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Plokstine – A Preserved Nuclear Missile Site in Lithuania

CarloRLeave a comment

While almost all nuclear sites you can find in European Countries once beyond the Iron Curtain are today totally abandoned and fairly unaccessible, there exists a perhaps unique exception. The Plokstine site in northwestern Lithuania has been selected around 2010 for complete refurbishment with the help of public money, and in 2012 it has opened its doors as a museum. Located in a beautiful natural setting crowded with hikers – namely Zemaitija National Park, a national recreation area around Plateliai lake – it has quickly grown to international fame, and is now recording several thousands visitors per year, with guided tours in multiple languages – including English – offered on a regular basis during the warm season.

What is today an intriguing tourist destination, used to be part of a large Soviet installation for launching ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads. It is worth mentioning that Lithuania was a ‘Soviet Socialist Republic’ in the realm of the USSR, i.e. not just a satellite country of the Soviet Union, but part of it. Actually, this small country on the shores of the Baltic Sea, on the extreme western border of Soviet territory, was an ideal location for deploying weapons to hit European targets from within the Union. Furthermore, the Plokstine forest was – and still is – a little populated area, where construction works for a large top-secret military facility for storing and operating offensive cutting-edge hi-tech warfare would go likely unnoticed.

The missile complex was completed in December 1962, in the years of Khrushchev and Kennedy. The Plokstine site comprises of four interred silos and an extensive underground command station in the middle – the ensemble constituted a so-called ‘Dvina’ launch complex.

The ‘Dvina’ site in Plokstine was actually the last part of the missile base to be built. Two more sister surface sites, with four launchpads each, had been completed one year before, just west of the nearby village of Saiteikiai. These surface sites were similar to those you can find in Latvia (see this post), a neighbor country where unfortunately the last remaining ‘Dvina’ site was demolished in 2017, but abundant traces of the Soviet presence can still be found.

All three launch complexes in this region were designed around the R-12 missile. The R-12U missile was actually used in the underground ‘Dvina’ complex, slightly different from the surface-launched R-12. This weapon was better known by its NATO designation – SS-4 Sandal – and was a 2.3 megaton, single warhead, single stage nuclear missile. It reached true international notoriety before the base in Plokstine was activated, for this was the type deployed to Cuba in the missile crisis of 1962. Coincidentally, part of the staff transferred to Cuba in the days preceding the crisis was from the same rocket regiment of the Red Army (the 79th) stationed in Plokstine. Sandal missiles from here were reportedly transferred in complete secrecy to Cuba, via the port town of Sevastopol in Crimea in that occasion.

The base remained operational until the last missile – by then obsolete – left in 1978.

The Baltics were the first republics to leave the dying Soviet Union, openly defying the military authority of neighbor Russia. After the collapse of the Union and the end of communism in Europe, these three states – which historically do not belong to Russian culture – quickly joined the NATO and European Union, to escape Russian influence as much as possible. Most Soviet military installations were shut down and abandoned, and have been for two decades an interesting destination for explorers and war historians (see this post for many examples). Later on, most sites have been slowly demolished or converted into something else. Really a few of them have been preserved for posterity.

In this post you can find photographs from the Cold War Museum now open in the former ‘Dvina’ site of Plokstine, from a visit in 2017. Close to the bottom, you can find a few further photographs from a previous visit made by appointment in 2009, before the site was selected for renovation – these may be more appealing for Soviet-aura lovers!

Sights

What can be visited today is all in the area of the old ‘Dvina’ complex. The complex is mainly composed of four interred silos, covered by heavy steel & concrete bulged covers, placed on the four corners of a square. These gigantic caps are the most prominent components of the site from the outside. Today, an observation deck has been erected on the south of the area. From there, you can appreciate the distinctive plan of the ‘Dvina’ complex, with an access road terminating in a loop touching all four armored silo covers.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The weight of each cover is told to be around 100 tonnes, as it was armored to withstand a nuclear explosion. The covers would be pulled sideward with a sled mechanism, to open the silos before launch. Unmovable missile launch complexes, like the ‘Dvina’ site in Plokstine, were easy and attractive targets for western weapons, thus requiring a very strong defense barrier. Similar considerations led the design of the Titan missile sites in the US, which albeit more powerful and capable of a greater range, are roughly from the same era (see this post).

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

To get near the silos or get access to the museum, you need to pay a ticket and join a guided tour. The visit includes a tour of the Cold War Museum, which has been prepared inside the rooms of the former control center. The tour will start from the visitor center, a new modern building. You will soon go through a specimen of the original fences which ran around the ‘Dvina’ complex, and which included barbed wire and high-voltage electrified lines. Close by, you can find traces of original unarmored constructions, likely service buildings. The missile site was operated by more than 300 troops stationing in a number of smaller centers in the area around the complex.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The guide will lead you along a walk around the surface part of the complex, where you can see the construction of the caps from very close. The metal part is very rusty, but the concrete cover has been refurbished and looks like new – a pretty unusual sight, for connoisseurs of Soviet military relics!

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Access to the underground missile service and control center is via a small metal door, right in the middle of the square formed by the four silos.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

A few rooms in the control center today host the exhibitions of the Cold War Museum. A room displays a quick time-line of the Cold War, since the end of WWII to the end of the USSR. In the adjoining rooms you can find propaganda items

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Another room is about defense against nuclear threat. This is interesting, with many artifacts like dosimeters and medical tools, plus easily readable instructions of ‘dos and don’ts’ in case of nuclear attack.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Another room is about the evolution of weapons over the Cold War decades, with original material from the time, including heavier tactical weapons.

The exhibition is modern, small but not superficial, and may appeal to any public, including children. Besides the exhibits, you can appreciate the relatively small size of all rooms and connecting corridors in the former control center.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

As you are driven next to the missile operation part, you can find a scale model of the ‘Dvina’ complex and a cut-out of a R-12U silo, together with a map of the relatively few missile sites in Lithuania – from the map, it can be argued that, for some reason, many more sites were prepared in nearby Latvia.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Resting quarters for the troops and a communication station with original electronic gear have been reconstructed based on original footage and pics. Communication with the military headquarters was clearly an essential task – it was the only way an order to launch could be issued – and the serviceman on duty was responsible for assuring a permanent link with the chain of command. In other words, he was instructed not to leave his headphones under any circumstances, during a several hours-long shift!

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

On the sides of the corridors you can see holes for the extensive network of cables and pipes. Further on, you meet the most ‘hardware’ part of the exhibition. First, the original diesel-fueled power generator has been refurbished and is standing in its original room. The underground complex was designed not only to withstand a nuclear blast, but also to provide shelter for all servicemen for several days following an attack. This meant air filters, food, water, technical supplies and of course electrical power, were all essential assets. Oil for the generator was stored in a container in an adjoining room.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

Finally, you get access to one of the four silos. You need to go through a tight door opened on the wall of the concrete structure of the control center. Writings in Cyrillic can be spotted on the walls in this area. From there, you will see the cylindrical shape of the metal structure of the silo from the side. This metal canister is really big, the ‘Dvina’ silos featured a much greater diameter than the SS-4 missile they were built for. This was somewhat different from their US counterpart (see this post), where the missile diameter fits the size of the silo without much margin.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

You can get access to the silo via the original hatch, cut in the metal wall close to the rim on top of the silo, just beneath the external cap. Going through this hatch is incredibly difficult – it is extremely narrow, much longer than the size of a human step, and tilted upwards! It is hard to understand why the Soviets built it in a size so small – this applies to the control center too, for all corridors are really narrow and the ceiling in the rooms is so low you may easily need to bend forward! For those who don’t want to try the original entry to the silo, there is now a non-original door cut in the side of the canister.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War

The inside of the silo can be observed from an original service deck, immediately under the external cover. From here you can clearly appreciate the size of the construction – the missile was more than 70 ft long, and sat here in a vertical position. The SS-4 was among the first missiles to make use of a storable liquid propellant, which allowed it to stay in almost-launch-ready conditions for a prolonged time, if resting in a silo. Nonetheless, the time for opening the armored caps was about 30 minutes, which meant this was not exactly quick to launch. The understructure of the armored caps can be clearly appreciated from inside the silo.

Photographs Before Restoration Works – Ghost Base

When I visited this site for the first time in 2009, it was open only by appointment. Unfortunately, I had only a compact camera at the time, and the very low light inside plus a rainy day outside, meant I could take only a few acceptable pictures.

However, they provide an idea of the state of the ‘Dvina’ complex before it was decided to reconfigure it as a museum.

As you can see, the armored silo caps were in a worse shape than today, yet not heavily damaged. The barbed wire fence around the four silos was probably original Soviet.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

Inside, the control rooms were basically empty, except for some communist emblems and flags. Green wall paint and Cyrillic writings could be found even at the time, so what you see today is likely original. The generator, whilst in bad shape, was there.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

The silo could be accessed only via the original hatch, and except for the partial darkness, its appearance is similar today.

Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration
Dvina Plokstine SS-4 Sandal Soviet Missile Base Lithuania Cold War Old Before Restoration

It is out of doubt that the ‘Soviet ghost aura’ of the base was somewhat lost in the restoration process, yet credit must be given to the effort of the local government in preserving a rare and relevant trace of military history through an expensive restoration process.

Getting there and moving around

The Cold War Museum (Šaltojo karo muziejus in the local idiom) is located in the Zemaitija National Park, northwestern Lithuania, east of lake Plateliai. Access is via the road 2302. The place is totally accessible and well advertised locally. Visiting the outside of the armored caps and inside is possible only with a guided tour, offered in many languages including English, and lasting about 50 minutes. No fee is required for climbing on top of the observation deck. Full information through the official website here.

Base Tuono – Cold War Surface-To-Air Missiles in Italy

CarloRLeave a comment

Just like West Germany, post-WWII Italy found itself on the border with a communist dictatorship, Marshal Tito’s Yugoslavia. Even though Tito and the government of the USSR were never close friends, from the viewpoint of the western alliances Yugoslavia represented a potential threat.

This mistrust was also a result of the aggressive policy Yugoslavia had adopted against Italy after WWII, imposing the cession of a piece of traditionally Italian territory in the northeast part of the country as a war compensation. This had triggered a significant migration of the local population, who was trying to escape from communism to mainland Italy and abroad. This added to the bitterness of the Italian-Yugoslavian relationship, to the point that the new border was not formally settled until the 1970s.

Italy was among the founding members of anti-communist NATO in 1949. This meant the chance to take part in a coordinated defense effort against the eastern bloc. Among the tangible results of this cooperation was the adoption of American war material, including aircraft and, as soon as they became a reliable war asset, missiles.

Considering air defense, besides a number of manned aircraft, the airspace of western Europe was protected by two defensive lines of surface-to-air missiles (SAM) extending roughly from the North Sea to the area around Venice on the Mediterranean. This was studied especially to counteract bombing raids carried out by a great number of enemy bombers simultaneously attacking from the east. This huge defense system was based on the US-designed Nike and Hawk missile platforms, and deployment started in the late 1950s.

SAM installations in Italy comprised the low to intermediate altitude Hawks, with a quick reaction capacity against low-level intruders. These were managed by the local Army. High altitude Nike-Ajax and later Nike-Hercules missiles were operated by the Italian Air Force against high-altitude targets, typically bombers. New dedicated groups were established since 1959, trained in the US to work with the new missile platform. At its height, the Nike force in Italy counted on 16 such groups, apparently corresponding to as many launch bases.

Concerning the effectiveness of the Nike defense line, it soon became obsolete, in the sense that a significant part of the strategic deterrent was transferred to ICBMs by both the NATO countries and the USSR. As a result, SAM defensive lines conceived against aircraft intrusion and low-level attacks would turn out more useful than the high-altitude and high-yield Nike-Hercules. As a matter of fact, all Nike platforms were deactivated in Italy and everywhere in Europe by the early 1980s, well before the end of communism in Europe.

