Judith Rakers

White sandy beaches, dreamy bays and turquoise blue lagoons - Halkidiki is also called the "Caribbean of Europe". The three fingers of the peninsula Kassandra, Sinthonia and Athos offer a lot of variety, the pulsating metropolis Thessaloniki is not far away and the hinterland is considered the green garden of Greece and a good hiking area.

In late summer, the Lüneburg Heath is transformed into a bright purple sea of blossoms. A unique spectacle that Judith Rakers does not miss. She takes advantage of the short heather blossom season - rule of thumb: from 8.8 to 9.9 - and explores the gently rolling landscape between Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover by van, on foot and on horseback.

With its diverse islands, the Baltic Sea has everything to offer: the spectacular chalk cliffs of Rügen, the glamorous imperial spas on Usedom, the almost dreamy villages of Hiddensee, the endless surf beaches of Fehmarn, the impressive national park on Darß.

The region around Italy's second largest lake is known as the "Gateway to the South". With Mediterranean vegetation and botanical gardens, Lake Maggiore is nestled in a breathtaking mountain world. Judith Rakers discovers a holiday paradise that combines water sports on the lake and hiking in the mountains.

A mixture of Ireland, Norway and the Caribbean - that is Galicia, Spain's green north. Judith Rakers explores the unique nature between rough cliffs, green primeval forests and island paradises with dream beaches. On the Way of St. James, she makes a pilgrimage from Santiago de Compostela to the end of the world.

By boat, by bike and on foot: Her journey along the Danube takes Judith Rakers from the three-river city of Passau to the creative artist city of Linz, through the World Heritage region of Wachau to the Danube metropolis of Vienna. It gets sporty with trail running at the Schlögener Schlinge with magnificent views of the natural wonder of Upper Austria; adventurous is the dive among pike and crabs in the blue-green Traun. Judith Rakers has a creative romp in the graffiti harbour of Linz; she enjoys Austria's culinary classics from apricot dumplings to Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte.

The small Baltic Sea island is located in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, just to the left of Rügen. Hiddensee's 19 square kilometres present a diverse beauty with rugged cliffs and snow-white sandy beaches. The mixture of charming landscape and almost meditative tranquillity has been attracting celebrities and artists here since the 1920s. Judith Rakers takes the viewers on a multifaceted itinerary across the small Baltic Sea island.

Unspoilt nature, kilometres of sandy beaches, the endless expanse of the sea and plenty of Frisian traditions: The North Sea islands of Föhr, Langeoog, Juist and the Dutch Ameland have a lot to offer. In this programme, Judith Rakers presents the highlights of her visits to the islands and recalls both entertaining and unforgettable moments during filming: for example, the crossing to Föhr and getting married on the beach of Juist.

Judith Rakers discovers the largest of the East Frisian Islands through the people who live and work or holiday here. At around 30 kilometres, the "pearl of the North" is the furthest away from the mainland of all the East Frisian islands, which also influences the climate. The high seas climate is ideal for allergy sufferers and asthmatics because the air here is particularly low in pollen and high in iodine. You can't breathe deeper anywhere!

Judith Rakers gets to know Usedom on land, on water and from the air: In the self-built plane of an islander, there is a spectacular view from above, she explores the Usedom "Mörderhus" with acting star Katrin Sass and in the catamaran of an islander, the Tagesschau anchorwoman ploughs through the Baltic Sea waves. The "last" island fisherman takes her along on his cutter. And then she faces her greatest challenge: bathing in the ice-cold Baltic Sea, and in a historical swimming costume.

Wide open spaces and an endless sky, Pellworm is characterised by almost untouched nature. The green North Sea island has preserved the peace and tranquillity that many people long for today. Presenter and Tagesschau anchorwoman Judith Rakers gets to know the island through the people she meets there. Santiano singer Björn Both tells stories from his childhood on Pellworm, Gerti Niemann shows her magnificently blossoming roses, and at school the children demand of Judith: "Snack Platt mit mi".

Baltrum may be known as the "Sleeping Beauty" of the North Sea, but the inhabitants of the smallest inhabited East Frisian island are quite bright.

The popular Dutch North Sea island of Ameland is affectionately known as the "Wadden Diamond" because of its natural beauty. Ameland is one of the five inhabited West Frisian islands. Judith Rakers goes in search of the island's hotspots and special people.

Sylt - the exceptional island where the "rich and beautiful" cavort in luxury boutiques and unaffordable villas, the jet set celebrates wild parties and the locals can barely afford to live. These are the clichés that many people associate with the North Sea island. Judith Rakers gets to know the island through the people she meets there. She explores the magic of contrasts with them.

The North Sea island of Langeoog lies in the East Frisian Wadden Sea. Judith Rakers discovers the special features of the attractive island through the people who live, work or holiday here. Among others, she meets East Frisia crime novelist Klaus-Peter Wolf, who has "hidden" many a corpse here. Mudflat guide Joke Pouliart takes the presenter on a culinary hike through the Wadden Sea Biosphere Reserve and entertainer Ingolf Lück takes her on a journey into his past at the school hostel on Langeoog.

The East Frisian North Sea islands of Langeoog and Juist in the East Frisian Wadden Sea are characterised above all by a heavenly tranquillity. Judith Rakers discovers the special features of the islands through the people who live, work or holiday here. Among others, she meets East Frisia crime novelist Klaus-Peter Wolf, who has "hidden" many a corpse on Langeoog. Entertainer Ingolf Lück takes her on a journey into his school hostel past, and on Juist she meets horse-drawn carriage driver Hilke Nanninga and Juist singer and songwriter Jannik Brunke.

