A DIY Day Trip to One of The World's Most Infamous Castles...
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.พ. 2025
- Colditz Castle is easily accessible from both Leipzig and Dresden and there's no need to book an official tour. There may not be a direct public transport option, but the indirect ones are easy to figure out and may even open up the chance to explore somewhere else on the same trip. Join my on a Sunday DIY day trip to one of Europe's most famous castles...
Filmed on Sunday 22nd October 2023 in Colditz, Saxony
Music courtesy of epidemicsound.com
'She Believes' by Lindsey Abraham
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 might 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.
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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.
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.
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.
WHERE'S ALICJA?
Alicja will feature as often as possible, but I'm afraid she has a proper job so it can take weeks for our schedules to match up.
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.
WHY THE ADS?
It's my income, I can't do this for free.
CAN I CONTACT YOU?
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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Watching my videos is of course support enough, but if you'd like to support further, I'll pop links below for Paypal and Patreon. All kind donations are super-appreciated and will go 100% towards future filming trips.
DO YOU ACCEPT SPONSORSHIPS?
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 TH-cam 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 #Germany #Colditz
I just discovered your channel and I'm loving your videos so far (this one is no exeption). I'm actually living in Grimma, so I was quite surprised to see you in my lovely town. You definetely should visit Grimma again and take some time with you. There is lots to discover, many small shops and cafés, the market place, a suspension bridge, the Pöppelmann bridge, the Frauenkirche and so on. If you plan on doing a trip over here, feel free to ask me for any recommendations. I try to support you in any way. Keep up the good work :)
Wtf I have literally just started watching you and now you're taking the train to my hometown!?
This is a good one; my Father spent a night in the courtyard of the castle, a stopover when the Germans were marching POWs from east to west to get away from the Russians. Some short distance from the Castle, their Guards ran off and left them to their own devices; they eventually ran into the Americans and Liberation. The Americans asked the POWs which direction the Guards went, and the POWs Pointed in the opposite direction as my Father said they just wanted to go home. The war was days from being over.
That was good of your father and shows where humanity rises above the brutality of war.
Stayed at the youth hostel at Colditz a few years ago and was taken around the tour by the same english speaking Polish/Bradfordian. He was a great tour guide. Sorry to hear he is to be replaced.
With the problems we cause in Germany, we could end up inside there permanently one day. How beautiful are German towns?? Once you get out of the major cities, a whole new Germany opens up. Sunday in Germany is "Ruhetag" - a day of rest so never expect too much happening. Another great video.
Dare I suggest.... The next Steve Vs Scott challenge: Start at Colditz and see who can get to Switzerland first, using only transport options that were available in 1943.
Except for cake and coffee
How delightful without hoards of tourists everywhere.
Tourists come in "hordes", while "hoards" sometimes fill treasure chests.
😇😇😇
I visited Colditz in 2022 with a 9 Euro ticket, also from Leipzig via Grimma and the same bus. At first I thought it was closed because there was no one there. Turned out I was the only visitor and I had the whole castle and museum for myself. It was a fantastic experience.
Pity but thanks for your tour of colditz Castle Steve
I think that non English speaking cat was worried you were filming it's illicit catnip deal! Lucky it didn't chase you. 😁 Nice day trip to do although being so famous I'm surprised the transport links aren't better.
It's becoming a sad world when human beings are being replaced with I pads. You were lucky to have a guided tour by someone who now will sadly lose his job. 😢
I don't understand why you always buy a single ticket and not the Deutschland-ticket. This 49 euro ticket is valid throughout Germany for all local and regional trains, buses, metros, etc. for a whole month, but not for long-distance trains such as ICE, IC or EC.
You have to buy it as a subscription which is then deducted from your account each month. As far as I know you can’t just buy it individually.
Thanks Steve. Such a shame that the personal tours of Colditz are coming to an end. A good tour guide can make all the difference to a tour, and that was a ‘Stirling’ effort on your behalf !😊
yes Stirling was the answer to where the 70s series was filmed
Steve, always remember that if you are travelling within Sachsen, a Sachsenticket only costs about €27 for one (you can include up to 5 passengers on the ticket for a small extra), and it not only includes trains but also regional buses. All Lands offer similar tickets - worth looking out for and can be bargains. As for Sundays in Germany, unless you are in a city that attracts Tourists everywhere is closed normally! You can't even mow your lawn if you have a power mower - in fact, I have been told many times that power tools on a Sunday are Verboten!!!! 🤣🤣🤣. Apparently they have laws that Sundays are sacrosanct and everyone is entitled to peace and quiet.
