Foreigners Reaction To German Half-timbered Houses and Narrow Alleyways

[00:00:01]This, each of these buildings is just leaving me with so much >> details, like >> Charles the Great, who ordered the construction of countless stunning edifices in Aachen, must see.

[00:00:14]>> Wow.

[00:00:15]>> Hey guys, and welcome to the challenge.

[00:00:18]Today we'll be checking out the Middle Ages in Germany.

[00:00:21]>> Middle Ages.

[00:00:22]>> Yeah.

[00:00:23]>> [laughter] >> I see.

[00:00:24]>> I was going to ask if you knew the medieval ages.

[00:00:27]>> I think so.

[00:00:28]>> Good.

[00:00:29]>> So let's get ready to do this one.

[00:00:32]>> Historic city gates, church towers, and half-timbered houses. Germany has many towns with well-preserved medieval architecture, much of it on the >> love medieval architecture.

[00:00:45]>> These medieval town centers >> Oh, castle, fortress.

[00:00:49]>> telling a story >> god.

[00:00:51]>> Stay tuned to find out where to find them, and join us on this journey back in time.

[00:00:59]>> I think so. It's going to be a very good one.

[00:01:05]>> We begin in Trier, a city in Germany's southwest, on the banks of the Moselle River. It was founded 2,000 years ago by the Romans, who built the Porta Latin for black gate, among other things.

[00:01:18]>> Wow.

[00:01:19]>> Today, Porta is one of the city's best-known sites.

[00:01:28]After the end of the Roman Empire, Trier evolved into a medieval city. Trier Cathedral, for instance, was built in the location of a former Roman residence.

[00:01:38]Consecrated around 380 AD, it is considered one of Germany's oldest churches.

[00:01:44]This mix of Roman and medieval heritage makes Trier well worth visiting.

[00:01:51]>> Yes.

[00:01:53]Unique.

[00:01:57]>> Next up, Charles the Great, who ordered the construction of countless stunning [clears throat] edifices in Aachen. The most impressive is Aachen Cathedral, completed around 800 AD, an absolute must-see.

[00:02:19]And his throne, where German kings were crowned for hundreds of years, making Aachen a medieval power center.

[00:02:37]Also, be sure to visit Aachen's Christmas Market and sample some Aachener Printen, a type of gingerbread said to date back to the Middle Ages.

[00:02:47]The city is as famous for this festive treat as it is for its magnificent cathedral.

[00:02:57]Now we head to the town of Quedlinburg in eastern Germany with its Collegiate Church of St. Servatius, already visible from afar.

[00:03:07]It was founded by King Henry the First in the 10th century, who also made Quedlinburg a wealthy town.

[00:03:50]materials.

[00:03:51]This is evident from the cathedral treasures comprised of precious gold and ivory objects.

[00:03:58]The church is surrounded by over 1,000 medieval half-timbered buildings, the largest number anywhere in Germany. It's a major tourist magnet, so its alleys can get very crowded.

[00:04:12]>> Mhm.

[00:04:16]>> Moving on to Erfurt, a city that became a powerful trading center.

[00:04:22]Being located on the ancient Via Regia trade route made Erfurt a prosperous place as visitors can tell from the richly ornate old town facades.

[00:04:38]When in Erfurt, don't miss out on the iconic Krämerbrücke or Merchants Bridge.

[00:04:43]It is lined with half-timbered buildings like in medieval times, where today visitors can shop, visit galleries, and cafes.

[00:04:53]>> Mhm.

[00:04:54]>> We've got a culinary tip, too. Treat yourself to a real Thuringian sausage or not, too.

[00:05:00]>> Sausage.

[00:05:05]I really want to have one.

[00:05:07]>> travel north to the port city of Lübeck, another major trading town in medieval times.

[00:05:13]Holstentor, Lübeck's red brick city gates with the twin towers, welcomes visitors to the >> a city gate?

[00:05:20]>> Yes.

[00:05:20]>> It's layout has remained untouched.

