American reacts to 'Southern Germany: Meet the Germans Road Trip Part 2/4'

[@ristridin_photography]

Semmelknödel are not potato dumplings as stated in the video. It's more like a bread dumpling. Kartoffelknödel are Potato dumplings

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

Yes, thats right. Semmel are Bread rolls.

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

Exactly!

[@MrMond-gc4rv]

yeah i was bothered immidiately by that

[@ristridin_photography]

@@MrMond-gc4rv same 😊

[@mrmrks1884]

@@MrMond-gc4rv the only thing that bothered me even more, was that there isn't a single franconia but three ( upper, middle and lower) and nurenberg isn't the capital of anyone of them.

[@ryba5353]

People in Germany may not be patriotic, but when it comes to the individual regions inside of Germany everybody is quite "patriotic" towards their region. So it's quite common and not exclusive to Franconia.

[@walkir2662]

And that moves straight down to villages/suburbs, especially when football ins involved.

[@alpenhuhn1]

If you are patriotic. I am from bavaria and I love it, you are considert being a Nazi!

[@MtheHell]

Yeah, it seems like we keep the "patriotism inside the country", instead of showing national pride to other countries.

[@Slippy6582]

100% true... We are not patriotic to our country, but to our region for sure!

[@klamin_original]

Correct. I feel Franconian and European but not particularly German

[@Archphoenix1]

You are not the first one to ask why the grass and trees seem greener in europe. The answer is that Germany is further north then most of the USA. The american south is on the same latitude as morocco,Berlin is on the same latitude as vancouver. Houston is on the same latitude as cairo

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

Another big difference is the placement of the Alps. They are like a wall dividing the climate zones of southern and northern Europe. Germany has a significantly colder weather with more rain adn even snow. It's quite typical for northern Europe. In Italy the weather is warmer and dryer. It's a typical mediterranean country of southern Europe. France is actuall the only European country that spans over both climate zones. This division is strictly valid only for western and central Europe. The situation is a bit different and more complicated in eastern Europe where the mountains of the Riesengebirge and the Tatra are located further north and the Carpathian mountains are a bit further south.

[@danielertl]

Yeah, but Ireland is even greener. When I saw Ireland after a rainfall I was speechless even as a german (bavarian) guy. It looks more like neon-green. 😂

[@gonzo2495]

this but even more its cause of the climate the gulf stream brings to europe.

[@Tenkoman]

Suggestion for the 100k special: Cooking common German dishes for the family

[@mir1661]

or trying german snacks (:

[@prunabluepepper]

I second this. If any recipes are needed, hit me up.

[@angelofurno1007]

Or fly to Germany for 2 weeks 😅

[@lemonycricket3286]

@@mir1661 great idea! DOes he have a P.O.?

[@prunabluepepper]

@@lemonycricket3286 I think he got many invites by now 😄

[@RustyDust101]

The "thin" Swabian pretzel/Brezel has an actual crunch to the thin ends (at least if they are as thin as shown here) whereas the Bavarian Breze is relatively soft throughout, giving only a tiny crunch when you crack the outer crust. 9:15 The Weißwurst was created originally when a butcher failed to light the smoking fire in his smoker. Yet he rolled the whole stand of veal sausages into it anyway (or maybe it was an apprentice, I don't remember). When the butcher came back to check if the sausages had been correctly smoked (thus preserved) he found the uncured sausages still hanging in a room-temperature smoker. He was worried that the delicate veal sausages would spoil soon so he just decided to sell them "as is" fairly cheap. The customers were strangely attracted to them, so he began selling them more regularly. But this was still during a time when chemical preservation methods nor refrigeration wasn't around. These sausages were made during the very early morning hours traditionally and would have been smoked, thus preserved, for a few hours. Without this preservation they would spoil VERY quickly (often the same day). So he gave the customers the clear advice to only buy them fresh and to consume them before mid-day the same day so they wouldn't spoil. Today that would be less of a concern, but Bavarians being the conservative traditional people they are, this "rule" of consuming them only up to mid-day stuck around. The rest is history.😊

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

Swabian pretzels are harder to make too, it takes more skill to fling them with those skinny arms. Good that I am not a conservative Bavarian and can have Weisswurst WHENEVER, yay me!

[@Der-Ben]

We Germans are often proud, but not for the whole country but more for the special region we live in. Viele Grüße aus Hessen (many greetings für Hesse)

[@Kowalski273]

Team Äppler oder Team Ahle Wurscht? 👀

[@Der-Ben]

@@Kowalski273 Team Ahle Wurscht!! An Äppelwoi muss ich mich als Moselaner noch gewöhnen...

[@Kowalski273]

@@Der-Ben solange er sauergespritzt ist 😋

[@gbbgbb1856]

@@Kowalski273 Nah pur ist am besten

[@Cornu341]

@@Kowalski273 kann man beides essen. Grüße eines Mittelhessens aus dem Vogelsberg. Aktuell im Arbeitsexil an der großen tropischen Stadt am Main. Zumindest fühlt es sich schon wieder ach Tropen an 😉

[@arska77]

I like Germany and have been there once, maybe some day I can visit again. It is fun to watch your videos, so thanks and greetings from Finland 🇫🇮

[@nebelland8355]

Come back and see more 🙂

[@arska77]

@@nebelland8355 I hope that some day I will 👍

[@leDespicable]

Oktoberfest is called "Wiesn" (which literally just means meadow) by the locals because it takes place on the "Theresienwiese" (Therese's Meadow), which nowadays isn't really a meadow anymore, but rather Munich's main fairgrounds, hosting multiple folk festivals throughout the year. Back when the original Oktoberfest took place to celebrate the wedding of King Ludwig I and Queen Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, it was still a meadow outside the city gates, which was later named after Therese. Fun-fact: Neuschwanstein castle is actually extremely overrated. It is overcrowded to a point that it's actually just exhausting to visit, and it's not even a particularly unique castle. Even during his time, Ludwig had much more beautiful castles built. Just take a look at Herrenchiemsee Palace, which is basically a mini-Versailles built on an island in Bavaria's biggest lake (and Germany's third-biggest lake for that matter). It's much more interesting to visit in my opinion, and also far less crowded during tourist season.

