Live & Upcoming Programmes

Over the Islands of Africa

Photographer Matthias Ziegler is an Africa specialist. He has visited nearly every country on the continent on assignments for international agencies. Zanzibar, however, is new territory for him. He's come to the former slave island for a photo book – and this time he's not alone. To see the Tanzanian archipelago from the air, he has enlisted the services of ultralight pilot Richard Meredith-Hardy of England to fly him around in his FIB, or flying inflatable boat. Perfect conditions for an adventurous journey: as a world champion ultralight pilot, Richard and his FIB can take off and land practically anywhere – in theory.

2025-12-17 08:59:07 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 10:00:04 +0000 UTC (1h)

The Canary Islands

The Canary Islands were born in the depths of the ocean. Forged by fire and sculpted by winds and waves, this volcanic land offers landscapes of colossal force and almost unreal beauty.

2025-12-17 07:58:40 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 08:59:07 +0000 UTC (1h)

Stories of the Mediterranean Forest: Sierra Morena

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the planet's most biologically rich and complex regions. The crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa is considered to be one of Earth's biodiversity hotspots. A vast number of both animal and plant species unique to the region live in its various habitats. The Mediterranean Basin is located in one of the planet's temperate zones. The subtropical climate makes it colder and wet here in winter, hot and dry in summer and mild and rainy in autumn and spring.

2025-12-17 06:59:54 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 07:58:40 +0000 UTC (58m)

Portugal's Nature Parks

The "Parque Natural da Ria Formosa" is one of the largest lagoon conservation areas in Europe. Bordered by five natural islands. A mosaic of sandbanks, brackish and freshwater lagoons and salt marshes. In 2010, the "Ria Formosa" was chosen as one of the seven natural wonders of Portugal. It is a unique ecosystem: in the winter months, more than 20,000 birds gather here. In addition, the nature park has one of the largest seahorse populations internationally. More than half of all fish species in the Atlantic are said to spawn in the lagoon.

2025-12-17 05:59:08 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 06:59:54 +0000 UTC (1h)

Portugal's Nature Parks

Madeira - Portugal's autonomous island in the Atlantic Ocean, is closer to the African coast than to the mother country Portugal, from which it is separated by about 900 kilometers. The island's name comes from Portuguese sailors who claimed the uninhabited isle for themselves in 1419. Madeira means wood and that was available in abundance. Almost the entire surface was covered by dense forest. Since 1982, two-thirds of the landscape has been protected.

2025-12-17 04:58:32 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 05:59:08 +0000 UTC (1h)

Portugal's Nature Parks

In the southwest of Portugal lies the little known Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina. It encompasses a narrow coastal strip that runs along the coast to the south of Portugal. Sparsely populated, this coastal region, which was placed under protection in 1988, is considered one of the last intact ecosystems in Europe. The steep cliffs, the almost constant wind and high waves have ensured that mass tourism has not gained a foothold here. There are still near-natural forests and a diverse bird life.

2025-12-17 03:57:51 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-17 04:58:32 +0000 UTC (1h)

Italy's Uncharted Islands

The Sulcis Archipelago is located off the south-western coast of Sardinia and is part of the province of of southern Sardinia. The islands of San Pietro, Sant'Antioco and Isola Piana form the archipelago, together with several uninhabited islets and rocks form the archipelago. It belongs to the less known areas in Italy and is little developed for tourism. Nevertheless stars like Tom Cruise and Roberto Cavalli come here to enjoy the peace, seclusion and good food. The islanders are only moderately interested in these visitors, and their down-to-earth attitude has never lost.

2025-12-16 22:58:03 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 23:58:43 +0000 UTC (1h)

mareTV

Fjords, glaciers and the highest mountains in the Arctic: East Greenland with its spectacular nature is one of the most sparsely populated regions on earth. The people here live in extreme isolation and depend on helicopter flights for their supplies. Despite harsh conditions, the inhabitants here lovingly maintain their traditions and enjoy their outdoor leisure time even at minus 20 degrees Celsius. The town of Tasiilaq is the "metropolis" with 4,000 inhabitants and offers a very special attraction: the only ski lift on the east coast. Thomas Mikaelsen, the lift attendant, is not to be envied for his job. The only 100 meter long lift comes from Switzerland and is already 20 years old. If Thomas gets the drag lift running at all, it often only lasts for an hour. Then the ski crazy's luck depends on his repair skills. The lift is the only frosty open-air pleasure. For Salo Kunuk his sled dogs are both pleasure and work. He is currently teaching his daughter Karla how to steer a dog sled, private driving lessons from her father, so to speak. Karla will need it, because in the eternal ice the sled is the only means of transportation.

