0:00:01 > 0:00:03Coming up at 6:00, Breakfast with Naga Munchetty
0:00:03 > 0:00:12and Charlie Stayt, but first on BBC News, the Travel Show.
0:00:12 > 0:00:20Scenic mountain ranges, fairytale castles and traditional hearty
0:00:20 > 0:00:23printing establishments. Southern Germany has more than its fair share
0:00:23 > 0:00:30of stereotypes. But they hide an intriguing, mysterious hinterland
0:00:30 > 0:00:44which I am determined to uncover. That is a thrill! Aside that is
0:00:44 > 0:00:52wilder, faster, louder. And frankly, completely bonkers. Listen to this!
0:01:00 > 0:01:08My road trip starts in Bavaria's capital Munich, home to BMW and some
0:01:08 > 0:01:15of the fastest cars in the world. But I want to get a different
0:01:15 > 0:01:25perspective! On the open road, checking out Munich. And here is one
0:01:25 > 0:01:34way to do that, inside this customised 1930s any hot rods. --
0:01:34 > 0:01:38mini. It may look like a souped up go-kart, but it is street legal and
0:01:38 > 0:01:46can go up to 90 kilometres an hour. While! It is like being a kid in a
0:01:46 > 0:01:54toy shop with the best sports car ever. How good can it get!
0:02:01 > 0:02:05My guide, a local man, is launching this hot rod experience as an
0:02:05 > 0:02:21alternative way to see this place. Cobblestones! You feel everything! I
0:02:21 > 0:02:25passed some amazing classical architecture. Many of these
0:02:25 > 0:02:30monuments were rebuilt after World War Two. The city was heavily
0:02:30 > 0:02:33bombed, because Munich was the stronghold and some say birthplace
0:02:33 > 0:02:43of National Socialism. Today, in very different times, it is
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Germany's economic powerhouse, and home to the world's biggest beer
0:02:48 > 0:02:53festival, Oktoberfest. But it has long been saddled with a
0:02:53 > 0:02:57conservative image. A lot of people would say is Munich, it is boring,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01it is rich, it is traditional, it's here and bratwurst.What would you
0:03:01 > 0:03:07say to that? Is stupid. I have never heard someone say Munich is boring,
0:03:07 > 0:03:13but you are right, people are aware of Oktoberfest, and it is an
0:03:13 > 0:03:19eyecatcher to people around the world, we find in this two weeks,
0:03:19 > 0:03:246.2 million visitors. But it's not everything, it is the mixture of
0:03:24 > 0:03:28tradition on one hand, innovation on the other hand.I am here to find
0:03:28 > 0:03:32little pockets of interest, something that will surprise me in
0:03:32 > 0:03:37Munich. You know anything?I have one for you, let's go for it. I
0:03:37 > 0:03:43don't tell you right now, but we will go there.
0:03:45 > 0:03:56Surfers!There is surfing here! In a river!You find them everyday, every
0:03:56 > 0:04:07morning, especially weekends.I'm going to have a closer look.I think
0:04:07 > 0:04:13surfing on river waves is something that people have done prolonged
0:04:13 > 0:04:19time, people did it behind bridges. Typical Bavarian inventiveness,
0:04:19 > 0:04:23hundreds of miles from the sea. But this is definitely not for the
0:04:23 > 0:04:26novice.You need to develop a different vision for the wave
0:04:26 > 0:04:30because it is intimidating, it is louder, you need to develop the
0:04:30 > 0:04:35muscle, I felt terrible the first few times, but you gradually get
0:04:35 > 0:04:40better, but it takes really long. How popular has it become?The
0:04:40 > 0:04:46surfing scene in Munich is quite big.There is a surfing scene in
0:04:46 > 0:04:54Munich, who would have thought!Not me, but I am pretty happy about it!