[@silasmerzenich]

Neuschwanstein ist schon schön, nur eben so überfüllt

[@Carol_65]

My husband always says about Neuschwanstein: "It's not a 'real' castle."😂 I still think it is beautiful and enjoy going there. However, I think I like Hohenschwangau better (They are near each other and Hohenschwangau is where King Ludwig grew up, if I remember correctly.) In Baden-Würtemberg, Hohenzollern is very pretty, especially when seen from afar. There are so many castles and castle ruins, both big and small, that are so beautiful and romantic here in Germany. I never get tired of them.

[@maxbarko8717]

Traditionally the Dirndl wasn’t a thing at the Oktoberfest. Only in the past maybe 10 to 20 years people believe they have to wear sort of an attire to get wasted. It is just a trend to make money. What would people say if Germans dressed up as Mexicans or Indians at their local Fest?

[@veladarney]

Yeah, instead of Neuschwanstein, go for Herrenchiemsee or Linderhof. Or one of the many, many other German castles. Are they as "fairytale" as Ludwig II's castles? Probably not, but they're the REAL thing. Ludwig's castles, he mostly only built them to fulfill his dreams of being a monarch who actually had a say (fun fact: he didn't really have much of a say) in how to run his kingdom.

[@joeschneider3427]

same with Stuttgart's Cannstatter Volkfest locally being reffered to as the "Wasen" after the venue, the Cannstatter Wasen, Wasen being a swabian word for a marshy meadow.

[@assellator]

Nice to see Hayley Alexis in this video.. And the Wasn in Baden-Würtemberg has the same meaning as the Wiesn in bavaria.

[@Groffili]

Interestingly, the Bavarian/Munich "Oktoberest" and the Baden-Württemberg/Bad Cannstatt "Volksfest" have a very different historical background, even if they were established that close in time to each other. The "Oktoberfest" was based on the public celebrations following the marriage of Bavarian crown-prince Ludwig (the father (ETA: grandfather, sorry) of the Neuschwanstein Ludwig) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The field or meadow (German "Wiese", Bavarian: "Wies'n") where one of the major events was held was later called the "Theresienwiese", and the residents used that name of the following recurring popular festivals. The "Wasen" - which is also a regional term for a meadow - was from the start meant as a public/civic event. It was established as a convention for agricultural development, following the horrible famine in the "year without summer" 1816, caused by the explosion of the Indonesian volcano Tambora in the year before.

[@h2okopf415]

King Ludwig I was grandfather of King Ludwig II. King Maximilian was his father.

[@avi.chan23]

The history of the "Wasen" is quite fascinating. Back in 1815 a volcano named Tambora in Indonesia errupted, causing a "Year without summer" in 1816, leading to the mentioned famine in Europe, but also in the north-east of America. Back then King Wilhelm I. of Württemberg and his wife Katharina founded a charity that had the purpose of helping to feed the people and to increase farming techniques ect. They then also founded a festivity in 1817 as a celebration that there was food again.

[@stef987]

"You guys call it Wiesn?!"... "My memory is bad, so I have to write it (Cannstatter Volksfest) down"... "What? This is also called Wasen?" 😄

[@estranhokonsta]

He wasn't wrong about his memory 😂

[@12tanuha21]

well, both words mean meadow

[@Gamepak]

its wasn bc it happens on the cannstatter wasen (in stuttgart)

[@monaj.simpson6710]

I was raised by an all swabian family and naturally my mum taught me how to make Spätzle. You mix flour, eggs, salt and water to a very sticky dough. Some regions then scrape them like the guy in the video, others have a Kind of device with holes in it, where you press it trough called a "Spätzlespresse". You scrape or press the dough directly in boiling water and it'll sink to the bottom. You want to stir it, so the Spätzle don't stick together. When the Spätzle begin to swim on the surface, you get them out of the water and into a bowl of cold water for a few seconds and then serve. It's delicious. Usually we top it with breadcrumbs roasted golden brown in butter.

[@LiveLoveLaughTsukasa]

Ich dachte das heißt Spätzlehobel? Zumindest nennt meine Familie das so, kann aber auch sein dass ich falsch liege

[@Linuxdirk]

I love the guy nerding out over beer ☺

[@JustPyroYT]

I'm from Baden-Württemberg and I have to say: It's pretty nice here.

[@bertkassing8541]

Man, man, man, I as a Dutchman can tell you: You don't know what you're missing if you haven't drunk good German beers. Incidentally, you also have excellent beers in the Netherlands and Belgium :-)

[@all_in_for_JESUS]

Except for the Belgian Christmas Beer 😂🤮

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

As a German, I have to admit, I like Belgian beers more. They have a more interesting taste.^^

[@bertkassing8541]

@@arnewengertsmann9111 I think Germany has purer beer because of the Reinheitsgebot. Belgium and the Netherlands have, let me put it this way, slightly more creative beers and much more different flavors. But I think the German beer is very good.

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

I agree except for Heineken.

[@arnewengertsmann9111]

@@bertkassing8541 I love the term creative beer. That is what I love about Belgian beer. And is hard to beat sitting on the main square of Brussles and drink some cherry beer or Trapisten beer.^^

[@cstone3178]

If you are interested in a great video series on Germany, try „Deutschland von Oben“ (Germany from above). Beautiful photography shows Germany at its most beautiful.

[@strnchn-x7v6]

💯

[@SiqueScarface]

1:10 This is Tübingen, where I went to University. 6:45 The Neuschwanstein Castle is actually not a castle, it is more like a crossover between a weekend retreat and McMansion. It is Disneyland before Walt Disney, reinforced concrete with brick walls at the core, and then some plaster and thin slabs of local stone as a cover. It eclecticistically takes lots of elements, mixes them and does not really work them through. King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who commissioned the castle, was a huge fan of the operas of Richard Wagner, and Neuschwanstein is like an opera stage, bombastic, tasteless and essentially useless.

[@clauslangenbroek9897]

Although you are right, castles do not necessarily need to be completely constructed from massive natural stones, depending on were they are situated, what time they were built in and what finances the builder had. Most noblemen were not that wealthy to begin with (regardless if they lived in the middle ages or later) but castles were often somewhat mandatory for their status. Often only the parts were this was necessary were massive. Plaster, bricks, concrete and faux stone can be found in many castles old or new.