Norderney is the second largest of the East Frisian islands, Föhr the second largest North Frisian island. But do the two popular North Sea islands have anything else in common? Judith Rakers wants to find out and discovers the beauties of the islands through the people she meets there. On Norderney she enjoys the rehearsals of the "Döntjes-Singers" and a walk in the dunes. The crossing to Föhr has to be earned: Judith Rakers lends a hand on a crab cutter. Afterwards there is a crash course in Frisian at the island radio station "FriiskFunk".

Judith Rakers' island stories this time take her to Helgoland, Germany's only high-sea island, and to the Dutch North Sea island of Ameland, also known as the "Wadden Diamond". On her Helgoland tour, the presenter meets Helgoland fan Hubertus Meyer-Burckhardt and visits a lobster nursery. Ameland is one of the five inhabited West Frisian islands and is considered a popular travel and excursion destination. Judith Rakers meets singer Loona, who has her roots in the Netherlands, on Ameland.

Föhr - the unpretentious. Rustic thatched roofs, striking windmills, a pleasant sea climate and all this in the middle of the Wadden Sea National Park, accessible only by plane or ship. Judith Rakers hires a crab cutter for the crossing. She learns that there are two types of Föhrer: The High German-speaking inhabitants of Wyk and the "real Frisians" in the western part of the island. The Frisians are supposed to be modest, reserved but determined. Judith Rakers experiences how they "tick" during her very different encounters on the island.

The report accompanies Judith Rakers as she visits people who are preparing to die. Each in their own way. But always touching and moving.

Spiekeroog is also called the "green heart of the North Sea" because of its natural beauty. The East Frisian island in Lower Saxony's Wadden Sea may only be 18 square kilometres in size, but it offers everything you need: unspoiled nature, kilometres of beaches and the endless expanse of the sea. Hiddensee's diverse beauty with rugged cliffs and snow-white sandy beaches is presented over an area of just under 19 square kilometres. The mixture of charming landscape and almost meditative tranquillity has been attracting celebrities and artists here since the 1920s.

Spiekeroog is also called the "green heart of the North Sea" because of its natural beauty. The East Frisian island in Lower Saxony's Wadden Sea may only be 18 square kilometres in size, but it offers everything you need for a family holiday: unspoilt nature, kilometres of beaches and the endless expanse of the sea. On her island tour, presenter Judith Rakers meets Revolverheld frontman Johannes Strate, among others, and performs in the ring with children at Circus Tausendtraum.

Judith Raker's "island stories" take her from Sylt's dreamy sandy beaches and the best-known hot spot "Buhne 16" to the nudist campsite on Amrum. She explores the islands through locals and newcomers and through prominent island fans: among other things, she delves into the island's history with Sylt expert Sylke von Bremen and competes with Sylt's best-known restaurateur Jürgen Gosch in crab picking. On Amrum she meets the actor Heinrich Schafmeister, who used to spend his holidays here as a child.

On Norderney, "Hey" is the usual greeting and the key to the locals' hearts. Just 6,000 inhabitants are spread over 26 square kilometres of island surface. This makes Norderney the second largest East Frisian island and probably one of the most beautiful the north has to offer. Judith Rakers gets to know the island through the people she meets there.

Fehmarn is Germany's third-largest island after Rügen and Usedom and not only perfect for family holidays, but also the hotspot for windsurfers. And Fischland-Darß-Zingst was already a sought-after holiday destination for young and old in GDR times - anyone who could get hold of a holiday place there was lucky. Judith Rakers discovers both islands in her usual manner through the people she meets there.

How do the refugees live in Germany? What is to become of them? How do their fellow human beings in Germany deal with them? What can they give us? Judith Rakers explores these questions in a refugee home in Hamburg-Langenhorn. She visits a family with two small children from Iran. In Hamburg, the family of four has been living in a 15 square metre room for one and a half years. They suffer from homesickness and at the same time try to integrate. The refugees describe to Judith Rakers what it really means to lose your home.

It begins on 1 August with the closure of a large car park in the middle of a neighbourhood of residential and commercial buildings. The business people and residents at Tibarg in Hamburg's Niendorf district are initially surprised and irritated, some even angry. Here, of all places, where shopping arcades and department stores characterise a district, containers for refugees are to be set up. Here, of all places, where parking spaces are scarce anyway. Presenter and Tagesschau anchorwoman Judith Rakers has been there from the beginning, is on site again and again, observes what is happening, how the situation is changing in the middle of the residential and business district.

Judith Rakers in the Vechta women's prison - she lets herself be admitted like a prisoner, is subjected to body checks and is given an eight-square-metre cell. During her further stay in prison, she gets a personal impression of the penal system. The women she meets are convicted of theft, fraud and attempted manslaughter. Some live in prison with their children. Judith Rakers learns how the women went off the rails, what role childhood violence and drug use played. She visits several resocialisation programmes at the prison, from drug rehabilitation to violence prevention to vocational training. With the head of the prison, Oliver Weßels, she explores the chances of success of the resocialisation measures.

More than three million people in Germany have a part-time job. A new record figure. For many, the earnings from their main job are simply not enough. Mostly women are the losers on the labour market: part-time, mini-jobs, low wages. What future do these women have? For the NDR report, journalist Judith Rakers delves into the life of Tanja Reller from Hamburg, a single mother with multiple jobs.

Why do people end up on the streets? How do homeless women in particular cope? What are they afraid of? Judith Rakers dares to try herself. For 30 hours she lives as a homeless person in the middle of Hamburg. In doing so, she gets close to the fates of homeless people and finds out what they really need. The programme will be broadcast for the first time as part of the charity campaign "Hand in Hand für Norddeutschland" (Hand in Hand for Northern Germany) for the benefit of the North German food banks.