...And End Up In Another COUNTRY! Join Me On A Whistle-Stop Tour Of Slovakia's Awesome Capital City.

[@MichalBrat]

The fountain you liked on the Freedom square has been restored since 2023. It starts working in April and is quite popular for families with kids.

[@ternilapilli]

I'm guessing I'm not the only one who opens up Google Maps to help follow along with your epic long walks in these videos. And googling the EuroVelo 13 Iron Curtain Trail... woah what an amazing project. Others have answered but this interface between East and West absolutely was a hard border. My mother and her family managed to cross somewhere south of there in 1956 from Hungary to Austria in the midst of the chaos of the Hungarian Revolution before it was shut down. I was lucky enough to visit Hungary as a child in 1989 literally days before the curtain started coming down - it's amazing how it's gone from a huge deal to get in and out (if you were permitted to do so) to just passport stamps to today where you can just wander over that border on foot and there's nothing.

[@jarekweckwerth1390]

The Iron Curtain ran between the former "communist" countries of the Warsaw Pact and the West. Czechoslovakia absolutely was part of the Warsaw Pact, along with five other countries and the USSR. That border would have been totally impenetrable 35 years ago. Alicja will tell you more ;)

[@janettesinclair6279]

I visited friends in Prague in the early seventies, and yes, life was strictly controlled, especially for the residents.

[@jarekweckwerth1390]

@@janettesinclair6279 Well I'm Polish of the required age 🤣 and it wasn't at all the nightmare that people imagine. Life went on.

[@joanne26]

Putin wants to go back to USSR and take back now what was Nobody wins wars 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🙏🙏

[@marcd6897]

Yeah, sure… 🤦‍♂️

[@marcd6897]

@@jarekweckwerth1390yeah, live went on, but that was about it. It always amazes me how folks look at these days through their rose coloured glasses instead of just saying that it was shit and living in a suppressive system was no fun at all.

[@Bunz69er]

Steve, you are one heck of an 'armature' cinematographer. Some of your shots and sequences are just excellent, and as always your points of view and likes and dislikes are more than acceptable.

[@c0ldc0ne]

armature /är′mə-choo͝r″, -chər/ noun 1. The rotating part of a dynamo, consisting essentially of copper wire wound around an iron core. 2. The moving part of an electromagnetic device such as a relay, buzzer, or loudspeaker. 3. A piece of soft iron connecting the poles of a magnet.

[@katewilliams4876]

I lived in Vienna for 6 years . I went to Bratislava often on day trips. Only 50 minutes by train. Love both cities.

[@deniseproxima2601]

All is now Bratislava. Good luck.

[@vkdrk]

@@deniseproxima2601 what do you mean by that?

[@AxisCapricorn]

31:05 In Slovakia, there is no production of Ford cars, only transmissions. Bratislava is the place of production of Škoda Citigo and Superb, SEAT Mii, Audi Q7 and Q8, Porsche Caenne and Volkswagen Passat and Touareg, Volkswagen up! and also the electric version of the e-up! Bentley Bentayga and Lamborghini Urus bodies are also produced here. Citroen C3 and Peugeot 208 brands are produced in Trnava, Land Rover Discovery in Nitra and Kia Ceed, Kia Sportage and Kia Venga vehicles in Žilina.

[@robertmccaw8862]

I’m English and live in Bratislava. To speak to your question whether the Slovak language is immediately and fully replaced (with German) when you cross the border into Austria, the situation is that quite a lot of Slovaks, while continuing to work in Bratislava, have moved to live in the nearby Austrian villages (I even have a few such school-friends). One of the draws for their parents is that property-prices are much lower there than in Bratislava. Also, state-services and state-benefits tend to be better in Austria, with its higher GDP per capita. Side note: the multi-coloured trains that you saw (red / green / yellow) run between Vienna and Bratislava.

[@deniseproxima2601]

It will be all Slovak. It's their friendly face.

[@deniseproxima2601]

They replace our speaking. Most the time. Deutsch ist schuldig immer. Slovak and the other is the world speaking. Submit.