[@nadinebeck2069]

Germans are locally patriotic. It was a shame being a German for so long, but being a Franconian, Frisian, Rhinelander, or a Bavarian was easier to be proud of. But anyway, Germans are still a collection of different Germanic tribes. If you take a closer look, you definitly see and feel the differences until today.

[@lollorosso4675]

If you are afraid of bitterness in beers, the Bavarian stuff should be just perfect. Whether “Helles” or “Weißbier”, both are very mild on the hops and relatively sweet - even compared to US beers.

[@Carol_65]

I was just going to say this. He would probably enjoy Helles or Weißbier.

[@fortuna7469]

Ryan, you would love weissbier! I did. Btw, your German pronunciation is excellent. All the best from a Finn in Helsinki!

[@andreaseidlitz5714]

I have watched your vids for some while already (as a czech living in Germany for 4 years) and I feel like we should collect some money to get you and your familly to finally visit Germany :D would be a nice plot

[@Washa94]

Yes, most Amish come originally from the southern part of germany and some from switzerland and austria.

This is a tad bit misleading, because "originally" doesn't mean "they emigrated to the US from these parts". Most come from the Palatinate, and "Pennsylvania Dutch" (or "Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch") is a variant of of Palatine German as spoken in, yes, the Palatinate. The language has almost nothing in common with German dialects spoken around the Swiss-German and Austrian-German border.

[@Lia.z.888]

They speak German and Dutch, I live in an area where some Amish people live

[@clauslangenbroek9897]

​@ You are wrong. It is not misleading at all, not even a tad. You are talking about the Pennsylvania dutch, who originate in Palatine. Amish are a seperate group originating in Swiss, Elsatia and Southwest Germany.

[@jennyh4025]

At 1:26 is Hayley Alexis, a US KZbinr in Germany. Edit: Kässpärzle is the original Mac‘n‘Cheese. 😉

[@Capt.-Nemo]

I thought so too

[@blovesbeautyboxes5354]

I live in Baden-Württemberg very close to the Black Forest. The hats which are worn(not worn that often) come in 2 colors, red and black. Red stands for unmarried, black for married.

[@FritzPinguin]

The town mentioned in the "Swabian" part is actually my home. Nice to see Tübingen again, living far away in Thailand now. Thanks for your great reaction videos!

[@gm_hg_von_tresckow]

the picture of "Freiburg" at minute 13:45 is not made in Freiburg, this is the little venice in Colmar (Alsace). Big mistake as you call me.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

In Bavaria they say that a Weißwurst (white sausage) shouldn't hear the church bells ring noon. That's because in the old days they were freshly made early in the morning and without refrigerators they went bad in the summer afternoon's heat very quickly. It's typically a dish for brunch.

[@mucxlx]

2:40 the left dish is pancake soup and the right dish is Kaiserschmarrn, thats also a thick pancake cut in pieces with raisins and powdered sugar. Its like one of austria`s signature dishes. And Oktoberfest is called Wies'n in Munich because it takes place on a place called Theresienwiese (named after some princess Therese) and Wiese just translates to Meadow. So the locals just call it Wies`n in dialect.

[@simonl.6338]

12:24 actually many are patriotic of their "Bundesland", region, city or village in all parts of the country. It's patriotism for germany as a whole that you won't find too often.

[@Runnerskeeper]