Lucky Germans! Not so in NZ have had power tools going all day Sundays.
And he's staying within the MDV area (Mitteldeutsche Verkehrsverbund), so even an MDV 24h ticket would work (costs slightly less, only €20.90 for the entire area (you need at least 5 zones, that's already €20.70, so just buy the full area). Valid on all local public transit, including trams, buses and (local) trains, and it works the same for extra people, it's a small supplement per extra traveller.
I was also going to post about the Sachsen ticket. The various Lände tickets are often a good deal, but sometimes there's a cheaper ticket for a more restricted area (e.g. the Werdenfels ticket for the area around Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria).
I just luv your attitude mate! No hurry, make the most of the time… live in the moment! 😎👍
No matter where on the globe you go.. there’s always a bloody Yorkshireman!
In Yorkshire the saying goes: "No matter where you Go, you're sure to meet a Georgie .. 😇😇😇
I went there in my campervan in 2014 and had the privilege of having a tour with Alex on my own as I was the only English speaker there. A gentleman and a fount of knowledge about everything to do with the castle. Sad to hear he’s going, hope he has a long and happy retirement.
Look, you switched from the train to the bus in my hometown 😉. You could have bought a one-way ticket Leipzig-Colditz, which would have cost 9.20 euros one-way. MDV tickets are valid on all local transport (bus, tram, regional train). So there is no need to split the tickets because of changes.
Oh Steve. I so envy the day trip to Colditz. As a teenager in the 70’s I was obsessed with The Colditz Story. I read Pat Reid’s book, watched the 1950’s film every time it was on TV, enjoyed the weekly TV series and played the board game.
Then in the 1990’s I got to know the late actor/film director Bryan Forbes who played Jimmy Winslow in the 50’s film. Endless hours talking about the film. Thank you for bringing back such fond memories.
Now, where can I watch “The Colditz Story” again. 😂
Exploring Germany on a 'Ruhetag'. Brave man, sir! I remember the fun of trying to find a corner shop or 'Spati' willing to breach trading rules, when I had tragically miscalculated the amount of bier held in reserve...
Colditz looks like a picturesque timewarp of a place. A far cry from GDR days, when everything was nicotine-brown and crumbling...
Ooh, a P50 Trabant! That's a really early one, quite a different shape from the 'Bathtub with wings' P601, most folks know.
Quite a nice trip, glad you decided to film it after the bad encounter in Leipzig...I am usually a city person, but when it comes to Germany the towns are where I consistently have nicer experiences
So many lovely towns, and you can so often find an attractive square. I visited Landsberg am Lech on a Sunday when I was In Bavaria on a roundabout day trip ending up at the Andechs Monastery. It's a gorgeous town with the most picturesque square, but I was extra lucky as there was a festival just beginning with loads of tables set up, food and drink stalls lining the square, and an Oompah band playing. I'll never forget that day!
@@mike_maplehad a similar experience last month, we went to Munich, found the city extremely uninspiring. The day we went to the Alps and the small alpine village of Lenggries was the real highlight. At easter we will go to numerous villages in the black forest, skipping the big cities entirely. Looking forward to that one!
@@liamtahaney713If you are in the Black Forest, visit Lake Constance!
@@liamtahaney713 oh great, yes I went to the Black Forest myself last year, stayed in Hausach. If you're near, you must go to Schiltach, it's just a perfect little town
@@mike_maple don't worry Steve you have great videos you try to hard
To be honest, Steve, as a German I never heard of Colditz Castle before I moved to the UK.
My son and I are planning to make another tour of Germany in 2024 starting at the Brocken in the Harz Mountains, then Leipzig and the Battle of the Nations Memorial followed by Colditz Castle where we intend to spend a night in the Youth Hostel with the final destination Berlin to visit relatives.
Your German, by the way, is almost perfect with your "Danke schoen" and "Tschuess".
I remember reading about Douglas Bader who was imprisoned there, he had a Scottish Medical Orderly, who was tasked with carrying Bader around, the Germans were so impressed by the Orderly that they declared that he was a Non Combatant and could go home, but Bader put a stop to him leaving, because he needed him to carry him around the Castle.I think if I remember correctly the story was in the Sunday Post.
Fascinating, thanks for the opportunity to share it with you. I have to say, the sound of your boots on the cobblestones did make it a bit eerie!
Sounded the way WW2 German soldiers always sound in the movies.
When we were there the lady guide said she'd visited England when the Berlin Wall came down and kept seeing the Castle picture in bookshops - she hadn't realised it was famous until then!
