Fascinating Places

In contrast to the tourist hot spots in Switzerland the multifaceted low mountain range of the Jura is still comparatively unknown And yet there is so much to discover here From Ajoie the fruit orchard of western Switzerland to the wild river Doubs and the wide FranchesMontagne area the Jura region is a natural landscape with many different faces

The Jura region in the Swiss Romandy has a surprisingly diverse natural landscape From idyllic Valleacutee de Joux in the south to the bitter winters in Switzerlands coldest place La Breacutevine in Canton Neuenburg this episode shows the many different facets of this stunning region

There is hardly any other region in Switzerland with such lovely contrasts as in Ticino Not far from the rugged Alps Lake Maggiore has a climate that is almost Mediterranean Among the palm and citrus trees and fragrant camellias great crested grebes and lizards are evidence of just how wild nature can be at Lake Maggiore

From the rugged mountains of Ticinos high Alps to Monte Generoso the mountainous region of Ticino this area of Italy has an immensely varied natural landscape From marmots to the rare European longhorn beetle to wild horses this region is home to them all

Its winter in Graubuenden and for human visitors that means fun on the pistes and a lively apreacutesski scene But for animals in nature the snow cold and ice means a constant struggle for survival Whether ibex marmot or common viper they all have very different strategies for getting through the icy grip of an Alpine winter

The Aare is the longest river whose entire course lies within Switzerland From its source in the rugged mountain terrain of the Bernese Alps all the way to its confluence with the River Rhine this episode portrays the river and its surroundings as a richly varied natural environment

Pretty alpine meadows with colorful flowers and rugged rocks framed by icy glaciers nature in the Bernese Oberland is truly diverse But the consequences of climate change can be felt everywhere This episode shows the most beautiful but also the most endangered aspects of this region

This episode portrays the surprising diversity of life in the Antarctic summer From the island of South Georgia via the Antarctic peninsula to the eternal ice of the mainland we reveal how in summer one of the coldest regions on earth turns into a paradise for animals

Every year around Hudson Bay in the north of Canada thousands of polar bears spend the summer on the mainland Other animals and millions of migratory birds revel in the abundance of the Arctic summer but for these polar sea hunters there is no prey for them to hunt So how do they survive and how do they spend those long months on land This episode accompanies the polar bears during the icefree

For one summer this episode journeys into the untouched wilderness of Hudson Bay Because even though the snow and ice melt late in the year in the north during its brief summer Hudson Bay offers ideal living conditions for numerous animals and plants

Stocking up on energy growing and breeding the next generation these are the major challenges that come with the spring In fascinating images this episode portrays how animals and plants in Central Europe achieve these aims with the focus on raising their young whether bees waterfowl or wild boars

Spring is a very busy time in the animal world Its time to stock up on energy and above all to produce offspring This episode portrays in fascinating images how animals and plants in Central Europe achieve this aim and focuses especially on early springtime

This episode shows the traditional mixed orchard as a crucially important cultivated landscape and concentrates on the last two seasons of the year Autumn in the mixed orchard is characterized by the harvest both for humans and animals and even in winter the traditional mixed orchard offers its wild inhabitants a wide variety of food sources including frozen food directly from the tree

In spring and summer the orchard meadow reveals its true nature an invaluable habitat for the local flora and fauna Orchard meadows make a major contribution to preserving biodiversity Insects arachnids reptiles amphibians birds and small mammals find an optimal habitat here

This episode sets off on a forage tour in the winter wilderness of Central Europe Deer fox songbirds and squirrels illustrate that the local animal populations have very different strategies for surviving the hardship of winter

This episode embarks on an exciting journey of discovery through the winter wilderness of Central Europe Wild boar coot lynx and dipper demonstrate that many native animals are real survival artists in winter