that's not true it is time soon so i bought. people and put big dreams on the big screen. in movie magazine on d w. this is a very special edition of czech and twenty five years ago the maastricht treaty went into effect founding the european union to commemorate that occasion i'm going

to be hopping back and forth between germany and france while spending time in freiburg in strasbourg i hope to discover a few things about the two nations idiosyncrasies and similarities. my journey begins in freiburg in germany southwest this region has been greatly influenced by the french it was even under french rule for a time in the seventeenth century son king louis the fourteenth had a fortress built on this hill called the shah spec there's not much left of the fortification today but it's more of climbing up to the side to get an overview of the city. one of the many advantages of the european union is that it's in our borders have long ago ceased to constitute an obstacle for travelers and citizens all the more excited to find out what awaits me on my border hopping about how much of france well i find in cyber and how much of germany over

in strasburg. in addition will pay a visit to germany's biggest theme park i hope. this week's e-mail takes us to county tipperary in central ireland. and will also show you around a unesco world heritage site while just capital valetta. one absolute must see and freiburg is the famous minster a gothic masterpiece this cathedral was built between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries and here's a fun fact when seeking other employment architects and laborers had to prove they'd worked on the cathedral a clever way was devised to do that they just have to say where to find the devil

hiding on the cathedrals main entrance. and if you'd like to hop knock with the local crowd you should pop by the market on the cathedral square here you'll find stand selling products from all around the region and that includes frank. thomas. that i just. live. down here in germany south spring always brings a little earlier than elsewhere in the country and that's not only great for visitors but also farmers who find ideal conditions for growing all sorts of crops here the mild climate for example favors the cultivation of asparagus a seasonal delicacy popular vote sides of the border and since french cuisine has

a slightly better rep than instrument counterpart we'll introduce you to asparagus ease and. when the spring sun has warmed the earth sufficiently the atmosphere turns festive in some parts of our sauce on a sunday in early may fans of a slim pale vegetable flock to the town of to get their share of the freshly harvested delicacy. this is one of the major asparagus growing regions in alsace. it's a veritable best the vegetable tastes best twenty eight and as soon as possible after it's plucked from the ground i don't linger upon large tents have been set up on the menu fresh asparagus served with pam and a choice of two sauces. in the spring season asparagus is also on the menu of all the top restaurants in alsace.

in order that we combine asparagus fish and mushrooms. in albany ny we fry the asparagus and butter until it's tender and bribe people. and that's how it served in this way include senior restaurant and good as often one of the region's finest establishment. here food preparation presentation and service are top notch. and after a delicious meal you can stroll through the gardens of chateau de cook's time. sometimes the chateau zone or even shows visitors around the grounds which are among the region's most beautiful. chateau is located west of strasbourg and is steeped in european history its garden is modeled on english parks. the chateau

owner's grandfather was a german diplomat golden at some point my. grandfather gave up his career as a diplomat as well as his german nationality and then settled here for good and. he devoted his life until his paw forced to go before people. reach to own a gold above the entrance. and. back in freiburg i'm continuing my search for french influence says right next to the cathedral square there's this. saying it's primarily a language school but every now and then the center hosts exhibitions to this one titled water women introduces twenty three women from all around europe who have a special relationship with water and any of its many forms.

since two thousand and two the center's director has been much. clumsy to messages do you think that people here in freiburg have a special interest in french culture due to the proximity to france isn't clear to admit. yeah sure for lots of yes i hope so. on the french holidays everyone comes to fribourg. the common island off by boat it's like a french invasion zone from floats is also here at. rio because i'm coughing and they come to shop and stroll around the city. and it's the same the other way around the french can tell when there's a holiday in germany because then german stream into france. and if i may stick with the cliches germans had to france to visit restaurants and go shopping that's typical or if you were recently established

a regular franco german get together it's incredible more and more people are attending people from many different backgrounds and of different ages it's a wonderful make such a hot soon fissionable who for want. delight then director of the center for fifteen years how is interest in the center develop hasn't grown already decreased do germans want to know more about their neighbors or less you have to have that changed over the years. this is us it's changed us this there's certainly less french seems to be spoken pot almost fluently at least this one was the ok you just have to accept that. france is no longer what the germans call the gone or not. we live in an era of globalization once again we all learn our mother tongue and everyone second language is basically english but ideally you should learn

a third language that's on the story international here. do you have a vapor it's bought or place here in freiburg we're in the heart of the city is there something close by that we could look at together can we have a new square and a big one between the universe. on the university library when you get to the square of the old synagogue and i think it's really lovely and. let's go check it out yes let's go to. this where was renovated in twenty seventeen and now provides a generous public space on the spot where the old synagogue stood until it was destroyed by the nazis and nine hundred thirty eight. years i think for the tour that was a lot of fun this was my closure but it will definitely be back by just. a big motivation behind the foundation of the european union where the painful

experiences of warfare in the region and in order to keep the memory alive of what happens if diplomacy fails all along the border there are places that remind us of the atrocities and victims of war. before going to visit. memorial these students delved into world war one history. of markets this morning my dad told me that my great great grandfather on my mother's side of the family the german side died here in the war. and and my father's great great uncle was possibly groups that killed my great great grandfather. so it's possible someone from the french side of my family someone from the german side i mean you might as my. french president demand one of my call i'm german president from barbara starr in my i've demonstrated the close ties between the two nations when they are the war

memorial in nov twenty seventh team. it was here that thirty thousand young german and french soldiers lost their lives in a bloody war of attrition now one hundred years later students from fribourg and get villar in our sas symbolically held hands and then talk to the two presidents. after the first world war a lot of disgruntled gentlemen sympathized with the military party and now election results in germany and france demonstrate a similar sense of dissatisfaction in the heads of state explained that this new nationalism has emerged out of a fear of globalization and a lack of trust in politics but they urge the students to fight for a strong united europe and for democracy the stairs to my office i agree with mr stein maya that the younger generation should become involved i think that's the best way to go it's also important to remember events of the past and to learn from

them and that is the purpose of the. memorial site one of the first joint franco german war memorials. the battles for control of hotlines vial of copper symbolize the senselessness of war the monument a museum there to remind us of that because of dark chapters like this it is the judy of germany and france to build a shared future. that's true for the whole continent and it is also the central idea behind the european union. northwest of freiburg still in germany you'll find a kaiser store with a low mountain range of volcanic origin in the region is one of the warmest in germany and best known for its wine perfect excuse for tasting but it's not just your taste buds that are in for

a treat along the operand you'll also find some amazing architecture like at the avril vineyards which carry on century old traditions and modern facilities. special about wine from the kaiser comes to us it can you tell it's from here by the smell. of the car just really thought. the kaiser's stool is an active volcano on and that's why we have a very interesting soil formations we have plenty of different things but underneath that there's very dark decomposed volcanic soil. it's really crucial for us our best wines grow well in that dark soil and we think you can taste it in our wine with the mineralogy there which is typical of the kinds of stew of burgundy to be she'll be hard pressed to find a wine like that anywhere else in germany bushland.

sounds great. picking up behind me yes there's not a trace of honey exactly. what else does the expert smell. for me is enough even for well i can detect a note of honeydew melon it does have a rather fruity taste. there are some slight traces of the miller from the wooden barrel with bow. you're sure of that. and when you take a sip you get a. thankfulness that it tastes completely different than it is miles and exactly where the flavor of local fruit slowly reveals itself if it be on the taste of ripe apples right pears combined with a really nice men around with you know it. you know what's in there could be and that flavor stays in your mouth for a very long time and you know. it was you must try this it's delicious.

leap. if all of this is a bit too peaceful and quiet for your liking do not fret the upper rhine region of course has a lot more to offer than vineyards and nature if you're looking for a little thrill to spice up your trip look no further than oil will pick up pockets with over one hundred rides and more than five million yearly visitors it's one of the world's most popular amusement parks and my colleague elizabeth went to check it out for you. bastards we're just about to take off on a little nervous but i'm sure i'll be back soon. says stop the mighty blue fire roller coaster this ride goes from zero to one hundred kilometers now in just two point five seconds. behind us of course is the loop to do

what an adrenaline rush. is happening if i survived. i'm a bit shaken up but it was really fun to look after each of. them more than a hundred different attractions including thirteen bruddah coasters times new features are being added all the time. like the dome of dream as three hundred sixty degree multimedia cinema. there's a good reason for calling this place europa park. russia in greece. iceland and many of the european countries are represented here. each country has its own

special attractions. in spain for instance this interest can enjoy a stunt. and the highlight is the boat ride on the europe apart like. a quiet moment to ask other visitors what they like best about the park. is walking in the park it's seeing all these beautiful the course well the counter is that our presenting an office and i really like it here out of the blue fire is sensational it's really fast. food even the best park i know. my visit here is just about over i'm now at the super splash atlantica this attraction is really popular in the summertime because chances are you'll get an

impromptu shower push will help you cool off. a few months as you can see i got really west but that's perfect in this weather is that so i'm going to sit down in the sun to dry off goodbye from are over. by now i've crossed the border from germany to france i'm in strasbourg alsace is regional capital has a long history the celts were here as well as the romans the huns and the franconian and the middle ages strasbourg was part of the holy roman empire of german nations and strasbourg cathedral does bear a striking resemblance to the one in fiber gk no wonder they were built around the same time. where are you from atlanta georgia and the united states future. this is

completely different to what do you what do you like about it love the age the history so charming beautiful. what's your impression of the city it's the first time like i mean or you know i feel i'm leaving the piece of turf and that we are invaluable so we love your a little bit we're always trying to get over here from argentina when we have charles you did them when you move the frequency but it was. another tourist hot spot is the pitchy false quarter with its have to merge houses strasburg's old town has been declared a world cultural heritage site by unesco that's also the case with the so-called new town where you'll find monuments from the times of the german empire in the nineteenth century. many of our viewers from across the globe travel around europe and come back home with some amazing footage of their trips one of them is david maloney he didn't go too far he say to his native

ireland and paid a visit to the county of tipperary in the heart of the emerald isle oh. oh .

i learned early and welcome to go parliament for european parliament the city of strasburg is the official seat of the european parliament. instead we are right here below this ray of light. in madison there's always this wow factor when you step inside even those of us who've worked here for years never get over it and where does the interpreter said come down the interpreters sit down there in newsgroups where we currently have twenty four official languages visitors have a right to understand what members of parliament to sing according to it's what not here in the plenary hall there is room for seven hundred forty eight any piece and six hundred fifty visitors. we enter torah on the roof overlooking

france and germany. home that's over then you can see the black forest of their of the mountains though the hardest to see and that is the cathedral. every year the e.u. names two cities as the european capitals of culture with the aim to and i quote highlight the richness and diversity of cultures in europe this year the baton was handed to lou martin and the netherlands as well as by letter on the island of malta and that's where we're headed right now to europe's smallest capital. the letter may be a capital but it has just six thousand residents of the island state of malta has

a total population of less than four hundred fifty thousand people here spend lots of time outdoors the streets of a letter generally bustling thanks to the mild mediterranean climate locals are happy the city has been named twenty eighteen european capital of culture. is a magical place it's. you know it has so much history on this financier it's the sixteenth century so many people from the night so forth to have come by and they've left such a legacy which now i think is finally being recognized here eleven. letter lies on a peninsula in the east of the main island it was founded by the knights of the order of st john in the sixteenth century to defend against invaders they surrounded the city with fortresses called bastions in one thousand nine hundred eighty be entire city was listed as a unesco world cultural heritage site every single house in the old town is a listed building. one of the main sites is the grand masters powers completed in

fifteen seventy five grand master john poppy saw a letter gave the city its name. st john's coca is the conventional church of the order of st john. visitors are not just dazzled by the letters historical treasures the city also offers some contemporary highlights like the city gate. and the new parliament building both of which were designed by italian architect renzo piano. the cultural capital of europe. it's outstanding it's fantastic. we are all very proud and this is the place to be. it is the place to be valetta in two thousand and eighteen. more than four hundred different cultural events will be held in europe's smallest capital throughout twenty eight teams to mark this special year.

by franco german tour between freiburg and strasbourg and it's right on the border in this case the rhine river. it's a symbolic place a bridge connecting two countries that were more than once at war this is the passage i had to do the bridge of the two banks. a bridge crossing a border river there may not be a better symbol for european unity a thing i've learned a lot about on my trip from germany to france and back one could almost forget that the european union as we know it today has only been around for twenty five years happy birthday and keep up the good work.

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to. what exactly this way to see. how long has it exists stand still. and why did karl marx sing it as i'm just. a short history of. us it's worth watching the progress. made in germany thirty million dollars for.

the dangerous battle for images five women. five exceptional stories. one calling more photography game dramatic pictures from the frontlines capturing faithful moments in time and even risking death. she gave her life to other stories of people who ended up killing. women were photographers starting may third on t.w. . philosopher and pop star a doer and despised karl marx the icon of communism a man whose ideas changed the world but also divided it how relevant is he today and what influence does he have on politics and general culture on his two hundredth birthday karl marx and arts twenty one special and the documentary marks and his ears on g.w. . will be our fighters want to start families to become farmers or engineers

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play a. player. this is deja news coming to you live from but could it be a new iran nuclear deal a little treating a hockey chose and a lonely lingering hand-shake trunk to make a public display of this special friendship and it's down to business if it doesn't stop talking about a possible new iran agreement.