What a grand tour you done again and doing Colditz that was an eye opener shame the real tours are ending 😳 but you gave it a good tour and thanks for sharing 👍 😀 x
Steve, you surpass yourself with each video and this one was no exception! Colditz looks like a lovely wee tranquil town that looked like it came straight out of a movie and you truly did it justice by showing how lovely it is!!!!!! Kudos to you mate!!!!!!!!!
Couldn’t agree more!!!
I haven’t seen the tv programme for 50 years, I think Stirling castle was used for filming, very interesting seeing the town as well, and to get a view inside. Thanks Steve. What a great guide, he was.
Thank-you for sharing your part of the world with us. Kentucky USA
Your part of the world? He’s from Scotland.
I’ve never been out of the US and love different accents, cultures, scenery, etc. I’ve always wanted to see Scotland and know it will never happen.
I met Bill Goldfinch, the Colditz glider designer, at Old Sarum, near Salisbury, shortly before his death in 2007. This amazing guy was still building an aeroplane, a rather strange looking flying boat!
What a wonderful video, thank you
I love that you are so kind to animals!
Great stuff as always did wonder about the Grim Station it did look grim, I loved the series Colditz and the book, Airey Neave was such a hero, so sad the way his life was ended cheers Steve
Long live punctuation marks and their pepper uses ...
Ben from Bald and Bankrupt was also once in Colditz when we went with Alina from Prague to Berlin... The castle however was closed.
Always wondered what the real place looked like. I read Pat Reid’s account of his time in Colditz “the impossible to escape” castle. Reid wrote two books complete with drawings. The drawings include a plan of the Colditz glider which was built in the roof space. Thank you for sharing our trip to this historic site.
What a lovely wee place Colditz is Steve. I can appreciate why the castle people want to digitalise the tour experience but it would be nice for visitors to be given the option in future of whether they go for a digital walkaround or have the wonderful experience of walking around under Alex's guidance. Sometimes the use of technology isn't always best as you miss that human touch. At least you've got that memory in the bag before it changes 😊
Great video. Grimma staiion certainly lives up to its name!
It was so cool to see you on this trip. As my girlfriend lives in the Colditz area I have taken that RB110 train passing Grimma many times! Also it is quite funny that Colditz seems to be much more known in foreign countries than in Germany itself. Before I moved to Leipzig I had not heard of it.
Steve, amazing views. I was a studio engineer who worked on the TV show at BBC Television Centre, London. Great times.
Very informative vid. It was 1973 with David McCallum, Jack Hedley and Bernard Hepton when the Colditz series was made making use of Stirling Castle Stirlingshire. It was also used in Kidnapped in 1971 with Michael Cane and Jack Hawkins. Stirling Castle was very imposing and great to see the actual Colditz Castle itself. Very informative.
Thank you for verifying my 'educated guess', based on logistics, that it was indeed Sterling castle!
Visited Colditz in 2019 and stayed at the youth hostel in the castle and did the tour the next morning. Chose the English language tour alongside a couple of New Zealanders and some folks from Norfolk. Was surprised to hear a Yorkshire accent on the guide. Alex was great and asked us all where we were from. Turns out he had worked for Severn Trent water and knew exactly where I lived in Nottingham thanks to his previous job. When I say exactly I mean the street and the block of 5 houses thanks to it being below a Sainsburys Local. Sad to hear he's being replaced because he was brilliant.
Went in the mid 90s ... it was very run down ... there was only a single bakery on the square selling coffee and half loaves of dark bread .. flew to Altenburg .. there were few cars!! Older frauline did Colditz tourr .. amazing... oh and no Aldi...😂
Germany has amazing castles. My girlfriend is German and she has taken me to loads. I'll be going back to Germany in a couple of weeks and can't wait to see many more.
Look up Schwerin and its castle, beautiful City near Hamburg and not far away from the baltic sea
Thanks fro that, I will do,@@Knnnkncht
Here in Germany Colditz is rather unknown. To the British it is a very special place.
When Germans think of "dark places" within German borders, they think of Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen, Dachau and such... Colditz was "just" a POW camp.
You're the best, Steve. I never miss an episode. I hope you come to the US some day.
Congratulations Steve on your 100k followers !! That’s such an awesome achievement. Your videos are down to earth and grounded. They are such a pleasure to watch and throughly enjoyable. Thank you for all the hard work that you put in creating such wonderful content. Wishing you all the best.
Stirling Castle, actually saw them filming, guys on ropes abseiling over the walls, many moons ago when we visited my aunt and uncle in Kippen
Ticket-wise:
Leipzig, Grimma, Colditz and Bad Lausick are in the same fare network called MDV, and tickets allow transfer. Instead of buying a ticket for each leg (4 zones and 2 zones), you should have picked just a plain ticket for 5 zones (3 hours, 9.20 Euros) to get there (the question the ticket machine is asking is just to count the correct number of zones). And the same back. That also would have saved you the hassle to get the ticket when changing in Bad Lausick. Staff at Leipzig station and also the bus driver on the return trip should have been able to help you with that, if you just had indicated that your end destination is Colditz and Leipzig, respectively.
Thanks!
The cardboard cut-outs are a very clever addition - achieving a lot so simply. Lovely cobbled streets.
Another very interesting video Steve, thank you for taking us along again.....
No need to buy extra tickets for each single mode of transport. Most regional bus services will be part of a transport association (in your case, MDV). Just get a ticket for the entire journey.
Our intrepid explorer does it again! Thank you for a wonderful wander to Colditz and a fantastic video all around. It’s so sad that the tour guides will be replaced with technological ones. 😔 We need human connection, especially when learning and questioning. FAQs won’t ever replace human interaction!
Great value for a day trip! Glad you made all of your tight connections. Keep moving forward, friend. 🤗
Well things have been cleaned up! We went to Germany just after the wall came down. All they had new were new rounds, everything else was as in the DDR. It was the most amazing trip back in time. People were really amazed that we came and wanted to look around. In some cases we were the first westerners they had seen. We went to Potsdams and then all around. This was very interesting, thank you Steve. I hope you have recovered from your fright and that it wont put you off doing these amazing videos!
That was so fantastic Steve, must have felt amazing to be there.
Cheers.
Steve Time! 👍🏴
Restaurants are normally open on Sundays. I think that pizza place is just the only gastronomy Colditz has 😄
Another very interesting video Steve. Certainly my kind of day trip for sure with an amazing castle and lots of history. Glad you were able to make this trip after your bad experience in Leipzig. Also many congratulations on passing the 100,000 subscriber mark, very well deserved 👍🙂
Another great video! Love how you stop to talk to all the cats you meet on your travels.
Really enjoyed your video. Great to see inside the castle.
Such a shame , no more guided tours , just an i-pad 😢. Having to interact with a guides like asking questions is really great
That was fun and interesting Steve. That was something I couldn't do so thank you for doing it for me!!!
Yes congratulations on 100k subscribers... Everybody I meet and talk to I always bring up your "You Tube " channel... :):):)
thanks Steve for another great vlog👍
That was really interesting, Steve - especially to see that our countries are not so different really, with no expense spared on the maintenance of Leipzig station, while Grimma looks like something out of Ulster during the height of The Troubles - and then, Colditz town looking very wealthy indeed! Stirling Castle, wasn't it - that filming location?!!
Well done :)
Thanks Steve, another entertaining video. So much interesting history and some of it not so far back as far as time goes. Thanks for sharing.
I heard this week that, when he was liberated, a soldier from one of the Irish Regiments took the keys of Colditz Castle home to Belfast - he didn't want anyone else to be locked up there! Apparently the keys are now held in the museum of the Royal Irish Regiment.
About digitised tours, all I can say is I visited the digitised tour of Bodmin Jail few weeks ago, and it was absolutely amazing, meticulously researched and very rewarding. Next time you visit Cornwall, I recommend
Great video! 😊
Sometimes you get a discount if you show your Gastkarte (your hotel should provide you with one)
We spent the night in the castle hostel, done the guided tour and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience on a motorbike tour from Inverness, really enjoy your videos Steve
Really interesting video, thanks for that. Never knew Airey Neave escaped from there. Mad how he managed that and yet lost his life at the hands of INLA back in the 80s in London. Anyway, cheers.
Nice trip and you had a nerve to travel Germany on Sunday! I guess that pizza place was a real treat 🍕🍕🍕
Great .
Thanks for taking us along on your day-trip to beautiful Colditz. To me it looks like a paradise. Too bad I don't speak German. I'm glad you were able to put that horrible experience w/the a-holes in Leipzig behind you and include us along on another German adventure. Take care.
Great video Steve,thanks for bringing me along.my grandad was in the recon team in the war found ways through.and a German family kindly shelter him from capture.🤔💜🕊️
I still have the board game, it comes out every once and awhile at Christmas, great fun !
Why do I find listening to an englishman talk about my country way more interesting than if it was a german :p That was a beautiful postcard shot from the field to the castle!
Scot!
@@beverleylocke4207 Whoops! Thanks for clarifying. : ) I'm a wee bit rusty :D
Brilliant! Well done Steve, I’ve always wanted to go there. And yes I had that board game. How about a trip to the Mohne and Eder dams?
It is good that Germany is now reunited once more and you area able to visit picturesque places like Colditz.
Thanks Steve, very interesting. I was given a private trip around the castle in 1992 or 1993. They were only opening it up to tourists by that time and the museum was only 1 small room then. Post 1945/6 it became a hospital / sanatorium (which my hosts from Chemnitz knew it better as) Colditz was more famous on the old DDR for its porcelain & beer. And yes I have the game! Thanks again for a lovely nostalgic video, Cheers!
Brilliant video steve. So many congrats on 100k subscribers. Woop woop. 🎉🎉🎉
That was great. Loved the TV series as a kid in the early 70s. We were brought up on WW2 in those days - war films, war comics, model aircraft, TV series etc.
That view you had through the trees at 16:00 is the famous view used on the board game box and also for the tv series. Well done, most impressive. I really need to get there one day.
Amazing castle. Interesting history but that just makes it better. You are spot on about Germany on a Sunday, it really does close down which I think is great and should be brought back in around the world. One day in the week where you don't have to do anything 👍😁.
You are such an inspiration Steve. Have loved your videos and have done some real adventures myself this year because I've felt so inspired by you. So thank you for that 😊
Awesome video, as usual. Thanks!
Hi, Steve. Another great video. An amazing place. Why the surprise that you were hungry? You are always hungry my friend. Keep the great reviews coming 😊😊
Looks like a great day out, Steve - thanks for taking us with you!
I went to Colditz back in 1991, I’ve often thought about going back again. The Colditz Brewery in the town was particularly good and the beer was very enjoyable.
i remember the colditz board game😊👍👍
Steve, I am so glad to see your newest video on a castle. The way you get to an unknown and unfamiliar place and provide us with nice scenery and pertinent information is simply mind-boggling. Hope to see you seen on another adventure..
These are indeed great video's, but the activity exhibited by Steve is called "Going out and explore". Everyone can do that and it's definitely not as scary as some folk seem to think 😄
Wow! Just my huge respect on how masterfully you've handled german public transport!
And how cool you made it to Colditz and discovered this region of Saxonia. There's still a plenty of hidden history to discover in this area.
Thanks for going round the castle and and seeing what the castle was used for in the war and now it is wonderful to look round and the town and nice and sunny day as well thanks Steve
If I remember correctly, I went to Colditz with my family in 2002 or 2004. Can't remember which of those years it was. We drove from Halle that day as that was where my uncle lived and where we stayed at the time. You cam catch the train to Leipzig from Halle too. I will have to take my wife. She loves history and castles. I would appreciate it more too. Thanks for the tour and congratulations on 100k subscribers. Keep up the good work. Cheers
Thanks for another fascinating video. I didn't know that the 1970s series was filmed in Stirling Castle, which is what the various comments appear to hint. Certainly some of it at least was filmed at Ealing Studios in London. When I was a student there, we used to see members of the cast in their WW2 uniforms nipping across the road for a quick pint!
Stunning place, Steve😍. What a shame they are digitalising the tours! I do remember having the board game back in the day😂
Great video. I remember watching the Colditz series in early 70s. I was later a German student and all the region was the DDR. Fascinating history so great to see you travel there and discover all your connections. I thought you might have been cheaper with a return ticket. Someone in comments advised a Saxon ticket at €27. Sounds like the Brandon berg ticket I used in Berlin to take me to polish border and back.
Great filming. Great to see town and castle.
I hope to do this trip soon. Not sure whether to stay in Leipzig or Grimna or the hostel in the castle.
Thank you for showing us round. Great video. Yes I’d read it was filmed in Stirling castle. Thanks.
Always my Saturday early morning travel with Steve. Fresh views and food and fun.
Steve what agood video, the Tunnels were so narrow, film was good of the Castle, didn't know that they didn't filmit there,
Hi Steve,
You've cracked it again. All your vlogs are good but this Leipzig trip was terrific, especially your trip to Colditz castle. This, in my opinion, raises the bar even higher. Keep going Steve, we always look forward to your latest installment because we know we'll enjoy it.
Ian and Angie.
I love your creativity which takes us all to fascinating, if often obscure, places. Brilliant.
Stayed in Colditz 2011 - spent one evening talking to a Russian teenager who wanted to know what London was like in the swinging sixties! Really enjoy your videos, Steve!