0:04:54 > 0:05:02Times me to head out of Munich. But it's not quite as Sareen a journey
0:05:02 > 0:05:24as I imagined.. . MUSIC PLAYS.This band is part of a folk revival in
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Bavaria, taking traditional music and mixing it with contemporary
0:05:27 > 0:05:34styles and rhythms. And they have got a passion for flash mob. A
0:05:34 > 0:05:38decade ago, traditions like this were out of fashion, because for
0:05:38 > 0:05:42some, German tradition brought up too many negative connotations. Not
0:05:42 > 0:05:44any more.APPLAUSE
0:05:44 > 0:05:48too many negative connotations. Not any more.APPLAUSE.Fantastic.
0:05:48 > 0:05:58Really good.Our culture is back again, and every style is included
0:05:58 > 0:06:03in this new music, it is not only folk music, it is not only punk
0:06:03 > 0:06:06music, it is a mixture of every music now. And the traditional
0:06:06 > 0:06:10instruments are back.In terms of the clothes you wear, some people
0:06:10 > 0:06:15might say, this is just silly, this is just party dress.Is it party
0:06:15 > 0:06:21dress? No, it is not party dress, it is our culture. And we were in very
0:06:21 > 0:06:28often, not only to fancy time and have fun, we were to make music as
0:06:28 > 0:06:32well as when we are together in traditional festivals, and we wear
0:06:32 > 0:06:36it at the office, we like to wear it. It's our clothes. We are proud
0:06:36 > 0:06:47of it.And off they go, spreading their new take on an old sound to
0:06:47 > 0:06:54more unsuspecting commuters.
0:07:00 > 0:07:05My next stop is right on the border between Germany and Austria. The
0:07:05 > 0:07:10location of Hitler's notorious holiday hideaway, the Eagles next,
0:07:10 > 0:07:20but it is also home to the country's only alpine park. And there is an
0:07:20 > 0:07:26unexpected aspect to this breathtaking scenery, one that goes
0:07:26 > 0:07:29against the cliche that Germans are straightlaced and serious. One of
0:07:29 > 0:07:35the peaks here is renowned for the paranormal, with reports of
0:07:35 > 0:07:39timeshifting and unexplained disappearances. Hitler thought the
0:07:39 > 0:07:45mountain harboured special powers, which would help him win the war.
0:07:45 > 0:07:53But nowadays, the scene is a spiritual retreat and it is said the
0:07:53 > 0:07:58Dalai lama is a frequent visitor.I feel bliss, I feel that this is me,
0:07:58 > 0:08:03there is no separation, and I feel more energy, more relaxation, more
0:08:03 > 0:08:10joy of life, or peace.This academic and Spiritualist insists there is a
0:08:10 > 0:08:17special energy here.It is a really strong energy point, a really big,
0:08:17 > 0:08:24strong palace spot, and it is because of energy lines are weaving
0:08:24 > 0:08:29through passing through this mountain. Everybody has heard about
0:08:29 > 0:08:35the Dalai lama, I have friends who met him there and heard him saying
0:08:35 > 0:08:42that this is the heart chakra of the world.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51I am not sure about all this energy centre staff and mysterious
0:08:51 > 0:08:56disappearances, but let's face it, the view is incredibly enough to be
0:08:56 > 0:09:03inspiring.
0:09:07 > 0:09:14And underneath the mountain range, a subterranean salt mine. Salt all
0:09:14 > 0:09:20along the sides here. And you can feel the atmosphere changing. A bit
0:09:20 > 0:09:26colder, bit fresher already. The salt deposits here are what made
0:09:26 > 0:09:36Berchtesgaden wealthy in the 12th century. And slides like these were
0:09:36 > 0:09:42used by miners to remove -- move between levels. I'm sure they did
0:09:42 > 0:09:51not see it as a playground, mind you. Wow! That is a thrill. I could
0:09:51 > 0:10:01do that over and over again. Fantastic.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09There is more to this salt mine then just a great source of wealth for
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Berchtesgaden, it was this place apparently has got magical powers.
