Germanys most popular bike trail. Hardly any traffic and lots of nature this region is one of the most sparsely populated in the country and from here its just 15 kilometers to the river elbe. Biking is becoming more and more popular especially for touring and thats no wonder really or can you find a more spontaneous way of getting around you can take turns and detours wherever you like you can stop wherever you fancy so naturally im really excited about todays trip along the elbe river about the scenery and about how many kilometers im actually going to get to ride before my legs get up and. Also on the show but i was told to trip on the river album on an old apple steamer. And staying by the water our weekly v mail comes from psystar kind of a holiday whos been skateboarding by the pacific. Globe trotters steve hey. Nish has been in terror on and brought back some striking footage. Of. The elk river is 1200 kilometers long so of course i wont cover all of it but im planning to bike about 80 kilometers come 2 days be able calmly be on earth towards the north sea but before we start to follow it for a bit ive got a little over before you guys so you can get an idea of the twists and turns the river has taken up to here. When the elbow crosses the czech border it already has almost 400 kilometers behind it. In germany the river 1st winds through the region known as sex in switzerland among sandstone outcrops and tabletop hills past the regions mainland. In 1900 best i preach. The next highlights from the album is dressed in the skyline of sex and its capital attracted artists and travelers from the early 1900 centuries. It offers but never since with from cash at the church on lady. The royal palace. And the 700. 00 s. Just 30 kilometers down river is the town of meissen with this distinctive cathedral and casa. This is where ill go to this the strong found at the 1st european porcelain factory in 1710. The river has also inspired Landscape Architects as can be seen in the death knell for that scouting realm along the middle. Created in the late 18th century by the duke of and how to solve this landscape park has been a unesco World Heritage site since 2000. This equestrian statue of all to the great is in mark the book the citys 1200 years old the oldest on the album. Its striking landmark is its could be drawn an early example of gothic architecture in germany the cathedral contains the tomb of auto the 1st emperor of the holy roman empire. From here its a 100 kilometers down river to the next destination. My 1st stop is a huge debt a socalled stork village in northwestern brandenburg every year more than 30 breeding pairs hatch and raise their young here this year it was over 102. 00. I want to know why so many come here thats why im meeting up with young have found he grew up by the elbow and works as a ranger. Work on the wiring in the locals love the stork so much they invest a lot of effort into making the storks feel at home each year dumping it in starting with. Its not just the locals who love storks storks bring good luck. Baby you bring up when babies theres a reason for that. Being the storks in proximity to humans because they need civilization and they find their food on cultivated land be deafened of which i dont so because of that in the work people do on farms theres a close bond with the storks. Or not to them because they build their nests on roofs theyre said to bring babies yet least it is a severe and rushed it for 35 years ago we had more returning storks than we had nests and they competed fiercely for those that were there or and then 3 or 4 young men got together and said ok well do something about it. Its an obvious off well set up a new nests tomorrow. From one day to the next and im talking from one day to the next i dont get the decision took place in the pub with that loose group of 4 men became the stork club thats was on the people from rushed it who promoted the store population here in the village with nests if they also made sure there was enough food for the birds as their numbers increased. When we were pioneers in many ways why theyre. Giving explains to me that the storks return to their nests every year and that they have a pretty progressive division of labor. How long do they need to get their nests and shape ok country goes quite a vessel but i think this if its well prepared when they return the male finishes the nest and waits for the female and if all goes well shell come a few days later and they may during the 1st week yes then she starts laying eggs or if it all takes 14 days and then they both sit on the eggs but i dont have them yet. Storks invented gender equality they both incubate them. They take turns in a specific rhythm and they both feed the young in a specific rhythm and most of. The reserve has more to offer than storks for decades the elbow formed part of the border between east and west germany the surrounding countryside from maine largely untouched. The most severe reserve along the elbow is the largest protected river floodplain in germany. It stretches from the state of section the through brandenburg and lower saxony. In Lower Saxony Ministry terror is in charge of running the reserves. Hes followed developments here since 2005. Vender not true and im for the 12 on this when we consider the flood plain here its fantastic to see unexpected increases in certain species that. Have returned river all to stocks have recovered and there are a focal species again. The white tailed eagles nest here and so to about 40 breeding pairs of cranes weve managed at least to keep whites numbers stable. Those phenomena really please us feel mean of your own spoiling. Beavers were virtually eradicated here in the 1900 century now theyve returned to the elder. The riverside also provides rich pickings for white fridays. The Biosphere Reserve is a habitat for a total of 300. 