Following deactivation, most bases, stripped of all hardware of any value, were simply locked up and abandoned. In Germany very few traces of this extensive system remain to this day (see this post). Together with the US, Italy is possibly the only country where this fragment of military history is documented through the active preservation of one of the former SAM launch bases.

The Nike-Hercules base preserved in Italy is called ‘Base Tuono’ – ‘tuono’ meaning ‘thunder’ in Italian language – and was operated between 1966 and 1977. It is in a gorgeous mountainous setting in the northeastern Alps, about an hour from the little town of Trento. After years of disrepair, a part of it has been refurbished with original material and opened as a beautiful, partly open-air museum, where you can get a lively impression of how the base would have looked like in the years of operations.

The following photographs are from a visit to ‘Base Tuono’ in Autumn 2018.

Sights

Nike batteries were composed of two connected but geographically separated areas, an integrated fire control area (IFC) and a launch control area (LCA). In the first resided the electronic aiming part, comprising all the antennas and electronic gear necessary to collimate the target, compute the expected kill point of the missile, and to track and guide the missile to that point. The launch area was composed of an array of three flat concrete pads, each supplied with a hangar for storing the missiles, gantries for putting typically three missiles at a time (per pad) in launch position, and a concrete shelter to oversee and trigger the launch sequence. An extensive description of the Nike SAM system can be found on this excellent dedicated resource website.

Due to the features of the radar guidance system, the IFC had to stay in line of sight from the LCA, and at a higher – but not excessively higher – elevation. At ‘Base Tuono’, due to the mountainous setting, the two areas are not far, yet they are not easily accessible from one another. Furthermore, what remains today of the former base is all concentrated in the launch area. One of the three original pads – ‘Alpha’ – has been preserved, where the other two – ‘Bravo’ and ‘Charlie’ – and other ancillary buildings as well, have been completely demolished, and a water basin can be found in their place. All installations and housing in the former control area on top of a local peak – Mount Toraro – have been wiped out, but you can get an impression of the original plan of this part of the base walking around on your own.

Launch Control Area

The launch pad ‘Alpha’ is the focus of the museum. Approaching from the parking, which is located close to the site of the former barracks and canteen, you can spot from the distance three Nike-Hercules missiles aligned in vertical launch position. A water basin covers a large part of the former base, as you can see from historical pictures. Launch pads ‘Bravo’ and ‘Charlie’ are totally gone, similarly to the original outer fence delimiting the large perimeter of the installation.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Getting closer to the launch pad ‘Alpha’ you can notice an array of radar antennas, which were originally in the IFC area on top of Mount Toraro. The area of the launch pad features a reconstructed inner fence, which was in place around each pad in the original base.

The pad is basically rectangular in shape, with a hangar on one side, a protection rim and the launch control bunker on two opposing sides and a free side where today you can find the ticket office.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Three missiles are placed on top of their launch gantries. The gantries are part of a sophisticated rail system, designed to allow an easy side motion of the missiles from inside the hangar to their respective launch positions outside. The missiles were stored horizontally in the hangar to the far top of the rail on trolleys. When being readied for launch, the trolleys were pushed along the rail to the launch position, where the trolley was joined to the gantry. The missiles were raised to a vertical attitude together with the trolley with the help of a lift, which was a movable part of the gantry.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

While the pavement is covered in asphalt, you can see the gantries and the rail system are staying on hard concrete foundations. These are among the few remains you see in the German Nike site covered in this post.

Inside the hangar you can spot a Nike Hercules missile, with lateral cutouts to expose the inner structure. These reveal the four-canister solid-propellant booster stage, which was ignited first and was separated from the bullet-shaped second stage when exhausted. The latter features the warhead, the electromechanical rigs of the guidance system, and a single solid-propellant sustainer rocket engine. The rocket had a range of about 25 miles, and a top speed over Mach 3, making it a really remarkable piece of technology especially compared to the soviet counterparts of the time.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

All around the missile in the hangar you can see inner parts of the missile itself and of the ground fire control system as well. There are also panels with the history of the base, and original warning signs and instructions painted on the inner walls of the hangar – and similarly on other walls of the base. These writings are in double language, both in Italian and English. While the base was managed by the Italian Air Force, such installations were integrated in the NATO defense line, so many procedures of the Italian Air Force were in English. Furthermore, US military staff was required on site ‘by design’ in case of operations with nuclear warheads, which the Hercules could optionally carry. Nuclear warheads were never deployed to this base though.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Further items on display around the three missiles on the open apron include an old Nike-Ajax missile, a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter – the Italian Air Force was the last in the world to retire this model from service, as late as 2004 – and two trailers aligned in a row. The trailers are the battery control trailer, or BCT, and the radar control trailer, or RCT. Both trailers were originally in the IFC area of the base, and were operated by the staff responsible for offensive operations. In the days of operation, there was always somebody on duty in the trailers.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

The BCT is, roughly speaking, where targets were designated, the kill point computed and the launch sequence triggered. The most notable feature are the two computerized plotting boards used to identify the target and to define the flight trajectory of the missile. The LOPAR detection radar and the identification friend-or-foe (IFF) radar reported information to this trailer, which coordinated the attack.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

In the RCT stood the operators of the TTR and TRR radars, which were responsible for keeping trace of the target and for monitoring the missile during the flight towards the designated kill point.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

To the back of the two trailers, it is possible to spot the rectangular shapes of the LOPAR radar and of the smaller IFF radar. The two round-shaped antennas are the TTR and TRR radars. In many pictures they are portrayed inside a bulbous cover, conferring them a distinctive spherical shape.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

The concrete bunker to the opposite side of the launch pad with respect to the trailers is a protected room for the launch section panel, which is a kind of control panel for triggering the launch sequence of the missiles. The bunker served as a shelter for the operators of the launch section, for remaining on the outside in the vicinity of the missiles during launch operations was extremely dangerous.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

During the guided visit, you are given a demonstration of the launch sequence from inside the control room, which is insulated from the outside with double tight doors. The firing procedure was quite complicated. Actually, it was a direct signal traveling along a cable connection from the battery trailer that gave the go to the missiles. Yet there were redundancies for increased safety, and it was possible to trigger the entire launch sequence from within the firing section, in case communication with the BCT was lost. During normal operations, the OK from the operator of the control panel in the bunker had the function of a further go/no go safety layer for the launch.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

A trailer with a panel similar to that in the bunker can be found outside. This likely represented a further redundancy, or like the F-104 it is a piece coming from somewhere else.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

To the back of the bunker with the fire section panel you can find an original watchtower from a US base in northern Italy, similar to the towers originally in place around the missile base. Close by, there is a nice example of the canisters used to the transport the stages of the Nike-Hercules, as well as the crane used to assemble it. There is also a further example of the second stage of the missile.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Getting there and moving around

The ‘Alpha’ battery of the launch control area is open as a museum, called ‘Base Tuono’. It is located on the road SP143, which departs from Folgaria, a small town about 12 miles south of the regional capital town Trento. You can find clear roadsigns leading to the site from Folgaria.

The museum has opening times, visiting is generally possible on a self-guided basis. Access to the bunker and the trailers is possible only on guided tours. All information on their website (in English). Large free parking about 0.2 miles away from the entrance.

There is much to see for technically minded subjects, but the visit will be surely appealing for children too. I would recommend to allocate at least 45 minutes for the visit, and up to 2 hours if you want to take a guided tour and take all the pictures on your own. The scenery around is gorgeous, so it will be easy to combine this destination with a nature trail or with other tourist destination in the area.

Integrated Fire Control Area

This is where the radars and trailers used to stay, together with barracks and service buildings. It can be found about 2 miles south east direct line of sight from the launch pad, on top of Mount Toraro. Differently from the launch control area, this area has been demolished and sanitized. No buildings remain in place, yet some of the former foundations and platforms to anchor the trailers can still be seen.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Reaching to the top of the peak is interesting to appreciate the view of the launch site from here. Unfortunately, at the time of my visit low clouds obstructed the sight.

Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy
Base Tuono Nike Hercules Italy

Getting there and moving around

Even though the wide original road to reach this part of the base still exists, for some reason access to the top of the mountain is not allowed by car. In order to get to the trailhead from the museum, you can take your car and keep going southeast along the SP143 for about 1.5 miles. As you go ahead, the road will change the name to SP92 on your nav. Soon after the road starts descending, you will find the trailhead to your right, with a horizontal obstacle and a prohibition sign for cars. You may park there. It is likely the trail to the top of Mount Toraro will be on your nav too, for it is basically a normal road. The distance to walk to the top is about 1 mile, along the former service road to the base – covered in asphalt, gently ascending, no risk of any kind.

Hitler’s Mystery Mega-Structures in Central Europe

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During the last two years of WWII, the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany was slowly retreating from the eastern front, pushed back by the mighty blows of the Red Army. The bombing runs carried out by the western Allies from airfields in Britain were systematically hitting most urban centers in mainland Germany and over the territory occupied by the Nazis. It is hard to imagine, but it was in the year 1944, when the destiny of Germany was almost sealed, that industrial production in Hitler’s Third Reich reached an all-time record.

At that time the Germans were desperately short of fuel, raw materials and troops, and their production efforts would not spare them from a complete defeat in 1945. Yet it was in the last stages of the war that some of the most ambitious industrial facilities were designed, built and in some cases made operative before the end of the war.

The driver of the design was in most cases the need to move production lines to secluded and well protected areas, difficult to spot and to destroy through air bombing. As a result, these sites were placed far from urban centers. They were also designed to withstand bombing, by putting them underground, or building them with substantial reinforcement, making large use of one of Nazi Germany’s favorite materials – reinforced concrete.

In this chapter two major sites of this kind are described. One is in southwestern Poland, a region which had been part of the German Empire for long before WWII. The second is in eastern Bayern, today one of Federal Germany’s most prosperous states, close to the border with the Czech Republic. Photographs were taken in late summer 2018.

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Sights

Project ‘Riese’, Poland

Construction around this cluster of underground sites started in late 1943, and reportedly lasted until the closing stages of WWII, just days before the Soviets entered the region. The name ‘Riese’ means ‘giant’ in German, and it is surely well suited for this complex, which while far from finished is really striking in size. It was actually composed of at least six major construction sites, which in the intention of their designers should have been developed deeper in the mountains, until a link could be established between them forming a formidable network of tunnels and large halls.

Besides the size and historical meaning of these sites, what makes project ‘Riese’ so fascinating is also the actual purpose of this incredible complex is far from established. Three major theories exist in this respect. The complex might have been intended to be an underground industrial city, a kind of Noah’s Ark for the ‘superior race’ embodied by the top-ranking military and governmental staff of the Reich, or a gigantic secret laboratory for innovative technologies.

What is sure is that the construction was carried out by forced labor, mainly by prisoners of Gross-Rosen concentration camp, just a few miles north of the complex. For the scope, the Nazis created a number of satellite camps next to the entrance of the  construction sites. Rather incredibly, only very scant traces of the project remain in the written records of key figures of Nazi Germany – Albert Speer’s personal diary notably reports some millions marks allocated for project ‘Riese’, and at some point after the war he cited the item resulting from the completion of the construction works, whatever its purpose, as sized to be capable of hosting some tens of thousands people.

Today, six construction sites have been discovered, of which two – Osowka and Rzeczka, the most conspicuous – have been opened to the public, whereas the other are visitable basically for speleologists only.

Osowka

The first visitable site is in the town of Osowka. This site is composed of two parts, one underground with access from the side of a hill, the other close to the top of the same hill.

