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The Greenbrier Bunker Tour

101 Main St. W White Sulphur Springs, WV

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(855) 453-4858

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You Can Now Visit Mussolini’s Underground Bunker in Rome

The dictator constructed the shelters below his family’s residence after Italy entered World War II

Daily Correspondent

In June 1940, Italian troops invaded the French Alps, marking the country’s entry into World War II. Behind the scenes, crews began building underground shelters to protect the fascist dictator  Benito Mussolini and his family.

Now, 84 years later, the bunkers beneath Villa Torlonia , Mussolini’s home in Rome, have reopened to the public. Visitors can book 50-minute guided tours of the subterranean complex, which features an immersive multimedia exhibition.

This is not the first time members of the public have been allowed to visit the shelters. They opened for two years beginning in 2006, and occasional tours were offered in the years that followed, reports  CNN ’s Julia Buckley.

Mussolini lived at Villa Torlonia from 1929 to 1943 . The villa was also home to his wife, Rachele, and the couple’s children, Edda, Vittorio, Bruno, Romano and Anna Maria, according to Forbes ’ Jim Dobson. 

When Italy entered the war, crews built three underground structures to protect Mussolini and his family from aerial bombings. They began work on the first one in 1940, when they repurposed an old wine cellar situated underneath a small lake on the property.

The following year, they built an air raid shelter in the basement of Casino Nobile, one of the villa’s buildings. They reinforced the walls with four-foot-thick concrete, installed an air purification and exchange system and added gas-tight doors.

Finally, in late 1942, they began building an armored bunker nearly 20 feet underground in front of Casino Nobile. It was shaped like a cross and protected by a 13-foot-thick layer of concrete—but it was never finished. By the time Mussolini was  arrested on July 25, 1943, workers hadn’t yet installed watertight doors, bathrooms or a ventilation system.

The city of Rome purchased the property in 1977 and opened it to the public in 1978. Today, it’s a museum and a park.

On the tours, visitors can walk inside the air raid shelter and bunker beneath Casino Nobile, though the repurposed wine cellar remains off-limits. As they wander through the two structures, they’ll see images projected on the walls and hear sounds meant to transport them back in time.

The exhibition begins with Mussolini’s life at Villa Torlonia, where he hosted parties, ceremonies, tennis matches and other events. Next, visitors will learn about Italy’s entry into the war and what hiding out in a bunker during a bombing would have been like.

Rome suffered 51 Allied bombings between July 1943 and May 1944. The exhibition recalls these raids, with a particular focus on those that occurred in the city’s  San Lorenzo neighborhood , which killed  more than 3,000 people.

A series of projections also shows the “double perspective of those who bomb and do not perceive the effects from above, and those who suffer the consequences from below,” according to the  tour website , via Google Translate.

At the end of the tour, visitors climb down a steep staircase into the unfinished bunker, where curators have added sounds and ground vibrations to simulate the experience of an air raid.

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Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.

The Greenbrier Bunker Tour: Essential Tips to Know Before You Go!

• Post author: Rachel Means
• Post last modified: 2023-10-25

Hidden beneath a luxury resort in the mountains of West Virginia lies one of the best kept government secrets of the Cold War: a nuclear fallout shelter for Congress!

This top secret facility remained updated and ready, and completely hidden from the public, for decades until a Washington Post journalist exposed it in the 1990s.

Today, you can visit The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV and take the Bunker Tour to learn all about this crazy-but-true story!

We added it to an Eastern US road trip, but it’s also a good day trip option from New River Gorge National Park.

Here’s everything you need to know before you go on The Greenbrier Bunker Tour.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and associate of other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

A Secret Bunker Hidden Beneath a Luxury Resort…

The Cold War was dominated by uncertainty, and the US government decided it needed a backup plan to ensure the smooth continuation of running the country in the event of a nuclear attack.

So, they built a secret bunker for Congress under a popular luxury resort in West Virginia.

The Greenbrier has been around since 1788, tucked away in the Allegheny Mountains . It’s been a favorite luxury resort for the rich and famous for centuries.

When President Eisenhower approached the resort about disguising the development of a secret bunker under the construction for the resort’s new West Virginia wing in 1958 , the owners were only too happy to oblige.

Construction and maintenance was done in such a way to limit the number of people that knew of the bunker’s existence. Most of The Greenbrier staff had no idea it was there.

The Greenbrier Bunker was maintained and updated in secret for more than 30 years until an enterprising Washington Post journalist uncovered the secret in the 1990s and exposed it to the world.

With the location revealed, the bunker had to be decommissioned.

Today, it’s a unique historical landmark, a rare physical reminder of the unseen dread that permeated society and dictated serious decisions during the Cold War.

Getting to The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier Resort is located in White Sulphur Springs, WV, just off of I-64, very close to the West Virginia/Virginia state line.

There’s no way around it: you have to drive to get to here. You won’t find any urban centers with convenient airports close by.

It’s a 4 hour drive from Washington, DC or Charlotte, NC. The closest cities of any size are Roanoke, VA or Charleston, WV, a 1.5 hour or 2 hour drive, respectively.

Most visitors come to The Greenbrier to escape cities for a relaxed, outdoor setting. One thing this area is great at is outdoor recreation.

The resort is about 2 hours from the southern entrance of Shenandoah National Park or an hour and a half from the New River Gorge Bridge and the northern end of that national park and preserve.

We highly recommend adding The Greenbrier Bunker Tour as a stop on a broader road trip through the region. Try our 7 Day Eastern USA Road Trip or make your own!

What to Expect on The Greenbrier Bunker Tour

The Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier is a 90 minute, guided group tour through the once top secret area built to shelter both houses of Congress in the event of an emergency.

The tour begins in one of the front lobbies at the hotel, reveals one of the hidden entrances inside the resort, and then continues through the secret bunker’s spaces, like the blast door, decontamination chambers, living spaces, and working spaces.

They even purposely made some of the resort décor a bit nauseating near the secret entrance to the bunker, so resort guests would feel uncomfortable and leave the area.

History fanatic or not, this is a fascinating tour straight out of a dystopian novel , except it was a real emergency measure implemented during the Cold War.

Many alive today can still remember the hint of doom lingering over everyday life, but the younger generations that didn’t live it can better appreciate the preparedness that went into assuming you could be hit by a nuclear weapon at any moment.

Rather than spoil the tour with a room-by-room account of what you’ll see, we’ve instead included some important things to know before you go on The Bunker Tour .

The Greenbrier Resort is fancy !

Prepare to be blown away by the resort itself before you even get to your tour. This is a luxury, upscale resort with all the fancy trimmings.

The entire resort is walled off and private. The front entrance is gated. They’re all about privacy, which comes in handy when you’re also concealing a bunker that can house the entirety of Congress.

The drive up to the lobby is immaculately landscaped . Depending on the time of year you visit, you’ll be greeted by either an impressive blooming flower display or a giant, decked out Christmas tree.

You’re greeted by valets and doormen when the shuttle drops you off at the front door. Inside, every square inch has been thought out and decorated.

The bright colors of Dorothy Draper’s designs are a bit much for some people, but take a moment to appreciate the marble floors and plush carpet you’re walking on, the paintings you’re casually walking past, and the little touches like writing tables.

Is There a Dress Code for the Greenbrier Bunker Tour?

You don’t have to wear anything super fancy for the tour. In fact, comfortable walking shoes are encouraged for the Bunker Tour.

The Greenbrier does have a dress code , but it’s not as ominous as it sounds. It’s mostly for dining and evenings, and so guests don’t walk around in nothing but swimsuits.

Resort casual usually means a collared polo shirt for men, blouses for women, and bermuda shorts or pants for all. No ripped, torn, or cut-off clothes. Steer clear of political or offensive apparel. No ballcaps.

We visited in November and wore dark jeans (no holes or rips), tennis shoes, and t-shirts under lightweight jackets.

We don’t normally stay in places this luxurious, so we were impressed by the attention to detail. We also felt a bit underdressed at first.

But once we met the other guests on the tour, that feeling went away. At least half of our group were dressed in similar, relaxed clothing like us. There were some in impeccable resort casual, too, so either way is fine.

No electronics, bags, or photos allowed.

The Bunker has been decommissioned and declassified, but that doesn’t mean it’s giving away all its secrets just yet.

There’s a very strict no bags, no electronics, and no photos policy.

They have lockers at the beginning of the tour where you store your cell phone, purses, etc. If you don’t feel comfortable leaving these items in a locker, then don’t bring them with you to the tour.

Some of the space in the former bunker is now rented by private companies for server storage, among other things, I’m sure.

This is the primary reason for the security measures. It’s not just another government cover up!

Lots of walking but not a lot of stairs

The Bunker Tour information page specifically calls out the dress code as “comfortable shoes” because you’re on your feet and walking for the majority of the 90 minute tour.

The good news is there aren’t many stairs! A few spots throughout the tour provide a chance to sit down while your guide explains more about the room you’re visiting.

Greenbrier Bunker Tour: Practical Info & FAQs

• Cost: $40 per adult, $20 per kid ages 10-18
• Duration: about 1.5 hours
• Reservations required: Call ahead to reserve your spot. Tour times vary by day and guide availability. No online tour reservations.

>> Can I Do the Bunker Tour If I’m Not Staying at The Greenbrier Resort?

Yes, absolutely! Call ahead to reserve your spot. (No online reservations unfortunately.) Then, the resort will send you directions for where to park, how to get to the resort, and where to meet up.

When we day tripped here as part of our bigger eastern US road trip , we parked at the train depot, a resort shuttle bus took us to the front entrance, and we rendezvoused with the tour group in one of the front lobbies.

>> Are Private Bunker Tours Available?