00 different bird species. Floodplain is a model region promoting the coexistence of nature protection tourism and farming widely differing interests that your highness has to reconcile. Farmers like tim russian bear and whose fields lie within the Biosphere Reserve have to make compromises. He has to accept that so many birds visit his farm that he can no longer use his grass for fodder. To compensate for the conservation measures he receives financial support. No one is preacher is delighted that tourists have discovered the region. They may be birdwatchers or just passing through on the cycle route. All those visitors are part of the Success Story of the elder valley Biosphere Reserve. As a teenager i spent lots of time here and dreamed it would be a nature reserve and being in charge of it now has fulfilled my dream. My next stop 25 kilometers further on is a bag along the elbow youll find not only pristine nature but also industrial monuments. The sewing machine factory made in baghdad was built in 1903 by the american Singer Company 3000 people used to work here. And we found how does fit in bags industrial past contribute to its present charm. And if we take the sewing machine factory for instance to where we have industrial architecture that ranges from the early to the mid 20th century. And most of the people who come here to know the name singer and say we really must take a look at this. And when they come most of them are impressed by the size of the complex and the different styles of architecture here. That interest people and its well worth seeing. The chapters main landmark is here on the complex the clock tower from 1928 is still the biggest of its kind in germany. The Industrial History of it and back it began in the 19th century with they spoil mill. Recounts and what led to this early prosperity. In 823 a man called on him its came here he established a grain trading business and used the profits to build an oil mill. And he built it here invid and because he found the location favorable. Then in 846 the railway was built and he used his influence to make sure it passed through that and. So modern transportation trains together with the waterways made the town so attractive that other companies also settled here. And visited. The former oil mill at least has found a new use as a hotel and cafe with a beautiful sun terrace per frank place for a short break. In the mean time you guys get the chance to check in with our globe trotters steve hanus he and a friend went on a sightseeing tour of tehran and came back with some amazing insights into life in the arabian capitals to yourself. Who are on. The run here my buddy we just heard and it seems iran and will be discovering iran in next few weeks together where we know this is the saudi money and its one of the most iconic buildings the interior im still live in and explore tehran together. Iran is the capital of the country with a population of about 15000000 the last straw juran commission the azadi or Freedom Tower to mount the persian empire steep 1500 ton of personally. I love the symmetry of that thing. That is what you promised to take to make sure you have a pretty good system and its just about the fans and heroes and. Another must bring in tehran is the call of calm and as which literally means the palace now its because of the beautiful gardens you have inside. For some it might be surprising how much iran and especially to run is a good example but that is the sheer amount of coffee shops you can find really hit places see. The spots to go to find a specific you street away from penalties and fees and food places. Sometimes you see typically train and went to sit in a very diplomatic place and weve got a mention of issues come up and he. Just kind of it didnt suit. As iran is located on the cigarettes reading business always played a major role still to date in iran thats why you should visit there because on the interior which is a true maze of more than 7 kilometers every. 20 with. Francis i also needs to buy something so we got some maps for. Our friend from sharon took us up here to the roof of tehran where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the city and this is what were going to. Do. Thats another call that you can do in syria and is raised down to talk on this right. So if you want to remember i live here and if you go there to obviously you dont know my life forever or your friends here i think that you are around here and you are they like you today and their life we are a little bit far less a particular friend of the 5000000000 i still find it so you can hardly color the focus its really recommendable. Here i am back again im the eldest cycle routes this time with company but some effect is going to explain to me why this part of the album has a Bad Reputation and why changes were made after disastrous floods. Autonomy the place where were standing is said to be treacherous why is that you know is it a bruise although its treacherous because right in front of us the elbow makes a 90 degree bend. And when theres a flood that can be disastrous for the levee were standing on the thighs and that is when a large amount of water surges straight at the levee it can break. The so fortunately a new one has been built behind us that holds the water back despite that but thats all for now ok ive got this is the original dike and the one over there is the new one. Is on this and its also slightly higher than the old one just to make sure. Takes me to an old east german border watch tower and offers a great view of the meadow land created by moving the dyke back. Then and were on the lensman floodplain whats so special here as the year in berlin is in the god behind us we see part of 110. 00 hectares of horst theyve been planted to restore the typical natural landscape here its done like the large metal lands right behind. Me and it was you know one here because. Its whats special is that the intake of water from the elbow that flows through the old elbow levy constantly provides nutrients to the plants restoring the dynamic course of the river. Well we hope that its some point it will once again look the way it used to. Back on my bike though when they have turned against me literally im fighting heavy headwinds im 60 kilometers into my trip and desperate for a break among the elderly youll find a number of old farmhouses like beasts many of them are now in restaurants or hotels im going to spend the night in this one. And while i get my legs well deserved rest you guys got to check our mailbox its time for our weekly the mail our viewer says our from columbia send us a video of his trip to california he traveled down the Pacific Coast of the golden state on his skateboard enjoy. Once upon a. Is this we. Came out and played. Face to face with a. Good excuse me please when you would live to london able. To. Chat. Chat. Chat. I slept like a log and im raring to go but 1st i need to eat i really worked up an appetite cycling certainly gets you back to basics. And now im off again cycling can also be addictive no noise no cars besides i only have 20 kilometers left to cover on my 2nd day. Like this are also part of the elba cycle route there are no bridges for long stretches of the river here so you have to cross it by ferry. Woodland the whole way. If youre getting curious about the elgar and the nature and tranquility that surrounds it but arent that much of a bicycle buff ive got just the tip for you you can also discover the river without moving a finger on a story paddle steamer. Time to swell the decks and get everything shipshape the old kaiser bill home is off on a river cruise. Good morning leave your money in your pockets well do that later on during the trip. Will go richer 1st worked on the paddle steamer Kaiser Wilhelm at the age of 15 as a cabin boy. Thank. Stoker is in charge of lowering the funnel. Theres a bridge to negotiate on the 20 kilometer route from la to. Paddle steamer travels at about 10 kilometers an hour up the. Skipper held kept in huge tankers for years when he got his boat master certificate back in 1905 the Kaiser Wilhelm was already an old sea dog month. All of your senses and your hand is on the wheel and the vibrations from the riverbed are transmitted via the whale. That may sound silly but you really do notice whether theres enough water under the boat and with the new technology all you have is a joystick and you dont notice anything. The steamer was launched in dresden on may the 20th 1900 phone for the visor uplands in northwestern germany. On that trip there were also tourists on board enjoying the scenery. Stoking the boiler was a backbreaking job back then and its still its. Very well we shovel a 150 kilos an hour he used to be cold 300 weight. Whether were travelling or standing still we have to fire all those. Thank you. The Kaiser Wilhelm has been plying the waters for more than a century 1st on the river bays are and now on the elbow. And in the ships a volunteer crew has anything to say about it it will continue to do so for many years to come. I made it after 80 kilometers in 2 days ive reached my destination my last stop on the elba cycle route it lends. A good lens and is one of the oldest towns in North Western brandenburg and has a castle tower with a wonderful view of the beautiful surroundings. Following the course of the elba river for it was a lot of fun but also extremely exhausting at times this trip and especially the wind pushed me to my limit which is why im so proud to have finally waited. Force. The Editing Software distorts what is real. The possibilities for. The new truth. 21. 30. Odd soviet union secret why a. Bit trickier is before us spy satellites found out what the russians were up to her mom. Untold story of moscows efforts to win the space race by court. In a man on the moon. In 75 minutes. Im not laughing at the well i guess sometimes i am but i stand up and with the tenets of the budget ive been thinkin to jam a culture of. New dont seem to take this grandma down to you because its all about who i am no time rachel join me for me the devil. Is for me. Its for you. Its for help. Beethoven is for her. The tough is for the. Beethoven is for. Veto for is for every one of the most beethoven 202250th anniversary here on dio new. What secrets lie behind. Discover new adventures in the 360 degree. And explore fascinating heritage sites. W. World heritage 368 get a nap now. How. This is news live from the u. S. President goes out west to celebrate the nations birthday in a time of crisis donald trump kicks off Independence Day celebrations at Mount Rushmore monumental in south dakota spot on the day that saw another record breaking rise in u. S. Coronavirus cases you might say little mention of the pandemic also coming out