0:10:13 > 0:10:18Healing energy. And I'm going to find out some more about it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31So every year we have about 50,000 guest, coming mainly for health
0:10:31 > 0:10:38reasons, because we have two things. We have wonderful air and salt.This
0:10:38 > 0:10:44man manages a salt cured gallery deep in the mine.
0:10:50 > 0:11:00Twice a month we have a combination of relaxation and music.Apparently
0:11:00 > 0:11:06the sultan neutralises back round radiation to encourage deep
0:11:06 > 0:11:09relaxation and it is said and overnight stay can kill everything
0:11:09 > 0:11:18from tinnitus to insomnia and even asthma -- the salt. People are just
0:11:18 > 0:11:23sleeping and resting. The sound is really good as well.We have
0:11:23 > 0:11:35wonderful acoustics inside. This is like a church.OINKING They call
0:11:35 > 0:11:40this event a sonic journey. I have the big feeling that humans
0:11:40 > 0:11:44are so easily touched by sound and music and especially by the human
0:11:44 > 0:11:50voice. If we are here inside the mountain, we feel or hear even with
0:11:50 > 0:11:57our heart the rhythm of Earth. This is a powerful place, so just lean
0:11:57 > 0:12:05back and do nothing. And you will feel the power of Earth, the power
0:12:05 > 0:12:22of the creation.And the power of creation includes the human voice.
0:12:22 > 0:12:35So Deraa two note at the same time. That's... And I can just move them
0:12:35 > 0:12:45separately.It is about 11pm now at night. We've been here for three
0:12:45 > 0:12:49hours. Tell me how you are feeling at the moment.I feel very calm and
0:12:49 > 0:12:56relaxed. I feel the talking in my mind is more quiet and quiet and I
0:12:56 > 0:13:02feel like I'm breathing out.It's very meditative. It's very calming.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08You can feel very free and wild. You can travel in your fantasy and you
0:13:08 > 0:13:17can fall really nice sleep.As the night wears on, I can't seem to
0:13:17 > 0:13:27drift off quite as easily as my fellow guest -- guests. A quarter to
0:13:27 > 0:13:36one in the morning and they're still growing strong. Frankly, I can't see
0:13:36 > 0:13:39myself getting any sleep any time soon. It's quite cold. What I've got
0:13:39 > 0:13:46a secret weapon. A hot water bottle! So that should keep me warm at least
0:13:46 > 0:13:57for a bit, because it is pretty chilly!
0:14:00 > 0:14:08It's way past one o'clock and they're now playing the drums at the
0:14:08 > 0:14:15full maximum volume. How are you supposed to sleep to this? And on
0:14:15 > 0:14:30and on it went. With a short respite that lulled me into a full sense of
0:14:30 > 0:14:43relaxation. Then this wake-up call. At 7am, it was time to pack up and
0:14:43 > 0:14:50go. After not the best night's sleep I've ever had. We are on our way
0:14:50 > 0:14:56out, emerging bleary eyed. I had a couple of hours sleep in between the
0:14:56 > 0:15:00booming drums and the didgeridoo. It's been an experience, let's put
0:15:00 > 0:15:05it that way. Wow.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15From the border with Austria, we head north and deep into the
0:15:15 > 0:15:22Bavarian forest, close to the Czech border. This is a land rich in
0:15:22 > 0:15:25mythology and there's one creature that features very strongly in that
0:15:25 > 0:15:38folklore. The wolf. Here in a national park, a relatively new and
0:15:38 > 0:15:50rare tourist attraction.You can see there are typical wolf markings, so
0:15:50 > 0:15:57normally their cheeks and muscles are white dots above the eyes. And a
0:15:57 > 0:16:01very colourful face they have. Over the ears are very small in
0:16:01 > 0:16:08comparison to a lot of dogs.It is really a tragic, beautiful animal.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14Nothing like the image of a nasty, villainous creature that it's