[@snarepusher]

They actually run between Bratislava and Sopron in Hungary, via Vienna. The Red/white one is an austrian, the green and yellow one hungarian

[@Bob8091]

What is it with borders that brings the child out in us? Skiing in Austria the border was a simple stone. Of course me and my friend played the " Just going over to Switzerland." " Have a good trip." A second or two later. "I'm back." 😊

[@paulinemably9572]

I’m Welsh but I’ve lived in lovely Bratislava for over 12 years (near Slavin which is a lovely area of the city). I love how much of BA you were able to see but just one correction: the fountain in Slobody Namestie or Freedom Square does indeed work. It hadn’t worked but our wonderful Mayor has really done a lot for tidying up the city and he renovated it and in the summer loads of small kids, including my gal, play in it and it is glorious! Our city is nice in January but simply glorious in July!

[@WestonMike]

Fun fact. The blue church featured was designed in 1773 by Josiah Wedgwood. 😉

[@tracysmith-yv5lt]

reminds me of Wedgwood Pottery

[@carolinacadabra8278]

Of course it was.

[@TheSlimedshady]

I thought it was Edmund Lechner who designed and built it. Learn something new every day. 👍

[@rubybrambleburr1629]

​@@TheSlimedshadyI think that was the joke - it looks like Wedgwood pottery

[@EtherealSunset]

It didn't make me think of Wedgewood when I was there. It did however make me think of fondant icing. I don't mean that in a bad way, the shape and texture of it just made me think of something made from fondant icing. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It's a beautiful church.

[@matsv201]

That border was one of the most fortified during the cold war. Its worth looking at the bond movie "living daylights" werw the begining of the movir plays out in bratislava and the plot point is that they try to get over the border to austra. The movie was made in 1987 so the very tale end of the cold war and bassically the last sort of cold war bond movies.

[@deniseproxima2601]

Good living in the host and ghost towns left behind.

[@silvialittlewolf]

I was born in West Germany in 1966 around 30 minutes away from the (then) Czechoslovakian border. At the time, the border was a "hard cut", and there was no way we would learn Czech or they would learn German. But when the Iron Curtain came down and we could cross freely into the former enemy country, we occasionally met an old Czech who spoke German with the very same accent that we from the other side of the border spoke! Because - of course - dialects and accents are always regional and do not care about artificial country borders. You can still find this happening in the Alsace. The now French region used to be German, and the old Alsatians actually speak the same dialect as the Germans from across the border. In other areas where cooperation has always been more active, people near the border often speak both languages. I stayed in a small German town just along the Dutch border a number of years back, and when I went to fill up my car at the local gas station, the clerks there easily switched from Dutch to German and back to Dutch. I asked them if they were German or Dutch, and they (German) said being so close to the Dutch border, they naturally learned both languages as a child. Quite interesting, this thing with languages and borders! 😃

[@sanfordpress8943]

German is much easier than Dutch ❤

[@deniseproxima2601]

Two generation. Nobody speaks German or Dutch. And they don't speak french. So may be English as second. The always enemy.

[@todds9746]

It amazed me how many signs are in English…from stores, billboards, the mall and even the UFO bar.

[@doktor54321]

Announcements of stops in public transport vehicles is in English too.

[@barvdw]

Well, when you have a relatively small language and you know it, you are aware of that. Doesn't take away from the pride people take in their language, though.

[@thesc0tsman1]

“Goodbye castle of disappointment” made me chuckle more than it should of! 😂😂

[@etherealenigma2008]

Your hard work is greatly appreciated, Steve. You're one of the few Content Creators who puts out videos that I can't wait to see. Thanks for taking me some places that I haven't been. And I always love seeing the food you're eating , not to mention your comments. 🙂

[@Sapmarine]

Steve is famous for 2 things...never spending money and forgetting the combination to his wallet

[@anjavonpfeil4312]

I remain impressed by the distance you walk during your visits to different countries - as steady as a metronome! 🚶‍♂🚶‍♂🚶‍♂

[@leonb2637]

Its how he works off his meals and watches his budget by minimal use of local transit.

[@MartinBrez]

The quiestest capital city I've visited. It's a very underrated city, with most people just stopping for a day from either Vienna or Budapest. If you come back, Devin Castle is a 20 min bus ride from the centre of Bratislava, which is beautiful and scenic. Border towns, people will tend to be bilingual or trilingual in the case of Bratislava. German, Slovak, and Hungarian will be largely understood. Bratislava is the only capital city where it's boundary borders two countries, Austria and Hungary.

[@FlatDerrick]

It's quiet because all the young people have left, mostly for Prague, due to right wing populism and it's effects.

