...And End Up In Another COUNTRY! Join Me On A Whistle-Stop Tour Of Slovakia's Awesome Capital City.
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- čas přidán 5. 07. 2024
- I had a day to explore Bratislava, Slovakia. But my wander took an unexpected turn...
Filmed on Sunday 28th January 2024
Music courtesy of epidemicsound.com
Thumbnail designed using Canva
This video is not sponsored and all opinions are my own
I don’t pretend to be a travel expert, but I love what I do and would be honoured if you came along with me. My channel focusses on the wide-eyed wonder and excitement of finding somewhere new, and my genuine reaction to it. You may not get a history lesson in my videos, but who knows, you might pick up some useful travel tips along the way, add a few destinations to your bucket list and hopefully be entertained by what you see. Thanks for watching, it means a lot to me :)
I do ALL of this myself. Planning, filming, editing, promoting, all with a weekly upload schedule, so please understand not every video will be an epic adventure. But my pledge is to always do my best in any situation and KEEP THE CAMERA ROLLING :)
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FAQs:
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I was born in Glasgow but have lived in Carnoustie, Dalgety Bay, Stonehaven, Edinburgh, Montrose, and further afield (Salamanca, Spain & Devonport, New Zealand)
WHEN DO YOU UPLOAD?
Saturdays at 10am Scottish time. Occasionally a bonus midweek video will pop up (in which case, likely to be Tuesday at 5pm)
WHY IS THERE A DELAY BETWEEN TRIP AND VIDEO APPEARING?
This is a result of doing all this myself I’m afraid. Editing takes time and I also like to schedule videos a bit in advance in case of any problems/illness/cancellations etc. Keeping my uploads appearing every Saturday morning is important to me, so I don’t want anything to get in the way of it. Also, I occasionally need some time off to recover from trips!
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE?
I film with a GoPro11 and my iPhone12. I edit on iMovie and use epidemicsound.com for music. I also use canva.com for thumbnails etc. I also have a DJI Pocket 3 (bigger sensor) for nighttime, although I’m still getting to grips with it.
WHY DON'T YOU SPEND LONGER AT DESTINATIONS?
The usual suspects I'm afraid - time and money! Hotels especially these days make my eyes water like a true Scotsman. Also my weekly upload schedule means I need to keep on the move.
WHERE'S ALICJA?
Alicja will feature whenever possible, but she has her own life and a proper job so it can take a while for our schedules to match up. Trust me though, I prefer it when She is there too!
DO YOU PAY FOR YOUR OWN TRAVEL?
Yes I do. I've only ever accepted a complementary ticket as compensation for a previous problem. All my opinions are frank and honest reflections of travel as I experience it.
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It's my income, I can't do this for free. Notice I don’t have mid-roll ads though!
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I used to list my email address but felt bad not having the capacity to respond to everything so took it down (and I got a LOT of spam so missed many genuine messages along the way).
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I don't like to upset the flow of my videos, so I don't even include mid-roll ads anymore (at significant loss of income to myself), so I prefer not to include sponsorships either. I'm open to a small slide at the start/end of each video, but I don't want to get into talking about products, it's something I don't like as a viewer myself (especially as a viewer who pays for CZcams Premium). So it's probably a polite no, although all of this goes out the window if you offer me something which can give me the chance to make a video for my audience that would otherwise be impossible.
#SteveMarsh #Slovakia #Bratislava
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.
Fun fact.
The blue church featured was designed in 1773 by Josiah Wedgwood.
😉
reminds me of Wedgwood Pottery
Of course it was.
I thought it was Edmund Lechner who designed and built it. Learn something new every day. 👍
@@TheSlimedshadyI think that was the joke - it looks like Wedgwood pottery
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 ;)
I visited friends in Prague in the early seventies, and yes, life was strictly controlled, especially for the residents.
@@janettesinclair6279 Well I'm Polish of the required age 🤣 and it wasn't at all the nightmare that people imagine. Life went on.
Putin wants to go back to USSR and take back now what was
Nobody wins wars
🏴🏴🙏🙏
Yeah, sure… 🤦♂️
@@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.
I lived in Vienna for 6 years . I went to Bratislava often on day trips. Only 50 minutes by train. Love both cities.
All is now Bratislava. Good luck.
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.
I remain impressed by the distance you walk during your visits to different countries - as steady as a metronome! 🚶♂🚶♂🚶♂
Its how he works off his meals and watches his budget by minimal use of local transit.
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.
It will be all Slovak. It's their friendly face.
They replace our speaking. Most the time. Deutsch ist schuldig immer. Slovak and the other is the world speaking. Submit.
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.
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." 😊
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.
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.)
I hope you told your US visitors 'There are no Kangaroos in Austria!' 😁
I think the reason these towns look so beautifully is that town planners n3v3r got to work in the 1960's
As an Australian, the idea of driving to shopping in another country, or even commuting to another country for work, is just inconceivable.
@@skintslots😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Thanks for saving me from writing that.