The underground part can be visited only with a guide. The plant of the completed construction features two accesses, and you will be driven in using the first and out using the other. Between the entrances, the site is mainly composed of an array of parallel tunnels pointing towards the mountain, connected by long halls.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

Close to the entrance you can spot a concrete guardhouse with loopholes for machine guns. Some wooden structures like in a mine have been put in place to give an idea of the appearance of the working technique at the time of construction.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

Most tunnels have been dug but not reinforced with concrete walls, whereas others are almost complete, showing a peculiar two-level design. The lower level features a smaller section, and the top one a taller, round shaped section.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

A feature of the ‘Riese’ complex is a special technique for building the inner concrete coat of the rocky tunnels, producing the distinctive ‘church-ceiling-like’ appearance of some of the halls, with a round shape and frames close to one another.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

The Osowka site features also a collection of smaller artifacts, collected from the ground and dating from the construction years, i.e. from late WWII.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
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Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

Life-size silhouettes of some WWII tanks are on display, to show how the size of these items was totally compatible with the size of the tunnels, in support of a potential use of the site for weapon manufacture.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

The outside part, which can be accessed freely, is the most mysterious. At the base of the trail leading uphill you can spot a strange concrete platform, with provision for – possibly – interred pipelines.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

Close to the top of the hill you can find a huge concrete platform, with an apparently chaotic ensemble of slots, pipes, handles, stairs and pools. This item has been deemed close in shape to the base of a service building for the valves and pipelines of a power-plant. Theories have flourished in support of the use of this item as a prototype control system for a nuclear power-plant.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

The nuclear program of the Nazis, which indeed existed and is even documented to some extent, is shrouded in mystery for what concerns the actual findings obtained during the war. These dark spots are also due to the destruction of most of the hardware connected with the program everywhere in Germany, and with the inherent secret nature of the program itself. No evidence exists of the Osowka site in the public papers about the nuclear studies of the Reich, so the true purpose of this object is likely to remain an unsolved riddle.

Close by this platform, you can find an original concrete building, part of the same construction plan. It is pretty long, with large windows, and likely intended for troops or technical staff.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Osowka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Osowka

Rzeczka

Compared to Osowka, this site is more centered on the inside part. Again, there are two entrances, close by a creek on the side of a hill, providing access to a network of tunnels. Similar to Osowka, close by the entrance you can find guard-houses in concrete. These were built soon, possibly for keeping a watch on the forced workers.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

The construction works in Rzeczka were less advanced than those in Osowka. Yet thanks to the lack of the concrete coat, you can appreciate the size of the tunnels, some of which are really tall.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

There are small collections of artifacts found in the tunnels, and an original concrete room offers a description of all discovered sites of the ‘Riese’ project.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

A 1:1 copy of a V-1 German flying bomb has been placed in one of the tunnels, to show the compatibility of the size of this weapon with the tunnel. Such weapons were reportedly assembled in underground facilities elsewhere in Germany.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

Visiting is again possible only with a guide. Some multi-media experiences with sounds, lights and voices are included in the tour, but these are not so impressive for those who don’t understand Polish.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

On the outside, you can spot some relics from construction years, including trolleys, and concrete slabs watermarked with symbols of the local construction companies tasked with the practical realization of the site. There is also a copy of a V-2 rocket, operative in the last months of WWII but little effective in changing the fate of Nazi Germany.

Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler's Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka
Project Riese Hitler’s Mystery Installation Poland Rzeczka

Getting there and moving around

As pointed out, the sites connected with project ‘Riese’ are many, but most of them are not visitable unless to specialists and with the help of a speleologist. On the other hand, the two sites of Osowka and Rzeczka are professionally operated as primary tourist attractions. The distance from these two sites is about 20 minutes by car, so you can surely arrange the tour of both sites on the same day, with much spare time in your daily schedule.

At Osowka you can find a large parking and a fully equipped visitor center, where you can book a guided tour, or join a departing one – the only way to get inside. Please note that the number of people admitted on each tour is relatively small, so I would suggest booking at least one day in advance through their website (partly also in English) to be sure to get a place at the time you like. They offer several different tours. The most complete include a visit to a part of the underground site which can only be accessed by boat. This is given only on some days by reservation, and only for groups. The standard tour of the inside is offered several times a day.

The guided may turn out really boring, cause you are provided an audio-guide in English with explanations lasting a couple of minutes for each of the circa ten stops, in face of the Polish-speaking guide talking about 5 minutes per site. You may try to spend your spare time taking good pictures, but even though groups are relatively small, they tend to obstruct the view inside, leaving poor chances for acceptable shots. Furthermore, lighting is not very good, so a tripod would be recommended, except you don’t have the time and chance for undisturbed long poses. Therefore, if you are interested in top-level pictures, you would better arrange a dedicated tour out of the normal touristic offer. Otherwise, you’d better go prepared to a difficult visit.

The outside part of the site is less frequented and more rewarding. It can be reached in about ten minutes following a pretty steep, unpaved trail in the trees. This part is unfenced and unguarded.

The Rzeczka site has only an inside part, which can be visited only on a guided tour. You can join one of the frequent tours they provide even without reservation. There is a small visitor center and plenty of parking space. Similar to Osowka, the guide will speak in Polish, and you are provided an audio-guide in English. The visit lasts less than in the case of Osowka, and the audio-guide explanations are more proportionate to the speech of the Polish-speaking guide, making for a more enjoyable visit. The multi-media experiences are of little relevance for non Polish-speaking people. Outside you can find also some panels with explanations on the history of the site in both Polish and English. Website with some info in English here.

The tunnels in Rzeczka are poorly lighted too, so photographing will be difficult unless with a tripod, but the conditions are not very favorable for operating with a tripod – many people around and short times between stops along the tour.

‘Weingut I’ Aviation Industry Complex, Germany

The giant complex known as ‘Weingut I’, the original codename attributed by the Nazi staff at the time of its design and construction, is the direct result of a plan to relocate all major industrial production lines of the Reich to protected areas, far from the line of the front and from any major urban center. In this particular case, the new factory was intended to shelter the production line of the new Junkers Jumo 004 jet engines for the ‘Schwalbe’ – also known as Messerschmitt Me-262, this was the first jet fighter in the world to be pushed into service, back in 1944.

The huge factory was designed based on a basic module made of a reinforced concrete arch, some 250 ft open, 100 ft tall and 10 to 15 ft thick. This item was to be built on site and partly buried under ground level. Twelve such modules were needed for the complete hangar, with a total intended length of the factory of around 1.200 ft. Of the planned twelve sections, seven were actually built between mid-1944 and the end of the war.

Despite the intended scope was that of hiding the factory to protect it from aerial reconnaissance, due to the size of the construction works the object was reportedly spotted by US aircraft, but not attacked. Actually, the special construction was tested against explosives by the US Army after the war, resulting in the collapse of all modules except one, which is still standing today besides the pretty sizable relics of the others.

The site is not actively guarded, but it is located in a regional nature preserve, so access is through a nice walk in the trees. Once next to the hangar you can find multiple access points.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

Close to the main arch, the only one still standing, it is possible to find an explanatory panel in German only. It commemorates also the forced laborers from the nearby concentration camps, who had to take part substantially in the construction works.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

Walking under the arch is at your own risk, cause despite the bulky appearance of the structure, smaller pieces of concrete are hanging from from the ceiling. However, a walk inside will give you the most striking impression of the size of the hangar.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

Just nearby the remaining module to the west you can find a walkable, half interred bunker, likely with a technical function which is today hard to imagine.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

The module still standing today is the westernmost of the hangar, so walking east you will have the chance to step on the roof of the demolished modules. A number of thick iron rods can be spot at ground level.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

Walking along the former southern side of the hangar, you can spot a deep well, probably part of the construction strategy. It may have been used to take out the gravel from beneath the base of the arches to lower them to a rest position on more compact ground.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

Along the same side you can find a way to walk below the fallen structure. You can also get a view of the edge of one of the modules.

Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler's Messerschmitt Hangar Germany
Weingut I Hitler’s Messerschmitt Hangar Germany

The eastern end of the complex is probably the most hazardous, cause you find an unprotected concrete cliff a good 10 ft high, constituted by the edge of a fallen module.

All in all, the place is a nice example of the undeniable structural design abilities of the German military, really interesting to visit both from a technical viewpoint and as a witness of the utopian visions of the Nazis, which unfortunately cost the lives of many.

Getting there and moving around

Reaching the trail-head is very easy by car. Leaving Mühldorf am Inn for Waldkraiburg along the road St2352, about 0.5 miles south of the crossing with St2550 you will find a sizable gravel factory to your right, preceded by an unpaved road taking west in the trees. You can park on the unpaved road on the northern side of the factory – probably a heir of the original factory built to feed the construction works of the hangar.

From there, you should take the unpaved trail into the trees, closed to vehicle traffic. It is another 0.5 miles to the site, on a flat and easy trail. A quick scan of the Google map will allow you to plan the trip. The place is not remote, cell phones work and you may use a virtual map to get oriented on site. Visiting might take about 2 hours for a very interested subject, including the trip from the parking and back, plus all time needed for pictures .

Traces of the Cold War in Southwest Germany

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Between the end of WWII and the collapse of the USSR in the early Nineties, Germany was caught in the middle of the confrontation between the West and the Soviet bloc. An unnatural and heavily guarded new border was established between the two adversaries, which crossed the extensive territory of todays Germany. Thanks to the presence of American, British and French military forces over the western territory of the Country, and of the Red Army to the east, with the start of the Cold War the German ‘inner border’ became a modern line of the front for this new type of confrontation (see this post).

All armies stationed there benefited from substantial resources poured by the respective governments in the setup of permanent military detachments and infrastructures. The aim for the nations involved was that of having on the spot a credible force, capable of effectively fighting an enemy army – as well as hitting the populations of neighbor Countries – in case a new war was started in Europe. In the end, an open war was never fought, yet for decades it was deemed possible, and in some crisis moments even likely (see this post).

This chapter presents pictures from five Cold-War-themed sites in southwest Germany. Photographs were taken in April 2018, and in the summer of 2020 and 2021.

Navigate this post – click on links to scroll

Sights

With the end of the game for the communist empire and following German reunification, Russian forces withdrew from all bases in Germany – as well as from many other Countries in Europe – and so did the foreign NATO allies, with a very few exceptions. Most former military bases and military infrastructures fell in a state of disrepair, and by the years the majority were either completely wiped out or converted into something else. Nonetheless, especially in the less crowded territories of the former communist East Germany, visible traces remain from the period, in the form of – sometimes immense – abandoned airports and military bases (see this post and links therein).

Comparatively less traces of the once substantial presence of NATO forces are to be found in todays western ‘Länder’ – i.e. administrative regions – which used to be part of West Germany. Yet something of interest for Cold War ‘archaeologists’ can be found also here.

A long chain of anti-aircraft missile batteries was implemented based on the Nike missile system designed in the US, and implemented by the US Army as well as other NATO armies in West Germany. The defensive line was established in the 1950s and updated over the years, running almost parallel to the border with the communist DDR, but located pretty far from it and well within the territory of West Germany. It stretched from the North Sea to the Bodensee, on the border with Switzerland. There are some very extensive references on the web providing a complete description of the Nike defensive barrier both in the US and abroad, a very rich one here (the link should point directly to the German section).

In this chapter you can find some pictures from an exploration of an abandoned Nike Hercules site next to the town of Wurmberg, just out of Pforzheim, between Stuttgart and the French border. It used to be run directly by the US Army.

Intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) were part of the tactical plans of both the US and the Soviets in Europe. The Pershing platform, based on the homonym theater-level nuclear missile, was deployed in Germany, and placed in the inventory of both the US Army and the West German Luftwaffe. The missile was updated in several instances in the decades of the Cold War, until it was banned by the INF treaty in 1988, agreed upon by the administrations of Gorbachev and Reagan.

Among the strongpoints of the Pershing missile deployment in Europe, a huge warhead deposit was built close to the town of Waldstetten, next to Schwäbisch Gmund in southern Germany. In this chapter you will find photographs from an exploration of this mysterious site.