[@shanojebs]

I found this too, I did a day around town in June, I was passing through from southern Poland to Vienna, but I barely saw any tourists or even people walking the streets, I didn't really see anyone until I went out for dinner

[@vkdrk]

@@shanojebs most Slovaks spend their free time in their gardens and holiday/weekend homes outside of towns, that's why town centres are always so quiet. Go to the mountains and you'll see what all the people are :)

[@KarenBaker-op2bv]

I live in Melbourne Australia and have never been overseas but I feel like I have when I have watched one of your videos. Thanks Steve.

[@robertallardice8119]

You must be the only Aussie that hasn’t travelled overseas! 😂🤣👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Ian-Steele]

You must try and come over and see some other countries Karen, just as much as I should make the effort to come and see Australia 😊

[@karenglenn6707]

I’m just up the road from you in beautiful Castlemaine but was born and raised in Melbourne. I have been overseas numerous times, but not to Europe and I really kick myself that I didn’t do it when I was younger and healthier. I’m hoping to get to the UK but there is no way I could walk like Steve does in these videos. At least we get to see these wonderful places they were will likely never get to see for ourselves but I would so love to go.

[@corm7538]

@26:38 Czechoslovakia was a member of the Warsaw Pact, formally known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance. This collective defense treaty was signed in Warsaw, Poland. The member countries included the Soviet Union, Albania, Poland, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria. The Warsaw Pact served as the USSR's counterbalance to NATO.

[@VoltesWithElias]

Another great video Steve. You make us feel like we're right there with you.

[@stephenplatt5629]

As I found your stuff recently I have just subscribed and donated via patreon..I'm fighting the dreaded disease and your vlogs take me places I sadly can't go to anymore..keep it real mate love you and your lassie..

[@ExiledStardust]

They speak German in Austria. And no, they don't speak Slovak in Austria unless they are Slovak. Source: me. I lived in Vienna for 2 years and often drove to Bratislava. It's a lot cleaner than it used to be. Yes, Austrians like to shop in Bratislava. (Weirdly, Slovaks love to shop in Austria too.)

[@skintslots]

I hope you told your US visitors 'There are no Kangaroos in Austria!' 😁

[@ladygardener100]

I think the reason these towns look so beautifully is that town planners n3v3r got to work in the 1960's

[@arokh72]

As an Australian, the idea of driving to shopping in another country, or even commuting to another country for work, is just inconceivable.

[@sanfordpress8943]

​@@skintslots😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ianfox6106]

Thanks for saving me from writing that.

[@dee74raz]

Nice to see a KZbinr similar to my age doing this passion as a full timer. I hope KZbin pays you generously for your hard work, because it’s not easy.

[@rosemarymee]

I don’t think KZbin pays anybody generously for anything…

[@dee74raz]

@@rosemarymee They do pay 💰 according to how many views and where the viewers are from generally. I’m sure it’s more complicated than that.

[@rosemarymee]

@@dee74raz Yes, but not GENEROUSLY…🥴

[@helenahsson1697]

Without Patreon he wouldn't be able to do this. KZbin pays very little if you're not in the top10 tier. It's not just views unfortunately.

[@MyOutdoorsUK]

So many things to take away from today's video. Picking a Sunday morning really helped with seeing the architecture and history free of crowds. That's also complimented by the way you always look for the positives in every destination. The more watch the more obvious it becomes that you do a lot of research before each trip. The commentary on memorials is live, not post production voice over, and it gives the commentary a more authentic feel. Thanks for another genuinely informative episode.

[@jaynorris3722]

I love the way you ask us questions. Like if we are all walking along with you. I catch myself answering you.😁 Thank you and your lady for the wonderful videos. Yous go places I can only dream of.

[@footfault]

I love you, Steve. You're a real person and your videos are addictive. I watch you during my lunch break, watching you try to find up something like a meal, too.

[@WayneSchowalter]

Steve, this surely must be one of your more adventurous walks. Your humorous moments are always a delight but the best was your dismay that they “could have chucked in an extra couple” to make it an even 300. Thanks for highlighting a gorgeous city. Well done!

[@ReflectionTool637]

As people might guess, Sunday morning is THE time to do city filming as it disturbs the city the least. Am a 4+ year FT wanderer and I have come across a few film shoots. Been to Bratislava twice. Nice place. Love the UFO bridge!