3:40 as a Bavarian myself, i completely agree with you. And in most bakeries I know, they make them both ways and you can choose if you want them with less or more salt. But in general, over the past view decades, there seems to be less and less salt on a Breze (or Brezn, as we call em here). Mainly because people nowadays don't like that much salt on it. 5:00 I don't wear "Tracht", but it's definetely not just for Oktoberfest. In fact, Oktoberfest is just the biggest of what we call "Volksfest" there are hundreds if not thousands of these all over the year (but mostly between May and October). And you can wear your Tracht to any one of these. They're also worn on other occasions like in the mentioned Tracht society/club or some weddings etc. 5:40 We call it "Wiesn" for at least two reasons: 1. Wiesn is shorter than Oktoberfest and we're lazy. 2. Wiesn means lawn and in the past (and in the case of little folk festivals still today) those festivals were held on a Wiesn. Oh yeah, and maybe because we Bavarians love accuracy and the Oktoberfest does already begin in September, so technically it would be more accurate to call it the Septemberfest. Which just sounds wrong. 6:20 Wiesn (spelled with an e (or i if you're german) = Oktoberfest; Wasen (with an a) for the other thing. So, very different! 7:20 There are a lot of things I don't like about Bavaria, and I was born and raised here. But the nature is just sooo stunning. And right at my doorstep. If I walk for a quarter of a mile, I'm already in the woods. I live on a hill and I just enjoy watching around me and mostly see patches of fields and forest instead of concrete everywhere. Bavaria is mostly rural and that's not always a good thing, especially in rural areas. But if you love nature, just take a walk and it makes up for it. 9:00 They got the translation wrong here. Yes, we have potato dumplings, but they're called "Kartoffelknödel", since Kartoffel = potato. Semmelknödel however, are made of a) Semmeln (also called Brötchen virtually anywhere else in Germany) = Breadrolls b) egss to hold the dough together and c) parsley. Semmelknödel are more common in the south of Bavaria, whereas Kartoffelknödel are more a thing in the north. My preferance: Semmelknödel. If I want potatos I eat fries or Rösti (= sort of hash browns) 9:15 It is a nogo to eat Weißwurst after 12 pm, because they're suppposed to be eaten as fresh as possible. I believe this comes from the time, where we didn't have refrigeration. And certainly before the time you could buy them vacuum packed by the dozen. And the classical meal is: 2 Weißwürste, a big Brezn and a wheat beer (like Schneider Weiße). And you'll need the Brezn, because the Weißwurst is, like, 90% fat. And without the wheat beer, it's no real Weißwurst breakfast :) 9:25 Yes, it is huge. Seems to me that it's a Brotzeitplatte for 2 to 3 persons. Brotzeit is a very common meal, earlier referring to the meal that you have during working hours when you're on a break, called Brotzeit. This meaning however is old fashioned and is losing meaning. So now a Brotzeit is something you can have whenever you want and it's too warm for a hot meal or you're just too lazy to cook something. It usually consists of some kind of bread/breadrolls/Brezn and some things to put on it like butter, sausage, dairy products ore whatever you like. 10:00 Not everyone knows tht much about beer. Me for example: I can tell you about the different beers and what you can expect from them when it comes to tasting (like, wheat beer is more sweet, whereas a pilsener for example is more bitter). But as for the difference in the brewing processes, idk and idc 11:45 Two reasons why it's so well organized: 1. We're bavarians and we like it that way. 2. Most pubs, clubs etc. are owned by breweries which then lease it out to people that run them. So here it's more likely to lease a pub instaed of owning it. This leads to the Pub being "brauereigebunden" (bound to brewery). So you can only serve the beer produced by the brewery or what the brewery, who owns your pub seems to be acceptable. Long story short: the brewery then sends someone to you, undercover as a normal guest, who takes a look at your pub and notes things like: Has the beer a nice "Bierkrone" (foamcrown) when served? Does the personnel use the right glasses for each type of Beer? Aaaaand, I kid you not: Are the clean glasses behind the bar displayed with the logo of the brewery in front, so guests can see them? It's rediculous and in all my 10 years working in bars, clubs and the occasional beergarden, I've never witnessed it. But some of my employers were genuinely worried about it and made sure, you make no mistakes. 12:10 Franken are also called the foreighners within Bavaria, because they do not identify themselves as Bavarians. I respect them for that and see it the same way. I mean, they call their Semmel "Weggla". That's not very Bavarian at all. Also, they're more known for their wine, and I love me some beer! But the most positive thing I have to say about Franconians is: they - for the most part - are super chill and friendly af. 12:43 Everybody fires shots at Munich. Even those who live there. Most people in Munich don't even speek Bavarian, even if they where born and raised there. And don't get me started on the arrogance of some people there. Absolute entitled bunch. So, I don't blame Feli from Germany to move to Cincinnati^^ 14:21 Sorry to tell you, but you're not speaking english, you speak american. That's a huuuuuge difference. No shaming here, just want to state the obvious and correct your mistake. Our english teacher in Realschule made us choose and then stick with either American English or Oxford English. Most (me included) chose American because it's soo much simpler. The pronunciation was easier and the vocabulary (outside of our curriculum) smaller. When I bought and read A hitchhikers guide to the galaxy by Doug Adams a few years back, I immediately regretted my decision. I had to pull out a dictionary (app) every other page. It was mindboggling, that I new so little words after self teaching and always extending my vocabulary for about 25 years at this point! 17:10 Yes, Spätzle are egg-based pasta. And Käsespätzle are traditionally served with Röstzwiebeln (crispy fried onions) and very delicious if done right. It's very common to add some dairy to your sauce. Like "Rahmbraten" refers to a roast (beef or pork usually), where you add a bit of cream, creme fraiche or sour cream etc. to the sauce. Also, most dishes with local mushrooms (like Pfifferling, Steinpilz...) are made in the "Rahm" way. If you are in bavaria, you HAVE to try Rahmschwammerl (Schwammerl is Bavarian for mushrooms. It stems from the fact that theay're kinda spongy. Schwamm = Sponge) with Semmelknödel. 2d4 Wow, that's longer then I expected. I'm enjoying your videos every time and might comment more on them if I see something that's not up to par Imo. I'm wishing you all the best and if you need good Bavarian recipies, let me know xD

[@brigittehergott6072]

Refering to Franconia as a region of wine I am not your opinion. Mittelfranken and Oberfranken are beer regions with very good stuff while Unterfranken is the only but well known Franconian wine region.

[@clauslangenbroek9897]

American English is English the same way as Austrian German is German. It's simply a variety (and even somewhat 'nearer' historically to the English spoken in England before Independence.)

[@eastfrisian_88]

The servings in Bavaria are often really big, my mother now lives in Bavaria and every time in a restaurant you get almost American portion sizes and we from Northern Germany struggle with it and the Bavarians (even the skinny ones) manage to get the plate empty. 😂

[@jadesarah266]

I love watching your sit down videos , but I would love to see you try and make/cook Germany food LG from Germany

[@JakobFischer60]

I have never seen someone adding whipped cream to Käsespätzle.

[@stefanie8367]

Just made 2 Weeks Holiday in Bavaria in GAP (Garmisch-Partenkirchen) until last Saturday. It was great! The Eibsee under the Zugspitze was nice but we visited the Plansee in Austria one Day before, on the Way back from Füssen (near Neuschwanstein) and the Plansee is a Beauty, pretty and huge. Neuschwanstein was also not bad from far away but the Castles around were nice too. 30 Minutes away from Füssen, on the Way back to GAP, is Castle Linderhof. My secret Favorite. Just some Minutes after the Plansee, in the Middle of the Forrest. Bavaria has really much to offer. I am more from the North of Germany, from Hannover. I love the Alps but the Northsee and also the Eastsee too. Germany has a lot to offer...for every Taste, every Person. Greetings 😊

[@MichaEl-rh1kv]