“Goodbye castle of disappointment” made me chuckle more than it should of! 😂😂
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..
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.
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.
You must be the only Aussie that hasn’t travelled overseas! 😂🤣👍🏴
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 😊
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.
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.
@@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.
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. 🙂
Steve is famous for 2 things...never spending money and forgetting the combination to his wallet
Another great video Steve. You make us feel like we're right there with you.
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.
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! 😃
German is much easier than Dutch ❤
Two generation. Nobody speaks German or Dutch. And they don't speak french. So may be English as second. The always enemy.
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.
It's quiet because all the young people have left, mostly for Prague, due to right wing populism and it's effects.
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
Nice to see a CZcamsr similar to my age doing this passion as a full timer. I hope CZcams pays you generously for your hard work, because it’s not easy.
I don’t think CZcams pays anybody generously for anything…
@@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.
@@dee74raz Yes, but not GENEROUSLY…🥴
Without Patreon he wouldn't be able to do this. CZcams pays very little if you're not in the top10 tier. It's not just views unfortunately.
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!
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.
Good living in the host and ghost towns left behind.
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!
It amazed me how many signs are in English…from stores, billboards, the mall and even the UFO bar.
Announcements of stops in public transport vehicles is in English too.
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.
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!
Am so grateful to have found your channel. Always entertaining, for me, it's an education. 💕
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?
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.
Were their guns pointed toward Austria?
@@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.
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.
It was the other way
in border towns usually the smaller language group adapts..
Barely any austrians would speak slovak, but many slovaks who deal with austrians will speak german..
or evyrone just speaks english which is the most common second language for everyone in europe now
It will only happen a short time.
@@deniseproxima2601 what?
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!
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.
A lot of these places of which I've never heard. Thanks for the geography lesson. Greetings from Australia.
Thanks CZcams 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!
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.
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!
24:35 26:38 You are absolutly right. Crossing the former Iron Curtain gives me goosebumps any time.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 😅
Hi Steve,
re - the fountain that does not work - surprisingly there was a movie shot in 1985 Bratislava, it was a teen romance of a socialist kind, and one of the main storylines was how one boy in his puberty repaired a long-disused fountain they had in their yard. The movie was called "Fontána pre Zuzanu", or "A Fountain for Susan".
re - the border of Slovakia and Austria: yes it was deadly since the communist seized power in 1948 until December 1989. If you attempted to walk the same path you walked in this video, you would most probably get shot. Or caught and mauled to death by the dogs, as Hartmut Tautz ended up - you took a close up of the memorial of his death at time 23:11 - google his name to see the whole story.
re - Bunker - it was a part of the border fortifications from 1937-38 when the democratic and still not communist country of Czechoslovakia actively prepared itself to the necessity of fighting off Germans. Bunkers like these were along the whole length of the Czechoslovak/German and Czechoslovak/Austrian border, from Bratislava to Ostrava around the whole Bohemia. Those bunkers were later taken by Germany without a shot, see "The Munich Agreement".
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.
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 🤗
Unfortunately it hasn't reopened since Covid. But the Irish bar is next door....
@@simnsmsmith should be plenty of ‘Guinness’ then!
You should have a walking boot sponsor by now!
From Glasgow now living in Vienna, Bratislava is practically next door for me. The arctecture is akin to Vienna.
I too get excited when I see signage in different languages and car license showing different countries or states. I love your homeland of Scotland. I am from the Hunter can Hunterston.
Thanks for this! Blast from the past. I was a teacher in Bratislava in the summer of 2002 when I was based in Prague back in the day. Had a fantastic time. I had forgotten about many of the sights and how beautiful the old town is. I used to compare it unfavourably with Prague. However, I think that's unfair. I used to live in a Brutalist/modernist soviet style block miles out and had a 45 minute journey on a rickety old tram past the castle. The SNP bridge was simply known as the 'New Bridge' back then. It was quite controversial as a lot of the old town was flattened to accommodate it. Back in 2002 I thought it was a wonderful mix of western and eastern Europe. It looks a lot flashier now like any wealthy capital. Is there still a Tesco right bang in the middle of town? Always thought that was strange. Thanks again. M
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?
I have a very similar video in that sqaure! Ended up there the day before the entire city locked down for covid. There was even less people there than your vid. And a young girl was playing her fluet. It was the most beautiful and serene moment of all the travel I've ever done.
Super video Steve!
Thanks very much.
I am knackered just watching it!😆❤
As usual, you have informed, entertained and given us a chuckle with your wonderful video posting. I have enjoyed travelling with you to Bratislava (& Austria) thank you so much Steve 😊❤
They always seem to do it better with their buildings, yes you have a bit of uniformity with the blocks of flats but it always seems to me its like a chocolate box come to life.
I loved the view from the UFO Tower when I was there. Was such a contrast between the two sides of the Danube. North was the beautiful old town with the castle high on the left of the new highway, and the cathedral nestled next to that highway.