0:16:14 > 0:16:18portrayed as. For most of the 20th century, wolves in Germany were
0:16:18 > 0:16:22hunted to the point of extinction, but then in the 1990s they started
0:16:22 > 0:16:27to come back, crossing over from neighbouring countries.Now we have
0:16:27 > 0:16:3240 packs across Germany and on average they have about five pups
0:16:32 > 0:16:41per pack. You can imagine, 200 pups each year, there was really an
0:16:41 > 0:16:46increase in population size.The reappearance of the wolf in Germany
0:16:46 > 0:16:51has divided opinion.The wolf is animal, as any other animal, but in
0:16:51 > 0:16:57our heads wolves are different. So wolves belong to the ecosystem, so
0:16:57 > 0:17:01wolves are important for the national park. There are some people
0:17:01 > 0:17:05who like wolves and others who hate wolves, so that's a huge controversy
0:17:05 > 0:17:10and I think there's no other animal in Europe which is so controversial
0:17:10 > 0:17:20as wolves.I mean the pitch like countryside now and I'm about to
0:17:20 > 0:17:24meet a whole group of people have gotten very different take on the
0:17:24 > 0:17:28wolf and they are taking part tonight in an annual celebration
0:17:28 > 0:17:40that is I've been told unique. The festival takes place in a town and
0:17:40 > 0:17:50the aim is to scare wolves away. Hans is one of the organisers. These
0:17:50 > 0:17:52are the famous Bells I've heard about?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Tonight, hundreds of local people will form teams of bellringers and
0:18:04 > 0:18:11I'm joining in too, a rare privilege for a non- Bavarian. First I need
0:18:11 > 0:18:19the right outfit. And what is the point of these twigs? I'm going to
0:18:19 > 0:18:26look like a Christmas tree. Good?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33The headgear pales into insignificance once I realise I will
0:18:33 > 0:18:42be lugging this 20 kg bell around. So heavy, it's ridiculous!
0:19:12 > 0:19:16OK, so I'm taking this bell at the year and I think some people are the
0:19:16 > 0:19:21here are doing it as well. Did you hear me coming by any chance? So you
0:19:21 > 0:19:27two are also taking part this year? Yes. How big is this for you?I
0:19:27 > 0:19:35think the biggest night of the year, something like this. We are very
0:19:35 > 0:19:39proud of it and we also want to take part in it.Have you ever thought
0:19:39 > 0:19:44about wearing earplugs?Yes, I have! You have to?It impossible without
0:19:44 > 0:19:50them.
0:20:01 > 0:20:12I joined the rest of the team as we head towards the town centre.
0:20:12 > 0:20:19Nothing could have prepared me for the incredible sound created by
0:20:19 > 0:20:24heaving these are normal spells around. I'm trying not to use my
0:20:24 > 0:20:28knees, but it's almost impossible. They feel battered and bruised
0:20:28 > 0:20:42already. We are greeted by a huge crowd of tourists and locals. Hans's
0:20:42 > 0:20:46son, Dominic, is the flamboyant leader, browsing the troops, leading
0:20:46 > 0:21:05to beat. And conducting the cup off any. Luckily after half an hour
0:21:05 > 0:21:18Dominic calls time for a much-needed rake.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31Well, that was one of the most physically intensive things I've
0:21:31 > 0:21:38ever done. Amazing. Great. I deserve this.
0:21:43 > 0:21:51What does it feel like to be leading this bunch of people with a loud
0:21:51 > 0:21:55noise?
0:22:09 > 0:22:15If I've learnt to do one thing here, it's to try and look beyond the
0:22:15 > 0:22:19straightlaced conservative image of the people of Bavaria. I've been
0:22:19 > 0:22:24truly moved by their warmth, passion and sheer quirkiness. It's been a
0:22:24 > 0:22:30unique adventure.