Yes, at a price. You’re essentially buying out a timeslot to book a private tour.

Therefore, the cheapest private tour option is $900 for a tour time before 5PM. After 5PM, the price and mandatory gratuity increase.

You’re still allowed up to 25 people on a private tour, so costs could be split amongst yourselves if you’re trying to guarantee your whole group is on one tour time.

>> Can Kids Come on the Greenbrier Bunker Tour?

Yes, ages 10+ are welcome.

>> Will Kids Get Bored on the Bunker Tour?

Depends on age and interests. I haven’t met a kid yet that thought moving an enormous blast door by themselves was boring.

The history might go over younger kids’ heads, but the guides try to make it interesting for them nonetheless. Tweens and teens will get a kick out of the “latest technology” displayed in the bunker.

The Greenbrier Bunker Tour: A Fun Road Trip Stop Worth Your While

If you’re in the area of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia or you’re passing within detour distance on a road trip, we highly recommend this unique stop!

The Greenbrier’s Bunker Tour reveals a fascinating piece of American history, perfect for breaking up a long drive as a stepping stone to your next destination.

Here are some more resources for an epic Eastern USA Road Trip that can easily accommodate a stop at The Greenbrier.

• 7 Day Eastern USA Road Trip Itinerary – Six States in 7 Days!
• 9 Useful Tips & Tricks for Driving Blue Ridge Parkway
• Is Visiting The Blowing Rock Worth It?
• Fun Things to Do in Little Switzerland, NC: A Blue Ridge Parkway Town
• How to Spend One Day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
• A Gettysburg Self-Guided Driving Tour: Tips, Tricks, & Hacks!
• Exploring Antietam National Battlefield in an Afternoon
• Fun Things to Do in Harpers Ferry, WV
• 7 Short & Easy Hikes in Shenandoah National Park
• Touring Appomattox Court House – See Where the Civil War Ended!

Happy travels!

About the Author : Rachel Means

With six-figure student loan debt and only 10 PTO days per year, Rachel started traveling the world. A decade later, she’s paid off her loans, changed careers, and been to 36 US states and 14 countries. She’s an expert at planning and budgeting for travel and loves to help others do it, too! Read her full story here.

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War museum La Coupole V2 Launcher site and underground bunker complex

Tour code : museum62 la coupole v2 launcher site and underground bunker complex history centre and planetarium 3d in saint-omer (private tour).

Day trip from Paris with your own group aboard a Minivan (max 7 pax)

• Information
• Tour Description
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DETAILS PRICES

• Due to long distance from Paris to “La Coupole” Museum site in Pas de Calais region, a minimum of 4 travellers (adults) is required in order to operate the tour = 600 € (150 € per adult)
• Children = 75 € (50% discount)
• Teenagers = 90 € (40% discount)

HIGHTLIGHTS

• Discover this huge and impressive dome made in concrete and known as ” La Coupole “who now house a WW2 museum but was used by the Nazi in WW2 as an ungerground bunker complex and launcher site for the V2 missiles
• Walk along side the deep galleries of the underground bunker complex
• Step back in time and learn about the events and military technologies improvment from design of the V2 missile by the Nazis untill the launch of the Saturn rocket into the moon by the U.S.A
• See a genuine V2 missile and watch a 3D film about its engine
• Relive the major periods of the occupation of France by the German Army (1940-1944) through images: the invasion, exodus

THE PRICE INCLUDES

• Admission tickets for both History Centre and Underground bunker complex + 3D Planetarium
• Driver/guide
• Transport by air-conditioned Vehicle

THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDES

• Hotel pick-up and drop-off
• Food and drinks
• Pick up in central paris
• Introduction
• « La Coupole » History Centre - WW2 Musem
• 3D Planetarium
• Return and drop off in central Paris

In the morning the driver guide will pick you up at 06:30 am at the following adress : LIDO DE PARIS 116 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris

(Easy to access by metro Line 1 and to get off at Metro station « George V»)

La Coupole , located 5 km from Saint-Omer (Nord-Pas-de-Calais), is one of the most impressive remnants of the Second World War in Europe. It is a symbolic place of the Nazi oppression, due to its overwhelming mass, the nature of its underground facilities and the suffering of the slave labourers who built it.

This huge bunker, built by the Todt Organisation in 1943-1944 had to be the base for launching the V2 rockets against London. Developed in the ultra-secret Peenemünde centre by Von Braun's team, these missiles, along with the American atomic bomb, were the most innovative devices developed during World War II. The V2s were mass-produced by deportees from the Dora concentration camp in the underground factory "Mittelwerk", located at the heart of Germany.

Heavily bombed by the Allies, La Coupole was abandoned during the summer of 1944, after the Normandy landings. The V2s, which struck London and Antwerp in September 1944, were launched by mobile units established in Holland.

Since 1997, this place, which has been turned into a History and Memory Centre, a world war II museum, has welcomed more than 2 million visitors.

Rex Circuit

Following the Wernher von Braun route, you will discover that the V2 rocket, a real weapon of destruction, is actually the ancestor of all present-day rockets. La Coupole  will help you understand the links between war, science and Nazism and the way in which the scientific leaders of a war became the pioneers of the space race.

Peenemünde and the A4/V2 rocket

• Animation, in relief, of the workings of the A4/V2 rocket engine (3 min)

The V1/ Peenemünde and Los Alamos

• Touch Table "Aerial reconnaissance and photo-interpretation"
• Film: "3D reconstruction of the Mittelwerk underground factory and the Dora concentration camp" (4 min)
• Actual size replica of the Little Boy atomic bomb

Dora. The V1 and V2 in London and Antwerp

• Film: "The special constructions" (8 min)
• Series of four models

The legacy of Peenemünde and the conquest of space (1945-1969)

• Silent film: "Discovery of Dora-Nordhausen by the Americans" (5 min)
• Film: "The conquest of space" (22 min)
• Same-scale series of 7 model rockets (1/20) and scale 1 model of Sputnik
• Comics on rockets

"Dora" exhibit

• Colour photographic report by Walter Frentz
• Drawings by Léon Delarbre

Cineac Circuit

Relive the major periods of the occupation of France by the German Army (1940-1944) through images: the invasion, exodus, the difficulties of everyday life, popular resistance and the Liberation.

On entering the "Cinéac" room, you can watch a projection of the slide show "Nord-Pas-de-Calais in German hands (1940-1945)" (duration: 21 min). After having seen the slide show, you can leave the room on the lower level of the dome to continue following the tour on this theme:

The invasion

• Film: "Invasion 1940" (17 min)
• Film « Dunkirk 1940 » (11 min)
• Map table on "The German invasion of 1940"

The Occupation

• Series of 7 models related to the Atlantic Wall
• Film « The Todt organisation and the Atlantic Wall » (9 min)
• Reconstruction of a shop from this era
• Uniform display
• Film « Being an occupier in the north of France » (8 min)
• Film « The grey days; daily life under the Occupation » (11 min)

Collaboration / Persecution / Resistance / Repression

• Objects from the air war
• Reconstruction of the "Execution Wall" at the Citadel in Lille
• Objects from the Resistance (post-transmitter, typewriter, elements of sabotage)
• Film « Propaganda and collaboration » (8 min)
• Film « The resistance in Nord-Pas-de-Calais » (11 min)

The Liberation

• Citroën Traction from the Liberation.
• Film « The Liberation of Northern France » (11 min) 
• Film « A wounded region: the reconstruction » (7 min)

"Deportation and Genocide" exhibit

• Film « The Nazi concentration camp system, deportation and genocide" (20 min)

It was from La Coupole that the V2 rocket, the ancestor of all modern rockets, was destined to take off. Today, on the launching site, the simply spectacular Planetarium offers you an unforgettable journey into space. Take place inside the massive 360-degree room wearing your active 3D glasses and travel through the universe.

Follow Yuri Gagarin during his first space flight, step onto Mars with the Curiosity rover and discover all sorts of other celestial happenings. Come and discover the Planetarium on its own, or combine your session with a visit to the museum.

Depending on the sessions, the films are shown in 3D by six video projectors, associated with an astronomical simulator generating 360° high resolution images. With a 360° hemispherical screen of 15 metres in diameter, a 15° angled floor and a 5.1 surround sound system, the Planetarium offers its viewers a total immersion into Space and Science.

Dream to Fly (Starts at 11:00 am)

ALL AUDIENCES - 3D

Discover the mystery of flight with Leonardo da Vinci, the Montgolfier brothers, the Wright brothers and other inventors. Experience the adventure and find out how this immense and challenging dream, for which mankind has strived since the beginning of history became reality.

Dynamic Earth (Starts at 12:15 pm)

An astounding film which explores the internal functioning of the climate trough extraordinary computer simulations! Follow a trail from energy from the sun into atmosphere, the oceans, and the biosphere which together form our climate, dive into the eye of massive hurricane, get face with shark and giant whales, and fly into the center of active volcanoes.

Lucia, the Secret of Shooting Stars (Starts at 02:00 pm)

James and Vladimir take a seat in their spaceship to study polar auroras from space. They meet a hummingbird, Lucia, just as curious as they are. Together, they will seek to understand the shooting stars and the origin of meteorites, these mysterious pebbles that fall on Earth ...

During the return drive to Paris you will have time to relax aboard the minivan before to be dropped off in Central Paris  (Drop off in front of "LIDO DE PARIS 116 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris" in the evening around 07:30 pm.

Easy there to catch a taxi cab either to find metro stations (Ligne 1 Métro : George V)

More about Saint-Omer

• Museum in meaux

« ADRIAN ROADS » passionate team company is motivated by the same core values, namely the sharing of remembrance and transmission of history knowledge in both world wars. We do run our tours in small groups only (Max 8 people) aboard a comfortable and Air conditioned minivan.