Furthermore, a nice collection of aircraft from both sides of the Iron Curtain can be found in the southwestern corner of the Country, next to the town of Villingen-Schwenningen – one of the few air museums in this part of Germany. Similarly, the large collections of the military museum in Stammheim, next to the town of Schweinfurt in northwestern Bavaria, and once close to the ‘Inner Border’ with the GDR, has on display substantial specimens from the Cold War era.

Finally, a special feature presented in this chapter is a group of pictures from the former airbase in Giebelstadt, south of Würzburg, Bavaria. Today a privately owned general aviation airport, this former military airbase gained a special historical significance when it was selected for the departure of secret overflights of the communist territory beyond the Iron Curtain, performed with the Lockheed U-2 in the late Fifties, by decision of president Eisenhower.

Nike Missile Battery – Wurmberg

The site in Wurmberg, east of Pforzheim, was actually Battery ‘Delta’ – i.e. the fourth – of the four missile forces managed by the the 3rd Battalion of the 71st Air Defense Artillery (ADA) regiment.

Typical Nike missile batteries were composed of two geographically separated areas. The largest was the ‘Launch area’, with missile storage facilities – sometimes reinforced underground bunkers, sometimes more usual ‘soft’ hangars – and launch pads. The other was the ‘Integrated Fire Control area’ or ‘IFC’, where all antennas and electronic equipment for target detection and missile guidance were placed. Due to the limited speed of motion of the missile guidance antennas, the distance between the launch site and the IFC had to be greater than a threshold, while the elevation of the IFC had to be somewhat above the the launch pads. These technological constraints led the choice of the sites suitable for the installation of the Nike batteries.

The site was deactivated in the Eighties, and both areas were sanitized in more instances, basically demolishing any buildings. The ‘final stage’ of the operation is likely to be underway at the time of my visit, as you can see from the pictures, where piles of gravel and moved land can be spotted all around the launch site.

Surprisingly, a feature that has come to our days virtually without any alteration is the external fence of the launch site, which runs all around the launch area and is still particularly impenetrable. Also the rounds of barbed wire on top are still there.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The exploration of the launch area is pretty straightforward. It is rectangular, basically flat and aligned along an east-western direction. Close to the eastern end,  you meet a flat area with a concrete pavement – now partly demolished – and a curved road nearby. This is where the missiles and warheads were assembled. Nike missiles could mount nuclear warheads, but apparently this was a rarely adopted option.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The next notable item to the west is a water basin, still in a very good shape. There used to be a water system all around the base. Remains of demolished buildings can be spotted around here too.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

A mystery electric cable comes out of the ground on a spot. It is noteworthy that the launch area and IFC were connected by an underground cable, but I don’t think this is the one you see in the pics.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

This battery had three launch sectors, bearing the little imaginative names of ‘Alpha’, ‘Bravo’ and ‘Charlie’. You can find them in a sequence, walking towards the west end of the site.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The pads of the Alpha sector, while now greatly damaged by the demolition work, are still in place with their metal covers.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

There were three launch pads on each sector. The area of each sector appears unnecessarily large, but actually the missile storage hangar used to stay beyond the launch pads, occupying about half the area of each sector. Today these soft constructions have disappeared.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

To the west of each sector there is a small bunker, intended for the protection of the troops working around the launch pads, in case of an attack to the battery. These bunkers are not very damaged, so they constitute a very interesting part of the site today.

The protection bunkers have two exits on the two opposite sides – so the Alpha bunker connects the Alpha and Bravo sectors, the Bravo bunker the Bravo and Charlie sectors, while the Charlie bunker connects the Charlie sector to the logistic storage area to the west end of the launch site.

The Alpha bunker is well conserved – except for some spoiling by some idiot writer. There is no camouflage paint coat outside, just some plain green paint, and the walls inside are painted in a bright crimson color. The bunker has two opposite entrances, and two corresponding corridors leading to two massive tight doors, which give access to a central protected room, insulated from the outside.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

Writings in English are still there in the central room of bunker Alpha.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The launch sectors Bravo and Charlie are more damaged than Alpha.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The Bravo bunker is camouflaged, and differently from Alpha the walls inside are painted in water green. It is possible to notice how the central room was separated from the rest of the structure for blast insulation, similar to other missile sites (see this post). There is a wide slot at the level of the doors.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

Further writings in English and some original linoleum pavement are still perfectly visible.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The Charlie bunker is different from the other two. The facade is wider, it is coated in a camo paint, and bears the name ‘Charlie’ above the eastern door. Inside it is very dark, possibly as a result of a fire. In the insulated room it is possible to see an original air conditioning system.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The three launch sectors are connected to the south by a wide road, from where you can appreciate the extension and state of conservation of the original fence.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

The IFC area is located just north of the small town of Wurmberg, on top of a hill. Unfortunately, the former military site has been wiped out and a nothing less than a waste disposal facility has taken its place! Anyway, from this vantage point you can clearly see the launch area, roughly two miles to the west.

Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base
Nike Missile Battery Delta Battery 3/71 ADA Pforzheim Wumberg Germany Abandoned Military Base

Getting there and moving around

Getting to the launch area is very easy. Leave the highway N.8 close to Pforzheim (the exit is 45b Pforzheim-Süd) and take for Pforzheim on Wurmberger Strasse. Take the very first road to the right and park your car there. You will see a gate open since ages and an almost unmaintained road taking straight north and climbing gently uphill. This road will take you to the official gate of the launch area in 0.4 miles. Getting in is probably prohibited, but the area is pretty remote and secluded, and I didn’t see a person around during all my stay.

The site is geographically compact, so touring may take about 2 to 2.5 hours taking all pictures, if you have planned your movements in advance. A tripod is strictly necessary for taking decent pictures inside the very dark bunkers.

The IFC area can be reached going to Wurmberg, leaving the same exit but taking the direction opposite to Pforzheim. You will soon reach central Wurmberg. Cimb along Gollmerstrasse, then along Oschelbronnerstrasse. Where the village ends and the road stops climbing you will see a field to your left and a waste disposal facility to your right – this used to be the area occupied by the IFC area. Looking west you can see the launch area and the taller buildings of Pforzheim further in the distance.

Pershing Warhead Storage Bunkers – Waldstetten

The site in Waldstetten is basically an array of warhead storage bunkers, built between 1954 and 1958 by the US Army. In 1972 these bunkers became a part of a Quick Reaction Alert site, managed by the 1st Battalion of the 41st Field Artillery Regiment, tasked with supplying the nearby storage site of the Pershing missile in Mutlangen, just north of Schwäbisch Gmund. The site saw major action in 1982, when 36 Pershing II missiles were installed in Mutlangen as an answer to the deployment by the USSR of an updated version of the excellent SS-20 Saber IRBM system.

During the Eighties the 1st Bn 41st FA was reformed more than once, until it became 2nd Bn 9th FA in 1986, only to be disbanded in 1991, following the dismantlement of the Pershing system as a consequence of the INF Treaty between the US and USSR.

It should be mentioned that whether the nuclear warheads of the Pershing missile ever made their way to this storage site is a matter of discussion. As a matter of fact, the missiles were in the nearby Mutlangen site, and their installation triggered well documented protests by the usual pacifist folks, who encountered difficulties in understanding the moves of the Reagan administration, which helped with successfully putting an end to the Cold War and to many communist dictatorships in Europe. What the bunkers in the Waldstetten site were used for is not totally evident, and it should be recalled they were built in the Fifties, before the deployment of the Pershing system.

Of the 28 bunkers originally built, 25 exist today while three have been demolished in a landslide. The site is located in the trees along two broad circular roads, once service roads. Today it is in the heart of a natural preserve, and the roads are used by MTBs and hikers, whereas the Mutlangen site has been converted into a solar power plant.

The local administration has prepared a placard with a map and a short history of the place (in German only), which I spotted only by the first bunker you meet climbing uphill along the road approaching the site from north. You can see the placard in the pics below, with the corresponding map. The position indicated with ‘Standort’ on the map is where the placard is. I suggest starting you exploration from there.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

About half of the bunkers can be accessed. Except a few, they are basically indistinguishable.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

Inside they are empty and very basic in shape, with just one large storage room. Other bunkers are inaccessible, and some have been converted into bat shelters.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

A notable bunker is 870 (see the map in the pic), which bears on the front facade graffiti from US troops, probably veterans visiting the place in recent times after it was closed up. Today it is a bat shelter.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

In 869 you can find some naive paintings, including one portraying a truck probably dating from the years of operation.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

A mystery bunker is 856, which is very different from all others. It has two small entrances, apparently for humans only, and a group of small chambers ahead of the larger storage area. This has no wide entrances, suggesting it was not used for warheads nor anything similar, and a blind room to the back. Unfortunately, this bunker is also covered in indecent graffiti.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

Another interesting sight, especially visible to the west of the bunker area, is the original fence of the storage site, with a number of aligned concrete posts and traces of barbed wire. The line of the fence is shown also on the map.

Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker
Quick Reaction Alert QRA Nuclear Atomic Weapons Pershing Warhead Storage Waldstetten Schwabisch Gmund US 41st Field Artillery Germany Abandoned Bunker

Getting there and moving around

The storage bunkers are located on top of a hill, and some climbing is required to reach the bunker area. The place is not fenced, and there are multiple access points from all directions. I personally parked at the end of Dreifaltigkeitsstrasse in Waldstetten and accessed the site from the west. After touring it, I came back passing by the placard mentioned above. The road is steeper on that side of the hill, but starting from the placard may ease your exploration.

Please note that the on most part of the site the cell phone coverage was very weak, with no access to internet data. I strongly suggest downloading your maps before being on site.

The place is secluded and the bunkers are much overlooked by the locals, who keep on the main track and just cross the area – you will probably move around undisturbed if you walk in and around the bunkers.

Due to some amount of mild hiking required, a complete tour of all bunkers may take about 3 hours, including time for pictures.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum – Villingen-Schwenningen

This small air museum is composed of three parts.

The first is a single hangar, stacked with smaller aircraft and a helicopter, plus memorabilia and parts of aircraft of diverse proveniences and ages, including German machines from WWII, and later from both sides of the Iron Curtain.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

The main part is a grassy apron with an open air collection. Here you can see aircraft of American make in the colors of the West German Luftwaffe, including an F-86 Sabre and F-104 Starfighter.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

British aircraft are represented by an English Electric Canberra and a DeHavilland Vampire of the Swiss Air Force.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

Other models from western Countries include an Italian Fiat G-91 reconnaissance aircraft and a German Dornier Alpha Jet trainer.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

Models from the Soviet world include an Antonov An-2 biplane, which can also be boarded, and a Yakovlev Yak-18, bearing a post-Soviet Russian flag and registration markings.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

Probably the star of the show, a well restored Polish-built MiG-15 is presented in the markings of the Red Army.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

The third part of the museum is a series of restoration hangars, where a number of aircraft are being restored, whereas some replicas are being assembled, possibly partly from original parts. These include a Messerschmitt Me-262 Schwalbe, and a Dornier Do-335 Pfiel, of which only one original exemplar exists in Washingtong, DC – definitely a rare sight.

Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany
Internationales Luftfahrt-Museum Air Museum Baden-Wurttemberg Germany

Getting there and moving around

The museum, located on the side of a local touristic airport, is easily reachable in Spittelbronner Weg 78, 78056 Villingen-Schwenningen, just on the eastern border of the beautiful Schwarzwald region. Website with full information here.

Military History Museum, Stammheim am Main

Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?

A Travel Guide to COLD WAR SITES in EAST GERMANY

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The museum in Stammheim, northwestern Bavaria, stands out as one of the largest and best preserved military collections in Germany, especially concerning the two World Wars and the Cold War. The museum is composed of a set of large adjoining hangars, and an open-air part. The hangars are rich in dioramas, built around real weapons (both heavy and light), tanks, as well as rigs, uniforms and dresses from the corresponding ages.

The first hangar is centered on WWII. Here a large central diorama represents a scene from the advance of US forces on German territory. A group of civilians reacts welcoming the American forces with white flags, whereas some armed civilian guards and some German soldiers keep a more cautious attitude.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Among the original US vehicles is a light tank, starring in the movie ‘The Monuments Men’ besides actor George Clooney. A German Goliath self-propelled drone-tank is on display in this scene.

Two house facades imitating traditional German architecture complete this central diorama.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

In the same hall, more dioramas show for instance a German anti-aircraft battery, with a four-barrel gun and a searchlight. Range-finding rigs are also on display.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

To the far end of the same hall, a Soviet T-34 and a Sherman can be found, besides self-propelled cannons and more vehicles set in smaller scenes.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

In a lateral passage, scenes from the African theater of WWII are displayed. These include vehicles and weapons with a distinctive desert camo coat. Another diorama displays a school in Germany from the same period, with young men involved in light anti-aircraft defense.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Scenes from pre-WWII and from WWI are presented in yet another, smaller hall. Field artillery pieces from WWI are clearly discernible from more modern ones. A field kitchenette from the time is also on display.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Classical display cases feature many interesting items, including military uniforms from WWI and WWII, military decorations, air navigation charts and flight instruments.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

The Cold War is covered in the last two hangars. Here field guns, mortars and armored vehicles mainly from the Federal Republic and from the German Democratic Republic – some of them still working – are put on display, side by side.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

The exhibition in this part is complimented by numerous flags and smaller pieces of military material, including communication gear, water mines, transport vehicles, a military Trabant.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Part of the show is an ex-DDR early MiG-21. This can be climbed (not boarded), providing a nice view of the ensemble.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

The museum is close to Schweinfurt, geographically next to the border with the former GDR. A reconstruction of the Inner Border impenetrable fence (see this post), with original signs and plaques, is duly on display.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

The outside part of the museum displays a few heavy armored vehicles from WWI, WWII and the Cold War. They include a rusty, US-made M26 Pershing tank from WWII, a Federal Germany Gepard anti-aircraft self-propelled battery from the Cold War, and more.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Visible from a distance are a set of US-made surface-to-air missiles, distinctive silhouettes from the Cold War age. These include a Nike Hercules surface to air missile. Surface-to-surface platforms include a venerable and pretty rare Matador early cruise missile. This grandparent of modern cruise missiles features a distinctive swept-back wing, and a booster underneath the fuselage to the back.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

The nose cone of a Pershing (possibly) is on display, together with a rare Lance missile, a surface-to-surface missile from the 1960s-70s, in the inventory of the Federal Republic in those years. The plaque on the launcher witnesses the Canadian origin of the single-missile wheeled rack, built by Orenda.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

Behind the missiles, aircraft on display are a Soviet designed Antonov An-2 biplane, and a US designed Republic F-84 Thunderstreak, in the colors of the Luftwaffe of Federal Germany.

Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany
Military Museum Stammheim Schweinfurt Bayern Germany

All in all, this wonderful collection has much to offer for everybody with an interest in the military history of Germany since WWI to the Cold War era. The museum sets up reunions of enthusiasts, and special days with tank movements and live displays.

Getting there and moving around

The Stammheim am Main museum is located 7 miles south of Schweinfurt, a major center in the area, and about 12 miles northeast of beautiful Würzburg. It can be conveniently reached when traveling between the two, right on the bank of the Main river. The exact location is along the intercity road SW1, on the crossing with Maintalstrasse in the village of Kolitzheim. Parking right ahead of the entrance. Small restaurant on site. Since the museum is stuffed with tons of interesting items, even though compact in size, visiting may easily take more than 2 hours for an interested subject.

Former US Airbase, Giebelstadt

The now sleepy general aviation airfield in Giebelstadt has been a rather active military airbase for many decades. A Luftwaffe fighter base in WWII, it was among the first airbases to host the new Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter. In 1945 it fell in the hands of American forces, who intermittently used it for various temporary deployments and flight operations over the immediate post-WWII years. The early Cold War era and the 1950s were a new period of intensive use. The runway was lengthened, and more modern facilities for stationing troops and aircraft were built anew, in place of older and damaged German ones from the Nazi era. Powerful, cutting-edge radar installations were put in place, due to the proximity with the East German border. With the transition to fast jets, the proximity of the airfield to the border was actually too much, so that interceptors could not scramble in time from Giebelstadt, in case of an enemy attack from beyond the Iron Curtain. However, this would be an advantage for reconnaissance missions, launched during the Eisenhower administration, starting in 1956.

Giebelstadt was one of the few bases for the balloons of Project Genetrix. That was a first, partly successful attempt to gather intelligence through unmanned overflights of the USSR. In the same years, Giebelstadt was intended as the main operative base for the CIA Lockheed U-2s, to be used for a more risky – since manned – but much more effective way to collect photo and signal intelligence.

The actual deployment started in 1956, with some delay due to the need to prepare the airfield for operation of the one-of-a-kind Lockheed U-2. The latter flew in the meanwhile from Wiesbaden, where the headquarter of US military in Germany was at that time. This was not much liked by the US intelligence community, since the latter city was more crowded than the small country village of Giebelstadt, and this exposed highly secretive U-2 operations to a higher risk of espionage.

Missions carried out by the U-2 were of basically two types. The first was relatively risky ELINT missions along the border with the USSR, where defenses were stimulated without entering the enemy airspace, to obtain precious information on the reaction capability and the enemy anti-aircraft barrier, including the position of radar sites, etc. The second mission type was high-risk ELINT/PHOTINT missions, or ‘overflights’, where Soviet airspace was actually penetrated. In the latter case, the U-2 made use of its superior altitude and range performance to carry out long missions above the defenses of the USSR. As known, the development of high-performing SAMs, reaching up to the cruising altitude of the U-2 meant it was not invulnerable any more after 1960. This put an end to overflights. However, a total of 24 mostly successful overflight missions were carried out between 1956 and 1960, each of them specifically studied and approved with the direct involvement of president Eisenhower.

Besides missions along the border, or over satellite countries of the Eastern Bloc (still considered a high risk, but not as high as a direct overflight of the USSR), a single overflight of the USSR was actually flown from Giebelstadt. This was mission No. 2040, flown on October 13th, 1957, with Hervey S. Stockman at the controls. A report from this mission can be found on a CIA document here.

Following the end of the U-2-based intelligence missions, Giebelstadt was ceded to the US Army in the years of Kennedy. The Army used it as a huge base for helicopter operations well into the third millennium – the base was deactivated and returned to Federal Germany only in 2006.

Today, the now private airport can be barely neared without triggering security service. However, even a quick look along the fence will reveal clear traces of the US military tenancy. From hangars to fences, to softer constructions north of the airfield, everything is much US military standard.

Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany

The runway – huge for todays single-prop and glider activities! – can be seen clearly from the south and from the eastern end.

Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany

Antenna arrays and a now oversize control tower are other witnesses of the past military activity.

Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany
Giebelstadt Airbase US U-2 CIA USAF Würzburg Bayern Germany

Getting there and moving around

Giebelstadt airport can be conveniently reached along road N.19, about 8 miles south of Würzburg. Unfortunately, despite the road passing right besides the airport, there are very few options for stopping close to the fence with a car on this fast road, and similarly on the road going along the southern fence of the airport, taking east to Mönchsmühle nearby. However, the eastern runway head can be approached from the latter. Just turn north towards the base in the vicinity of the general aviation hangars in the southeastern corner of the airport. The road is a dead end, and you will likely trigger some inspection by people inside the fence, so not much to worry about if you stay outside.

Another part which can be toured is the former administrative part/barracks to the northeast. This can be entered driving along the northern side of the airport. This area has been taken over by private companies, and you might trigger some inspection by the respective security agencies. They are rather friendly though, so again, not much to worry about if you take picture staying in your car.

Regierungsbunker – Federal Germany’s Atomic Shelter

CarloRLeave a comment
Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?

A Travel Guide to COLD WAR SITES in EAST GERMANY

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Soon after the end of WWII it was realized that nuclear weapons could pose a real threat to the survival of the governmental chain of command. The US nuclear shots in Japan in August 1945 had demonstrated the destructive power of nuclear ordnance, which might wipe out the political brain of an entire nation in a moment, typically by hitting its capital city.

The Soviets carried out their first successful nuclear test in 1949, when Stalin was still in charge. Due to limitations of the range of aircraft at the time – when long-range missiles were yet to appear on the scene – an attack to the continental US was a remote threat, but things were very different for all countries in Western Europe. Thanks to the annexation of large parts of Eastern Europe and the establishment of puppet governments in many others further west, Stalin’s rule now extended well into central Europe. Bombers taking off from communist Poland, Czechoslovakia or the German Democratic Republic could easily target large cities of every neighbor nation, including Britain, France and of course Federal Germany.

To mitigate the risk of loosing control of the nation in case of a Soviet nuclear attack on the capital city Bonn, the first chancellor of the newly founded Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer, approved the plan for a nuclear-proof bunker in 1950 – the so-called ‘Regierungsbunker’. Essential governmental functions could be maintained and military operations coordinated from inside.

Albeit greatly reduced in size, the place is today open to the public and makes for an interesting witness of the Cold War. This brief chapter shows some photographs of this bunker, and some more from the German Museum of Contemporary History, a very nice and modern museum on post-WWII Germany, recently opened in the former federal capital Bonn.

Sights

Governmental Atomic Bunker – Regierungsbunker

The design of the bunker was completed in the 1950s, and was based on the extension and conversion of preexisting unfinished railway tunnels in the valley of river Ahr, some 10 miles south of Bonn. These tunnels had been built during WWI as part of a projected railway to help supplying the war front. Works were halted in 1918. Years later, the place was deemed ideal for a secret government bunker, since the distance from the capital city could be covered very quickly, but the facility was sufficiently far from the likely target of a nuclear attack, and hidden deep in the countryside for a more effective deception.

The approval for construction works on the bunker failed to come quickly though, and the project was put in practice in the early 1960s. By that time war technology had changed significantly, both in terms of the yield of nuclear warheads and range of strategic missiles. It is highly controversial whether this underground bunker would withstand more than the original design yield of 20 kilotons, which after the improvements of the 1950s was now on the lower end of the scale. Yet it was thought that a direct hit on the bunker was unlikely, so the design was deemed suitable for the task of protecting the head of the political and military hierarchies in case of an attack on nearby Bonn.

Anyway, the bunker was excavated extending the original tunnels into a complex of two sub-systems, with a total length of about 10 miles of reinforced concrete underground passages. The insulation and ventilation system was a major concern to avoid contamination in case of a nuclear attack. A complex system of tight doors forming airlocks with decontamination rooms was a substantial feature of the design, together with the emergency exit system.

It became operative in the mid-Sixties, and in case of an attack it could be fully autonomous for 30 days, sheltering about three thousands people. NATO training operations and simulations for crisis management were carried out regularly. The cost for running this extensive structure was enormous, and it was shut down in 1997, a few years after the USSR had dissolved and the capital of Federal Germany had moved to Berlin.

The bunker was dismantled, cleaned and a very small part – about 0.2 miles out of the original 10! – reopened as a museum.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

Visiting is only possible on guided tours. After an explanatory video on the story, you are driven along the tunnels of the bunker. The most notable features are the super-thick tight doors. You meet the most impressive at the beginning of the tour. It is cylindrical, and it was operated by a dedicated hydraulic system, which could seal up the bunker in just seconds. The thickness and weight of these doors were designed to both withstand a blast and to insulate the bunker.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

On the tour your are given a demonstration of the emergency alarm – with original lights and sounds – which announced that the doors would be shut soon.