2025-12-16 22:07:28 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 22:58:03 +0000 UTC (50m)

One Year in Norway's Lofoten

Almost unnoticeably, spring turns into summer. The days become longer and longer, with a never-setting sun. People who have spent their winter and spring working hard can finally enjoy their own nature, even though the temperature is only slightly warmer. Lofoten is sparsely populated, just 24,000 people live here. Unstad is one of its smallest communities with only 15 inhabitants, but despite that, it has become a hotspot for arctic surf and is host to the northern-most surf center in the world. Surfers from all over the globe come to surf in the arctic water.

2025-12-16 21:13:03 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 22:07:28 +0000 UTC (54m)

One Year in Norway's Lofoten

Winter means more than just the beginning of the year for the people of Lofoten: For more than a thousand years, Lofoten has been a hub for cod fishing, with seasons lasting from February to April as huge shoals migrate from the Barents Sea to these waters. During these hectic months, more than 65,000 tons of fish are brought to shore, securing the income for the whole of Lofoten for years to come. Around a quarter of the fish caught ends up on lines to dry upon racks. From a young age, the children from the fishing villages get to earn some pocket money by cutting cod tongues and selling the produce as a delicacy appreciated by the locals.

2025-12-16 20:18:00 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 21:13:03 +0000 UTC (55m)

mareTV

Fjord, ford, bay, gulf: there are many names for the beautiful extensions of the Baltic Sea into the country. Eckernförde Bay is shaped by currents, surf and people. It stretches 17 kilometers to the town that gives it its name. Stephan Möller is the acting shooting master of the Eckernförder Bürgerschützengilde. He spent a whole year preparing the beach shooting festival and then this: fog, rain and a stiff breeze. Traditionally, the Eckernförde marksmen always shoot at a wooden bird in the direction of the sea at Whitsun. Under strict conditions! And these stipulate a clear view of at least one kilometer out into the bay. The event literally threatens to fall through, for the first time in 449 years. Around 3,000 soldiers are stationed at the Eckernförde naval base, but only a small group is allowed to call itself an elite unit: the mine divers. They are considered the toughest soldiers in the Navy. Anyone who wants to be one of them has to undergo extreme training. This year, just two candidates made it to the final round. Now they still have to pass the dreaded final exam: running 20 kilometers with marching gear and then swimming ten kilometers through Eckernförde Bay.

2025-12-16 19:27:30 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 20:18:00 +0000 UTC (50m)

mareTV

The Wismar Bay is unique in its diversity on the Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast: cliffs, sandy beaches, salt marshes, enchanted islands and, last but not least, the proud Hanseatic city of Wismar with its brick Gothic buildings, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When the mighty logs get wedged together in the timber mill in the port of Wismar, Steven Buchholz has to get to work with his chainsaw. It's a dangerous job, because the logs weigh tons. As a trained carpenter, Steven is a virtuoso with the chain saw. Even after his shift is over, he is looking for the thrill: the wind off his home island of Poel is favorable that day and he wants to reclaim the German record in the kite surfing high jump. For a long time, Ramona Stelzer only knew fish as a tasty ingredient between two halves of a bun. But when the goldsmith got her hands on fish leather, her business idea was born: she processes the unique natural product fish skin into fine jewelry. The problem is that hardly anyone in Germany tans fish skin. In order to reliably obtain supplies, Ramona now wants to learn this craft herself.

2025-12-16 18:36:59 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 19:27:30 +0000 UTC (50m)

Europe`s Forgotten Pilgrim Routes

For centuries, pilgrims have set off on the Via Francigena in the hopes of reaching the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul in Rome. The ancient pilgrimage route leads through the imposing Alps to the Great St Bernard Pass and from there cross-country through Italy.

2025-12-16 17:36:13 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 18:36:59 +0000 UTC (1h)

Europe`s Forgotten Pilgrim Routes

In honour of the Archangel Michael, thousands of medieval Christians set off on pilgrimages to the famous mountain monastery of the Mont-Saint-Michel in the Atlantic Ocean. Today it continues to enchant millions of visitors each year. But the pilgrimage route from Rouen to the mountain abbey seems to have been forgotten: it leads through the depths of Normandy into rural France.

2025-12-16 16:35:26 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 17:36:13 +0000 UTC (1h)

Italy's Uncharted Islands

The Tuscan Archipelago is a group of islands at the height of Florence. The archipelago stretches from the Ligurian Sea to the Tyrrhenian Sea, north-east of Corsica. The archipelago consists of seven main islands - Giglio, Elba, Gianutri, Capraia, Pianisoa, Gorgona and Montecristo - and other smaller islands and rocks. Not all of them are inhabited. We look at the three most extraordinary islands of the archipelago: Elba, Capraia and the island of Montecristo. The Tuscan Archipelago is one of the most important natural wonders of the world and is protected as Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano. With its 61.474 hectares of protected and 17,694 hectares of protected land area, it is the largest marine protected area in in Europe. Capraia is the third largest island of the archipelago and is located with its small harbor in the channel in front of Corsica. The island is an autonomous municipality with about 300 inhabitants. It is also considered the most maritime island of the archipelago. At the end of the eighties, the penal colony on Capraia was closed was closed and the island opened to tourism.