1:10 The building in the background is the town hall of the university town of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg. 1:22 I'm not sure, but I think that scene is in Franconia. 1:25 Now we are in Munich. 2:26 They share also Lake Constance - since they couldn't agree where exactly the border runs through the lake, they decided to share authority over the lake. 2:36 On the black plate to the right you see Kaiserschmarrn (Kaiser = Emperor, Schmarrn = a kind of pancake which was shredded in the pan), an Austrian speciality. The soup in the mid is a Flädlesupp, a pancake soup from Swabia. 4:40 Actually Lederhosn were nearly extinct at the start of the 19th century. They were used as working clothes by foresters and as hunting clothes by some Bavarian nobles, but not as "sunday suits", and often already replaced by trousers made from loden. But in 1883 they were revived by a Bavarian teacher and his drinking mates. Ridiculed by the villagers the got the support of the Bavarian king(s) which tried to build a Bavarian nationality, and propagated Lederhosen as a symbol of Bavaria. Many villages then changed their "Tracht" (traditional clothing) to Lederhosen. At the same time Munich fashion designers invented the Dirndl as summer holiday costume for the upper crust, based however on the more traditional rural clothes the housemaids in Munich often wore. Again Bavarian villages started to adapt their traditional clothes in the same style, with the lower neckline, more lace, white aprons (some older "Trachten" had rather dark aprons, if at all) and so on. So it is today more a fashion thing than real traditional clothes, even if such are still to be found out in the country. 5:07 The "Bollenhut" (ball hat) has become a symbol for the Black Forest, but was actually only part of the traditional clothing in three villages in the northern part of the Black Forest, which became Protestant in 1534 and lived partly from producing hats during the winter months. 6:26 "Wiesn" against "Wasen" - both translates to "meadow" and means mainly the place (the Oktoberfest takes place on the Munich Theresienwiese, named after Princess Therese, who married King Ludwig I there; the Cannstatter Volksfest and the Stuttgart Spring Festival take place on the fairground in Bad Cannstatt, the older part of Stuttgart). 8:05 The most catholic state - except for some formerly Protestant counties and cities in Franconia as well as some former Imperial Free Cities in Swabia and the Allgäu like Augsburg, Kempten, Memmingen and some others (which became all more Catholic again mainly by the incorporation of rural Catholic municipalities in the last century or so). Those regions became however only Bavarian after the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire by Napoleon. Fun fact: The ruling dynasty in Bavaria, House Wittelsbach, however had also a Protestant branch, the "Palatinate" or Heidelberg branch ruling over the Electorate of the Rhine; 1619/20 Friedrich V of the Palatinate was also King of Bohemia, and the branch of Palatine-Zweibrücken won the Swedish throne in 1654. 9:05 Small error: Semmelknödel are not potato dumplings, but bread dumplings. "Semmel" is Bavarian for a breadroll, and since breadrolls made from wheat became stale very quickly, they were diced, then soaked in warm milk, afterwards mixed with eggs, parsley and spices. This dough is then formed into balls, which are cooked in salted water. 9:09 Weisswurst is a typical speciality from Munich. The sausages are white, because the dough contains no nitrite salts; it becomes then white during cooking. That reduces however also the shelf life, and in times before refrigeration during transport was available, the saying was: They shouldn't hear the midday peal of bells. Weisswurst is served in a broth, accompanied by a "brezen" (bretzel) and sweet mustard. It is a typical second breakfast (around 10 a.m.) in Bavaria. 12:35 Bavarians are like people from Texas. Franconia and parts of Swabia were annexed by Bavaria during the Napoleonic wars, and most Franconians did not forget their roots since then. "Beer Franconia" also has the most breweries: A real village has to have at least one brewery. A town is a town if it has at least three breweries, and it becomes only a city if it has at least one supra-regional brewery and more than three others - Bamberg has about a dozen breweries. 14:15 That refers to Old Württemberg, which consists of Lower or Neckar Swabia and parts of the Swabian Jura (or "Swabian Alb"). The culture of Upper Swabia is more similar to Baden.

[@davdaninja]

I was at the Newport aquarium in Kentucky and spoke to a group of Amish and since I’m German I was able to speak German with them. Their origin is from south Germany north Switzerland and they all spoke a dialect of Swiss German. Don’t know if it counts for all Amish people but I’m sure for quite a few.

[@juliaaaa.9483]

I live in southern Germany and I can tell you, it's beautiful. I love living, eating, partying and speaking here. ✨️

[@der_Kafir]

Grüße vom Bodensee

[@herzchenbambi]

Grüße aus Freiburg ^^

[@Winona493]

I'd skip the "speaking"!😂 Sorry, but I do not like the Bavarian dialect pretty much.🙄

[@hernerweisenberg7052]

Despite it being allmost a foreign country, i do enjoy it when im there. Grüße aus Bremen ;D

[@arnodobler1096]

Greetings from Lake Constance

[@karlheinz9432]

10:24 short answer: yes, there is a connection between Amish and Southern Germany. Also Pennsylvania Dutch has still some connections to the dialects in this area, but it has a way more stronger connection towards Palatine German

[@berndheghmanns1437]

The Volksfest in Bavaria is called "Wiesen". Neuschwanstein Castle is very beautiful, both from the outside and from the inside, but you should know that there are only 15 fully developed rooms inside. That's why I recommend that you visit Linderhof Castle, which is smaller but was finished in King Ludwig's time and is absolutely worth a visit. In the past, when there was no refrigeration, the white sausage was made in the morning and eaten until noon at the latest.

[@petersmiling9494]

Which is mostly not understood with Neuschwanstein Castle: That it is not an ancient castle, but a fairly new castle that was built only about 1880 and was modeled as a medieval castle.

[@joeschneider3427]

While Munich's Oktoberfest and Stuttgart's Cannstatter Volksfest appear similar, they have different roots. First Oktoberfest was in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding. Cannstatter Volksfest evolved from a side event to an agriculture fair first held in 1818 to promote modern crops and farming methods after the crop failures in 1816 ("the Year without a Summer"). The side event was deemed necessary to intice the farmers to make the trip with their families. Over time, the side event became the main event, but the agriculture fair (Landwirtschaftliches Hauptfest) still continues as a quadrennial event along with the Volksfest (next being in 2026).

[@ole7236]

Hayley Alexis currently lives in Bavaria (Munich), that's why she appears in that video.

[@ared-ainu]

While we aren't known for national pride, we have a lot of local pride. I come from the Ruhr area (Ruhrpott), which should come up in the episode about the west, and I certainly have a lot of pride for my region. But in a way where I can still appreciate the pride others have in theirs. Just this weekend I was in the black forest, and I talked with people where we just told each other about what makes our home regions coold, and learned from each other.

[@th.a]

Here in Bavaria the Oktoberfest is called Wiesn because it takes place on the Theresienwiese in Munich. It's a fairly large area near the center of the city only used for folk festivals. Wiese or in Bavarian Wiesn can be translated to meadow.

[@maltej.2157]

Hayley Alexis at 1:25 😃

[@johnam1234]

I enjoy your videos and learning about some of the places I want to visit

[@l3lue7hunder12]

That castle, or more precisely the extensive walk-ways around the castle, send a couple of friends and me to the hospital once. Source of the issue was a frisky wind during wet weather in the winter month, meaning even though it wasn't snowing many of the steep tarred trails turned into really dangerous iced over slides impossible to stand upon upright, expelling all those who noticed too late into the bushing or against some iron railing at speed. Well, better the iron railing than the steep drop from there ... .

[@dyri815]

2:33 The two dishes you see in this pictures are Frittatensuppe and Kaiserschmarren. Both are really easy to cook so you can try them at home. Frittatensuppe is a beef broth with carrots and sliced crepes (of course crepes without sugar). Kaiserschmarrn are basically shredded fluffy pancakes. It can be cooked with or without raisins and rum and is typically served with applesauce or plum roaster.

[@ellenhofrath]

The Tracht is worn very often, there are everyday and festive versions. The way they are made and wrn telks you a lot about the person. "Wiesn" / meadows is a term for all fests of this kind in Bavaria.

[@Strakin]

Lol, to say "Pasta" to spätzle! Dont do that in swabia :D

[@lauramic100]

Just about lost it when i saw the swabian brezel xD i didn't even know there was something like that with those little arms, and that it's from SWABIA is just... chefs kiss :'D

[@E85stattElektro]

14:10 That bridge is always filled with tourists taking pictures lol

[@Al69BfR]

5:08 Those women’s hats with the balls on top are very famous for the area around the Black Forest and very distinctive from everything you can see in Bavaria. At least as far as I know. But as Rachel said, there are many traditional clothings all over Germany and all over Europe. But when it comes to international popularity one can compare the Bavarian Lederhose to the American Cowboy hat. Perhaps Jeans, too. But they were invented by a German immigrant with fabric from Nimes/France. 🙂

[@ThorackNT]

For some reason, the hats with the balls on top have become iconic for the black forest, though they are only really worn in two protestant villages (the Black Forest is mostly catholic). For the most part, hoods made of broad ribbons are more common. Some villages have a headgear called a Schäppel, which is usually decorated with pearls and mirrors. Girls used to wear them from first communion to their wedding. Once married they would change to a ribbon hood.

[@craddocraddoc]

So there is a great series called "Deutschland von oben" (germany from above). Way too long for a react and a full documentary series I guess, but even for me as a german it was quite stunning, having very long, very wide camera angels feom the air, since most of the series was filmed by an airship. I highly recommend it if someone is more interested in the german landscape.

[@Eurograph]

To partially understand local patriotism in Germany I think you have to look at the history of Germany. Many of the individual states or regions within the states were separate nations at the time of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. And likewise, the history after the Holy Roman Empire, was marked by different compositions of the federal states. A good example is Baden-Württemberg, which was founded in 1952 from the states "Württemberg-Baden", "Baden" and "Württemberg-Hohenzollern". Likewise, an important point of local patriotism, from my perspective, are similar identities and preferences. For example, in the Ruhr region, where soccer, mining, heavy industry or social class can define belonging. Whereas economic success or its envy or even the location of political authorities or politics per se can also separate. To the question whether Germans are generally speaking patriotic, I would answer that many people are less national patriotic, but rather local patriotic. The area one comes from, I think, comes first for many rather than the nation or state in part where one lives. So my observations. Likewise one must still add language, I find. In the contribution the dialect "Alemannic" was mentioned nevertheless completely briefly. However, this dialect refers to special regions. There are many other dialects such as Franconian, Bavarian, Kurpfälzisch or Swabian. Likewise, the young woman said that there is rather less local patriotism in the youth. I would say there, it depends on where you come from. So I would say that there are big differences between urban and rural areas. I also think it plays a role how long a family has been anchored in a certain area. I would say that local patriotism is less important for families who move around a lot within Germany, as well as in very diverse communities.

[@sandrasauerkraut8741]

Your explanation nailed it

[@conbertbenneck49]

Ryan, Further to Trachten: Brides trousseau is put in a "Schrank"; loaded on a farm cart and it gets carried to her new husband's home / farm. The designs of these "Schranks" vary by the valley where they were made by local carpenters. The painted designs, as well as the colors used in decorating the "Schrank" tell you it's from Valley A, and from which town in the valley. I have two such "Schranks" One was made in 1779 and is all hand painted and decorated. It is rectangular in shape with just some moldings for decoration, and came from the Zillertal The second one comes from a different valley (Irschenberg). It has all sorts of wood ornamentation at the corners; has a gracefully arched front; and is finished in natural wood - with intricate carved decorations on the arched doors, but not a speck of paint is anywhere on the "Schrank". They are another art form in Bavaria, Austria, and Switzerland.

[@insu_na]

Maultaschen and Käsespätzle are the best kind of food I have ever eaten, and if I could, I would eat them all day. Sadly I moved to Northern Germany and to get good Maultaschen and Käsespätzle here you have to make them yourself from scratch, and I'm not good enough for that :(

[@Kivas_Fajo]

No, other than the thickness of its arms there is no difference in the Brezel/Brezen. One major difference would be that the Swabians eat it with butter at best when still warm from baking in the morning while in Bavaria it is more used as complement of Weisswurst and is often the "bread" of choice for "fast food". The Swabians love their Brezel, but it is not in every restaurant to be found as in Bavaria.

[@rhysodunloe2463]

In Munich the Oktoberfest and the place where its held are called Wiesn (meadows) because the horse race that was held on those meadows for the wedding of King Ludwig II and his wife Therese was the highlight of the festivities. Since the First World War however there were no more horse races because people for one weren't in the mood to party and many good horses died in that war. The festival space is officially called Theresienwiese (Therese's Meadow) although most of it is covered in concrete nowadays to hold the weight of the rides. The Cannstatter Volksfest goes back to the end of a famine. To prevent another one the king's wife founded a school for agriculture and the festival was a competition of farmers to show off their finest crops and livestock and exchange ideas and breeding stock.

[@kateray6688]

Living close to Munich& to the question about "Wiesn": - The "Oktoberfest" was originally a wedding - it took place on the Theresienwiese (which exists to this day) - when the wedding as occasion was slowly forgotten & took place on the TheresienWIESE (field) it's simply called "Wiesn" (Bavarian word for wiese= field)

[@lordofnumbers9317]

@9:05 You eat a "Weisswurst" traditionally with a pretzel, sweet mustard and a "Weissbier". My favorite is "Erdinger Weissbier". Believe me, you want eat and drink that too. I can also recommend a "Leberkässemmel" with sweet mustard. It's to die for. Really.

[@jensgoerke3819]

Käsespätzle with fried onions 😋

[@saraa.4295]

Around the middle ages monk actually spent about half the year in one form of fasting.. Some forms were eatin nothing at all (though drinking beer was allowed, which is why you had those thick beers) but most forms were just "no luxuries"

[@DJone4one]

No😂 the Oktoberfest called "Wiesen", and the Volksfest in "Wasen". Two different words. Here for Tourists a important article about the Neuschwanstein castle: And even one of the most famous German attractions of all does not go down well with tourists: Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen, which even served as the inspiration for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle because of its fairytale appearance: "Don't get me wrong: it's beautiful from the outside, but don't waste your time touring the inside. It was never finished and there are only about six rooms to see. You wait for hours to get in, pay a hefty fee and you're ushered through within 30 minutes. It's definitely not worth it," warns one user. Much better, he says, is Hohenschwangau Castle, which is very close by.

[@ThorackNT]

Well more like the same word in different dialects

[@DJone4one]

@@ThorackNT ja ich weiß nur er hat ja gleich ausgesprochen.

[@andy1307t]

0:53 And the local beer ist often the best you can get. [personal opinion] I mostly buy local (or at least regional) beer.

[@Krea]

1:16 cool, they were in Tübingen at the town where I was born

[@momsspaghetti2246]

2:40 it's called "Kaiserschmarrn" and is actually from Austria :) it's the best ❤

[@avi.chan23]

Some more random information on the south of Germany: Ulm, a city at the border between Baden-Württemberg and Bayern (Bavaria) has the currently highest church tower, the Ulmer Münster, which is even higher than the Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral). Ulm also has a neighboring city, named Neu-Ulm (New Ulm), which is on the Bavarian side. Both cities are connected via bridges and separated by the river Donau. People in that region are the Swabians, and at least the ones on the Bavarian side also don´t want to be called "Bavarians" but Swabians. The "Kehrwoche" really is a thing here, we currently live in a two families house, and an old swabian lady lives in the other flat... she constantly reminds me to "clean our stairs", because her mother did it every day :D it´s a cute treat in my opinion. The area has a rich and long history. You can visit a lot of really old sights, back to celtic settlements and the roman wall Limes. From a history point of view, it is a really fascinating part of Europe. Spätzle and Pasta have some similar ingrediens but they look and taste quite different. I love Spätzle a lot, one of the best foods ever, but not recommended if you want to lose weight or not gain any :D

[@claasengelbart2268]

1:25 So funny, that´s the famous Hayley Alexis... 🤣

[@bloody_albatross]

Dirndl and Lederhosen are also traditional clothing (Tracht) in Austria. I guess Switzerland, too?

[@cayreet5992]

Most of the southern regions where German in some form is spoken. So the south of Germany, Austria, and at least the German-speaking areas of Switzerland, if not more.

[@bloody_albatross]

@@cayreet5992 My guess would also be among the German speaking people in South Tyrol in Italy.

[@VIPerila]

at 1.25 the woman with extreme short hair is a youtuber too :-D you reacted on one of her other videos. i was so suprised to see her that i have to go back for a sec. look

[@mathildewesendonck7225]

Ryan, we drink beer everywhere in Germany, not just in the South!

[@Groffili]

Bavaria has a lot of old, established and traditional industry - Nuremberg in Franconia (which - reluctantly - makes up the northern part of Bavaria) was known for it's smiths, arms manufactories, mechanics and toys since the mediaval times; Augsburg, in the southwest of Bavaria, was a main center of textile manufacturing... just as a couple of examples. But for a large part, Bavaria and what is today Baden-Württemberg, were known as rural and agriculturally dominated. Agriculture still plays a major role in these areas, and folks tend to be very conservative in these regions. But industry develops just as any other part of society. In the last half of the 19th and most of the of the 20th century, the industrial center of Germany was the mid-western area at the rivers Rhine and Ruhr. There the big steel producing and processing corporations were situated, and good access to resources and infrastructure made this the "industrial heart" of Germany. Today though, this "heavy" industry isn't as dominant anymore as it was at the start of the industrial age, and the formerly "poor" states in the south have massively invested in modern high-tech industries and research.

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

If you want to insult a Swabian really badly, call Spätzle noodles.

[@TefarkHD]

The flag of Baden-Würtemberg looks a little bit different than in the video (much better)

[@McGhinch]

Oktoberfest was originally in October but got extended forward. It still ends at the first weekend in October. The Cannstatter Volksfest starts a week later and ends a week later.

[@himmel-erdeundzuruck5682]

Some german recipes: Semmeln: Take 500 grams of wheat flour, 10-12 grams Salt, 7 grams of dried yeast, 10 grams of butter. Mix it, kneed it at least 10 minutes, put it in a bowl, a lid on the bowl, put it in a warm place until the dough doubled. Then form either a bread or several balls (breadrolls), put in an oven at 220 degree Celsius, and bake it until it is brown and when you hit it, it sounds like hitting wood. You did not manage to eat all of the breadrolls/white german bread? Cut the dry bread in slices. Let it soak in some milk. Not too much there may still be some hard pieces in it. Chop an onion finely, and fry in some butter together with finely chopped parsley. Add to the soaked bread. Add some salt and pepper to taste. Add an egg. Make a tight dough (if necessary add more old bread, no flour, only old bread!). Form balls out of the dough, about 10cm diameter (Or as you like them). Put them in hot salted water, which is not allowed to boil, yet still has to be very hot steamy. After about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the dumplings they'll swim up and roll around and be ready. Very good to roasted beef with a lot of sauce. Got to many dumplings? Never mind. Cut the leftovers in slices, fry them in a pan and eat them with mashed apples. Spätzle you saw the recipe in the video. The cream gets together with the cheese and make it softer. No difference in taste. You can try with Mac'n cheese, but Spätzle are better than Maccaroni. Maultaschen (Mouth-bags): per 2 persons: 100g wheat flour, 1 egg, a little bit of salt. Mix until it is a tight dough. Make very thin square plates. Mix minced meat with salt, pepper and parsley. Put the meat on the plates and either make big ravioli out of them or roll the plates until no meatbis to be seen, shut the sides. Cook in soup. Serve with soup or without. There is a great variety to serve them, so this is up to your own phantasy. Very famous in suebia: Maultaschen in soup and potatoe salad also in the soup (i have to admit, even after living 7 years in Suebia I never dared to eat my potato salad IN the soup).