[@lvsluggo007]

Steve: Your comment that you didn't believe that Slovakia had been behind the iron curtain.. It most definately WAS.. Prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in the early 90s, the nation that had been known as czechoslovakia, split into two nations, Czechia and Slovakia. That area you were walking in where you said you weren't in Austria and you weren't in Slovakia would have been, pre-90s, comprised of concertina wire/landmines/guard towers. I spent a year in West Germany, in the US Army, and during that time spent nearly a month in a small US Army camp called Camp Gates, about 10 miles from the Czech border. During that month we sent out a crew to man a bunker on the West German side of the border, a few hundred yards from the actual border. This was an observation post monitoring the border.

[@martasullivan3261]

That walk to Austria was something that most tourists would never see. It gives me chills to remember. Hopefully, the situation won't happen again.

[@deniseproxima2601]

​@@martasullivan3261 Every Deutsch Englisch sign must be replaced. You know nothing. It will happen again. It must be masked with 3 mask. So everyone is masked.

[@patchso]

‘No mans land’.

[@vkdrk]

he didn't say it wasn't behind the iron curtain, he said it wasn't part of the Soviet Union and that is correct. Czechoslovakia was never part of the Soviet Union. The iron curtain and the Soviet Union aren't the exact same thing. There were quite a few countries behind the iron curtain that weren't part of the Soviet Union. East Germany was behind the iron curtain but it wasn't part of the Soviet Union either

[@helendurfee8926]

Am so grateful to have found your channel. Always entertaining, for me, it's an education. 💕

[@herosstratos]

24:35 26:38 You are absolutly right. Crossing the former Iron Curtain gives me goosebumps any time.

[@richarddavis2107]

From Glasgow now living in Vienna, Bratislava is practically next door for me. The arctecture is akin to Vienna.

[@juanap132]

Thank you Steve for showing us so many fantastic places that we haven't been to and may never be visiting! And I really appreciate that you're walking a lot! I also love how positive you are! There are a lot of travellers on youtube that are not walking and exploring like you do, and they do NOT have this positive, nice attitude that you have! You are by far my fave youtuber in this area!

[@russell3733]

Steve, since Bratislava is positioned so very close to the Austrian border, then those wide open areas you thought of as "no man's land" (on the road to Kittsee) were probably former uninhabited border areas during the Cold War. With Vienna being so close (literally an hour's drive down the road) then the West and the East basically came face-to-face here at this border. It's a bit like the old uninhabited areas of central Berlin - running along the border between the old West Berlin and East Berlin - which up until 1990 were no-go areas for anyone who valued their life. The bunkers you mentioned probably belonged to the old security apparatus guarding the East-West border. It's highly likely that the typical characteristics of the Iron Curtain border areas could be found here, too: watchtowers, 2m to 3m high barbed-wire fences, empty fields laced with land mines, and so forth. Czechs and Slovaks who thought of escaping to the West through such areas would have risked their lives in the attempt. Thank God that's all part of the past now and you can walk freely back and forth across the border without creating an international incident. Cheers.

[@martasullivan3261]

Were their guns pointed toward Austria?

[@derektaylor2941]

​@@martasullivan3261these were built in the 1930s due, ironically, to the fears in Czechoslovakia of fascism rising in Austria and Germany so they built 15 of them pointing at Austria. The irony is that Slovakia was probably more fascist by 1940 than even the Germans.

[@derektaylor2941]

Russell, the 'bunkers'- 15 in total- were built by Czechoslovakia in 1930s to protect them against Austria, which given its actions in WW1 and the growing fascist tendencies of certain Austrians (!) meant they wanted protection; the irony being that by the time of WW2, the Slovaks were probably more pro-fascist than any German or Austrian. Perhaps worth noting that 'bunker' is perhaps the wrong word in English. We think of bunkers as places underground to stop bombs falling, when this looks more like a large multi-gun casemate with command support or other facilities. I never crossed this particular border in the cold war but those that I had naturally had areas of little to no population density along the border, but then this was not untypical for the rural areas. One thing I need to correct though is this idea that guards were standing on both sides ready to shoot anything or anyone that moved- that's a myth from hollywood. In my experience, particularly towards the latter years, guards were more interested in taking their cut to turn a blind eye to smuggling and people were crossing these borders fairly routinely. Vienna was an interesting place, yes. I only knew it towards the end of the cold war but even when I worked there for the UK Gov in the late '90s it was still a place for 'informal diplomatic relations' and I suspect even today more goes on there than in any official Embassy.

[@deniseproxima2601]

It was the other way

[@NiktoPH]

Austria IS and WAS a neutral country, its not part of the NATO so it wasnt viewed as first enemy from the eastern block. There was fence and guards to keep people IN Czechoslovakia. Those Old bunkers were pre WWII two, mainly against Germany, which under Hitler didnt accepted that Sudeteland ( border are of Czech republics) werent under German control. Sadly, by Munich agreement, Czechoslovakia lost these areas and bunkers without a fight.

[@im_sorry_i_forgot_my_username]

Thanks KZbin for recommending this to me! First time viewer, from Slovakia :) I love your presentation style, will be sticking around to watch some more! If you ever feel so inclined, feel free to check out more of our lovely little country! There's so much more to Slovakia in the areas outside of Bratislava, there are some truly amazing places. It's mostly the mountains yeah, mainly once you go up north, but those are definitely worth seeing - and we also have some great castles and historic towns! Lots to explore :) If you ever wanna visit Orava Castle, which is one of our most beautiful, let me know. I work as a tour guide there and I would love to show you around!

[@zweispurmopped]

Slovakia was mo part of the Soviet Union but member of the Warsaw Pact, and thus you did walk over a former cold war border there. Anyhoo, another very nice and informative stroll through places I´ve never been! Thanks for the hitch, Mate! 🤗

[@barbaracarlisle8930]

We were in Bratislava in 1994 when the Chorale my husband belonged to was traveling (and singing) In that part of the world. As a non-singer, I had more freedom to roam, and it was certainly a different city, with a definite “Soviet Edge”. Stayed in a Soviet era hotel with a scary elevator and spooky rooms. (Where did they hide the spy recorders and cameras?) I didn’t see anything familiar, but enjoyed the vicarious 44,000 steps and am vicariously exhausted!

[@benpuss]

One of your best! I feel like I spent the day with you discovering great architecture, interesting bridges and castles, plus walking to another country just for fun! Also what glorious weather for such an adventure. Thanks so much!

[@peterrisbergs7156]

Hats off to you. 298 steps is like climbing to the top of a 30 story building.

[@sfstoltenberg]

Yes, and 46,000 steps is over 22 miles, according to the google machine. I hope he ate more than a schnitzel.

[@van_trippin5260]

You should have a walking boot sponsor by now!

[@dannydeschilder9943]

Oh, I love the citys in East Europe! With that buildings, bridges and churches! I was in Budhapest, Praha and Vienna, unforgotteble.

[@RichardFelstead1949]

A lot of these places of which I've never heard. Thanks for the geography lesson. Greetings from Australia.

[@richardharrison6993]

Wow! Another terrific video! Well done….all that walking. And a bit of humour. 👍👍

[@erikziak1249]

21:41 Those tracks were originally built for the electric tram that connected Vienna and Pressburg (Bratislava) back in 1914. Two world wars later, it was finally abandoned once the Iron curtain was set up. The original train depot from 1913 is still standing, just a few minutes walk from where you crossed the track. Although the track gauge of trams in Bratislava is 1 meter, the interurban trams ran on 1435 mm and there were three rails for dual gauge operation on the sections of tracks in the city that were shared by both local and interurban trams.

[@Traveller69]

I went to Prague and Bratislava in 1988 and yes, Czechoslovakia was very much behind the Iron Curtain. Extremely hospitable people but you could see things were tough compared to life in the UK at the time. Interesting video.

[@petergoddard1960]

I'm exhausted just watching that long hike to Austria and back. Bratislava looks a wonderful place. especially the old town (it's always the old town that's the most compelling). Another great destination for sure. Happy Easter to you both.

[@kaythomas5884]

I went to the check border with Austria in late 80s, with Austrias friends and saw it from a distance. It was fortified with guard posts.😊

[@Thomas-cp6qe]

That's a high class video Steve. From start to finish you caught it all. The architecture and the colours were stunning. And from the UFO Tower to the orbiting space station you couldn't ask for more?

[@mikewlkr2]

As usual a video of great interest. As I said last week I am very familiar with Bratislava as I have been going there very regularly since 1985 during the Soviet era, and started a joint venture with the state broadcasting authority following the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Even so you still covered sights I have not seen. Although my wife and I regularly escaped to Vienna I confess I never walked to Austria, but have been to Kittsee a few times. The nearby Austrian town of Hainburg was a very popular shopping destination for very many Slovakians post revolution. I've said it before and I'll say it again you good at this. Thanks.

[@PlanesTrainsEverything]

This video reminded me of how much I loved Bratislava. Years ago I foolishly walked between Vienna and Bratislava - in one day - a distance of around 63km/39 miles. I wouldn't recommend it. I'd love to go back, but maybe use one of those trains next time. Great video Steve!

[@steve-marsh]

Aye, I struggled just getting to the first town, that was enough for me!

[@herosstratos]

28:37 Bunker BS-8 was build in the 1930s as part of the Czechoslovak fortifications for the defense of Bratislava.

[@jimvanmeggelen2213]

I did a bit of poking around using google maps and street view, and there is another castle in Kittsee (named Schloss Batthyany or Neues Schloss). The castle you found is labeled "Alte Schloss Kittsee", so that is 'The old castle'. The 'new castle' looks a lot nicer.

[@Grangeburn]

Another cracking video Steve. What a lovely city Bratislava is! Definitely worth a visit! I noticed the EuroVelo 13 sign as you made your way to Kittsee. it is one of many cycling routes that criss-cross Europe. The EuroVelo 13 is a long-distance cycling route along the route of the former Iron Curtain, from the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. It is 10,550 km long. Part of the EuroVelo 1, the Atlantic Coast Route, is in Scotland. It starts just north of your bit - in Aberdeen and winds its way across to Inverness before making its way south towards Stranraer. It was originally to allow cyclists to take the ferry to Northern Ireland, where the EuroVelo 1 continues. I don't know where it heads now since the ferry terminal in Stranraer is no longer used ... maybe the few miles north to Cairnryan?

[@simonwhitlock9189]

Always nice to see a town where the people care about how it looks, a beautiful place it must have been a delight to walk around. Thanks for taking me along and stay safe and well, cheers.

[@Fan652w]

Extremely enjoyable video! The red/green/yellow trains which we saw on your walk to/from Kittsee are basically bog standard Vienna suburban trains! But the line they operate on is very international in character. It runs hourly. It starts in Deutschkreuz(Austria) but then serves Sopron (Hungary) before running to Bratislava via Vienna and Bruck a.d. Leitha.

[@deniseproxima2601]

There will be no way. How do you can say Deutsch Kreuz - it must be replaced with the other speaking. With the help from hole South America.

[@golledgestravels326]

I did Bratislava in a day back in 2022. Your visit has inspired me to go back again hopefully this year. We walked up to the castle only to find it was closed to the public for some kind of conference........we did sneak into its toilets though :) Well done on the step count.

[@peterwaugh9416]

Steve, I've been in that square in the old town when it was full of tourists. You got the better end of the deal for sure.

[@bronwynquinn4477]

Wow Mate! Another wonderful video! On my bucket list! Your style of vlog is fab! Hi from Oz 🐬🌏

[@TheKingOfBeans]

I spent a few days here last summer on route to Budapest, very cool city. Actually the Union fountain was functioning in summertime and looked great at night 😅

[@MichaelSIngle-gn9qz]

Went there in 2012. The only thing I didn't like was climbing up the steep hill with my luggage to get to the main train station. Rest of the city was awesome, clean and safe.

[@Vtarngpb]

Whenever anyone mentions Bratislava, all I can think about is the movie Eurotrip 😅 (Sorry Slovakia!) P.S. "Scotty doesn't know! Scotty doesn't know! Scotty doesn't know! 😉

[@RaymondChristie-i7i]

Brilliant video love watching you and scott keep it going that boy scott on a bus for 50 hours wild man 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Andrelour]

That blue church looks like a fancy Brazilian birthday cake. They make artistic bakery like this therre

[@stefanwerner1560]

I‘m glad that borders in most (not all, I know) parts of Europe are merely lines on a map these days. When I was a kid,I grew up in a small village, just a few km from the Czech border. It always felt quite a bit scary to stand near the border markers in the forest, posing for photos only a footstep away from Mordor. At least that’s what we thought it was. It took decades to find our what that there were friendly people, beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage on the other side. We may speak different languages, and may have some different customs. But we have much more in common than some people want us to think. That’s what Europe is all about 🇪🇺

[@rosita62]

Not a tree in sight at the beginning of video. Ground all paved. No wonder many European cities are suffering from flash floods like Spain. The water had no where to go, but flowed along the streets. I am so glad my country Malaysia is so green with plants of course.

[@thomasmorin749]

Isn't the area between two borders called a buffer zone.

[@paulpaine1014]

Theres a great network of European cycle routes called Eurovelo. We cycled along the Danube to Bratislava and at the border the old check point is now crumbling away. Hard to imagine that it was impossible for most people to cross it 40 years ago. The iron curtain route is another long distance cycle route that follows the old border. Apparently the area where the border ran is amazing for wildlife as no-one wanted to live in such a militarised and dead end area.

[@bernicebest]

Interesting video yet again Steve, “The Lochness Scottish Pub” must have known you would be bound to visit one day 😅 Happy Easter 🐣 to you and Alicja 🤗

[@simnsmsmith]

Unfortunately it hasn't reopened since Covid. But the Irish bar is next door....

[@bernicebest]

@@simnsmsmith should be plenty of ‘Guinness’ then!

[@flyfishingslovakia7872]

Hi Steve, I’m Scottish and have lived in Bratislava for 18 years. Nice Video and places that you visited and highlighted and there is definitely lots more to do and see, worth another visit at some point. The ‘Castle’ you visited in Kitsee is not the castle, it’s further into Kittsee and has a nice restaurant and gardens. On shopping, not many Austrians head to Bratislava to food shop but Slovaks and myself regularly cross the border and shop in Austria for different Brands and some higher quality items. For Culture, like Opera and Ballet, it’s the Opposite with many Austrians heading to Bratislava, the quality is the same but the Ticket prices are a lot cheaper in Bratislava, cheers and keep up the good work.

[@BobG127]

Another great start to a Saturday, Steve. Beautiful architecture and interesting history. Thanks! By the way, I believe that "Kittsee" in German would be pronounced like "KEETzay" in English. Also, you're right; Czechoslovakia was never part of the Soviet Union. It was invaded by the Soviets and other Warsaw pact countries and then became forcefully allied with that pact.

[@AlistairPaterson-cr1bm]

Good one, Steve. Well done taking us into Austria too 💪👍

[@emanuel-simoes]

The bunker you've visited has the nickname "Graveyard" because of the nearby WWI cemetery (seen at 28:28). It was built in the 1933 as a part of Czechoslovak fortification system in reaction to Hitlers rise to power. Sadly, it was handed over to Nazi Germany without a fight after the Munich Agreement in 1938 (also known as the Munich Betrayal at our end.. lol ) There's even a photo of Hitler visiting the bunker and standing near the observatory cupola at 29:55 . After WWII Czechoslovakia became part of the Eastern Bloc, so the border with Austria was heavyly guarded and covered with watchtowers, barbed wire and electric fencing. The memorial you show at 23:13 is dedicated to Hartmut Tautz, a student from Eastern Germany, who tried to escape to the West but was shredded to pieces by guard dogs. I love taking walks at this border because of the calmness, it's hard to imagine that it has such a violent history. With all that said, nice video! It was interesting to see the places that i walk by daily from a different perspective :)

[@ColinSlocombe]

Wow 😮what a view

[@nomdeplume2724]

Super video Steve! Thanks very much. I am knackered just watching it!😆❤

[@TXMEDRGR]

That was a very long walk, you did earn that beer. Thanks for showing us around another beautiful city and I also enjoyed watching your border crossing.

[@normanlong2191]

Ahh Steve away ya go again entertaining and hugely informative ! i reckon your getting better and better at this with every vid, for people like me that cant do travel like this its a brilliant way to see these places , well done mate and please stay safe and keep up the fantastic work cheers from downunder 😀

[@buchandoreen8546]

I really enjoy your travels and commentary. I am in the Southwestern United States.

[@LIKWID]

That's Bratislava added to the visit list! Fantastic video and massive kudos for all those steps you absolute trooper!

[@kskssxoxskskss2189]

Gorgeous. I almost didn't watch this because I knew nothing about Bratislava, but you have got me set right now. So thanks twice: once for pleasure and once for learning.

[@DropDeadDerivative]

And had you walked just three more hours, you'd have hit a place where Austria, Slovakia and Hungary meet! 😁 Loved the video. I visited Bratislava (alongside a few other places in Central Europe) the autumn before Covid and you just took me back there for a quieter (and cleaner, to be fair) look. The Blue Church is stunning (as is the similarly-styled school right behind it).

[@smogontheline]

Loved the video, Steve. The way you edited the video, it looks as though the street sweeper turns purposely and sweeps that man up at 00:47 🤣 That blue church was just stunning, as was all the architecture there. I want to see more of Europe, so this may be added to the list. Andy.

[@sjedouglas]

"This fountain was stopped working in 2007 so let's take a closer look. Now if I just stick my face right over the middle here and... *cartoon whoosh sound*". Seriously though, that was a great video and you let us see so much of what looks like an amazing city. The old town looks beautiful, the bridge view is incredible and that border walk was the icing on the cake. I think the video highlights the often almost arbitrary nature of modern borders in Europe. They definitely have historical significance and value but I took a trip to Austria in 2019, covering Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland and whilst each country did have its own feel, everyone spoke German (bar the small amount of Italian we heard in southern Switzerland) so it felt more like different counties of the same place.

[@deniseproxima2601]

You can now speak what you want. And learn some Arabic. Dubai is richer.

[@Bostich]

It's Czechoslovakia, we get in we get out! - Stripes

[@Bag_monkey]

Just absolutely love your videos. I can even just listen to you as a podcast as I'm bicycling to work.

[@veloman59]

The SNP 😂 looks an awesome place. Love to go there in Summer.

[@karenglenn6707]

One of my great friends from Form 1 at high school in 1973 has Czech heritage. Her parents got out and came to Australia and she and her brothers were all born here. Her parents never went back to my knowledge (and for a long time they couldn’t anyway). What a beautiful city it is!

[@janettesinclair6279]

Another amazing city! My word you certainly covered a lot of ground and showed us the beauty of the buildings, and interesting monuments and viewpoints, well done for making the long hike over to Austria. I had to laugh at the Loch Ness Scottish Pub! How did that get there?

[@vkdrk]

The Loch Ness monster is quite popular in Slovakia. I guess it's part of the marketing lol

[@shaneD7378]

Brilliant video, Steve Bratislava has never been on my list of places to visit, but now I think I will plan a visit. Your channel and Scott's are brilliant for those ideas, unlike Tim, I mean, another, you tubers who are just staying in ridiculously expensive hotels

[@PeteG143]

Always amazed at how much walking you do on these trips. You must like to walk. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@garyzarbock]

Hi Steve, You asked about the language on both sides of a border, I live in a town on the border of Germany and Poland and my experience is that some locals will speak both languages, Shop owners will certainly speak both, The younger generation will most likely have some understanding of the english language too :)

[@sanfordpress8943]

I wonder how many storm troopers marched the roads?

[@sanfordpress8943]

Lovely.

[@sanfordpress8943]

A lovely typical square. ❤

[@sanfordpress8943]

My mother was born in Langenbielau , near Breslau

[@sanfordpress8943]

The cleanliness is wonderful. I'm in Pennsylvania. USA. we don't have this

[@highlandexplorer990]

This video is making me want to hop on a plane to Slovakia! ✈ Bratislava looks incredible. I especially love the Blue Church - the color of that building is stunning! 💙 The architecture throughout the city seems like something out of a fairytale! ✨ I'm also cracking up at your border dance! 😆 Thanks for sharing this adventure!

[@markhewitt9655]

Thanks!

[@steve-marsh]

Thanks so much mate!

[@kathleenlynch5763]

Goodness Steve i will have to sit down after all those steps.ill do that when I've finished my brew and finished watching this.!!another beautiful city with stunning buildings.while our's go to pot with neglect.thanks again for this.Happy Easter to you and Alicija.

[@user-eg8pv2om7j]

Good to see clean countries where litter is unacceptable. Makes a big difference. Thankyou

[@erichthecat6032]

The iron curtain was further out to the west, not the border of the SU

[@sheryllbonilla1986]

Your stamina is amazing!

[@silviavideler9894]

What a great video Steve. You made me curious about Bratislava. I have passed it by on my trips to Budapest and Romania, but I never took the time to visit this city. It's now on my list. Thank you very much.

[@SpiroTherealme2-mn9jq]

BEAUTIFUL city.

[@grokopf142]

beautiful city, hopefully will get to walk its streets sometime!

[@tutelshnela6729]

9:00 the fountaoin was repaired not so long ago and wworks, in the summer you can even swim in it!