2025-12-16 10:41:02 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 11:41:47 +0000 UTC (1h)

Italy's Uncharted Islands

Lake Iseo is located on the southern foothills of the Alps. It extends over the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo in the northern mainland of Italy. In the middle of Lake Iseo lies the largest island of the southern European inland waters. Monte Isola, as the island is called after its central mountain lies close to its two neighboring islands, Isola di San Paolo and Isola di Loreto. As early as the 11th century, a monastic association of Benedictines settled here. For many Italians, Lake Iseo is the most beautiful spot in their homeland. It is all the more astonishing how little the influence of tourism is here. Driving is strictly forbidden on the three islands, and only on Monte Isola. Only on Monte Isola there is a regular bus service in the summertime. Thus, the three islands are an oasis of an oasis of tranquility most of the year. The historical buildings and the nature remind of the long tradition in which the Italians have cultivated this retreat. Only every five years in the autumn a big celebration takes place. Then over 200,000 paper flowers decorate the island. The flowers are reminiscent of the time in the Middle Ages when a Roma woman brought her son to the island to be cured from the from the rampant plague. In gratitude, she donated a sea of flowers. The Festa di Santa Croce has been one of the main attractions in northern Italy ever since. The days are radiant with color, it is the only time when it gets crowded in the small streets of the island villages. The next festival was celebrated in September 2021.

2025-12-16 09:40:06 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 10:41:02 +0000 UTC (1h)

Italy's Uncharted Islands

The Sulcis Archipelago is located off the south-western coast of Sardinia and is part of the province of of southern Sardinia. The islands of San Pietro, Sant'Antioco and Isola Piana form the archipelago, together with several uninhabited islets and rocks form the archipelago. It belongs to the less known areas in Italy and is little developed for tourism. Nevertheless stars like Tom Cruise and Roberto Cavalli come here to enjoy the peace, seclusion and good food. The islanders are only moderately interested in these visitors, and their down-to-earth attitude has never lost.

2025-12-16 08:39:26 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 09:40:06 +0000 UTC (1h)

mareTV

Fjords, glaciers and the highest mountains in the Arctic: East Greenland with its spectacular nature is one of the most sparsely populated regions on earth. The people here live in extreme isolation and depend on helicopter flights for their supplies. Despite harsh conditions, the inhabitants here lovingly maintain their traditions and enjoy their outdoor leisure time even at minus 20 degrees Celsius. The town of Tasiilaq is the "metropolis" with 4,000 inhabitants and offers a very special attraction: the only ski lift on the east coast. Thomas Mikaelsen, the lift attendant, is not to be envied for his job. The only 100 meter long lift comes from Switzerland and is already 20 years old. If Thomas gets the drag lift running at all, it often only lasts for an hour. Then the ski crazy's luck depends on his repair skills. The lift is the only frosty open-air pleasure. For Salo Kunuk his sled dogs are both pleasure and work. He is currently teaching his daughter Karla how to steer a dog sled, private driving lessons from her father, so to speak. Karla will need it, because in the eternal ice the sled is the only means of transportation.

2025-12-16 07:48:51 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 08:39:26 +0000 UTC (50m)

One Year in Norway's Lofoten

Almost unnoticeably, spring turns into summer. The days become longer and longer, with a never-setting sun. People who have spent their winter and spring working hard can finally enjoy their own nature, even though the temperature is only slightly warmer. Lofoten is sparsely populated, just 24,000 people live here. Unstad is one of its smallest communities with only 15 inhabitants, but despite that, it has become a hotspot for arctic surf and is host to the northern-most surf center in the world. Surfers from all over the globe come to surf in the arctic water.

2025-12-16 06:54:26 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 07:48:51 +0000 UTC (54m)

One Year in Norway's Lofoten

Winter means more than just the beginning of the year for the people of Lofoten: For more than a thousand years, Lofoten has been a hub for cod fishing, with seasons lasting from February to April as huge shoals migrate from the Barents Sea to these waters. During these hectic months, more than 65,000 tons of fish are brought to shore, securing the income for the whole of Lofoten for years to come. Around a quarter of the fish caught ends up on lines to dry upon racks. From a young age, the children from the fishing villages get to earn some pocket money by cutting cod tongues and selling the produce as a delicacy appreciated by the locals.

2025-12-16 05:59:22 +0000 UTC → 2025-12-16 06:54:26 +0000 UTC (55m)