[00:05:22]>> any like this again.

[00:05:25]There's never any like this again. Look at how it is from here.

[00:05:29]>> Oh, no.

[00:05:31]>> Babies.

[00:05:33]It's so beautiful.

[00:05:34]>> Its churches and remarkable town hall are bound to leave an impression on visitors. The city could afford to build such >> The color of the year.

[00:05:42]>> Thanks to the lucrative >> of the year.

[00:05:48]What a handsome boy.

[00:05:50]>> is brought almonds and exotic spices among other things, key ingredients for making marzipan.

[00:05:56]Lübeck marzipan is very popular and you should definitely try some. There's even a minute old town made from marzipan to admire.

[00:06:07]>> Mhm.

[00:06:08]>> From northern Germany we head south to Bamberg. Notice something unusual about the town hall? It was built in the middle of the river. According to legend, the bishop didn't grant citizens any land for the town hall. So, they took matters into their own hands, rammed stakes into the river and built it there instead.

[00:06:28]>> That's wow.

[00:06:32]>> Bamberg old town boasts plenty of quaint buildings, alleys, God.

[00:06:42]>> This each of these beauties is just leaving me with so much thoughts.

[00:06:47]>> The details like those guys I was looking at those guys that seem like as though they are old and ancient. They actually understand science what are we doing?

[00:06:55]>> Yeah.

[00:06:55]>> Because are you seeing those beauties?

[00:06:56]It's really hard for it to be replicated in our time. The details they are not just building.

[00:07:01]>> We can't even have such time to do those to replicate some kind of building.

[00:07:06]>> I want to believe that those buildings were not just done by um woodwork engineers. Historians were working hand in hand with them because the details of those You I saw some uh instructions on the wall and curious as what is that?

[00:07:21]>> What is that?

[00:07:22]>> It's what's what's like I have so much what's what's what's questions.

[00:07:25]>> We can't match those guys.

[00:07:27]>> can't.

[00:07:28]>> Yeah.

[00:07:28]>> We can't. They are more brilliant, they are more patient, they are more understanding than we are.

[00:07:33]>> beauties like This is not just a usual painting on the wall like >> and great pubs.

[00:07:43]With many different kinds of beer brewed here, some regard Bamberg as Germany's beer capital. Definitely try a glass of aromatic smoked beer when visiting.

[00:07:58]Our last stop takes us to another Bavarian town that's popular like no other, Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

[00:08:05]Practically unchanged since the 13th century, it offers lots and lots of well-preserved medieval architecture.

[00:08:13]What better place to experience history first-hand?

[00:08:18]>> Oh.

[00:08:21]>> It's ancient 3-km-long >> to explain this to >> encircling the old town, a rare architectural gem.

[00:08:34]And don't forget to climb the town hall tower for a grandiose view of the medieval old town below.

[00:08:49]>> This is nice.

[00:08:50]>> God, this is beautiful. It's a rare gem, like she said.

[00:08:54]It is.

[00:08:55]It's sophisticated.

[00:08:57]It's unique.

[00:08:59]It's in its own lane.

[00:09:01]Actually, what are we doing now?

[00:09:03]>> I don't know.

[00:09:04]>> Where are the children?

[00:09:05]>> We need to learn from those architects.

[00:09:07]>> Yes, because our children to born to come like >> first more generation coming, they'll look at what we do and like, oh, >> Everything is so modern.

[00:09:15]>> Everything is so modern. It's plain.

[00:09:17]It's so plain. Like, we don't have anything to back up our our buildings.

[00:09:22]They can easily be run down by natural disasters.

[00:09:29]Because they actually countries cities that were built by those medieval areas that went through wars and all of them, but they're really they're still to, like, you can put them back again because of how strong and how intentional it was built. This is heavenly. This is beautiful. Thank you guys for sitting up to this point.

[00:09:47]Please keep the recommendation rolling in on the comment section. Up until next time. Bye and stay blessed.