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The Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier

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The Bunker Tour at The Greenbrier - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

Borders Of Adventure

Leading Culture and Adventure Travel Blog by Becki Enright. Looking at the world with a different angle to change perceptions of misunderstood places, for the best in travel.

Germany , Misunderstood Destinations

Berlin Underground Tours – Secret City War Bunkers and Escape Tunnels

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links to handpicked partners, including tours, gear and booking sites. If you click through or buy something via one of them, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you and allows this site to keep running.

Berlin underground tours are an alternative way to understand the city’s complex history, where you can view war bunkers and escape tunnels in what are now disused metro stations. 

With Berlin known for its alternative scene and unravelling of a dark past, this is a different way of seeing it. 

When researching my trip there I came across the Berlin Underworlds Association (Berliner Unterwelten) – a society for the exploration and documentation of subterranean culture. They provide expert tours of the city’s underground linked to various moments of its history, citing to “experience the history of Berlin from an unconventional perspective.” 

The Berlin Underworlds Association has been offering Berlin tunnel tours for around 15 years, so they know exactly what they are doing when it comes to the important underground structures in the city. You won’t get stuck or lost, or be breaking any laws when it comes to the exploration of abandoned areas. This has all been curated and set up exclusively. 

© Berliner Unterwelten e.V. / Holger Happel

Where Does the Berlin Underground Tour Begin?

When do the underground tours run, underground tours prices, escaping via the sewage system, escaping via the east berlin u-bahn underground stations, from underground to overground , berlin underground bunker tours, virtual tours of underground berlin, beneath berlin – understanding history , what berlin underground tours can you go on.

From war bunkers and air-raid shelters to the remains of an anti-aircraft fortress, subterranean Berlin plays host to a wealth of history. You might find it hard to choose which tour to go on, although a lot of your choice will be dependent on what tours are running on the given day.

There are currently four underground Berlin tours available:

• Tour 1: Dark Worlds
• Tour 2: From Flak Towers to Mountains of Debris
• Tour 3: Cold War Nuclear Bunkers
• Tour M: Under the Berlin Wall

I decided on Tour M, which at the time was called Breaching the Berlin Wall: Subterranean Escapes from East Berlin to West Berlin and which this article focuses on, with an overview of the main things you get to learn about and what an underground tour encompasses generally. 

Photography is not allowed, which is why I am using images granted for use by the Berliner Unterwelten. 

The majority of the tours start in or near the Gesundbrunnen station in the north of Berlin city centre and they last approximately two hours.

The main season for tours is April – October and they run from Monday – Friday between 10 AM – 4 PM and on Saturday, Sunday and National Holidays between 9 AM and 4 PM. 

You can check the website for further details and view the calendar of dates and times on the homepage . 

Surprisingly, the tours to this secret part of Berlin are relatively inexpensive.

– Tour 1, 2 and 3 are €15 

– Tour M is €18 

– The Exhibition, “Myth of Germania” is €6

Do note: The BerlinWelcomeCard is not valid for the tours but for the exhibition “Myth of Germania”.

The Berlin Wall Escape Tunnels

Many attempts were made to escape from East Berlin to the West via man-made tunnels dug deep underground, where everything from reinforcements to lighting and ventilation had to be taken into consideration.

The first tunnel was dug in December 1961 and the last one in 1985, four years before the borders were opened. Of course, some attempts had devastating consequences, when uncovered by the East German secret police (Stasi), but others were successful. The determination resulting in the same people risking their lives to dig another tunnel in a different location months later to help others.

The sewer channels were also used as escape routes, even though the Stasi had put preventative measures in place with grating systems. Initially, the grating was a square shape within the circle of the tunnel meaning there was just enough space to squeeze under – through the sewage.

The Stasi later installed oval-shaped grating and then used measures to cover the space completely. Many West Berlin students had great escape operations in place using the sewage systems to help their friends trapped in the East.

However, when escaping this way, someone had to be the ‘lid man’ with the promise of being able to go down into the hole another time. In the room underground was a manhole cover, the same as the ones you see in the city today and what would have been in use back then. The lights were turned out as if to create the atmosphere of nighttime escape and two strong guys were asked to carefully and quietly lift the heavy lid.

No problem at all, but putting it back? A disastrous mixture of the wrong balance, uneven weight and constant clanging noise. Back then, they would have been caught instantly and killed. It puts into perspective how difficult these escapes were with the Stasi on the lookout right around every corner.

With the construction of the Wall, U-Bahn lines in East Berlin were severed in their connection to the West. But as the East got poorer the two West Berlin lines (the U6 and U8) that ran through East Berlin were ‘rented out’ to the West, allowing them to pass through the East Berlin metro stations without stopping.

We were told about how people cleverly hid among the tracks and side walls ready to jump on passing trains and how the guards on the Eastern side would defect and while on duty, use this route as a means to escape.

When the Stasi lost too many men they eventually locked guards on duty in a room with a small window looking out towards the tracks. Any signs of escapees would have to be called through to a superior, by which point it was probably too late to catch them.

One of the most fascinating parts of the tour was wandering along a huge underground corridor only to emerge from a side door on the wall of the underground station, which most people probably walk past daily and don’t give a second’s thought as to what lays beneath. 

From there you are taken via the metro to my much recommended Berlin Wall viewing site, Bernauer Strasse, where more than seven escape tunnels were attempted within a short distance of just 350 meters of each other. This is also where two of the most successful Berlin Wall escape tunnels were constructed.

READ MORE: Best Place to See the Berlin Wall – the viewing locations and the questions it makes you ask. 

Rectangular panels on pavement and in the grass show the route of an escape tunnel in Berlin.

Photo exhibitions form much of the tour when underground in what is a former civil defence shelter and it brings the stories to life. You will catch a glimpse at a room that formed part of an air-raid shelter on the Berlin tunnels tour, although you will have to take the underground bunker tour (Tour 3) to delve more into that part of the history and see what relics of these hideouts are left.

Thousands were built in the city to provide safety and despite being able to see one, it’s still unknown how many more exist that have yet to be found. 

For those who don’t have the time for the tour or who want to see a reconstruction of what the bunkers that no longer exist look like, the Berlin Underworlds Association run virtual guided tours . You can learn more about the Drivers’ Bunker, the Speer Bunker, the Goebbels Bunker and the Führerbunker, supported by historical overviews, construction plans and interviews with historians and witnesses. 

The cost for the virtual tours is €9.50 and lasts approximately one hour. 

What lies beneath Berlin is well worth viewing. We take riding a metro system for granted without realising how instrumental it was for those planning escape, those seeking shelter and those harbouring secrets.

The guide was both passionate and knowledgeable about the history and expertly clued up on the facts, figures and questions presented by the city’s complex history. To condense Berlin’s history into sizable parts that you can understand is commendable. I even met locals who had said they had wanted to take this tour for the past 10 years to better understand their past. 

Not only do you get to grips with the city’s history, but you get to learn about it from a truly interesting perspective and to understand a complex time in modern history in that way is priceless. 

Many thanks to the Berlin Underworlds Association for allowing me the opportunity to attend one of their tours.

About Becki

Becki Enright is a British Travel Press Award-winning writer whose work focuses on changing perceptions about misunderstood aspects of destinations. Her writing combines storytelling with insight into the social, historical, political and economic factors that shape the country or place in relation to tourism. Becki has appeared live on Sky News and CNN and has contributed to high profile media including National Geographic, Time.com, Guardian online, New York Times, Grazia and Buzzfeed.

20 May 2014 at 4:15 pm

I just did the underground tour last week, it was pretty cool! I also recommend that you check out the abandoned brewery near Schöneweide station (which you have to sneak in), and also the Stasi museum.

Brad Bernard says

17 May 2014 at 5:46 pm

How cool is that? I’m definitely linking here for the Berlin section of my Best Travel Experiences. The tunnels are so fascinating and capture a time when life was much different.

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Germany ‎ > Berchtesgaden > Hitlers Eagles Nest Tour

Suggested Itineraries for Berchtesgaden  | Getting To Berchtesgaden

• Berchtesgaden
• Top 10 Things To Do
• Hitler's Eagles Nest Tour
• King's Lake Ferry Tour
• Old Town Walking Tour
• Best Day Trips
• Helpful Visitor Tips
• Getting To Berctesgaden
• Suggested Itineraries
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Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest Tour & Area Sites:

Location :  Obersalzberg Mountain above Berchtesgaden Cost :  21€ for Adults, 15€ for Children for Local Bus + RVO Bus Time Required :  3 hours round-trip from the Berchtesgaden Train Station to visit the Eagles Nest ( +2-3 hours for Obersalzberg sites & Museum; +1 hours with luge slide visit ) Fun Scale :  9.5 out of 10

The lore of the mountaintop Eagles Nest, Dokumentation Center Museum, Hitler’s teahouse, secret bunkers, and Nazi command centers draw in WW2 history buffs to Berchtesgaden from all over the world.  With 120-mile-views and tons of green space, most of these WW2 sites are on the hillside of Upper Salt Mountain ( Obersalzberg ) overlooking the village.  Not only did the Alpine beauty of this area inspire Hitler’s writing, but it also became the place he spent 1/3 of his time in power, more than any other location.  Even without learning about the WW2 history, the gorgeous Obersalzberg area is a must visit while you are in Berchtesgaden.

Closures In The Winter:

While the Nazi Dokumentation Center Museum & Bunkers stay open year round, the rest of the sites on Obersalzberg Mountain close November-April each year.  These high elevation closures for Winter include Hitler’s Eagles Nest, Berghof Bunkers below Zum Turks Hotel, and the Summer slide luge.