[@Kivas_Fajo]

It is called "Wiesn", because its location is the Theresienwiese. Theresia's meadows, pastures or greens or whatever you wanna call a green field of grass.

[@robinson23]

The dish that you saw on the right was "Kaiserschmarrn" (Rather Austrian) and is a dessert comparable to pancaked, but kinda scrambled.

[@NeverMind439]

To differentiate both festivities, The "Canstatter Volksfest" is called "Wasen", while the "Oktoberfest" ist called "Wiesn". 😀 And making "Spätzle" yourself is... kind of a "learning by doing" thing. "Trial and Errors" are common until you know how to do it the way it is good. My mother is capable of doing it and "Spätzle" are quite different from normal Noodles. While in normal Noodles, eggs are seemingly non existing, in Spätzle they are essential. And Noodles are dried products while REALLY good Spätzle are freshly made 🙂

[@BakaSanXo3o]

I'm very sad that they didn't show anything from the Fasnet (carnival) in Baden-Württemberg. Fasnet is part of the tradition in the Black Forest. There are many different guilds that dress up as witches, devils or forest spirits and make the area ''unsafe'' during the Fasnet. Then there are the 'Weißnarren', and many, many villages have their own costumes and sayings they call out. The town of Rottweil is relatively well-known for its ''Narrensprung''. Many tourists come to see it every year.

[@lordofnumbers9317]

@1:20 In the second between 1:25 and 1:26 you can see Haley Alexis. She is a youtuber too and live sometimes in Germany and sometimes in the USA. She made a lot of videos to the differences between Germany and the USA.

[@melinaalba63]

I get why they focused more on bavaria but as a fellow swabian, I am really sad because bavaria is so much more well known. But anyway it's a cool video :D

[@SidneyKenson]

"Weißwürscht derfa des 12-Uhr-Läuten net hörn!" You will not find Weißwurst on the menu after noon in traditionally leaded restaurants. Reason being that when they were invented fridges weren't yet, so a cooled supply chain didn't exist, and they might spoil during a warm day. So it was common practise to serve them only before 12pm, and even tho now fridges are certainly a thing and you don't need to worry about food poisoning, the tradition is kept up, and you can tell a Bavarian from a tourist just by getting an order for Weißwürst after 12pm. A Bavarian just wouldn't even consider that order.

[@richardmueller1399]

Howdy , Speaking of beer, I've been to Texas many times and I like “Shiner Bock”, a really good beer!👍🍺🍻🤠😎 I am German but have been living in Granada - Andalusia for 24 years ! Love to the southern states from Richard !

[@renxva1593]

wow thats the first time seeing so many pictures of the city where i live in your video.

[@larryhunzel6889]

the way you described the bavarian flag was beautiful i never thought of it that way

[@blondkatze3547]

In Franconia(Bavaria) there are many hopfields from which beer is brewed. Many hotels and guesthouses have their own brewery, which you should definitely try if you are on holiday in Italy and staying overnight here. The home-brewed beer tastes delicious together with a delicious meal.🌺

[@regi985]

OMG, I know this video is a year old but one of the ladies in the dirndl shop (~5min) is my aunt :D never told me she was in a documentary, so funny

[@tiomball]

6:25 Wiesen and Wasen. The "Wiesen" is the Oktoberfest in Munich. The "Wasen" is the folk festival in Stuttgart.

[@Miriam.M]

The deepest of the deep south is the Allgäu region,which shares borders with Austria and Switzerland and it's there where I grew up and what I still (and forever) would consider my home. Highly recommend going there and hiking in the Alps.

[@Alienking01]

I always remove the Salt form the Betzel.

[@ilikechaos639]

2:38 this is called "Kaiser Schmarren" The english translation is "Sugared pancake with raisins" but it does not taste like normal panecake :)

[@KS-sn7pe]

The "Weisswurst" had to be eaten befor 12:00 because the production procces made it less tenable. But you can eat them after 12:00 since the fridge was invented.

[@der_cringe_physiker]

5:34 We call it "Oktoberfest" (="october festival") but Wiesn (= "meadow" in the local dialect) is something like a nickname to it after its location at Theresienwiese in Munich. 9:55 This sentence is able to probably make at least half of Germanys population upset. 🤣 If you have the chance to visit Germany, please give it a try! We Germans are so much proud of our beer (and of course I agree that we are rightly proud) and believe it is - maybe among Czech, Belgian and Irish beer - the best in the world.

[@Anldiot69]

As someone who commutes every day to Stuttgart i really dislike the canstatter wasen. Every time the train stops there at the evening hours, the train gets flooded with loud, drunken people that trip and fall all over the place.

[@haraldschleicher7863]

I like your comments on my country and your efforts to figure things out for yourself very much. Very funny. How does it come you are so interested in Germany? I remember being in a boat at the Niagara Falls and the guy next to me told me he was a farmer from Iowa and asked me where I am from. When I answered Germany he didn‘t know what that means. I had to tell him it is another country.

[@alexanderblume5377]

Oktoberfest = Wiesn, vases means the same = meadow Both take place on a large meadow in front of the city

[@PaldadobeyLP718]

So... Spätzle is pasta? Me:😑😶😔

[@SouthernBelle888]

The Octoberfest in Munich is held on the Wiesn ( Meadow) and the Canstatter Volksfest also know as Canstatter Wasen ( Lawn), just wanted to clear that up for you since you had asked