted the dry Riesling did not want the sweet, and the people who want the sweet do not want the dry.

How would you describe your wine and inform the wine drinker so they know what they're getting?

-I would say have a taste of three different types.

I choose you three wines or two wines or four wines, and you taste the wine, and then when you're tasting, we talk about the wine.

-Okay.

So, I guess the answer is you just have to come to the Rhine Valley for a wine tasting.

-May we have a second wine?

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

-And now for a wine I thought I knew well, but not like this.

-It's a white harvest.

It's not a rosé.

It's like in America, got the blush.

This is a pinot noir grape.

-Mm-hmm.

-And this is a wine you drink young, early.

-Oh, wow.

-But you drink this on a hot day like today.

-This is perfect.

This is this day.

To me, this is the summer day in Germany overlooking the Rhine right there in a glass.

My third sample was a traditional pinot noir, which meant it was time.

I've had a substantial amount of wine right now, so I feel like my palate is loose.

-Blauer Spatburgunder.

-Oh!

I thought reading it would make it easier.

It hasn't.

-Blauer Spatburgunder.

"Blau."

-"Blau."

-Blue.

-Blue.

-"Spat" means "late."

-Mm-hmm.

-And Burgundy -- "Burgund" -- is the part where they came from.

Blauer Spatburgunder.

-Blauer Spatburgunder.

-Yeah, perfect.

It helps, you see?

-It does.

I look at all these wine glasses and I think, "I've had a very productive day."

-Okay, I hope so.

Cheers.

-Prosterchen.

-Prosterchen.

Cheers.

-So, I'm now making my way through the Rhine Gorge, which is known as the most spectacular part of the River Rhine, mainly because on either bank, there are some 40 castles, fortresses, ruins, each with its own story and history, and it's here you really get a sense that being on the Rhine, it's like you're taking part in a road trip that has gone on since prehistoric times, but when you enter the gorge is when you enter the land of myths and legends.

And it's where you really get a sense of the world history that came out of this small stretch.

You also become something you never thought was possible -- a castle snob.

Like, that one is gorgeous, but this one, eh, I don't know.

It's okay.

But they probably could've unfairly taxed goods on the Rhine a little more.

A lot of wine is grown along the Rhine, and I drank a lot of it, but when I got to the great city of Cologne, it was time for a change.

-Prost.

-My introduction to this city is a beer that is unique to it -- Kolsch.

-It's a pretty light beer, refreshing.

-Oh, boy, this is a perfect beer for summer.

-Yeah.

-And this can't be really enjoyed in any other part of Germany than here in Cologne.

This is so typical of Cologne.

-You can't brew Kolsch outside of Cologne.

I mean, you could try, but people wouldn't accept it.

-So, you don't drink, like, an IPA.

You don't drink lagers.

It's only Kolsch.

-Yes.

Kolsch is the standard.

It's like water.

You always have Kolsch, and then you can go also for other drinks, but always the base is Kolsch.

There's nothing else.

-They serve the beer in a very different type of tray.

-Yeah.

-And it comes in a very different type of glass.

-Usually when it's crowded, the kobes -- you call the guy kobes.

It's a specific term for the guy serving Kolsch.

-The waiter?

-Yeah, the waiter.

Kobes.

-Kobes.

-Kobes.

So, he will walk around during the whole evening and just put the Kolsch on those places where you can see an empty glass of Kolsch.

So, if you don't stop him with doing -- putting the -- -The coaster.

-Yes, yes, the coaster on top of the glass, he will continuously serve you the Kolsch the whole evening long.

-So, if I'm done drinking, put this on.

-Otherwise, you will get Kolsch.

-A lot of Kolsch.

-Right.

-And I won't be able to find my way back to the Rhine.

-I don't know why the Cologne beer is so light and fruity and tastes different than other beers, but I think it just represents the way we are and we live here in Cologne.

This lightness, easy going, it's just who we are and how we are in Cologne.

-Is this beef tartare?

-Yes.

-It's like raw hamburger... -Yes.

-...and onions on a roll.

-Yes.

-Wow.

-You shouldn't eat it before you have a first date or try to impress someone.

-Here we go.

I love this.

-Yeah.

-This is my childhood, 'cause when I was young growing up and the hamburger meat was really good, I used to eat it raw.

-Oh, nice.

-All the time.

-So, this reminds you of your childhood.

-Reminds me of my childhood, absolutely.

This doesn't.

Now I'm glad I'm an adult.

So, what do you think Cologne is most known for -- its cathedral or the Kolsch?

-Its cathedral.

[ Bells tolling ] -So, Gol, you were born and raised here in Cologne.

-That's right.

I'm straight out of Cologne city.

-How many field trips were you taken on to the cathedral?

-Oh, my God, I can't count them anymore.

I think there were, like, 5 to 10.

I was so bored.

I just tried to keep it out of my head how many times I went here, but it's beautiful.

It's good to be here at least once.

-It's interesting that, you know, this was built in, what, the 12th -- Oh, come on, tell me.

Come on.

-1200 -- No, not 1200.

-10 field trips, Gol.

10 field trips.

When was it built?

-1248.

-Okay.

So, 1248, and it's still the most dominant building in this city.

-Just look at it.

If you go through the details and you watch the details, you can't believe that it's built so many years ago.

Whenever I'm coming home from abroad, I always see it from far away.

Even if I'm 50 kilometers away, you can see the skyline from Cologne and the iconic shape.

You always see the cathedral, you know you are home.

-The Rhine River stretches over 700 miles and flows through six countries, but it's more than a watery timeline of the past.

Its slow and steadfast current allows you to travel with purpose through a continent's heart and its many cultures, to have encounters both planned and chanced with the people who live along one of Europe's most powerful and storied waterways.

People who create stories of their own and pass them along to you.

-Three.

Bravo.

-Okay.

And though it's just a glimpse of their life and history, they leave more than an impression, but a permanent mark.

When you can walk through 400 years of a single family's hard work and taste it... Oh.

...when you learn that the saints and the gargoyles are still being cared for, when you get to feel the romance, taste the calories, and princess your way through an enchanting village, that is when we share a love of travel, and that's why a trip on the Rhine is filled with places to love.

-For more information about this and other episodes, destination guides, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

"Samantha Brown's Places to Love" was made possible by... -To travel is to live, and at AAA, we've been passionate about travel for over 100 years.

That's why we created AAA Vacations, member travel experiences around the world.

Learn more at AAA.com/LiveTV.

-We believe watching the world go by isn't enough.

That's why we climb... pedal... and journey beyond the beaten path, on storied rivers, with a goal of making sure that every mile traveled turns into another memory.

You can find out more at amawaterways.com.

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