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Armed with his 1913 Continental Railway Guide, Michael Portillo ventures deep into the Black Forest on a quest to discover the essence of Germany and discovers how Hansel and Gretel helped to unify the nation. A humbling masterclass in carving cuckoo clocks shows him how the nation's reputation for quality and reliability in manufacturing was established from the early 18th century. A romantic stop at the ruined Schloss in Heidelberg follows before Michael gets an insider's guide to share dealing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. At Goettingen University, Michael discovers two sides of student life at the turn of the 20th century - the duelling fraternities and the groundbreaking scientists who laid the foundation for Germany's world class transport technology today. Braving the force of the Goettingen wind tunnel, Michael investigates the track where model trains are fired at up to 360km per hour.

Writing:
  • Michael Portillo

Stars:
Release Date: 2012-11-08
Seasons: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
TMDb: 8.7/10
  • Country: GB
  • Language: English
  • Runtime: 60

Other episodes for this season

Sofia to Istanbul
Episode 1 - Sofia to Istanbul
Vienna to Trieste
Episode 2 - Vienna to Trieste
Pisa to Lake Garda
Episode 3 - Pisa to Lake Garda
Athens to Thessaloniki
Episode 4 - Athens to Thessaloniki
The Black Forest to Hannover
Episode 5 - The Black Forest to Hannover
Barcelona to Mallorca
Episode 6 - Barcelona to Mallorca