Europe to the Max With Rudy Maxa - Fairy Tale Europe - Germany and Austria
Rudy Maxa is public radio’s original Savvy Traveler and host of the American Public Television series, Smart Travels. In Europe to the Max, Rudy captures the vitality and character of Europe’s magnificent cities. Lushly filmed in high-definition, each program goes beyond the guidebooks to discover hidden treasures and off-the-beaten-path surprises! Rudy’s authoritative tips enhance the travel experience for beginning and seasoned travelers alike. In Fairy Tale Europe: Germany and Austria,Rudy offers a new take on the Old World with unforgettable visits to this dynamic city’s world-class cultural sites. In Munich and Bavaria, Rudy is your guide to the lively Marienplatz with its outdoor cafés, shops, and street musicians, as well as magnificent palaces and spectacular vistas. In musical Salzburg, Rudy visits the house where Mozart was born. In Austria’s “Sound of Music” land, visit magical ice caves and stroll picturesque spa towns once frequented by European royalty.
EXTRA FEATURES
• Scenic Tours: The Egyptian Museum, Sommer Rollerbladen, Tegleburg, Hellbrun Palace Water Garden, Nasch Market.
• Maps: Berlin, Munich and Bavaria, Salzburg, Vienna
• Rudy’s Travel Tips: E-mailing in Europe, Getting Around, Medical Insurance.
• Bonus Program: Medieval Europe
Customer Review: Europe to the Max With Rudy Maxa - Fairy Tale Europe - Germany and Austria
It is a beautiful and informative DVD. I have traveled in Central Europe several times, and this DVD brings back many wonderful memories.
Rudy Maxa is an excellent traveller and makes interesting comments and observations.
Customer Review: Unsatisfying
I can’t figure out how Rudy has gotten the mileage he’s gotten. I think I’ve watched all of his videos (heck, at some point, you’ve seen everything else), and I have found him to be consistently, extraordinarily, shallow in his research, and in his understanding of his subject countries and locales. Please understand, I say that in the context of knowing many of his destinations, in some cases quite well (I lived and studied in Germany and Austria, and have returned a number of times since).
If you want a light, fluffy, skim of the region, Rudy is your man — he never covers anything that you wouldn’t know about if you dedicated nine minutes to absent-mindledly flipping through a competent guidebook… and in the same depth. Think of Rudy as a tour bus, passing through at twenty miles an hour, giving you a glimpse, but never quite stopping to let you smell the roses, or the horse manure. Lite, cheerful, sanitized, smooth, and lo-cal.
Rick Steves is a vastly superior resource (although Germany isn’t his strongest suit), whether or not you are seeking bargain travel — look especially to Rick for help with building and prioritizing a trip around available time, and for help finding special and intimate little spots the big books may overlook. If you want more than Rick offers, you may have to start working your way through more serious volumes. Rudy ain’t it.
On a positive note, the pictures aren’t ugly. If your library has nothing else, and if you’ve seen everything else on Netflix, you probably won’t regret the money invested. On the other hand, if you’ve already been to the destination, you may well be asking, “Why, Rudy, why? It would have been so easy to do a much better job.”
Two stars. The subject matter, regardless of its treatment, doesn’t allow me to go lower.