After the 1st war and desintegration of Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, some new states were founded. One of them was Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia as a new country had to protect its teritory against its potential enimies. Therefore, in 1930 a government received a plan to build permanent fortification system alongside the borders with Austria and Germany.
The fortification consisted of almost 15 500 light 1 300 heavy fortresses. It had to be built in 10 years and it cost nearly 11 billion of Czechoslovak crowns.
However, fortification system did not fulfil its purpose. In 1938 at the conference of European powers in Munich, fearing of war, France under preassure of the Great Britain betrayed Czechoslovakia and sacrificed it to Hitler.
After the Second World War, the defeated Germany returned the occupied territory to Czechoslovakia, but Europe was divided into two blocs – the capitalist West and the communist East. The fortification system was restored and the border separating the West and the East, called the Iron Curtain, passed through Bratislava.
For those interested in history and adventure, we offer an unusual bicycle tour from Bratislava to the Iron Curtain.
Bicycle Tour to the Czechoslovak fortress system from Bratislava
Guided service fee icluded in renting of bike: 90 EUR/ 1 person/ up to 3 hours*
Guided service fee icluded in renting of bike: 120 EUR/ 2 people/ up to 3 hours*
*for more people, price to be negotiated