How To Get to Hitler’s Eagles Nest:

Step 1 : Berchtesgaden Train Station > Obersalzberg Dokmentation Center ( Bus 838 )

Step 2 :  Obersalzberg Eagles Nest Ticket Booth > Eagles Nest Parking Lot ( RVO Bus 849 )

Step 3 : Eagles Nest Parking Lot > Eagles Nest ( Tunnel & Elevator )

Bus Route Overview :  Assuming you followed our guide on how to get to Berchtesgaden Salzburg or Munich, you will be starting off at the Berchtesgaden Train Station.  To get the Eagles Nest you first take  Local Bus 838  to the Nazi Documentation Center.  An all-day ticket for all the local buses costs around 5€.  Bus 838 leaves at least once an hour and the ride to the Documentation Center will only take 12 minutes.  If you are staying overnight in Berchtesgaden, the regular local buses are free with your hotel guest card ( kurkarte ).  There are also taxis at the station to cover this leg of the journey.

Reaching the Documentation Center bus stop, you will cross the road and parking lot to get to the Eagles Nest ticket booth ( see map above ) to switch to RVO Bus 849 .  This is a special RVO Bus and requires a stand-alone Eagles Nest Bus ticket ( 16.10€ for Adults, 9.30€ for Children ) even if you have a city bus pass.  Bus 849 leaves every 25 minutes from 7:40am-4pm your steep journey up the private mountain road ( closed to cars ) will take 20 minutes.  Before riding the elevator the final way up to tour the Eagles Nest, make sure visit the information window.  You will need to choose a return time get your bus ticket stamped at the window to ensure yourself a spot back down the mountain to the Documentation Center.

By Hiking :  You can get to the Eagles Nest by Alpine hiking on one of two well-marked trails illustrated on our map above.  From the  Ofneralm Parking Lot , it is a 1.5-2 hour long strenuous hike up.  From the  Scharitzkehl Parking Lot , it is around a 3-hour hike up.  If you don’t have a car, you can take the 838 bus to the end of the line at the Christophorusschule ( Gymnasium ) Stop near the Scharitzkehl Parking Lot.  You can also catch this trail not far from the Luge mentioned below cutting your hike down from 3 to 2 hours.  Make sure not to hike on the road as there is no space for pedestrians and it is also a longer route.  If you take the 838 & 849 up the mountain and want to hike the last bit instead of the elevator, it only takes about 10-15 minutes.

Overview of Obersalzberg During WW2:

Sitting directly above Berchtesgaden, the small neighborhood of Obersalzberg provides the best Alpine views in Germany.  These fantastic views attracted a young Adolf Hitler to rent a home here fresh out of jail from 1923’s failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich.  Hitler found inspiration in Obersalzberg, and it’s here that he finished his Nazi propaganda book, My Struggle ( Mein Kampf ).  After rising to power, Hitler started to forcibly seize most of the neighborhood’s home and turned the area into a military zone called Leader’s Restricted Area ( Führer Sperrgebiet ).  Berchtesgaden’s Obersalzberg served as the place where Hitler spent 1/3 of his time in power ( more than anywhere else ), became a Third Reich stronghold, and was the backup command center for the Nazi government.

After the British bombing of Obersalzberg, Berchtesgaden was liberated on May 4th, 1945 with the US Army reaching the mountainside the following day.  Many of the Nazi buildings were looted after the bombings and on April 30th, 1952 ( the 7th anniversary of Hitler’s suicide ) the Bavarians tore down much of their remains to prevent them from becoming neo-Nazi shrines.  Sections of the Obersalzberg hillside remained under the control of the US Army until it was entirely given back to Berchtesgaden in 1995.

Visiting the remaining ruins, seeing Hitler’s Eagles Nest, touring the museum in the Dokumentation Center, and learning more about the Nazi’s evil reign of terror is a very educational experience.  Among the ruins, you can tour restored sections of the original 4 miles of underground Nazi bunkers.  Touring the sites and learning is important to remember the horrors of the past so they never happen again.

The Eagles Nest Area Attractions:

1. eagles nest mountain road ( kehlsteinstrasse ):.

About Eagles Nest Mountain Road :  Completed in late-1938 after only 13 months of cutting through solid rock, the Eagles Nest Mountain Road is a marvel built by Nazi engineer Martin Bormann.  The 4-mile long road climbs over 700 meters ( 2,297 feet ) up at a 27% incline with 5 tunnels and only 1 switchback .  Because of the steep cliff drop-offs, there simply wasn’t room to use more switchbacks making the road that much more impressive.

The journey up the mountain road by bus is very exciting ( not scary ) and offers amazing views.  Because most of the road is only one lane, expect that your bus will stop a couple times to wait for oncoming buses to pass.  The steep one-lane mountain road is closed to the public , originally for security reasons and later for safety.  With the route closed to public traffic, the only way to reach the Hitler’s famous Eagles Next ( outside of a 2-hour strenuous hike ) is by the special RVO Bus 849 which whizzes you up the mountain.  Remember that this bus ( nicknamed the Eagles Nest Bus ) requires a standalone ticket  bought at the booth in Obersalzburg ( see map above ) even if you have a bus pass for Berchtesgaden’s local in-town routes.

2. The Eagles Nest ( Kehlsteinhaus ):

About Hitler’s Eagles Nest :  With the best panoramic views in Germany, the Eagles Nest is by far the top attraction in Berchtesgaden.   Perched almost 3,000 feet above the surrounding valley floor, on a clear day you will able to see up to an unbelievable  120 miles away !   The entire Eagles Nest project from the mountain road to the Alpine chalet at the top was meant to be a gift  for Hitler’s 50th birthday  on April 20th, 1939.

Nazi engineer Martin Bormann carefully chose the location because he knew Hitler loved the views at the Teehaus he visited daily.  It was no small feat as the tortuous road required 3000 workers to labor in dangerous conditions around the clock.   While it took 13 months to build the 4-mile-long road, the chalet on top was actually completed a year earlier in the Fall of 1938.

The interior of the chalet was lavishly decorated including a marble fireplace that was a gift from Italian dictator Mussolini.  There was also a decadent carpet which was a gift from Jananese Emperor Hirohito.  As amazing as the chalet was, however, Hitler  only made 14 official visits  up to the Eagles Nest and most were in the first year.  That’s pretty odd seeing how he spent almost 1/3 of his time in power at his Berghof in the nearby Obersalzberg Complex.  His first visit was on September 16th, 1938 last and the last was October 17th, 1940 even though he stayed in Obersalzburg through much of 1944.  The most common reasons we have heard to why this was is because Hitler didn’t like the change of air pressure from the high elevation at the Eagles Nest and that he was afraid of being hit by lightning in the elevator.  Although Hitler himself didn’t tour the site often, his mistress Eva Braun frequented the Eagles Nest.  Eva’s sister Gretl even had her wedding reception at the chalet in 1944.

Thanks to the cover of a light dusting of snow the day before, the Eagles Nest was spared from British bombings on April 25th, 1945, but it didn’t escape unharmed.  When American and French troops arrived many soldiers chipped souvenir pieces off the building’s stone facade and took almost everything inside.  Unlike most of the Obersalzberg Complex, this Nazi building wasn’t demolished and instead was  turned into a restaurant  in 1952. The Eagle’s Nest Restaurant has good food, an unbeatable patio, but can get a little crowded in the afternoons, especially if it is a clear day.

At the entrance of the Eagles Nest, you get to use the same long tunnel that Hitler used to access the high-speed elevator.  After a slick 407-foot journey straight up the shiny brass embellished elevator , you arrive at the chalet.  Some visitors like the long hike from the Eagles Nest entrance to the top, but we suggest taking the elevator.   Once at the hop though make sure to take the gradual hike up 300 feet above the chalet to the summit of the peak marked by the  Mountain Cross .  It is here at the Mountain Cross where you will be able to take the iconic photos back toward the Eagles Nest with the valley below.  You will also be able to see cement platforms from two of the four 3.7cm guns that protected the chalet from air attacks.  There were at least 14 batteries built around Berchtesgaden with heavy flak guns between 1943 and 1945.

Seasonality :  Due to its high elevation the Eagle’s Nest is open in summer only, usually from about mid-May through October.   Getting To The Eagle’s Nest By Bus :  The easiest way to get here is to take the RVO Bus from the Documentation Center’s Hintereck Parking lot which leaves every 25 minutes from 7:40am-4pm and costs 16.10€ for Adults, 9.30€ for Children.   Getting To The Eagle’s Nest By Hiking :  You can get to the Eagles Nest by Alpine hiking on one of two well-marked trails illustrated on our map above.  From the Ofneralm Parking Lot, it is a 1.5-2 hour long strenuous hike up.  From the Scharitzkehl Parking Lot in about 3-hour hike. If you don’t have a car take the 383 bus to the end of the line at the Christophorusschule ( Gymnasium ) Stop near the Scharitzkehl Parking Lot.  You can also catch this trail near the Luge mentioned below cutting your hike down to 2 hours.    Cost :  Hitler’s Eagles Nest is now a restaurant and there is no cost for visiting. The high-speed elevator is free.   Website:   Here .

3. Platterhof Hotel & Cottage of Struggle :

About The  Platterhof Hotel :  As you step off of Bus 838, the first building you reach after crossing the street from the stop is the former Platterhof  Hotel.  Originally built as the Steinhausen, Mauritia “Moritz” Mayer bought the property in 1877 and opened it as the Pension Moritz.  The hotel quickly began to host celebrity guests, and Moritz became a pioneer of modern tourism in Germany and Central Europe.  The hotel’s nickname Platterhof came because Moritz had inspired the character of author Judith Platter in Richard Voss’ famous novel Zwei Menschen ( Two People ) from 1911 which later became a movie.

Hitler first starting coming to Berchtesgaden in 1923 when he would meet his friend and mentor Dietrich Eckart at Platterhof under the name Herr Wolf .  He quickly fell in love with the Obersalzberg area calling Berchtesgaden his New Chosen Homeland ( Wahlheimat ) .  After getting out of the cushy Landsberg Prison in December 1924 from his failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, Hitler soon came back to Berchtesgaden renting a rustic cabin in the woods across the road from the Platterhof. Known as the Cottage of Struggle ( Kampfhäusl ), the cabin was where Hitler finished writing Mein Kampf ( My Struggle ).

Much of Hitler’s political manifesto had written in prison, but was in his Cottage of Struggle that the two sections of his rambling propaganda book were finetuned to express is radical ideology and future plans for Germany.  The push to finish Mein Kampf came after Hitler was banned from public speaking in Bavaria for two years because of violent language in a speech 0n February 27th 1925 in Munich’s Bürgerbräukeller ( site of the failed Putsch ) meant to reboot the Nazi Party.  During this time, Hitler knew that the written word was the best way to get out his radical messaging.  While the wooden cabin is long gone, the stone foundations Moll bunker ruins can easily be visited with a very short walk behind the power station hut along the road.

During the Nazi occupation of Obersalzberg ( 1933-45 ), the Platterhof Hotel was expanded by the government and remolded into deluxe accommodations for high ranking Nazis and dignified guests.  Unlike many other buildings on the mountain, the hotel wasn’t torn down by the city in 1952 and instead became the Hotel General Walker after renovations by the US Army.  This change included turning the former Terrace Hall into the Skyline Restaurant.

The property was given back to the city of Berchtesgaden in 1995 but torn down most of the hotel in 2000 including its courtyards.  The only remaining part of the Platterhof is the former Terrace Hall ( later Skyline Restaurant ) which has now been turned into the Berggasthof Restaurant ( website ).  The rest hotel had been quite large, was connected to underground bunkers, and used to take up most of the restaurant’s parking lot.

4. Dokumentation Center & Bunkers :

About The  Dokumentation Center :  Sitting on the site of today’s Dokumentation Center Museum was once the Alpine hotel called  Gästehaus Hoher Göll .  After becoming German Chancellor in 1933, Hitler ( who lived next door ) started seizing neighborhood homes and hotels to create a vast 80 building compound here known as the Obersalzberg Complex .  The Gästehaus Hoher Göll was incorporated into the Obersalzburg Complex in 1934 and renovated into offices for the staff of Hitler’s right-hand man Martin Bormann.

The Obersalzburg Complex was declared a military-only area in 1936 and became the official second seat of the 3rd Reich government known as the Führer’s Security Zone.  Secret Nazi plans were hatched out at the complex and Hitler spent around 1/3 of this time in power at the compound, more than any other location.

When the Nazi’s lost the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, they built a  4-mile-long bunker system  under the Obersalzberg Complex for added security.  The bunkers held meeting room, lavish apartments, and served as air raid shelters, underground shooting ranges, archive storage, and food reserves.  Both the Gästehaus and Platterhof Hotels shared a joint section of the Obersalzberg bunkers, and they were connected to the Hitler’s private Berhof bunkers by an elevator shaft another 30 meters ( 100 feet ) deeper.  There was even an additional 1-mile-long uncompleted bunker called Obertal another 100 meters (338 feet) below the Berghof bunkers.  The Obertal bunker would have been like an underground highway connecting to the Gusthof farm in Obersalzberg for access to Berchtesgaden in one direction and Salzburg the in other direction.

On April 25th, 1945 much of the Obersalzberg Complex was bombed by the British Airforce but the bunker system was unhurt .  Over 3000 people sheltered in the bunkers and only 12 people were killed in the bombing.  Berchtesgaden surrendered on May 4th and by the time US troops arrived on Obersalzburg the next day looting had already begun on the Nazi buildings.  Wine, cigars, and furniture were plundered from the basements and bunkers, but no shots were fired.

The US Army kept the hillside on lockdown through 1949 and still occupied much many building on Obersalzberg until 1995. In 1999, the local government  built a museum on the ruins of the former Gästehaus Hotel so the citizens could learn from the past and never repeat it.  This preservation was a welcomed move by historians as when the city had been given control of six other former Nazi buildings in 1952 they demolished them out of fear they may be glorified.

The original foundation of the former Gästehaus Hotel and large sections of the Nazi’s underground bunker system were tastefully incorporated into today’s Dokumentation Center Museum.  From the outside, you can see the three tan stone archways on the end of the museum which were part of the original building.  Going on a self-guided  tour of the underground bunkers truly feels like you are stepping into the past, or at least an old James Bond film.  We find the informational exhibits at the museum to be fascinating and very educational.  The Dokumentation Center Museum was built to accommodate 30,000-40,000 annual guests but had to be significantly expanded in 2016 since they get four times the amount of visitors they initially expected.

Cost :  3€ for Adults, Children Free.   Hours :  April-October Daily 9am-5pm; November-March Tuesday-Sunday 10am-3pm, Closed Mondays in Winter.   Audio Tours :  English audio guide tour available for rent 2€.   Guided Tours :  Available in English Mid May-October, you may book ahead of time  HERE .   Website :   Here .

5. Hitler’s Berghof Ruins :

About Hitler’s Berghof : Just a short wooded stroll up from the Nazi Documentation Center Museum brings you to the ruins of the Berghof mansion where Hitler spent 1/3 of his time in power, more than any other location.  From his first visit in 1923, the beauty of Obersalzburg above Berchtesgaden had attracted Hitler who was also an inspiring artist most of his life.  By 1928 Hitler started renting a small 5-room rustic vacation cottage on this site  called Haus Wachenfeld ( built 1916 ).  He fell in love with the views of Untersberg Mountain which mythology says Charlemagne lays resting in an ice cave ready for the re-birth of the Holy Roman Empire ( abolished 1806 ).  After becoming German Chancellor in 1933, Hitler bought the Haus Wachenfeld to become his primary home and began expanding it into his Mountain Court ( Berghof ) .

The Berghof grew from the small Haus Wachenfeld into a 30-room mansion, with outdoor stone terraces, a lavish great hall ( 60×50 feet ), bowling alley, expensive tapestries, 24-person dining room, and a huge 90-pane retractable window wall.  The expansion of the property into the Berghof compound was the start of a new Nazi military complex fanning out along Upper Salt Mountain ( Obersalzberg ).  By 1936 the Obersalzburg Complex became a secure military zone and complete with an extensive network of underground bunkers .  By 1943 there were 4 miles of shelters with Hitler’s private bunker section below Berghof ranging from 100-200 feet deep, with 44,000 square feet of living space, a dog kennel, a kitchen, archives, and many military operation elements.

Joining Hitler at Berghof were his  mistress/wife Eva Braun  and their dogs including a German Shepard named Blondi.  Hitler had met Eva in Munich in 1929 ( she was 17, he 40 ) where she was a model and assistant to his photographer.  For much of WW2 Eva stayed at the Berghof and was relatively sheltered from the more delicate details of the war.  With Hitler often away from home she twice attempted suicide with his gun in what were believed to be pleas for attention.  Some of the frustration was because Hitler refused to marry her believing it would reduce his attractiveness to women in his ongoing pursuit to control people with his image.

From the time Hitler became the German Reich Chancellor in 1933, hoards of his “fans” including thousands of children would flock to the Berghof .  As many as 5,000 people a day would come to the entrance of the property in the Summer to try to get greeted by the Führer.  Hitler’s celebrity was growing, and he would even sign autographs here as he routinely welcomed his visitors midday.  As the Nazis bought the hillside ( was more of a seizure ), Obersalzberg became a restricted area for security.  There was also a significant SS guardhouse gate on the road below the Berghof which served as the primary entrance into the estate.

There were many famous guests at Berghof including British Prime Ministers David Lloyd George in 1936 and Neville Chamberlain who came to negotiate a peace treaty in 1938.  These meetings led to the Munich Agreement which then handed vast parts of Czechoslovakia over to Germany in exchange for a peace that never happened.  Other guests included Duke Edward and Duchess of Windsor, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, King Carol II of Romania, and many Many Ambassadors.  That meeting in 1937 with Duke Edward of Windsor was one of the most famous as he had abdicated the throne as King Edward VIII of England the previous year after only 10 months because he wanted to marry a divorced woman.  Although he wasn’t pro-Nazi, Edward supported Hitler and even did the Nazi salute during his visit in hopes of being put back on the throne if the United Kingdom was conquered.

Hitler left Berghof on June 15th, 1944 for the Eastern Front in Poland and then spent the last few months of the war in Berlin.  On April 15th, 1945 Eva Braun also left Berghof to join Hitler ( 5 days before his birthday ) in his Berlin Bunker even though the Soviets troops were getting near the capital.  Just 10 days later Berghof and much of the rest of Obersalzberg was severely damaged by British bombers.  Somehow only 12 people were killed as over 3,000 including one of Hitler’s top generals hide in the underground bunkers.  On the 29th of April, 1945 Eva and Hitler were finally married inside the Führerbunker in Berlin, and just 40 hours later the couple committed suicide ( she was 33, he 56 ) with the Soviet Red Army closing in on them.

With Berchtesgaden surrendering on May 4th, 1945 the Berghof was looted and set on fire by retreating Nazi troops as they left Obersalzburg.  The next day US troops planted their flag on the hillside and finished the rest of Hitler’s remaining wine.  It’s said that the fire did more damage to the Berghof than the bombs did leaving the compound as a burnt out shell.  To deter sight-seers and neo-Nazis, the Bavarian government demolished the remaining shell of the Berghof complex on April 30th, 1952 ( the 7th anniversary of Hitler’s suicide ).

Even after the US Army gave Obersalzberg back to Berchtesgaden in 1995, you could still go into some of the tunnels directly below Berghof until they were cemented shut in 2013.  The only public sections left of his private bunkers that can be visited are at the Zum Turks Hotel which is next on this Third Reich locations tour.

6. Hotel to the Turks ( Zum Türken ):

About Hotel Zum Türken :  There has been a cozy Alpine lodge at this pristine location since the Little Turk House ( Türkenhäusl ) was built here in 1630 .  The nickname came from the original owner who was a veteran of the Turkish sieges on Vienna ( 1529-1683 ).  He really did pick the perfect spot as this wonderful building has unmatched views of the surrounding mountains.

In 1903, Karl Schuster bought the Little Turk House and within eight years remodeled it into the guesthouse Zum Türken complete with its own butcher shop.  Previous to this, Schuster was also the innkeeper at the Purtschellerhaus am Hohen Göll which still sits nearby on the German/Austrian border.  The Zum was a huge success attracting famous guests like German composer Johannes Brahms, the Crown Prince Wilhelm & Princess Cacilie of Prussia, and Prince-Regent Luitpold of Bavaria.

As Hitler moved in next door in 1928 and started buying up all of the buildings on the Obersalzberg mountainside near Berghof, Schuster refused to sell Hotel Zum Tuerken.  Karl Schuster was outspoken against the Nazis and wasn’t happy that the presence of SS Troop at his neighbor’s house was hurting his hotel business.  To force him to sell, Hitler sent Schuster to serve  3 weeks as a prisoner at the Dachau Concentration Camp  and the property was forcibly seized by the Nazis.   During the World War Two, a Nazi SS Guard post ( still there ) and gate were set up on the edge of the parking lot and the Zum Tuerken was used to house troops.

The property was heavily bombed in WW2 after which the Schuster/Scharfenberg family had to fight to re-buy their damaged home so it wouldn’t be torn down by the government.  Crazy to think they had to fight to re-buy their own home which had been taken from them just a decade earlier.  After finally getting their home back, the family repaired it and are on their 4th generation running the hotel.  While the hotel has no wifi, it has cozy rooms, great hospitality, has a wonderful terrace for taking in the Alpine air, and is in a great location to go hiking.

Below the hotel is a large section of intact  underground bunkers  built in 1943 as air raid shelters and are open for the public to tour.  This section of bunkers was once connected to Hitler’s Berghof next door, his underground apartments, and served as a secret escape exit.  On a tour of the underground bunkers , you can see the bricked up entrance that once led to Hitler’s Berghof, can peek into some defensive gun windows, and see three underground jail cells.  In total there were 6 separate bunker systems ( bunkeranlagen ) with over 4 miles of tunnels in Obersalzberg all of which were 100-300 feet below ground.  The multi-level network of tunnels provided air raid protection for thousands of people if necessary.  These deep bunker systems protected 3,000 people in Obersalzberg during British bombings with only 12 people dying.

Keep in mind that if you visit the bunkers that this is a real mom and pop hotel business run by a hard-working family.  You need to be respectful and remember that their home was forcibly seized during the war, it was bombed, and they had work very hard for generations to get their amazing hotel back to where it was before the occupation.  Please don’t park in their parking lot or try to enter the hotel lobby as both are reserved for guests only.  For the privacy of the family and hotel guests, don’t gawk or take selfies at the property.

Bunker Tours :  Mid-April through October they are Wednesday-Monday 10am-3pm, Closed Tuesdays;   Christmas through mid-January they open daily 11am-3pm; Closed the rest of the year.  Bunker Tour Entrance : Note that the hotel lobby is locked and for guests only.  There is a special entrance on the side for the bunker tours with a large sign that says Bunkers Entrance ( Eingang Bunkeranlagen ).   Hotel Seasonality : Open May-October; Closed November-April.  Minimum 2-night stay.   Website :   Here .

7. Hitler’s Tea House ( Teehaus ):

About Hitler’s Tea House :  Located on Mooslahnerkopf Hill near the Berchtesgaden Golf Course was once Hitler’s famous Teehaus built in 1937.  On a daily basis around 10am, Hitler would take a 10-15 minute afternoon stroll from his Berghof to the Tea House with his dog to relax and nap.  Often people incorrectly call the Eagles Nest chalet ( which he rarely visited ) Hitler’s Tea House when it was really a much smaller building located here.

In 1944, the Tea House was chosen by the British military for an assassination attempt on Hitler called Operation Foxley.  They had considered bombing his train and poisoning his tea but settled on using a sniper during Hitler’s morning walk to the Tea House.  The route of the stroll and insight that Hitler preferred not to be closely followed by his guards was revealed by a former person guard captured in the invasion of Normandy.  Although approved, ultimately the British canceled the sniper plan believing the war would soon be over and they didn’t want to make Hitler a Nazi martyr.  The last time Hitler would make his morning walk was on 14 July 1944 before heading to the Eastern Front.  There had been dozens of close assassination attempts on Hitler going back to 1921 by both internal and external forces.  The most famous was called Operation Valkyrie on July 20th, 1944 at the Wolf’s Lair ( Wolfsschanze ) on the Eastern Front in Poland where a briefcase bomb was set off in a high-level meeting.

The Tea House building was spared by British bombing in 1945 but was destroyed in 1952 along with other Nazi buildings in Obersalzberg for their association with Hitler.  The shell and rubble of the building weren’t cleared out until 2006, but the terrace and park bench 100 feet in front former Teehaus still offers excellent views.  In Hitler’s day, what is now the golf course’s 13th hole below the Teehaus was once a meadow for the Nazi Estate Farm ( Gutshof ).  Make sure to walk along the path curving around the golf course and do not walk directly across the fairways as it is private property and an active golf course.

8. Third Reich Officer Hill :

About Officer Hill :  The hilltop overlooking Hitler’s Berghof was mostly undeveloped on the surface, but was an essential part of the Nazi’s Obersalzberg zone.  In addition to having the area’s  most extensive network of underground bunkers , the hill was also home to two of Hitler’s Third Reich cabinet ministers who were among the most powerful people in the Nazi Party.  Across the street from the Turk’s Hotel was the home of Nazi engineer Martin Bormann and further up the hill was a chalet for Reich Marshal Hermann Göring.

Martin Bormann quickly moved up the ranks of the Nazi military to serve as both Hitler’s personal secretary and a Third Reich cabinet minister.  He was in the inner circle very early as Hitler’s right-hand man  with Adolf even serving as a witness in Bormann’s 1929 wedding.  After overseeing the expansion of Hitler’s Berghof, Bormann became responsible for the rest of the development in Obersalzberg and became the Nazi’s moneyman.  In Obersalzberg Bormann built the SS Barracks, Eagles Nest Mountain Road, Estate Farm ( Gutshof ), bunkers, and the Greenhouse ( Gewächshaus ) which was important as Hitler was a vegetarian.

Being in charge of the Nazi’s money, Bormann helped make Hitler a millionaire through book sales and image royalties from stamps.  In exchange for his service, was given the home of local Doctor Seitz on the hill across the road from Turk’s Hotel with a clear sight of Berghof below.  Under the underground Bormann had a massive maze of a private bunker with an air raid shelter and underground military communications center.  He gained so much power that while Hitler focused on the Eastern Front, Bormann became in charge of all domestic policy .

In the closing days of the war, Bormann was a witness for the marriage of Eva Bran and Adolf Hitler in Berlin’s Führerbunker just 40 hours before the newlyweds killed themselves.  During this time in Berlin Bormann’s wife and 9 children remained in Obersalzburg.  Bormann was willed Hitler’s estate, was named the minister of the Nazi Party, and famously went missing inspiring a multi-decade manhunt.

Unlike his close associates Adolf Hitler, Joseph Goebbels ( Minister of Propaganda ), and Heinrich Himmler ( architect of the Holocaust ) chose to kill themselves at the end of the war, Bormann attempted to escape under cover of nightfall in civilian clothes right before Berlin fell.  Although he wasn’t there in person, Bormann was sentenced to death with his high ranking colleagues in late-1945 at the Nuremberg Trials.  Finally, in 1972 two skeletons were found during construction near the Weidendammer Bridge at Lehrter Station ( 1871-1951, now Hauptbahnho f) in Berlin.  The bones matched with both medical records, medical records, and in 1998 DNA confirmed it was indeed Bormann died of self-induced cyanide during his escape attempt.

Unlike most of the buildings which were seized by the Nazis, Hermann Göring’s home ( Göringhügl ) was built brand new as a gift from the Third Reich in 1933.  Göring was a decorated WW1 veteran, served under the famous Red Barron, was shot in the groin during Munich’s failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923,  founded the Gestapo secret police in 1933, and in 1940 ordered the bombing of British civilians in what became known as The Blitz.  The Blitz was also the campaign that forced France to surrender to Germany.  Göring dispised Bormann as he had always seen himself as Hitler’s successor, but had to go along with it.

One passion that had Göring and Bormann agreed upon was getting rid of the Jewish people from the territories they were conquered in the war.  They served as go-betweens so Hitler could keep his hands clean of the mass murder and concentration camps which were in full swing by 1942.  The men were at the heart of the Nazi terror machine and Göring benefited by collecting treasure troves of artwork.  In the closing days of the war, Göring tried to hide much of his pirated art collection in a bunker tunnel behind the Berchtesgaden train station.  Göring and his family were at Obersalzburg when it was bombed on April 25th, 1945 and survived in his bunker.  He was the highest-ranking defendant during the Nuremberg Trials of late-1945 and was sentenced to hang, but killed himself with cyanide before his pending execution.

Sitting in between Göring’s house and the Greenhouse was Göring’s Hill ( Göringhügl ).  This hill was the tallest point in Obersalzberg and below the ground were the extensive private bunkers for Bormann and Goring along with a military communications center.  This was the spot that the US Army 3rd Infantry Division raised their flag on May 5th, 1945 similarly to how troop had raised the flag in Iwo Jima that February.

When the fancy Intercontinental Hotel ( now Kempinski Hotel ) was built over the bunkers in 2002 there was pushback on the hotel’s location and bulldozing of the top of the hill were in bad taste.  Because of this, the hotel was nicknamed the Hitler Hilton .  In 2008 on the 63rd anniversary of the planting of the US flag here a ceremony took place with 3 vets who were there to replant a flag and add a plaque honoring along with the mayor of Berchtesgaden.

9. Summer Luge Slide ( Sommerrodelbahn ):

About The Sommerrdelbann Luge :  Family fun awaits at Sommerrodelbahn’s 2,000-foot-long metal Luge which speeds down the mountain.  After whizzing down the hill the track automatically shuttles you back up to the top for more fun. It is probably impossible to only to one trip on the Luge as it is so fun you’ll want to do it at least 2 or 3 times.  The Maltan Family that runs the Luge also runs a beautiful hotel and beer garden nearby if you are looking for Berchtesgaden accommodations.  In addition to a great location, the rooms are some of best priced in town.

Getting To The Luge By Bus :  The easiest way to get here since you are already up the hill is to take Bus 838 directly to the Sonneck stop which is right outside the Luge.   Getting To The Luge By Alpine Lift :  There is also a convenient Alpine lift that goes right from Berchtesgaden up to the Luge.  The lift is probably the easiest way to get back down to Old Town from the slide.   Slide Hours :  April through early-November 10am-6pm; Closed when wet; also closed in Winter.   Ride Cost :  1 ride is 2.50€ for Adults or 2€ for kids.  Discounts for multiple rides with 18€ for Adult rides 10 as an example.   Combo Ticket :  You can buy 3 rides plus round trip on the cable car up the mountain for 13€.   Website :   Here .

10. Former SS Guardhouse :

About The SS Guardhouse :  Riding the cable down the from the Summer slide luge you’ll cross the river and be dropped off right next to one of Berchtesgaden’s form SS Guardhouses.  The small hut was built in 1937 at the intersection of the riverfront road between Salzburg and the Berchtesgaden train station with the drive up to Obersalzberg.  The build date can be seen on the front of the guardhouse which also once had a carving of the Third Reich’s eagle symbol.  This hut was the first of three guardhouses on the route of the Hitler’s Berghof and is the last one still standing.

11. Berchtesgaden Train Station ( Bahnhof ):

About The Train Station :  Much of Hitler’s success as a leader was based on portraying a particular type of grandiose image, which can also be seen at Berchtesgaden’s train station.  Berchtesgaden’s small train station was greatly expanded in 1937.  For comparison sake, the new station was even bigger than the train station in Athens Greece at the time.

The Western wing was an expanded post office called the Berchtesgaden Postamt.  You can still see a huge mosaic on the corner of the exterior of a victorious man holding a wreath flag and shield with the crest of Berchtesgaden.  During the occupation, the inside of the wreath had the Nazi blood flag and swastika which was quickly changed in mid-1945.  Today the former post office is home to a Burger King and a popular Burger King-run hostel which we have stayed at.

The sizeable Eastern wing of the train station was built as a Nazi reception hall to impress important guests arriving in town.  The reception hall was filled with beautiful furniture and art taken from galleries in Vienna.  It’s said that Hitler and his driver would pick special guests up here in his convertible car.  Today the interior of the train station has Berchtesgaden-themed murals from the 1950s that have replaced similar ones from the Nazi era.

On the Eastern end of the station, the tracks start to lead north and hit a large tunnel constructed in 1940.  This line was going to connect Berchtesgaden directly to Salzburg, but the line was never completed.  The side of the tunnel’s entrance bears its date and it once also had Nazi symbols.

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The Ultimate Berlin Underground Bunker Tour Experience

by Original Berlin Tours | Mar 7, 2024 | Cold War Tour Berlin

Introduction

Welcome to the fascinating world of Berlin’s underground bunker tour! This unique experience offers a glimpse into the city’s history, specifically during World War II and the Cold War era. If you’re interested in exploring hidden architectural marvels and learning about the intense history surrounding them, this blog post is for you.

1. Why Take a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour?

1.1 Historical Significance and Education

The Berlin underground bunkers played a critical role during World War II and the Cold War, serving as shelters for civilians and military personnel. Taking a tour allows you to gain a deep understanding of the city’s past and the impact of these turbulent times.

1.2 Architectural Marvels Beneath the City

Many of these underground bunkers are engineering masterpieces, showcasing the ingenuity of builders during the war era. The tour offers the chance to marvel at the construction techniques and experience immersive environments.

2. Highlights of a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour

2.1 reichstag government bunker.

The Reichstag Government Bunker, located near the Brandenburg Gate, was designed to shelter government officials during times of crisis. Discover the secrets of this well-preserved bunker and gain insights into the decision making that occurred below the surface.

2.2 Berliner Unterwelten

A visit to Berliner Unterwelten is a must for any bunker tour enthusiast. This organization offers a variety of well-guided tours, showcasing different aspects of Berlin’s underground history, including air raid shelters and Cold War bunkers. Don’t miss their “Dark Worlds” tour for an immersive experience.

2.3 Bunker Museum at Anhalter Bahnhof

Anhalter Bahnhof Bunker Museum is another notable stop. Located beneath an old train station, this bunker was built to protect civilians from air raids. The museum provides an in-depth look at life inside the bunker and the challenges faced by its inhabitants.

3. Tips for an Unforgettable Experience

• Wear comfortable shoes as you might have to navigate uneven and narrow pathways.
• Book your tickets in advance as these tours can be popular.
• Follow the instructions and guidelines provided by the tour guides for your safety.
• Bring a jacket or sweater as the temperature inside the bunkers can be cooler than outside.
• Don’t forget to bring your camera to capture the unique underground atmosphere.

4. Respectful Behavior

It’s crucial to remember that these sites hold historical significance and commemorate the lives impacted by war. Show respect by not causing damage, refraining from graffiti, and listening attentively to the tour guides’ instructions. Capture memories through photographs, but remember to do so responsibly and without disturbing others on the tour.

5. Conclusion

Embarking on a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour takes you on a captivating journey through the pages of history. With architectural marvels, rich stories, and a chance to understand the struggles faced by people during wartime, this experience offers unparalleled insight into Berlin’s past. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore these hidden gems beneath the city.

Book your tour today and let the underground adventure begin!

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The Ultimate Guide to Berlin Underground Bunker Tours

by Original Berlin Tours | Mar 7, 2024 | World War Tour Berlin

Introduction

Exploring Berlin’s fascinating history is one of the highlights of visiting the city. From the Berlin Wall to the Brandenburg Gate, there are countless landmarks that tell the story of the city’s past. One captivating way to dive deeper into Berlin’s history is by going on an underground bunker tour. In this guide, we will take you through everything you need to know about these tours and how to make the most of your experience.

What are Berlin Underground Bunker Tours?

Berlin Underground Bunker Tours offer a unique opportunity to explore the hidden underground spaces that served as shelters, command centers, and even residences during World War II and the Cold War. These tours take you beneath the surface of the city, allowing you to walk in the footsteps of history.

Types of Bunkers

There are several types of bunkers that you may encounter during a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour:

• Air-Raid Shelters: These were built during World War II to protect citizens during air raids.
• Command Bunkers: These served as strategic centers where military operations were planned.
• Flak Towers: Tall concrete structures used for anti-aircraft defense during World War II.
• Nuclear Bunkers: Constructed during the Cold War to provide protection against nuclear attacks.

Why Visit Berlin Underground Bunkers?

Visiting Berlin’s underground bunkers offers a unique opportunity to gain firsthand insights into the city’s historical moments. Here are a few reasons why you should consider a bunker tour:

• Learn about the impact of war and the Cold War era on Berlin’s residents.
• Discover hidden stories and fascinating facts about the city’s past.
• Explore impressive engineering and witness the architectural marvels of these underground structures.
• Experience a sense of adventure and delve into the unknown depths below the city’s surface.
• Pay tribute to the resilience of Berliners and the historical significance of these underground spaces.

How to Choose a Bunker Tour

With several tour options available, it’s important to choose the right one for your interests. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour:

• Duration: Decide on the length of the tour based on your schedule and preference.
• Specific Interests: Look for tours that focus on the particular aspects of Berlin’s history that interest you the most.
• Accessibility: Check if the tour is suitable for all fitness levels and if any areas have restricted access.
• Guide’s Expertise: Read reviews to ensure that the tour guide is knowledgeable and can provide valuable insights.
• Group Size: Consider whether you prefer a small group or a larger one for a more personalized experience.

Tips for Your Underground Bunker Tour

Here are some tips to enhance your experience on a Berlin Underground Bunker Tour:

• Wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately, as the underground spaces may be damp and cool.
• Bring a flashlight to navigate darker areas of the bunkers.
• Stay with the tour group and follow the instructions of your guide for safety reasons.
• Take photos and document your experience, but be respectful of the historical significance of the site.
• If you have any claustrophobia or related concerns, check with the tour provider beforehand to ensure it will be manageable.

A Berlin Underground Bunker Tour offers an extraordinary opportunity to explore the hidden depths of the city’s history. By choosing the right tour, understanding the different types of bunkers, and following our tips, you can make the most of this enlightening experience. So, put on your adventurous spirit, unravel the secrets beneath Berlin’s streets, and witness the stories that shaped this historic city.

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Any shelter that does not have an L shaped or 90 degree turn at the bottom of the stairs is going to let in the prompt radiation at the time of the blast because the radiation will go right through metal as if it wasn’t there. What is protecting you is the 36+ inches of earth on top of you, not the door.

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Watch CBS News

Gimme shelter: Rebirth of a Cold War relic

September 18, 2022 / 9:10 AM EDT / CBS News

They now seem quaint, even absurd – public service films from the 1950s and '60s teaching children how to "protect" themselves from a nuclear blast, and showing families that they, too, can build a cozy bunker of their very own.

But as the cold war thawed, bunker-mania faded – that is, until recently. With the tide of war in Ukraine turning against Russia, the threat of a desperate Vladimir Putin resorting to nuclear weapons to win at all costs is no longer so far-fetched. On April 22, the Russian president warned, "Our counterstrike will be instantaneous."

"Every time Putin talks about a nuclear weapon, the phone rings off the hook," said Cory Hubbard, of Defcon Underground Bunkers near Kansas City, Missouri. "I bet it made the phone ring probably 400 or 500%."

Hubbard and his co-owner Ryan Olah told correspondent Roxana Saberi around a third of those inquiries have turned into sales.

"It's everyday, average people; it's from people that can barely afford us, to people that have plenty of money," said Olah. "It's not just a doomsday-prepper scenario."

Hubbard said, "Some of them are very concerned. They want something right now. They're afraid something is going to happen."

Saberi asked, "They're expecting, like, Amazon Prime Service or something?"

Across the United States and Europe, other manufacturers told "Sunday Morning" they've never seen such high demand, despite the high prices. They say pretty much whatever you can imagine (and pay for) they can build. At Defcon, shelters start at $75,000.

Saberi asked, "How safe is a bunker like the one you're standing in?"

"For all of us in the business, it comes down to engineering," Hubbard replied. "It's not like we can test these things!"

And the federal government provides only guidelines, not regulations, for building underground bunkers. So, it's up to buyers to do their homework.

Back in 1961, President John F. Kennedy asked Congress to designate and stock public fallout shelters

Today most of them are abandoned, partly because if the worst does happen, there's no guarantee they'll work. 

• Almanac: Fallout shelters ("Sunday Morning")

"The most significant thing is the blast size of nuclear weapons, which are enormous," said Patricia Lewis, director of the International Security Program at the London-based Chatham House think tank and former director of the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research. "Even the smallest nuclear weapon is, you know, ten times the size of the largest conventional weapon. You get instant radiation, you get heat, fires, huge winds. So, a large part of the city or the area which was targeted would be uninhabitable."

That's why, she warned, not every shelter will save you, "unless it was highly reinforced and people could stay down there for a long, long time. But think about what you would encounter afterward. This is why the prevention of nuclear war is by far the most sensible way forward."

In Britain, most of the cold war relics have been sealed up or sold off, some, even transformed into wine cellars, a café, and a museum, like one hidden under a hill just outside London.

Now owned by Mike Parrish, this shelter was built in 1952 to keep 600 civil and military personnel safe, in control, and in communication if the Soviets attacked.  But lately, people are seeing this museum in a whole new light. "We've had about 20 inquiries from people who want to come," Parrish said.

"So, for the right price, you would offer to rent space to someone?" asked Saberi.

"Certainly, yes."

But for Parrish, though, family comes first, and it's serious business.

Saberi asked, "If there is a nuclear incident, what do you plan to do?"

"Well, I plan to lock the doors with me inside," he replied. "Me and my family. It's like a wedding list."

"Do you have a list, have you written it out?"

"Not sharing!"

Then there's countries like Finland that have never let their guard down. Shelters are practically everywhere, some doubling as pools or playgrounds; and in Switzerland, a country of roughly 8.5 million people, there's room for around 9 million to shelter.

Engineer Cedric Vuilleumier said that, lately, residents are on edge. "Some people are afraid, really afraid," he said. "They write, they want to be sure that their shelters are prepared."

"You're getting more inquiries than before?"

Here, by law, everyone has to have access to a shelter in their community, or, like Francois Zurkinden, in their basements.

He opened the one-ton concrete blast door for Saberi, revealing his underground shelter, which he said can accommodate 12 people, "more or less."

He's stocked the shelter with plenty of wine. "We have also a little bit of water, enough for a few days," he said. Not to mention a good supply of jam. 

In the meantime, back at Defcon, the orders keep coming.

Saberi asked, "What would you say to somebody who says, you guys are making money off people's fears?"

Cory Hubbard replied, "We tell people this: you buy car insurance, you buy home owners' insurance, we're just offering a different kind of insurance."

Saberi said, "Hopefully your products will never be tested."

"That's what we say!" replied Ryan Olah. "It's a life insurance policy we hope you'll never have to use."

      For more info:

• Defcon Underground Bunkers , Independence, Mo.
• Secret Nuclear Bunker , Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, England
• Dr. Patricia Lewis, Chatham House
• Octavian Wines , Gastard, Corsham, Wiltshire, England
• VivosEuropa

      Story produced by Chris Laible and Amy Wall. Editor: Joseph Frandino. 

• Nuclear Weapons
• Nuclear Attack

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Transcript: Sen. Dan Sullivan on "Face the Nation," April 21, 2024

3D Bunkers.com is the first in the world to introduce the idea of using 3d concrete printing technology as a new way to build underground bunkers.

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'I thought I was done': Jordan Spieth nearly withdrew during first round of RBC Heritage after aggravating wrist injury

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Jordan Spieth nearly withdrew during the first round of the RBC Heritage after a tendon in his wrist “popped out” while hitting a greenside bunker shot on the 13th hole Thursday.

Spieth “jammed” his left wrist into the bunker bulkhead during his follow-through, which caused his ECU (extensor carpi ulnaris) tendon to pop out.

“It’s a thing that’s recurring,” Spieth told PGATOUR.COM on Friday at Harbour Town Golf Links. “I was lucky because most times it comes out, and I can’t turn it (left), and so I would have been screwed. It’s the ECU (extensor carpi ulnaris) tendon. It came out and came right back in its groove.

“On (hole) 14 yesterday, I thought I was done for the week,” Spieth continued. “Then (the tendon) came back in, and I was like, ‘alright I’m good.’”

Jordan Spieth executes difficult bunker shot at RBC Heritage

Spieth said the incident was a byproduct of his ongoing ulnar nerve injury, which has plagued him since last year. The injury kept Spieth out of last year’s PGA Championship. He aggravated the wrist in October and again during the Valero Texas Open earlier this month.

Spieth spent the rest of Thursday’s round trying to keep the tendon from popping back out. After bogeying the 13th, he finished with five straight pars to card 1-under 70. Spieth received treatment on the wrist between rounds and had it wrapped before his Friday afternoon tee time to ensure the tendon stayed in place.

“Because my (wrist) sheath is torn, it doesn’t really hold (the tendon) in as well,” Spieth said. ”It’s one of those things, like it’s not affecting speed, anything like that. It’s just– managing it. So today it was just, with the tape the way it’s on, it’s going to inhibit (the tendon’s) ability to create any issues.

Spieth said the wrist “felt good” on Friday. He played without issue, shooting 4-under 67. At 5-under overall, Spieth is tied for 23rd heading into the week. Spieth plans to keep the wrist tapped through the weekend.

“I may as well keep doing it," he said. "I don’t really like wearing tape, just because, I don’t know, I feel like I’m going to play racquetball or something. I’ll do it the rest of the week, I’m sure, just to be sure.”

Spieth wasn’t concerned about the injury outlook moving forward.

“I know what the issue is, the problem is I’m not giving it any time to heal right now,” he said.

Spieth is not in the field for next week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Mussolini’s wartime bunker opens to the public in Rome

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June, 1940. Italy enters World War II, and Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini promptly sets about constructing air raid shelters for himself at Villa Torlonia , his grand Rome residence since 1929.

In total, the fascists build three underground structures to protect Mussolini and his family. The first, in 1940, was an adaptation of an old wine cellar in the grounds of Villa Torlonia. A year later, an air raid shelter was built in the basement of the Casino Nobile, one of the buildings in the grounds of the villa. Its rooms were clad with 120 centimeters (four feet) of reinforced concrete, and had anti-gas doors and an air purification and exchange system.

Meanwhile as the war progressed, Mussolini planned an armored bunker, located underground in front of the Casino Nobile.

Located six meters (nearly 20 feet) underground, it was built in a cross shape with corridors 15 meters (nearly 50 feet) long and 2.5 meters (8 feet) wide, reinforced with four-meter-thick (13 feet) reinforced concrete. Construction started in December 1942, and the bunker was unfinished – lacking watertight doors, a final ventilation system and a toilet – when the dictator was arrested on July 25, 1943.

The bunker was first opened to the public in 2006, but closed two years later, before undergoing temporary openings in the coming years.

After its last closure in 2021, it has now reopened for guided tours of the air raid shelter and the bunker. The complex now includes a multimedia exhibition about Rome during World War II, air raid systems for civilians, and the series of 51 Allied bombings that pummeled the city between July 1943 and May 1944. There is a special focus on the 1943 bombing of the San Lorenzo neighborhood, thought to have killed over 3,000 civilians. Guided, 50-minute tours take visitors underground and through the exhibition, before they experience a recreated air raid in Mussolini’s unfinished bunker.

Tours – which are not accessible for those with mobility issues – take 50 minutes and run from Fridays through Sundays, with a tour in English each Saturday at 11 a.m. Tickets cost 12 euros ($12.80) and are bookable online .

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