I climbed to the castle when I was there and there are some beautiful views of the Danube and the forests towards Austria. There was a big gathering of catholic priests up there when I went, complete with all sorts of guys dressed in smart suits that looked like special agents (or Men in Black) that were barring the way into the castle. Also a TV crew there...are you sure you weren't there Steve? You always bring the TV crews.
On the south bank it looked very soviet. That's where you walked and where I got the train to from Vienna.
Did you notice the little gold plaque things on the cobbles in the old town, Steve? I asked about them in the tourist information and was told that they marked the Royal Route
It is a beautiful city and, I thought, friendlier than the bigger (Czechoslovakian) Prague.
One last thing. You didn't try the toilets in the UFO tower? They were special...with a view. Here's a link - imgur.com/kvkB66Z
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.
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 😀
Always amazed at how much walking you do on these trips. You must like to walk. Thanks for the inspiration.
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.
The track at 5min 41 is Time To Say Goodbye a track that peaked at Number 2 in 1997 despite being recorded in 1995 by Satah Brightman and Andrea Boceli
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).
Awesome video, loved it regards Doc from Down Under
That certainly looks like the ISS....you should put that on your list of places to visit :)
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?
These towns and cities are totally out of this world 🌎 Steve
Lots of grand things to see in this Day in Bratislava video, Steve, but my favorite was when Nessie's scary cousin popped up just before the travel notes. 👍
Hi Steve and Steve's lady who we can't spell. Hope u both have a good Easter. Love watching your videos. Felt sorry for u in all that snow on past videos. Bratislava looks nice. Take care both. Best wishes David and Beverley Norfolk
Alicja
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.
Another great video. Thanks Steve, you make Saturday morning worth being awake for. I really need to visit Bratislava, too. What a beautiful place.
Oh, I love the citys in East Europe! With that buildings, bridges and churches! I was in Budhapest, Praha and Vienna, unforgotteble.
It's Czechoslovakia, we get in we get out! - Stripes
Isn't the area between two borders called a buffer zone.
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.
Thank you Steve, love watching your videos from Arizona. (Born and raised in Glasgow) 😊
That was a very fun video to walk with you. It looked sad here at 3:41 with no plant life or greenery anywhere. It needs the happiness plants and greenery provide. I can't get over that everywhere you walk it's actual pavers placed by some person. This is a ton of work. We've had it done on a small yard, and that was a ton of work.
Another top notch video Steve. Thanks as always for the quality Saturday morning entertainment.
Great video Steve. You've more resilience that me. I think I would have turned back after crossing the border much sooner. Czechoslovakia was a satellite state of the former Soviet Union, known notably during that era for the 'Prague Spring' in 1968.
Wow! Another terrific video! Well done….all that walking. And a bit of humour. 👍👍
That's Bratislava added to the visit list! Fantastic video and massive kudos for all those steps you absolute trooper!
You’ve done pretty much the same walk I did when I went to explore Bratislava. The city is very quaint and pretty. You’ll only need a day or two to see all that it has to offer!
As always, very entertaining. Thank you.
Zibra crossing, I do not think I’ve ever heard a cross walk called that. You learn something new all the time.
Come to the UK and you'll find we have a whole variety of animal and bird-themed crossings. As well as Zebra crossings (named after their black and white stripes) we have Pelican, Puffin, Toucan and Pegasus crossings.
"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.
You can now speak what you want. And learn some Arabic. Dubai is richer.
Just absolutely love your videos. I can even just listen to you as a podcast as I'm bicycling to work.
Bratislava is so grand and beautiful very clean what a lovely city 😊😊 I tell u what you must be so fit the amount of steps and walking in this video alone
That was amazing Steve !!! The Iron Curtain was so cool. 46,000 steps WOW!!! :):):)
Happy Easter !
Another great vlog , lovely scenery and really enjoyed the walk to Austria 🇦🇹, 👍
Hats off to you. 298 steps is like climbing to the top of a 30 story building.
Yes, and 46,000 steps is over 22 miles, according to the google machine. I hope he ate more than a schnitzel.
Central Europe has got trams figured out Great video thanks for all the steps
Glad you enjoyed Bratislava Steve. I've been there many times on business and love it. Such a beautiful and peaceful city.
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 :)
I wonder how many storm troopers marched the roads?
Lovely.
A lovely typical square. ❤
My mother was born in Langenbielau , near Breslau
The cleanliness is wonderful. I'm in Pennsylvania. USA. we don't have this
GREAT VIDEO + ENJOYED BRATISLAVA LOOKING 2 SEEING THE REST WHEN U GO BACK TAKE CARE
Been there twice in summer jammed packed. Lucky you ! The castle is a great lookout over the city. Walked up got the lift down 😇
Enjoyable as always. Hope the feet recovered ok.
Nice one Steve.Another place on my list,would never have crossed my mind to go there.
Wow, what a great route you chose. And you even walked all the way through Petrzalka to Austria