Great Continental Railway Journeys - Season 4 - Eps 5: The Black Forest to Hannover
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.
About Great Continental Railway Journeys
Title: Great Continental Railway Journeys
First Air Date: 2012-11-08
Last Air Date: 2025-03-26
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 8.7/10 (from 7 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 8
Total Episodes: 57
Network: BBC Two
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: BBC
Synopsis
Michael Portillo travels on the great train routes of Europe, as he retraces the journeys featured in George Bradshaw's 1913 Continental Railway Guide.
Cast
Michael Portillo
Self - Presenter
