Germany In My Shoes

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My name is Josephine, I'm 11 years old

and I'm a speed skater in Inzell.

Bavaria is the largest state in Germany.

Although at the foot of the Alps, it is easy to reach via motorway,

train or plane, from one of two airports,

either Salzburg, in Austria, or Munich.

The scenery in and around Inzell is magical

no matter what the season.

Wood is an adaptable building material and there's plenty

to be found in and around Inzell.

It's a sustainable resource.

Any tree that is chopped down can be quickly

and easily replaced by planting a new one.

Houses where Josephine and her friends live are built from wood.

Timber buildings are quick and easy to construct

and fit in perfectly with the natural environment.

Not surprisingly, wood is also used as fuel in this area.

Because it's readily available, it's cheaper than the alternatives.

But Josie's passion is speed skating.

Due to its height and position, Frillensee is the coldest lake

in Germany, and in winter it's completely frozen.

In the 1950s and '60s people trained here

and took part in important competitions.

But the surrounding forest made access difficult,

so a new venue was found.

Visitors to the arena stay in nearby hotels

and spend their money in the shops, cafes and restaurants,

which is all good news for the local economy.

Speed skating may not be well known in the UK,

but it's one of the oldest winter sports in the world

and was first included as an Olympic sport in 1916.

It's a highly competitive sport

and Germany has a strong squad of speed skaters.

Josephine would love to follow in her mum's footsteps.

She skated for Germany when she was younger.

The people here in Inzell hope the stadium will continue to

bring them prosperity.

Josephine and her friends hope the stadium will help them

fulfil their skating dreams.

Hello, my name is Helen, I'm 11 years old.

I live in Rantum on Sylt...

Sylt is an island in northern Germany,

well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline.

There are 11 villages

and just one town on the island called Westerland.

Sylt is part of the North Frisian group of Islands.

Helen also enjoys playing with her friends, Svea and Samira,

at their home.

Their parents manage a large holiday village near Helen's house

and in winter, they have it all to themselves.

Helen is one of 22,000 people who live on Sylt all year round.

The island is just 38.5 kilometres long

and only 350 metres at its narrowest point.

That's the same as 320 football pitches long

and only three football pitches wide!

The island has spectacular beaches and miles of sand dunes.

Much of the rest of the island is covered in reeds and marsh.

German and Danish people are keen to buy holiday homes on Sylt,

but this pushes up prices and puts them in competition with locals.

This is good news if you are selling a house,

but not so great for locals like Helen,

who may not be able to afford to buy a home here when she grows up.

If you travelled due west from Sylt,

the first place you would reach is Newcastle, in England.

The west coast of Sylt is constantly battered by the North Sea

and westerly winds.

This means land erosion is a problem.

Local beach nourishment programmes like these,

and the installation of breakers on the beaches, are really helping.

On the other side of the island, sheltered by the mainlands of

Denmark and Northern Germany, the coastline is calm and protected.

Miles of mudflats make it a unique habitat for wildlife and plants.

It is home to the Waddensea Nature Reserve.

With the help of some drawings in the sand,

Kirsten can explain how tides work.

Svea and Samira are spinning around to show how gravity

forces them apart.

The moon's gravitational force has the same effect on the seas

and oceans as the Earth spins.

There are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours,

so it's important to be aware of this

when you're down by the seashore.

Sylt really is an island of two halves.

Both sides are beautiful and extreme in different ways.

Helen and her friends hope they can afford to carry on living here,

because they really do care about preserving

the future of their island.

Hamburg lies on the River Elbe

and is home to the third largest port in Europe.

The city is one of the biggest in Germany

and a major tourist destination.

It also attracts many migrant workers from across the world.

It's a very cosmopolitan city.

Even though Hamburg is about 100km up river from the North Sea,

it's a very busy port.

The container ships bring in goods like fruit, meat, coal,

fertilisers, tea and coffee.

The port has storage space for goods that are being

transported on to other parts of Europe.

It also has facilities for building, refitting and repairing

container ships, yachts and barges.

The cargo handled at the port is mainly containerised.

The huge sealed metal boxes are loaded

and unloaded by giant cranes and computerised robots.

It's a speedy process which means that in the end,

goods will be cheaper,

but it's been hard for some of the port workers who have

lost their jobs and been replaced by robots.

In Hamburg, wherever you look, there is water.

There are canals, lakes and several rivers.

Zoe's school is linked with a school in England.

Last year, she was part of a small group who went over to the Wirral

to introduce themselves to their exchange school, and this year

they are planning a much bigger trip with a larger group of children.

They're preparing hard for their visit, and can't wait

to look after the English children when they come to Hamburg.

Another very popular destination is the Hamburg Dom.

This massive funfair has been in Hamburg since 1329,

that's nearly 700 years!

It attracts up to nine million visitors to the city every year.

Zoe and Maria are regulars!

Hamburg is one of Germany's most important commercial centres.

But it's not all work.

Hamburg is a vibrant city with a reputation for being

quite a party town.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd