How Germany Gave Belgium Its Highest Mountain (And Then Tried To Get It Back)

[@asdsdjfasdjxajiosdqw8791]

I cannot overstate how much I love this channel. It's everything I ever dreamt youtube could be back in circa 2005, when we were sick of the lowest common denominator shows on television. A shame more of youtube isn't content like yours. Please upload more.

[@wilcovanwinden6581]

I fully agree, i love this channel and i'm always looking forward to a new Tim video. Brings a smile to my face.

[@kathytoy5055]

My sentiments exactly.

[@michaelfisher6354]

@@kathytoy5055 Bravo

[@letthetunesflow]

I dunno… There seems to be a near endless number of amazing KZbin channels, the difficulty is finding them within the swamp of endless garbage channels… It makes it hard to find anything you are looking for, when even searches for similar channels are overwhelmed by irrelevant algorithmically boosted garbage… *sigh* I wish KZbin had actually decent search functionality, along with KZbin not artificially boosting garbage videos within its search functionality, just because they think that garbage video gets more views… KZbin doesn’t care about providing a decently functional system, all they care about is views, so if their are more people on KZbin wishing to watch mindless garbage, sadly KZbin is going to chase that money… Why do you think every year or two a massive mindless, and often dangerous trend occurs, and KZbin actively pushes those dangerous garbage videos until the backlash becomes too detrimental… KZbin will apparently never learn… Short term monetary gains appear to always outweigh long term, healthy growth, and support for quality content… 😞 sad…

[@Sofus.]

can recommend Abroad in Japan and Tom Scott they have channels with similar content and quality

[@alexdemoya2119]

Another dangerous mountain climbing expedition, Tim? You narrowly survived that climb in the Netherlands.

[@nicofolkersma2535]

2 climbs. He also climbed to the highest point of Urk, a staggering 7 meters, remember?

[@franzfanz]

I'd like to see Tim take on the dizzying heights of Møllehøj in Denmark but I fear for his life.

[@nicofolkersma2535]

@Mark Vivas Yeah, he had even called a number of friends to do a group climb. His motivational speach at the start of the climb is really inspiring.

[@jacksons1010]

And again without supplemental oxygen! The Sherpas seem to have prepared the route beforehand, of course, but still another 8m peak checked off.

[@trevormoses5061]

@@jacksons1010 LOL

[@claudiusvier]

Wow. As a German, that German you where speaking was incredible! Is crazy how you are able to learn languages so effortlessly.

[@JaakkoIsWatching]

Incredible, just like his French! I want to challenge him to learn Finnish.

[@Hurricane2k8]

Absolutely! What I also find fascinating, not just with Tim, but people in general, is how someone's voice is changing when speaking a different language. I almost didn't recognize his voice when he spoke german.

[@Fifsson_]

@@Hurricane2k8 From what i've read (but don't cite me on that), I found that generally because you're making sounds you are not 100% used to, you put more strain on your vocal chords (and other stuff that you use to speak) than when speaking in your native language. This doesn't only apply to the difference between your native and foreign languages, but also between these foreign languages - because they have different sets of sounds, in each one you do different things with your body. Again, don't cite me on that, it's only stuff I read/heard. edit: spelling mistakes

[@TheTimTraveller]

​@@Hurricane2k8 I think that's a confidence thing - I sound different in English and German because in English I'm not constantly worrying about getting it wrong :D

[@mittfh]

I wonder how easily Tim could wrap his tongue around the (expanded) name of a certain village in Anglesey, Wales... 😈

[@FARBerserker]

The highest point in Belgium. They made a 6m thing to get up to 700m. Yes, the officialy highest point in Belgium. Ignore the 20m tall Tower in the Background.

[@dave_h_8742]

😂 Yes I Thought that too

[@roybrezinski9712]

Indeed. It's Belgium. 😅

[@gkos2566]

Belgium is not surreal, surrealism is Belgium. seriously now. it's just strategy, confuse intruders.

[@MDP1702]

Well, I'd guess they'd claimed that the 6m thing is a hill, while the other is a building and thus doesn't count.

[@DugrozReports]

@@MDP1702 What exactly IS that 20 meter tower???

[@TheEddyrose1]

I lived near that place in a town named Bütgenbach, although I speak French as well as German, when going shopping, I never knew which language to speak, some place they only spoke French and other stores only German. A very strange place indeed!

[@lonestarr1490]

I'm curious. Where I live we have quite a lot of immigrants (from the Maghreb and Turkey and so on) and the second and third generation is usually pretty fluent in German (you wouldn't guess their descent just by listening to them). But one thing I noticed is that when those children of immigrants talk to each other, either in person or via the phone, they constantly switch languages. Sometimes in the middle of a sentence. It's baffling listening to and I'm quite in awe that they can do this so seamlessly without anyone partaking in the chat gets lost (except for the eavesdroppers like me, of course). So my question is, is that something you experience with German and French? Does something like this happen everywhere where people speak two languages? And if so, do you even notice when the language changes in the middle of a sentence? Or does it all just come naturally?

[@ElDJReturn]

@@lonestarr1490 This happens with Spanish and English and all over the United States. My friends can do it effortlessly with people they know well and though I don't speak much Spanish it can be helpful when speaking with someone who doesn't speak much English. Some people do not like to switch language mid sentence though, and I think it is more common for 2nd and 3rd generation speakers.

[@TheBastardo007]

It is called in linguistic studies as ' code switching'. People who are bilingual or are even tri-lingual do it all the time. The brain is trained to do this from a very young age. People who have only one language as their mother tong, do this too but with switching from their local dialect to their standard language according in witch situation they find themselves.

[@roderickjoyce6716]

@@lonestarr1490 Try getting the school train on the Cambrian Coast line in the (mostly) Welsh-speaking county of Gwynedd. The kids switch from Welsh to English and back again. Very quickly and very loudly. Earplugs recommended.

[@TheEddyrose1]

@@lonestarr1490 It is fairly common to switch languages in conversations especially in Belgium where there are three national languages. Although as an American, I was raised in Brussels and learned French and Dutch, when in some parts of the city, it is not unusual for people to switch between French and Flemish (which is some sort of dialect from Dutch), just like in France there exists many anglicized words. Also in Brussels many natives speak Brusseleir, which is a mix of French and Flemish. A typical and unique language spoken only in Brussels. It helps a lot when knowing the languages of the country in which you are living.

[@beiwagenfahrer5597]

Talk about confused. I left the UK in 2008 to move to Belgium, not far from Malmedy near a small town called Trois Ponts. My wife had a Fiat Panda, and I needed a spare part. The nearest Fiat dealer was in Malmedy. So I brushed up my best French and went to the Fiat parts centre and asked "Avez-vous un capteur d'arbre à cames pour une Fiat Panda 2005 ?" only to hear the lady on the front desk ask the parts manager "Hans, haben wir einen Nockenwellensensor für einen Fiat Panda 2005?"....

[@CallieMasters5000]

Your mountain expeditions are nonstop. How do you manage these grueling outings? The risk of paper cuts from the bus tickets alone is staggering. Travel safe!

[@trevormoses5061]

LOL

[@MoultrieGeek]

Thank you for drawing attention to this hitherto unknown but still significant danger of mountain climbing.

[@TrevorMoses312]

😆😆

[@Simon-nx1sc]

As a Belgian, I love how the video's about Belgium are always the most confusing :)

[@JasonRobards2]

You can make anything confusing by trying it to seem logical...

[@bertilhatt]

I remember visiting the European institution in Bruxelles and being a bit overwhelmed by how convoluted it all seemed. I asked one of our guides, who was from Bruxelles and his answer was as débonnaire as it was threatening : “Maybe… It’s less complicated than the Belgian ones anyway.”

[@MagereHein]

I'm sure the Belgians do that on purpose. Which purpose remains to be decided, mind.

[@imwinningthisone7613]

People often exaggerate the situation on youtube in order to be "entertaining".

[@JackieOdonnel]

🤣😂

[@ze_rubenator]

6:30 The highest mountain in Belgium is so incredibly flat that it gives me a general sense of unease. It's _too flat._ Sincerely A Norwegian who is used to the omnipresent comfort of a looming mountain.

[@FrietjeOorlog]

This way is easier for the German tanks. Belgians are so considerate.

[@TheDerwish]

@@FrietjeOorlog Lol, It's pretty much a swamp up there. Have fun getting stuck :D

[@hydrocharis1]

As a matter of a fact it rather looks like Norway there. Fens with birches, heather, cottongrass and all kinds of plants which are everywhere in Norway but treasured as rare Ice Age relicts in Belgium. Also the wettest and coldest part of Belgium.

[@markusschmidt7513]

7:39 you can find a skiing slope (actually even 3 of them) just a few miles down the road in the ski resort of Ovifat, which itself is a pretty interesting spot to visit as it is the only place (that I know) on earth which operates ski lifts made of wood.

[@Giruno56]

the three days a year it's actually open, that is

[@patrickverlinden71]

Yes, they have snow for a short period and its the only “slope” in the world where you have to queue half an hour or more for the “ski lift” while the descent barely takes 10 minutes. Its more like an attraction in an amusement park.

[@markusschmidt7513]

@@Giruno56 Well, still they have more opening days than the neighboring resort of "Mont de Brumes" (home of Belgiums longest skiing slope) which may be open only 3 days per DECADE.

[@Vugoseq]

Yeah, did it once, never again. "Oh, surely behind this bend the slope will start. .. Oh, no it's the end of the slope and the queue for the ski lift that starts here." 1hour of traffic jams, parking on the sides of a small road in a ditch, then walking 30 minutes back to the entrance, 30min queuing for ticket and skis, 3 minutes of skiing, 45minutes of waiting for ski lift. Your local indoor ski slope has a longer downhill, better snow and is open more than 3 days per year.

[@markusschmidt7513]

@@patrickverlinden71 I was there several times, and there were hardly any waiting queues, maybe I was just lucky. Descending the slope does not take more than a minute though.

[@JonathanAdamsphd]

I always enjoy the piano music, especially this edition's Baba Yetu (Civ 4) at 3:58. Nice adaptation and nice reference!

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

It's part of the Hohes Venn (High Venn), which is swampland (that's why it's generally so flat). The border to Belgium goes through and in some places you can still see the signs that tell you that you will be shot when crossing beyond that point. Before and after WWII the German locals used to go through there to smuggle coffee and tobacco, which at first you couldn't get in Germany and later was three times as expensive as in Belgium. You could make quite a lot of money that way (the rebuilding of a church in the town of Schmidt after WWII was actually paid for by the smugglers, because they donated part of their earnings), but it was also pretty dangerous, because both the border patrols and the smugglers were armed. Near the town of Konzen the Roderkreuz reminds of a smuggler who was shot dead by a border patrol, for example.

[@1zaj34]

Ah, the story of St. Mokka¹. :-D ¹ That's what St. Hubertus in Schmidt is called by the locals.

[@rolfs2165]

I've spent a few weekends in a village that's bang on the German-Belgian border. It's just a hotel, gas station, and supermarket (plus a few houses) - but because the gas station and supermarket are on the Belgian side, there's always a lot of Germans there on the weekends, wheeling out shopping carts full of coffee.

[@crackwitz]

> which at first you couldn't get in Germany and later was three times as expensive ok so Germany is currently in a war again because stuff's expensive/unobtainable.

[@galier2]

The famous Bismarck coffee tax which makes coffee expensive in Germany and markets rich in bordering countries.

[@oerkelinside]

I remember reading that at one point the border guards basically demanded to get handgrenades. Wild times.

[@jwhite5008]

You left out the most interesting question: If you needed to ask bus driver for an unplanned stop to get off... how did you manage to go BACK?

[@nuvaboy]

waved the bus, presumably Edit: wrong wave. very wrong wave

[@TheTimTraveller]

My original plan: hike all the way back to the PREVIOUS bus stop What actually happened: walk along the road for about thirty seconds, hear a noise behind me, turn around, see bus approaching at 100kmh, wave like an absolute maniac, bus stops, one very grateful Tim, one visibly unimpressed bus driver

[@dutchman7623]

@@TheTimTraveller NO! You did not raise your right arm, did you?

[@flitsertheo]

@@dutchman7623 That would have been a very bad mistake with a French speaking driver.

[@crackwitz]

@@flitsertheo the first one spoke German fairly natively, the second one probably too... :D their routes are crossing borders, they're probably fluent enough in everything that's spoken.

[@haisheauspforte1632]

This guy is a legend. Perfect French and perfect German in a casual discussion with a bus driver. Big props. And by the way, if you want to visit other low highest mountains, the German Bundesland of Schleswig-Holstein could be for you! Our highest mountain is lower than Denmarks highest mountain. It even has a ski lift!

[@charleslambert3368]

"Only three people have ever really understood the Schleswig-Holstein business - the Prince Consort [Prince Albert], who is dead - a German professor, who has gone mad - and I, who have forgotten all about it." --Lord Palmerson

[@hedgehog3180]

@@charleslambert3368 Only took about a century to sort out in the end, so anyways good luck to Palestine-Isreal.

[@P4Tri0t420]

Ein Ski-Lift in SH? Das muss ich selber sehen um es zu glauben 😵

[@haisheauspforte1632]

@@P4Tri0t420 der Skilift am Bungsberg. Ist seit einiger Zeit außer Betrieb, weil keiner der ihn betreiben will, aber es gibt ihn

[@smhorse]

​@@hedgehog3180 : Palestine/Israel will never be sorted out

[@morganr4332]

Makes my day seeing Tim post

[@madfists7106]

Love the video, always a pleasure seeing your videos pop up on my notifications. Eupen! As luck would have it, I married a Belgian, and my mother in law is from Eupen! Can't wait to crack out some knowledge at the next sunday lunch! Well done, keep it up!

[@dave_h_8742]

I'm shure she will be amused by your amazing knowledge of the area.

[@madfists7106]

@@dave_h_8742 I suspect she will laugh at me in German

[@kysierkevin]

@@madfists7106 how did it went?

[@madfists7106]

@@kysierkevin It was a winner, they all found it amusing that I knew so much, and then I heard stories from back in the day. Great day.

[@ducdebrabant4997]

Hey, I'm Belgian and from Molenbeek in Brussels, I love your videos and today I learned something again.

[@RedRocketthefirst]

My condolences

[@heybagley]

7:18 Ah, Verviers! I haven't heard the name of that Wallonian town since my childhood (for, um, at least 20 years). My parents and I used to visit it almost every summer because my aunt and grandma lived there. Why we never got to not so distant Eupen, that highest peak or any German-speaking part of Belgium (I live in Germany) is a mystery to me even today. Gosh, I miss that delicious "tarte au riz" (rice pudding cake) so much!

[@Silence_stp]

What ? The "tarte au riz" isn't a famous dish in the world ? I can find "tarte au riz" (I lived in Brussels) everywhere so i thought that it was famous in Europe but you just told me that it's a belgian viennoiserie 😲

[@alanthefisher]

You can't hide baba yetu from me in the background, I have way to many hours in Civilization

[@Kordanor]

Haha, yeah...i was also like 'i know the music from somewhere' until like 20 seconds later 'yep, civ!'. Awesome piece!

[@swedneck]

great way to see which people in a crowd are civ players: play baba yetu and look for fingers grasping for the next turn button

[@egemensentin]

A fellow person of culture

[@FelixMartelet]

I couldn't listen to what he was saying because of it 😂

[@procrastiknitter3733]

I've never played Civilization but I'm very familair with Christopher Tin's work. I also sang Baba Yetu in a chorus, so I was going "wait, I know that song!"

[@hieutranminh3277]

6:40 Well, actually it's actually only Malmedy Canton's western half (the bit with Malmedy town and Signal de Botrange) that mostly speak French (the east speak more German). So to oversimplify, there's a French-speaking town that got lumped up with some German villages, and with two other German-speaking bit they were part of Germany before getting transferred to Belgium, briefly regained by Germany before going back to Belgium, even though most of the region still speak German except for that half-canton that speak French instead. This place's like what we got when Belgium build their mini Belgium.

[@bos2pdx2yvr]

I always look forward to your fun, quirky, and informative videos. Thanks for taking us on another adventure, hello (et bonjour!) from Canada!

[@christophe-4105]

Malmedy was only french between 1795 and 1815. Before it was the principauté de Stavelot-Malmedy, who was a independant Principality of the Holy Roman Empire (like the principauté de Liège).

[@Gryvix]

he also forgot to mention the Neutral Moresnet part :(

[@operaforlife6551]

As a Belgian, it's lovely to have my vague areas of knowledge filled in by a UK citizen living in France :) Love the Orff btw, it was very fitting!

[@charlesdelusignan7909]

"The roadworks should be done by August" Ahahahaha. Good one! Is this your first time in Belgium? Lol Lovely video as always. Keep it up

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

He didn't specify which year.

[@tuneskramer69]

Charles you beat me to it, i was thinking the same thing 🤣🤣

[@nicofolkersma2535]

I hadn't seen you're comment, but I said basically the same thing. Ah well, great minds...

[@dutchman7623]

The works are done by August Bietenbauer.

[@nicofolkersma2535]

@@dutchman7623 That name sounds german. Maybe there is hope.

[@jh-ec7si]

1:08 A great illustration of the lowlands mountain range

[@Robalogot]

Belgium is a goldmine for this channel, it's no coincidence that surrealism has such a prominent role in Belgian culture.

[@_Piers_]

Tim has again managed to ascend to the highest peak without dying or even getting frostbite. Truly the ultimate adventurer!

[@Evilpig121]

A great video made even greater by a Baba Yetu instrumental - the piano is always underrated!

[@konskift]

I'm disappointed in the Belgians. Missing an obvious chance for even more bureaucratic complexity. They could have divided Eupen between Wallonia and Flamland... And had French German speaking Belgians and Dutch German speaking Belgians.

[@dalstein3708]

They missed a good chance, but more than made up for it in the region of Voeren / Fouronne.

[@NQR-9000]

We didn't : the German speaking territories are their own community... but are still a part of Wallonia as a region, meaning that the schools are managed in Eupen... but the road works are planned in Namur. In French. Welcome to Belgium!

[@pvisit]

There is no ‘Belgian’ language.

[@brotlowskyrgseg1018]

@@NQR-9000 Thats indeed pretty decent by Belgian standards, but I still don't see the Flemish getting involved there. Truly Belgium was on the verge of greatness, yet you squandered it. I'm blaming Brussels for this!

[@misterbizznizz]

Flamland? Thats awful

[@bjoeljones]

Brilliant video, Lad. Eupen-Malmedy sounds as if it changed nationalities almost as much as Alsace-Lorraine region of France. The affected citizens had to have been in a state if confusion with changing nationalities overnight.

[@wilcovanwinden6581]

It's basically the Athrun Zala of Belgian provinces, switching sides all the time.

[@Lackari]

Except we kept german as an official language while french didn't.

[@Omemo]

Loves the piano renderation of Baba Yetu during the map sequence. Brilliant stuff.

[@tayfun8975]

Hey Tim, I saw your video friday evening when I came home from work and actually went to the Signal de Botrange yesterday afternoon (after a long train/bus ride from Bremen, Germany) ! By the way bus drivers were really helpful but also really confused how to get there because of the street which is under construction. They also told me to the rather visit Baraque Michel because the scenery is much more beautiful so I did that too 😄 I am just about to arrive at home as I am writing this. Keep on doing this stuff, it's really inspiring 👏

[@trevormoses5061]

I am in awe that you made that ascent without water, oxygen or food, Tim.

[@ZGryphon]

Malmedy is also fairly notorious among those Americans who remember anything about World War II in Europe besides the Normandy landings (there are still a few of us, I promise) as the site where the SS massacred 84 captured American soldiers alongside nobody really knows _how_ many Belgian civilians during the Battle of the Bulge.

[@baystated]

The vast expanse of the parking space tells you how big deal this place really is. Hopefully visitors don't mind the appearance of higher hills in the distance.

[@diesesalpaka5498]

I don't think the hills you can see from the platform are higher. From what Wikipedia tells me, the Signal de Botrange is the fifth highest mountain in the Eifel, and the top 4 are all in Rhineland-Palatine, which should be too far away.

[@SJodo]

some good hiking trails start from the parking lot and this is pretty much the only place in Belgium where you can sometimes find snow in winter. As a result, the area tends to be overrun by many townsfolk who behave like really clumsy tourists and block the relatively important road. Therefore, the whole environment is currently being rebuilt and enlarged to better withstand this momentary onslaught.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

"This hill is big, but those hills are far away." Or something...

[@ricardor6388]

Merci und danke aus Eupen! Tim, tes vidéos sind immer ein Vergnügen à regarder!! 🙏🙏🙏❤️

[@seatedliberty]

You never fail to bring just a wee bit of quirky joy into your viewer's lives with these videos, and for that I am truly grateful.

[@fernandojosegp]

I love Belgium-Germany border shenanigans

[@gasmaskio]

Tim your musical tributes trigger very deep-rooted memories in my brain. Playdays particularly this time. Kudos.

[@jc441-i3q]

2:22 Nice piano cover of Baba Yetu!

[@geertclaeys6209]

Eupen, Malmédy and Sankt Vith were part of the Austrian Netherlands, before Belgium became an independent state. In the French period (1794 till 1815) these areas were part of the Departement de l’ Ourthe (later Province de Liège). In fact Sankt Vith belonged to the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg. Stavelot Malmedy was a religious domain governed by an abbey. Only at the Congress of Vienna in 1815 these parts were given to Prussia, although Malmedy was and is still French speaking. So the claims of Belgium on this area at the treaty of Versailles (1919) had indeed historical grounds.

[@Kruemel9522]

Thanks for making this great video. I kind of suspected this topic might come one day. I am a German and this place means quite a lot to me. The Belgian - German history is quite interesting, and I like that its the only area where i can order BELGIAN FRIES in German (Mitraillette, is crazy, try it if you havent yet). But its important to me on a personal level because I met my Belgian girlfriend here on Signal de Botrange.

[@TheDerwish]

Welche Sauce?

[@heybagley]

Thank you for making me hungry again as I'm lying in my bed at 3:40h, you Fiesling, haha.

[@AndrewTBP]

Congratulations! An ideal meeting place.

[@Kruemel9522]

@@TheDerwish Brazil! XD

[@DerProfi09]

Hello from Florida, Thanks for the content!

[@jaredkennedy6576]

It always amuses me that so many countries have a lower "highest point" than the flat desert valley I live in. I'm at 2700ft/823m, and there are mountains 40-60 miles away that look large on the horizon, and those aren't even the big ones.

[@casper6800]

Ive always been told the highest point in Belgium was the Baraque Friture at 652 meters. I cant believe Ive been lied to all this time.

[@zembkabecker6033]

Baraque Friture?

[@kettelbe]

@@zembkabecker6033 indeed 😁😇

[@Simqer]

@@zembkabecker6033 Telling us you're not Belgian without telling us you're not Belgian.

[@ramdynebix]

Probably because the highway to France passes over/trough it 😂 I still remember passing through there on successive holidays and monitoring progress in extending that highway. We used to have lunch on the building site(s). It helps having a builder dad 😂

[@jasperlambrecht1906]

Same!

[@YouennF]

+1 bonus point for the Baba yetu piano cover !

[@MaybeJohn]

Thanks Mr Tim. Your videos really helped during the lockdowns and I really look forward to each one. Thank you again.

[@untruelie2640]

In case someone wants to know: The "controversial" referendum took place under a de facto belgian military occupation. It is described by some people as an almost colonial regime - the Belgians had some experience with colonial rule from their Congo colony [insert "Heart of Darkness" here]. For the "referendum", people had to go to a public office and write their name and "Yes" or "No" very visibly on a list. It was understood that everyone who was voting against remaining with Belgium would not receive any more food stamps. Unsurprisingly, the result was 33,726 votes for and 271 votes against the annexation...

[@MrSam1er]

Hmm, yes, this method of referendum is known today as a "russian referendum", but it has a long and rich history !

[@kjul.]

Exactly. While it's not very surprising that it went down like this given the circumstances after WW2, the normal everyday people living in this region were victims of the crazy warfare themselves obviously. Like Tim pointed out, the Germans living there were being conscripted by force as well. What a an interesting region! I genuinely wonder if the German-speaking people living in this region would support becoming a part of Germany nowadays.

[@challalla]

@@MrSam1er The Austrian Anschluss referendum might have been the most notorious before the Russian ones, but I think it may have been the French who invented the modern art of holding plebiscites to legitimize occupation and annexation of territories after the French Revolution in Belgium and Germany. They did it again in 1860 to annex Nice and Savoy under heavy French military presence.

[@JeroenJA]

I would describe the first 100yr of flanders in Belgium as almost collonial.. all who wanted some power or even simple high school education had to learn the french from the minority of the people..

[@davgg9621]

@@JeroenJA it was the same for the Walloons. That's why we lost our language.

[@dl8cy]

Hallo from Germany! Your Videos are always a pleasure - Edutainment at it's best!

[@AabhasLall]

Oh you were so close! I wish I could have met you and thanked you in person for all your videos. I hope you at least saw the Moresnet Viaduct. Hills, trains and bridges is something of your speciality. And I really do hope you fully utilize the 9 Euro ticket of Germany in the meantime. Cheers!

[@carlawiberg6282]

Had farmer friends in St Vith in younger days, and they spoke Platdeutsch among each other and French to their livestock. Lovely times there

[@dutchman7623]

Oui, Oui, Huit... Pigs speak French you know...

[@ninjawarrior8994]

At last! You've finally completed the trilogy of climing mountains in the Benelux!

[@BransMaarten]

When I was on holiday in the area, I noticed that there was a big difference between the German villages and the Walloon ones. The poverty in the Walloon was very visible compared to the tidy gardens and neat houses in the German villages.

[@schelfie1986]

Malmedy was a part of France, yes. When the French republic annexed it, together with the Austrian Netherlands, the duchy of Bouillon and Prince-Bishopric of Liège, in 1795. Before that it was called the "Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy". A small, independent "country" around the abbey's of Malmedy and Stavelot.

[@Silence_stp]

All of Flanders was also a part of France but they don't spezk french, it's clearly not because of that, it's just the enormous influence from Wallonia who makes this place french and german at the same time.

[@adrianrutterford762]

Thanks for another wonderful video, Tim.

[@davidfeltheim2501]

6:40 I love how each nation gets its national anthem and then nazi Germany gets O Fortuna. Fitting

[@mariusroth4966]

And here I wonder why I got chills in the middle of the video. I rewinded back and noticed a piano version of "Baba Yetu" as the background music. Well played, Mr. Tim. Well played. Your musical choice is top notch again. If you want to see the world at one point, you might want to travel to northern Germany (westcoast of the state of Schleswig Holstein to be precise), that is home of the village "Welt" (german translation of World). Other famous locations are close by like England, Oben (Up), Süden (South) or Westen (West). And on the baltic coast of Schleswig Holstein you also have Kalifornien (California) and Brasilien (Brasil), all just nice walk apart.

[@meepsicle83]

Just now catching up on un-watched TTT videos, and Baba Yetu is also what stood out (hurhur) to this old gamer!

[@Snowfox456]

Is that Baba Yetu at 3:59? Excellent choice of music, sir!

[@JonBogdanove]

Tim, your little tour videos are a soothing balm.

[@JeanMarcDubois]

Allow me to add some additions to your video: The traditional prononciation of the name Eupen is closer how the train people said it: 'øːpən, in the regional dialects the end -n is dropped. The dialect of Eupen (Eupener Platt) is infact closer to Dutch than (High) German. Two basic examples in which the High German consonant shift (t > ts/z, k > ch) has not been implemented in the dialect of Eupen: 1. "Twei" = two (Dutch: twee, German: Zwei) and 2. "Make" (long a not like in English) = to make (Dutch: maken, German: machen) The dialect of the villages only a few miles on the eastside like Walhorn, Raeren, Eynatten and Hauset is closer to High German: "Zwei" and "Mache". However (High) German influence (church, administration,...) is strong for centuries in Eupen even before the Prussian time. It seems the so called Eupener Platt is mostly spoken by the elderly nowadays. This is one of the reasons the artificial High German prononciation (ˈɔʏpən) has got the upperhand now (also by the local media). Eupen has also a French name: Néau and is still used in the neighboring Walloon villages with only very slightly differences in prononciation. It is very surprising that the French name has no official status and regional use in francophile Belgium. The region Eupen-Malmedy is in 1920 transferred to Belgium (Threaty of Versailles). However German (Lëtzebuergesch) was also spoken before 1920 in other Belgium villages: Beho (= Bochholz, Bokels - North of Bastogne/Bastnach/Bastenaken) and the Land of Arlon (= Arelerland). Those villages are heavily frenchified nowadays. The French period was very very brief like after the French Revolution. Before it belongs of course to the Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy (Holy Roman Empire). Malmedy is however Walloon for ages. During the 19 and 20 century Walloon was greatly exchanged for the French standard language by the Walloon people (supported by the school system and the media). Walloon and French are very strong related (Gallo-Romance languages) like Dutch and German (West Germanic languages). Not the whole Canton of Malmedy is French speaking (or Walloon speaking) like shown in the video, only the municipalities Malmedy and Waimes are Walloon. In the year 1977 the German speaking municipalities Bütgenbach and Büllingen left this canton. Malmedy and Waimes are called "Malemdər" ans "Weims" by the German speaking neighbours and Bütgenbach and Büllingen have Walloon expressions: "Bût'ba" and "Bolindje" or "Bullange" in French. The "French" name Botrange (Walloon Bôdrindje) is of Germanic origin: *Baldringen and means "at the people of Balthahari". The Germanic suffix -ingen is romanized in -ange like Büllingen = Bullange and another 100 examples elsewere. The place is not far from the Germanic-Romance language border. It seems this Germanic origin is forgotten by the German speaking neighbours.

[@SandstormCloudwave]

Surprised to hear Baba Yetu in this! 😍

[@incalescent9378]

Yes, very much so!

[@thorstenwolters9025]

Wie cool, Tim, du sprichst französisch, englisch, spanisch und dann noch deutsch! Cheers, mate!

[@mifiwi3438]

I've never thought the bus driver would speak regular, clear high german with barely any accent (compared to other "german-speaking" regions in- and outside of germany)

[@goombacraft]

Well if you think about it, the nearest big city to Eupen-Malmedy is Köln-Bonn

[@mifiwi3438]

@@goombacraft I really never thought about that. My geography is way off apparently

[@umgssda]

@@goombacraft Not really. Closest to Eupen is Aachen, which is connected via local buses. A little bit farther is Liege which is already a bit bigger than Aachen. The next bigger cities would be Brussels or Cologne. I would guess that Brussels is much easier to get to by train from Eupen.

[@MyRegardsToTheDodo]

@@umgssda Should be about the same, the ride to Cologne might be a bit shorter, actually. You can go to Aachen by bus and then to Cologne by train, Aachen to Cologne is about an hour, with trains going every 30 minutes. Eupen to Brussels is about an hour and 45 minutes or so.

[@barryjm]

I think they want reliable drivers, and hire germans to do the work (I'm from Holland btw LOL)

[@TheNostorian]

I love how often i see places i frequently visit on your channel and still learn new stuff.

[@esbenandersen5706]

There is something of a beautiful culture mix going on with that tower. The Low Countries have a lot of experience in expanding against the elements (as Tim has made videos on before and as the popular saying goes about the Dutch), but you need that unique German spirit (and stereotype) to decide to go conquer the sky just to have an even number.

[@Tclans]

The high fens is quite the beautiful place to take a hike. Especially on such sunny days you had there.

[@paulsfluff]

The Signal de Botrange is a lovely climb if you’re out on a road bike! I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the video pop up in my subscriptions, since I cycle up the Botrange around once a fortnight. Liked the video, got to admit I was half-expecting you to say something about the dull name (‘Signal’ refers to the large radio mast at the summit). If you’re still in the area and interested in making more videos, feel free to let me know! I like the channel and would love to help out.

[@YouTubeGetsWorseEveryUpdate]

That is exactly what I did a few weeks ago. I took my road bike from The Netherlands and stayed a few days in Jalhay. Lovely environment and really nice people! I really loved the bike road between Spa and Francorchamps. Too bad I didn’t find that many of them because my Dutch legs are not used to climbing and have cars passing right next to you. The road to Verviers downhill was a lot of fun but I found climbing back up a bit scary. Other than that I really enjoyed it and will do this again in the future.

[@felix_christopher]

This channel is just a joy. One does actually learn something trivial about Europe in every episode and yes, as others have pointed out already, your French and German pronunciation is on point!

[@dimitrimichaux461]

I've been there a couple of times it's a nice place to go for a walk. I always found it funny that you're standing right next to an even higher tower when you're standing at the 700m mark 🤣

[@conraydo]

As a German, I must say that I've never had this nice of a dialogue with a bus driver. Also - once again - your German is very good! Thank you for making such great videos. It's always a delight to hear about obcure little places and their history. Schönen Tag dir! :D

[@egpx]

Who says Belgium is boring? What is possibly the world’s flattest mountain is there and you can get a bus to the top, roadworks notwithstanding. Magnificent.

[@smhorse]

How can a country which went 548 days without a government be boring?

[@NikolausUndRupprecht]

These videos are always so well timed. Today I got off the bus at Eupener Straße (in Köln/Germany). Thanks to this video I now know where the city is after which the bus stop/street is named.

[@SecretSquirrelFun]

Yay Thank you Tim 🙂

[@barryjm]

Tim is Timeless!

[@ЮрийАнанас-э5б]

"I hope I've cleared it all up" No, Tim! I'm more confused. If it never was a part of Belgium to begin with, how did they claim it after World War I?

[@jeffreypierson2064]

They stole it in the footnotes of the Versailles Treaty that ended WWI.

[@kettelbe]

He said it: political shenaningans! 😁😇

[@barryjm]

There was no Wikipedia to do fact checking back then.

[@bjarniyt1402]

Because it was historically tied to Belgium, but for some reason Tim doesn’t mention that.

[@TheTimTraveller]

@@bjarniyt1402 yes, it did have historic ties to Belgium, there was a strong Walloon minority living there, and that's something the Belgian government of the time would have emphasised. But the thing is, you can't really say "it was historically tied to Belgium" when you could just as easily say it was historically tied to Germany, France, or even Luxembourg. Parts of Eupen-Malmedy had belonged to all of those countries at various times, whereas none of it had ever belonged to Belgium. As with many things in these parts, there's no simple explanation...

[@compphysgeek]

I'm impressed even more now with this channel now, particularly Tim himself. I couldn't even hear an accent when he spoke German.

[@calebhonegger3787]

Don't mind me, just vibing to that Baba Yetu cover in the background

[@neilmossey]

1:32 You did the Playbus theme! Haha Thanks so much Tim!!

[@zembkabecker6033]

Unfortunately you didn't see much of the Hohe Venn, which is very unique and exciting. The straight ways are extremely boring, but for example there is a path leading from Baraque Michel in some hours back to Eupen along the Hill. In general the Venn can be dangerous and every year people get lost there...

[@gdclemo]

Is a map of the Venn region just two big circles with a bit in the middle where they join?

[@flitsertheo]

Not far from here is Elsenborn and its the military training ground. The only one in Belgium where the artillery is allowed to fire live rounds. Anywhere else a miss could end up in the nearest town.

[@The-Urban-Goose]

Your German is very good! The bits you said were pronounced pretty much perfectly!

[@tommihommi1]

less of an accent than the driver!

[@freesoftwareextremist8119]

@@tommihommi1 Except his accent is foreign, while the driver is clearly native, but speaks in slight dialect.

[@tjerkheringa937]

This is the best, most interesting channel on KZbin. I love your humour

[@XEinstein]

I must say that this video does underrepresent the area around Signal de Botrange though. The Hautes Fagnes are really very beautiful and unique to hike around in. It's rather that the Signal is disappointing than the Fagnes.

[@letthetunesflow]

I love how triumphant the music was during the “mountain climb” bit hah! I found myself chuckling with delight at the absurdity of it all. 👍

[@OllieV__nl]

I remember going there as a kid and being heavily disappointed. We're supposed to be the flat country and all the other countries to the south have high mountains... but we didn't have to hike or climb... we didn't even have to leave the car.

[@JoranGroothengel]

The Kardingebult is a lot steeper, time for an expedition to the highest part of Groningen ;)

[@dalstein3708]

Even worse was the disappointment that at Baraque de Fraiture they did not serve any fries.

[@Simqer]

@@dalstein3708 There are at the villages around it though. Also, I've always called it Baraque Friture.

[@joehoe222]

Not all high marks are highlights.

[@grumpfcatarso2453]

Nice video with compact informations and history. I love this region since my time as a studend in Cologne, when we go often to the "Hohes Venn" for hiking. Later I were glad to buy an old farmhouse near Ovifat, only few miles away from Botrange - and it's really my favorite place to be - although Colone is very nice also. But I love the nature and tranquillity of this east belgium highland. And the people are great, speaking French, Flamish, German, English & Walloon. You have to taste "Tarte aux riz", a local speciality and the local crafter beer at the Peak Brewery near Botrange.

[@martymcfly256]

Content idea: While I like the highest mountain videos, you could do a similar series about the lowest point in each country, assuming it's below sea level.

[@LuPoj]

I love Christopher Tin's "Baba Yetu" from Civilization IV when you talk about political shenanigans. Such a cool reference!

[@svenv9034]

You've passed the stadium of the only German speaking football club in the first division, KAS Eupen, without mentioning it (at 0:27). I'm a bit confused.

[@woutmeulemans4853]

you put so much effort in videos that don't have a big audience. thanks for exploring my country so much I guess :)

[@hardanheavy]

Perfectly cleared up, I'm sure.

[@ilias8317]

This is the best introduction to a belgian holiday: Roads under construction.

[@SievertSchreiber]

Mais oui! Ich lerne etwa neuses mit elke nieuwe video!

[@Michaelsmith21588]

Nice to see you in Eupen. I live near Aachen and travel to Hautes Fagnes sometimes by bike. Not happy to see the road works still going on. Nice German skills @Tim

[@GenialHarryGrout]

That extra 6 metres gives you a great view right into Belgium. The numerous languages is what makes Belgium Belgium.

[@dutchman7623]

"is what makes Belgium" België, Belgique, Belgien, Belgica...

[@tibojanssen8137]

I went there this winter, realy beatifull, I had a very good busconnection up and down the baraque michel, I came in by train from verviers and took a bus that headed straigt up. I went there in winter so I had very beautifull views off the landscapes covered with snow. I really sugest a visit to everyone, and there are a lot of nice places near their to hike! Greetings from a Belgian student

[@jabbertwardy]

I'm beginning to suspect that anything in Europe involving borders and... Belgium... takes a while to explain

[@Simon-nx1sc]

Belgian here, can confirm. As a kid I thought that one day I'd understand how Belgium worked. As an adult, it just seems everyone (including me) has given up

[@sonkeschluter3654]

European borders are complicated, Belgium is complicated, mix them both and ....😅

[@tonycook603]

Have only recently discovered your channel Tim, but love the varied content. Thanks.

[@mak47HDTrains]

Nice to hear baba yetu playing in the background around half way in!

[@XolifreX]

I went there in the Summer of 2021 and it's one of the most beautiful places for nature sight seeing in Belgium with the Kalmthoutse Heide being a close second. Just the fact that it's so open and wide gives you such a feeling of freedom, incredibly amazing, highly recommend visiting. Thank you for covering this place in a video! :)