Nearby you are shown the decontamination facilities, with showers and an adjoining medical room.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

Most of the offices are gone today, but some have been reconstructed or refurbished. They are mainly related to the control of the many gates and systems necessary for bunker operation.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

Artifacts on display from older times are really iconic from the Cold War, and include an anti-radiation suit and gear for measuring radiation levels.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

Further on, you can see a reconstructed NATO situation room with original signs and maps. Note the names of many Forrestal and Nimitz-class carriers, true icons of the Cold War and all operative at the time (see this post US aircraft carriers). The borders of the USSR were very close to Central Europe!

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

There are many pictures of the original state rooms, intended for emergency parliament operations. Broadcasting facilities from the Cold War years are also displayed.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

To the far end of the bunker it is possible to have a look on a dismantled part of the tunnels. Today the whole 10 miles network should look like that, empty and dark. There used to be an upper floor in the tunnels, but this was demolished except in the part now open to the public.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

In the last part of the tour you move to the upper floor, where you are shown example bedrooms and a medical facility. A small exhibition about the bunker appearing in the news closes the experience.

Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn
Federal Germany Government Atomic Bunker Regierungsbunker Bonn

All in all, notwithstanding the crowds, this is a primary relic of the Cold War in this part of Europe, extremely interesting for anybody with an interest in recent history and the confrontation between the two blocs.

Getting there and moving around

The bunker is a famous local attraction for Germans. You can find moderate (to big…) crowds of visitors at least in the warm season. The visit is tuned on German-speaking visitors, but you are provided a detailed paper guide in English on request, and this allows you to enjoy the visit if you can’t understand German. Furthermore, tours in different languages are available for groups by prior arrangement. Moving around in large groups can be a problem especially if you want to take pictures – the only decent examples I could take on the tour, lasting about 1 hour, are shown on this page. The location is Am Silberberg 0, 53474 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler. There is a small parking at the same level of the entrance. Visiting does not pose any physical difficulty. Full visiting information in English on this website.

German National Museum of Contemporary History – Haus der Geschichte, Bonn

When Nazi Germany capitulated, Europe had to face a scenario which had never been experienced before. Thousands of foreign soldiers were scattered over the former territory of the Third Reich, taking control after the collapse of the German government. They were from many nationalities, and diplomatic issues surfaced already in the first weeks following the end of the war, especially between the Soviets and the US-British-French occupation armies.

Furthermore, Germany had been for long under an inhumane ideological dictatorship, so a new form of democratic government had to be established from scratch – at least in the opinions of most western allies, while Stalin on the other hand was not in favor of that idea. To guarantee peace, normal rights to the population of Germany and to start the reconstruction of the many destroyed towns and cities, it was necessary to transfer power back to German politicians and to feed the economy, but as control was contended among the former USSR and western allies, there were no generally accepted formal procedures to manage such scenario.

The fact that for years there had been no place for political parties except Hitler’s NSDAP made things harder, for new political forces had to be formed from nothing, finding gifted elements not compromised with the Führer and his ranks, and capable of leading a nation in an extremely difficult social and economical condition.

Who these people were and what happened in the turmoil of the post-WWII years is the first topic of this modern museum. The irremediable divergences between the East and the West were especially visible in Germany, where the Cold War was not just a name, but caused the country to be split in two very different parts, with two enemy governments and a heavily guarded, impenetrable border dividing them (see this post). The years of the ‘two Germanies’ up to the collapse of communism in Europe and in the USSR is the second big topic of this museum.

Following a well designed route going up in a modern building built for the purpose, the fascinating history of Germany in the Cold War years is revealed through artifacts, flags, portraits, political propaganda items, official documents and much more. The museum is far from superficial, describing facts in good details and allowing to appreciate the complexity of diplomacy in this particular confrontation. You may come to understand how Germany was actually the front of a new type of war between the East and the West, which lasted for decades, strongly influenced international economy, changed the way of life of millions and had its victims on both sides.

Among the oldest artifacts on display there are multi-language leaflets distributed to the population soon after the German capitulation in WWII, decreeing the end of the Nazi rule, the abrogation of the entire system of laws, and the transfer of power to the occupying armies.

German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte

From the early Cold War period there are authentic autographed copies of the constitution of Federal Germany, an instrument of accession of Federal Germany to the NATO alliance, candidate flags for the newly created Federal Germany, original paintings and sculptures portraying Stalin, mugs celebrating the friendship between the communist party of Germany and the Soviet Union. Even a piece of Gary Powers’ downed Lockheed U-2 is part of the show (the greatest part is on display in Moscow, see this post).

German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte
German National Museum of Contemporary History Bonn Haus der Geschichte

The museum is also stacked with pictures and items of everyday life. It often hosts conferences and temporary exhibitions. All in all, a very interesting museum and a must-see for anybody with an interest in the Cold War and in the very special role of Germany in the second half of the 20th century.

Getting there and moving around

The museum is in the former governmental part of Bonn, which has been converted into a top-level executive area, with modern buildings hosting the headquarters of big companies, convention centers, opera theaters, museums and so on. The exact address is Willy-Brandt-Allee 14, 53113 Bonn, website with full information here. The museum is not big, but the duration of your visit may vary greatly depending on your level of interest, from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours. The museum was free when I visited. It is very popular among Germans. If you come by car, there is a big parking about 0.3 miles to the south, serving this museum, the local railway station and the art museum nearby.

The Estonian Aviation Museum

CarloRLeave a comment

A nice and lively university town in the heart of the Estonian countryside, Tartu has really something for every kind of tourist – including those interested in aviation history. The Estonian Aviation Museum, or ‘Eeesti Lennundusmuuseum’ as they write it in the tricky local idiom, boasts a substantial and heterogenous collection of aircraft preserved in exceptionally good condition, which will not leave indifferent even the most knowledgeable aviation expert.

Having being for long a socialist republic in the realm of the Soviet Union – and today sharing a border with Russia – Estonia had access to massive surplus reserves after the end of the Cold War, so it is no surprise that Soviet aircraft are well represented in an Estonian museum. This already might appeal to western tourists, for the exotic, menacing silhouettes of MiGs and Sukhois are not often to be found except in less accessible spots in the former Eastern Bloc. Yet some more unexpected and rare models have been added over the years, including some SAAB aircraft from Sweden which are authentic collectibles.

The following photographs cover almost every plane that was there in summer 2017.

Sights

Most part of the collection has been preserved in a cleverly designed structure, made of small open-walled hangars with translucent canopies. The aircraft are illuminated by natural light, helping much when taking pictures, but they are not exposed to direct sunlight, rain or snow, which tend to damage both metal and plexiglas on the long run. Furthermore, the lack of doors and frames allows you to move around freely, and the place is not suffocating nor excessively warm.

The aircraft are basically all from the Cold War era, but some of them have outlived the end of the USSR and were retired more recently. The portraits are grouped here roughly based on the nationality of the manufacturers or aircraft mission.

Designs from the US

The American production is represented in this museum firstly by a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, operated by the West-German Luftwaffe. The General Electric J79 turbojets have been taken out of the airframe, so you can see them separately.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom with J79 engine
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom with J79 engine

A pretty unusual sight, also the antenna and electronic group in the nose cone have been taken out and are on display. This Phantom is a F-4F, a version specifically developed for West Germany from the basic F-4E. The former inventory number was 99+91.

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting

Another iconic model on the menu is a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, formerly from the Italian Air Force. This exemplar is actually an Italian-built ‘S’ version, and among the latest to be retired by the Aeronautica Militare. The engine, again a J79, is on display elsewhere in the museum. An unusual crowd of instruction and warning stencils populate the external surface of the aircraft.

Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force

Soviet Military Models

The majority of the aircraft on display were designed in the Soviet Union or other countries of the Warsaw Pact.

Two aggressive aircraft include a MiG-21 and a MiG-23. The first, present here in the colors of the Polish Air Force, is a MiG-21bis Fishbed, the latest development of this fast delta-wing fighter/light-interceptor.

MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force

Possibly one of the most ubiquitous fighters of the jet age, the MiG-23 Flogger is part also of this collection. The aircraft you see in the pictures is a MLD variant, representing the last upgrade of this iconic fighter, which was also the basis for the very successful MiG-27 design.

MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force Tumansky R27
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force Tumansky R27
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force

It bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, therefore it is likely an ex-USSR aircraft. The engine is sitting besides the aircraft, and two rocket canisters are placed beneath the fuselage, close to the ventral GSh-23 twin-barreled cannon.

MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force

A less usual sight is a MiG-25 Foxbat, a super fast interceptor/recce aircraft. Conceived in the late Fifties when the race for speed was in full swing, it was developed into a high performance platform to counteract the threat of the SR-71 Blackbird. It was built around two massive Tumansky R-15 afterburning turbojets, rated at a pretty high wet thrust of 110 kN, resulting in an incredible top speed around Mach 3.2! The aircraft is pretty sizable, and you can appreciate that looking at the picture of the main landing gear – search for the cover of my Canon wide lens close to the ground and compare sizes!

MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia

The menacing silhouette of this huge bird, with red stars on the vertical fins and a bare metal fuselage, will likely make relive in you an ‘Iron Curtain feeling’!

MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia

One which will not go unnoticed is a Polish Air Force Sukhoi Su-22M4 Fitter in a flamboyant, very colored livery. This massive fighter-bomber represents the export version of the Su-17M4 built by the USSR for domestic orders.

Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force

Despite the shape, roughly similar to that of the MiG-21 also on display, the size of this aircraft is much bigger – you might think of Su-22 as a case for a MiG-21…

Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force

Soviet bombers are represented by a pretty rare Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, which is today still in service in Russia. The example on display bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, meaning it was once a Soviet aircraft.

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)

This massive twin-engined beast outsizes all other military aircraft on display. The aircraft is on display with three support tanks under the fuselage and the inner wing pylons.

Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)

A less common sight is a Yakovlev Ya-28P Firebar, a long-range intercept version of this multi-role platform from the early Sixties. This design is very interesting, with a four-points undercarriage and a very long nose cone, where a radar system for a target-tracking and missile guidance system was located. The two turbojet engines are mounted in cigar-shaped underwing pods. The relevant sweep of the wing suggests a significant speed capability, yet many variants of this aircraft were developed to exploit also its good range performance. The antenna originally placed in the nose cone is on display besides the aircraft, which bears original Soviet markings.

Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet

Soviet Transport Aircraft

Two aircraft which could not find their way in covered shelters mainly due to their bigger size, are a Tupolev Tu-134A-3 and a Yakovlev Ya-40. Both can be accessed, so you can get a view of the inside, including the cockpits.

The Tu-134 twin jet, with its distinctive glass bulge in the nose ahead of the cockpit, has been for long a ubiquitous aircraft in the USSR and in many countries of the Eastern Bloc. The exemplar on display was taken over by the Estonian company Elk Airways, created after Estonia left the USSR.

Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia

Notwithstanding this, the aircraft betrays its Soviet ancestry and ownership in every particular, from the all-Cyrillic writings to the hammers and sickles here and there, from the design of interiors to the exotic cockpit, painted in a typical lurid Soviet green and with prominent unframed black rubber fans for ventilation.

Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia

The Yak-40 is an interesting three-jet executive/small transport aircraft. The one on display went on flying for at least some good 15 years after the collapse of the wall in Berlin.

Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Ya-40 Tartu Estonia
Yakovlev Ya-40 Tartu Estonia

The internal configuration features an executive room ahead of a more usual passenger section and tail galley. The style of the cabin and of the pure analog cockpit is really outdated for todays standards!

Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia

A rugged workhorse still flying today in many countries is the Antonov An-2, a single propeller, radial-engined, biplane tail-dragger transport. There are two of them in the collection. One is under a shelter and can be boarded. The interiors are very basic, but the visibility from the cockpit is very good especially for a tail-dragger with an engine on the nose.

Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Cockpit
Antonov An-2 Cockpit

Swedish Aircraft

An unusual chapter in air museums except in Sweden is that of SAAB aircraft, which are represented in this collection by two iconic models, a Draken and a Viggen, and an extremely rare, very elegant Lansen. All are in the colors of the Royal Swedish Air Force.

The Saab 35 Draken features a very distinctive double-delta wing, and was developed in the Fifties for reaching a high supersonic speed. The design turned out to be pretty successful, and was operationally adopted primarily as a fighter by Sweden and other European countries as well.

SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force

The one in the collection is painted in a bright yellow livery. The infra-red pod under the nose cone of this aggressive attack aircraft looks like the lidless eye of an alien!

SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force Radar
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force Radar
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force

The Viggen is a an attack aircraft from the late Sixties, developed for the domestic military needs into some sub-variants. With the JA 37 version displayed here, the Viggen went on to constitute the backbone of the intercept fleet of neutral Sweden, and was retired only in the early 2000s. The aerodynamic configuration features a prominent canard wing, and the Viggen was notably the first in such configuration produced in significant numbers.

SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force

The most unusual of all three SAAB designs on display is surely the SAAB 32 Lansen. A very neat design from the Fifties, loosely recalling the Lockheed P-80 and the Hawker Hunter, the Lansen was a jet fighter of the early Cold War developed specifically for Sweden and gaining a good success. The ‘E’ version on display was converted from the original fighter variant (‘B’) for the ECM role, and kept flying almost until the end of the 20th century. The green painting of the Royal Swedish Air Force is really stylish, definitely adding to an already elegant design.

SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force with RM5/Avon engine
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force with RM5/Avon engine
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force

Soviet Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM)

Curiously enough, an extensive collection of SAMs is part of this rich collection. All major missiles from SA-2 to SA-6 are represented, some of them in multiple exemplars. The size of these missiles, especially the oldest, is really striking. They are stored outside, besides some cases for missile transportation, deployable radar antennas, and what appears to be a flak cannon from Hitler’s Germany – a bit of an outsider…

Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
SAM Container
SAM Container
German Flak Cannon
German Flak Cannon
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6

Jet Engines

Many of the engines of the aircraft on display have been taken out of the corresponding airframes and put on display besides the plane where they used to belong, or in a dedicated part of the museum together with others. The J79 belonging to the Italian-built F-104 can be recognized from the Italian plaques on many components.

Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine

Many soviet engines bear markings in Cyrillic, and one of them, a larger turbofan which does not fit in any bird on display, has been cut to show all components.

Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia

More…

More aircraft in the collection include some Mil and Kamov utility helicopters, a BAe Hawk of the Finnish Air Force and other trainers mainly from countries of the Warsaw Pact, some of them now on the civilian register.

PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
Crop Duster Tartu Estonia
Crop Duster Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
Jodel DR-1050 Ambassador
Jodel DR-1050 Ambassador
Aero L-39 Albatros Ukrainian Air Force
Aero L-39 Albatros Ukrainian Air Force
BAe Hawk Finnish Air Force
BAe Hawk Finnish Air Force
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Kamov Ka-26
Kamov Ka-26
Mil Mi-2
Schweizer 269
Kamov Ka-26
Mil Mi-8 Tartu Estonia
Mil Mi-8 Tartu Estonia

A further notable aircraft is a Dassault Mirage IIIRS from the Swiss Air Force – with multi-language French and German stencils all over.

Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force

There are also some anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles, tanks, and other curios items to whet your appetite!

T34 Soviet Tank Tartu Estonia
T34 Soviet Tank Tartu Estonia
Rockets Tartu Estonia
Rockets Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Military Transport Tartu Estonia
Military Transport Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Autonomous Aircraft Drone Tartu Estonia
Autonomous Aircraft Drone Tartu Estonia

Getting There and Moving Around

The museum can be reached 10 miles south of central Tartu on road 141, about 15 minutes by car from there. There is a free parking area nearby the entrance. As remarked, the collection is well-kept and somewhat publicized locally. There is a website with all information in English. The time required for visiting may vary from 45 minutes for a quick tour to 2.5 hours for photographers and those with a specific interest in the matter.

Soviet Leftovers in Latvia

CarloR3 Comments

Similar to the neighbor republics of Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia was occupied by the Soviets a first time in 1939 and again in 1944, when after some years of occupation by Hitler’s forces the Red Army started to successfully repel the German Wehrmacht from within Russia back towards Poland and central Europe. Differently from other European Countries later to become satellites of Moscow’s central communist power, the three ‘Baltic States’ were directly annexed to the Soviet Union.

History – in brief

As a matter of fact, the process of annexation was not a very peaceful one. Having had already a short but intense experience of the Stalinist dictatorship as a consequence of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact before the German invasion in 1941, as soon as it became clear that Stalin’s forces would regain power hundreds of thousands from the Baltics left the Country for abroad, while the communist regime rapidly started to put in practice its deadly ideas, with the collectivization of all private activities, abolition of free elections and non-communist associations, and the imprisonment and deportation of all who disagreed with this plan.

The reason for the different fate of these Countries – annexed – with respect to those of central Europe – which became satellites of the USSR – may be understood on one side looking further back in history – the territories of the three republics had been for long under the direct influence of the Russian Empire. On the other hand, as testified by the relevant military presence in these areas since immediately after the beginning of the Cold War, the government of the USSR considered the Baltic region of high strategic value. Taking control of the coast of the Baltic States, and also thanks to the annexation of the region of Hanko in Finland, the USSR could protect the access to the Gulf of Finland and Leningrad, profit from military and commercial ports which do not freeze in winter and deploy strategic military resources – especially aircraft and missiles – within range of most European capitals.

Bases for all branches of the military flourished in all three new Soviet Socialist Republics. Soon after the fall of the Wall in Berlin, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were the first of the USSR states to declare independence from the Union in 1990 – almost two years before the actual collapse of the USSR – following massive protests which unveiled the high level of intolerance for the Soviet rule. As a result of the withdrawal of Soviet/Russian forces, these three small republics found themselves in control of many military installations, totally disproportioned to the new size and needs of the new states, and making for a not-so-welcomed memento of many decades of hardship – as a matter of fact, some measures to limit the spread of Russian influence in culture and politics have been implemented in all three states, which also joined NATO and the European Union as soon as possible.

Sights

The attitude assumed towards the huge military assets left from the Cold War has been slightly different in the three republics. All three are basically getting rid of them, Estonia being the quickest – not much remains there of the many missile bases, and the once prominent strategic air base in Raadi has been totally closed down and partially converted into a museum on national history. Until some years ago many missile sites remained in quite a good shape in Latvia, but most of them have been actively demolished in recent years, including the most iconic Dvina silo sites – as of 2017 the job was completed and no Dvina complex remains in Latvia. Yet visible remains of surface bases and many ghost towns and bunkers are reportedly still there, and while some can be visited ‘officially’ as museums, many are left to urban explorers and archaeologists, while some hardware like warehouses and service buildings has been reused by local companies for storing logs, gravel and other raw materials. Lithuania bolsters possibly the last surviving Dvina missile complex in Europe, which has been turned recently into a museum on the Cold War, totaling 20’000 visitors per year. The demolition process is perhaps slower there.

Prisons constitute non-military but possibly more disturbing leftovers from the communist era. There are some in the Baltics – as basically everywhere in the former eastern bloc including Eastern Germany – all opened as museum, and in one instance also partially turned into a curious and evoking ‘jail hotel’.

This post presents some highlights and examples of remains from the Cold War era from both military and non-military sites in Latvia. Photographs were taken in 2017, during a visit to this lively and nice country in Northern Europe.

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Zeltini Nuclear Missile Base

This missile base is one of the best conserved in the three republics. The storage and launch complex was originally built for the R12 liquid fueled, 2.3 Megaton single-warhead nuclear missile, known in the West as SS-4 Sandal. This missile system – the same deployed to Cuba in 1962 – was pretty modern for the end of the Fifties, yet it lacked the extra range required to reach strategic targets in Europe from deep within Russia. This made the Baltic region very interesting for the military, and a place of election for installing missile complexes in that age.

The base of Zeltini is one of three missile launch sites around the town of Aluksne, in northeastern Latvia. This base was updated and kept in an active state until the end of the Soviet Union and the withdrawal of the Red Army towards Russia, who obviously carried away all the weapons and technical rigs. Soon after, the locals started to take away anything of any value, including extensive piping, cables, any metal and so on, leaving basically the empty buildings and bunkers. More recently, as typical also to other such places in Latvia, private businesses were allowed on the premises of the former installation. A timber storage and processing facility today occupies the area where the nuclear warheads used to be stored, separate from the missiles.

The complex in Zeltini could accommodate four missiles in two couples of neighbor storage bunkers, built about .3 miles apart, and launch them from two twin surface launch pads. At least two launch pads can be seen today. They are large flat area with a pavement made of concrete slabs, recognizable by a steel crown on the ground with an approximate diameter of 5-6 feet. This was used to anchor the low gantry holding the 72 ft long missile in vertical position when being readied for launch.

One of the pads is in the center of the best preserved part of the site – the southeastern one -, but the position of the missile gantry is today occupied by a pretty big head of Lenin, reportedly moved here from Aluksne after the end of communism, sparing it from being blown up.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The grounds around this launch pad are rich with interesting bunkers, which once hosted support machinery and control gears, including anything necessary for missile servicing, launch preparation and control.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

There are bunkers of basically two types – smaller ones with a single entrance on one side of a cusp-roofed tunnel and a lower height, and bigger ones, much roomier, longer, and with doors on both sides of the barrel-vaulted tunnel.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
AZeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A ubiquitous feature of these missile complexes are concrete T-shaped frames planted in the ground. These were used to carry miles of pipings at the time when the base was active.

Aligned with the main axis of the launch area it is possible to spot the corresponding missile bunker ‘N.3’, which is unfortunately locked. The construction and size are like those of the bigger support bunkers, the only visible difference being the slightly wider doors on the front façade, and the absence of a back door on the other end of the bunker.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Many traces of plaques with mottos and citations in Russian from Lenin & Co. can be found on the exterior of the bunkers, whereas tons of ‘Warning!’ signs and other technical information are painted in the inside.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A second launch pad can be seen in the in the northwestern part of the military grounds – with no Lenin’s head. Here traces of stripes on the ground for easing maneuvers or indicating the place to park ancillary rigs – like generators, gas tanks,… – can still be seen. Also here the corresponding ‘N.2’ missile bunker is locked.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

In a land strip where nature is growing wild between the two main launch areas, it is possible to spot a little bunker with a kind of concrete sentry-box. This was presumably a storage bunker for light weapons, a small reinforced shelter for watchmen, or something similar. Wooden shelves can still be found inside.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Another interesting sight is what appears to be a ‘living bunker’. This is half interred, with small doors on both ends and a sequence of rooms aligned on a long corridor. The center room is the biggest, and may be a canteen or something alike. There are traces of a decorated white and blue linoleum pavement, but there are also very unique frescoes on the walls. These include an artist impression of the SS-4 Sandal missile and also of the typical mushroom-cloud produced by a nuclear explosion!

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

A conspicuous part of the Zeltini base is the command area with living quarters for the troops. This is the part you see first when entering the base. The buildings here are totally abandoned and possibly dangerous to access.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

There is not much left inside, but relevant remains of plaques with inscriptions and artistic drawings can be found on the walls outside. A highlight of the area is a former small park with a typical communist monument – a distinctive feature of all Soviet bases. The small park is a bit creepy, there are still benches around a former flowerbed, and a rain shelter, all now emerging from a field of nettles! The monument is basically a long wall with the silhouette of a stylized head. The inscription is fading, but the face painted on the red head can still be seen.

Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Zeltini Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Getting there and moving around

The former missile base of Zeltini can be easily found driving on the P34, about 1.2 miles west of the town, exactly where P44 leaves from P34 to the north. There is also an official sign on the P34 pointing the way in. The area is preserved to some extent, and some of the former connection roads inside can be seen on Google Street View, yet the grounds are unfenced and there are no opening times. You can go in and move with your car, the only risk is that of getting a flat due to the road not being very clean.

Close to the head of Lenin there is also an explanatory panel with some quick notes and a basic map. A museum can be found in Zeltini, which was not opened when I visited, and they reportedly offer also guided tours of the place. This might be interesting especially for those less used to exploration activities, and possibly also to get access to the missile bunkers, which are usually closed. I couldn’t arrange a guided visit though, so I don’t know what they are offering on guided tours.

Some timber companies work in the former base, and you should not interfere with their operations, nor intrude in those parts of the base which are now used by them. Apart from this, this installation is rich of interesting sights and not much risky nor too big or difficult to explore, and it will make for a good 2 hours (minimum) exploration even visiting on your own, without accessing the locked or forbidden parts.

Note: Nearby Dvina Missile Site, Tirza – Completely Destroyed

There used to be other two ‘sister sites’ of the Zeltini complex in the area around Aluksne. One was in Strautini, a design very similar to the one in Zeltini. To my information this has ceased operations but is still today part of a military installation, so it cannot be approached. The second one was built in Tirza, and it was a Dvina site, i.e. a complex of four interred silos built for a suitably modified version of the R12 missile, called R12U. This kind of missile site started to be installed in 1964. Standing to the Google map of early 2017 the Tirza site should have been still in relative good shape. Unfortunately, in very recent times the local government hit very hard, having the site totally destroyed, flooded and buried under a monumental pile of land. The photographs below show what remains of this site – literally nothing.

Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Tirza Dvina Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Even though the silo may have represented an uncomfortable reminder of the relatively recent occupation by the Soviets, as the only remaining site of the kind in the country it should have deserved possibly a different treatment – similar to the site in Siauliai, Lithuania, recently turned into a museum on the Cold War. Another option – probably the most obvious – would have been to leave the site to nature, as it happened in most cases to former Soviet installations scattered around Europe, at no cost and without any relevant risk for the local population – the site in Tirza was extremely remote, hidden deep in the trees, far from the main road and from any village of appreciable size, in a part of the country of limited touristic interest. Only those interested, like explorers and historians, would have looked for it. The choice of the government, which judging from the proportions of the demolition work must have implied the use of a very relevant amount of money for the job, appears really hard to justify – especially in face of an infrastructure system still well below the European standard.

Anyway, as a practical suggestion, don’t waste your time trying to reach the Tirza site – Dvina missile complexes are not to be found in Latvia.

Skrunda Military Ghost Town

Located in the hilly countryside of southwest Latvia, about 50 miles from the port town of Liepaja, the area around the village of Skrunda has been for long a primary strategic site for the USSR. Due to the geographical position on the northwestern border of the Union, this place was selected for the construction of an early warning radar device – a system capable of detecting incoming enemy ballistic missiles, leaving enough time for deploying countermeasures and for retaliatory actions. The type built in Skrunda was called Dnestr-M, and was the first early warning system type deployed by the USSR. Actually, the Skrunda radar site, codenamed RO-2, was the first to become operative in 1971, marking the foundation of the entire Soviet ABM (anti-ballistic missile) system. This was just a component of a series of similar sites intended to cover the entire border, constituting a ‘invisible fence’ against missile attacks from the US and their Allies.

Early warning radar systems are not just small radar antennas like those you can see in airports. Instead they are very (very) big and powerful systems, digesting a huge flow of electric energy to stay alive, and where all the required hardware – including the antennas – is often stored in suitably designed, tall and imposing buildings. The RO-2 system was made of two Dnestr-M fixed antennas, each assembled in a special construction 650 ft long and 250 ft tall!

The staff required for running the facility and all connected businesses was numerous, so a military village was built anew in Skrunda deep in the years of the Cold War just a few miles north of the old town. The village was intended for troops, technicians and their families. The relevance of the Skrunda site is testified also by the selection of that area for the installation of another antenna of the type Daryal-UM, with a range of almost 4’000 miles, 1’000 more than the Dnestr-M system. The decision was taken in the late Eighties, and the Daryal-UM system in Skrunda was never operative.

Following the collapse of the USSR an agreement was made between the governments of Latvia and Russia to gradually phase out the early warning systems in Skrunda, which had to be kept under Russian administration for some more years. As a result, the village of Skrunda was inhabited until 1998 by Russian troops.

After the demolition of all early warning hardware formerly agreed upon and the withdrawal of the Russian army, the military town of Skrunda was left in a state of disrepair. The Latvian government tried to sell the property in more instances, while some of the worst conserved buildings have been demolished. More recently the local municipality took control of the area, and there are plans to find a new function for the remaining part of the ghost town. Also the Latvian army is active on it. In the meanwhile you can tour this ‘domesticated’ ghost town – which can be accessed officially paying a small fee at the entrance – you are even given a map of the site!

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The fact that you pay for a visit takes away much of the ghost-town-aura typical to other similar places in the former Eastern Bloc – here you know you are not alone. Nonetheless, what makes this place impressive is the size of the buildings, now totally empty, and the imposing ensemble they form together.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Besides the residential buildings, the bulkiest and more numerous, there are a hotel, a school – which cannot be accessed due to the collapsing roof -, a market and many other services you may expect to find in a typical modern neighborhood.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Also impressive are the club with a big gym and the frescoes in it. An obelisk monument can be found in the square ahead of the gym.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

On the tiles on the blind side of one of the residential buildings it is possible to spot a giant, now fading portrait of a Soviet soldier.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The residential and service complex with its distinctive tall buildings occupies the northern part of the ghost town of Skrunda, while the southern part is composed of lower buildings formerly for barracks and military services, including a canteen, a command building and a small military prison.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

The face of the command building bears inscriptions in Cyrillic, which are now barely visible. From historical pictures it is possible to see that at some point the Red Banner was changed into the Russian flag you can spot today.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

Most of the buildings in this area are in a really bad shape, and many are inaccessible due to piles of waste material packed inside. Among the most unusual sights here, stickers of ‘Western propaganda symbols’ – including an iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron’s ‘Terminator’! – inside the door of a small cabinet, likely from the Eighties.

Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia
Skrunda Ghost Town Latvia

At the time of my visit there were some Latvian troops busy moving light material between some of these buildings.

Getting there and moving around

Getting to the Soviet ghost town of Skrunda is easy with a car. You can reach the old town of Skrunda along the A9, connecting Liepaja and Riga. Once there, take the P116 going north to Kuldiga. The entrance to the site will be on your left about 3 miles north of the center of old Skrunda.

I have to admit I had prepared my visit as a ‘usual’ wild exploration, and I discovered the place is actually a tourist attraction only when I was there. My first approach was from the side of the village opposite to the P116, to reduce the chance to be spotted by locals. To my great surprise I was soon met by a young lady walking along the main street of the ghost town. I thought she was there for picking mushrooms or something in the wilderness, instead she came closer and politely told me there was a ticket to pay! Then I spotted other visitors around in the distance. I moved my car to the P116 and accessed the place as a normal visitor. An old lady at the former control booth of the military village asked for a few Euros – no credit cards, obviously – and gave me a ticket and a map.

The reason for my error was the lack of information available online, also due to the very limited penetration of English in that part of Europe, even on websites. For the same reason, unfortunately I can’t provide an official source site nor opening times.

Due to a very tight timetable, I could only dedicate about an hour to the visit of the ghost town – I also wasted some time moving my car from the back to the official gate of the base. The site may deserve 1.5-2.5 hours depending on your level of interest, especially if you want to take pictures.

As written above, Skrunda is in the center of a renovation program, and the place may not remain visible for long.

Karosta Military Prison & Liepaja Port Town

The port town of Liepaja is the third most populated center in Latvia. It bolsters an ancient tradition as a commercial port, built along trade routes very active since the early years of the Hanseatic League. More recently, in the second half of the 19th century the port was greatly developed also for military purposes under the power of the Tzars. This time saw the construction of conspicuous fortifications in the northern area of the town, and the development of an extensive military district named Karosta.

The military port was destined to play an important role in WWI, when the agonizing Russian Empire was fighting against the forces of the Kaiser, and again in WWII, when the Soviets, who had just annexed the Latvian territory in 1939-40, started fighting against Hitler in 1941. The German Wehrmacht actually occupied Liepaja until 1945.

Back in the hands of the Soviets, the port was developed step by step into a major base of the Soviet fleet, headquartering the Baltic branch tasked with tactical dominance of the Baltic Sea. Since the 1960s until the collapse of the USSR Liepaja was turned into a closed town for military personnel only, and all commercial activities were interdicted.

Nowadays the commercial port is again very active, and the town, even boasting a university, is trying to reestablish its original status as a center for commerce and tourism.

Most notably, the former military district of Karosta can be toured along a well designed historical trail, showing the old quarters of the military town from the years of the Tzars. A distinctive feature of Karosta is the breakwater pier, protruding into the Baltic for about 1 mile, which can be walked in its entirety. Another very suggestive sight is the dome of the Orthodox church, recently refurbished after having being closed for years in the Soviet era.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Port Pier Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Pier Military Port
Karosta Liepaja Pier Military Port
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Soviet Monument
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Soviet Monument

Another unusual sight in the Karosta district is the coastal fortification built by the Tzars in the late 19th century. The cannons are gone, but the mighty fortifications look still impressive.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery
Karosta Liepaja Latvia Coastal Cannon Battery

The additions by the Soviets in terms of housing are clearly recognizable by the depressing style and poor building technique, making these buildings look worse than their older predecessors.

Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia
Karosta Liepaja Latvia

The military district of the Tzars included a military prison, today known as Karosta Prison (or ‘Karosta Cietums’, in Latvian). This prison has been turned into a museum only recently, and is now advertised as a local attraction.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

This prison is unique in many senses. From a historical perspective, for instance, it was managed by six different military powers in its history – the Russian Empire, the newly constituted Latvian government soon after WWI, the Soviets between 1940 and 1941, the Nazis until 1945, then the Soviets again and finally the Latvian government of our days after the independence from the Soviet Union!

The place is rich of sad memories, especially from the years of Nazi occupation, when the prison was not intended to reeducate – whatever this might have meant in Soviet times -, but acted more as an antechamber for captured spies or subversive elements to be shot – something that reportedly happened in the courtyard in several occasions – or deported to Nazi lagers. Of course, the beginning of the Soviet period was a very harsh one too for Liepaja and all Latvia, thanks to Stalin’s unscrupulous deportation plans which hit hard in the region, but that was a business the small military prison of Karosta was not much involved in.

The brick building of the prison is composed of two floors. The museum offers guided visits to the small complex. The first sight is the office of the director on the ground floor, preserved from the Soviet era, and enriched with tons of collectible items. Really an impressive sight.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Another very unique room is packed with weapons, uniforms and other military gear from the years of WWII. This collection, albeit small, is extremely valuable especially for what remains of the Nazi period – somewhat paradoxically, in Germany similar collections are basically impossible to find.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

I explicitly asked more than once about the originality of the pieces on show, and was punctually reassured. The prison and what is in it, with the exception of the arrangement of the ticket office and the rooms nearby, is 95% original, and what was not originally there when the prison was finally closed – like a portrait of Stalin and a wooden silhouette of Lenin’s face – is still original, relocated for exhibition purposes. No fakes.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Next, the guided tour will drive you to the cells on the top floor, which were intended for soldiers, where the ground floor was for officers. The only difference is in the color of the walls – black on the top floor, brownish on the lower floor.

Karosta is the only military prison you can visit in the Baltics… and probably the only one in the world where you can sleep, if you dare to! The standard treatment is not so rude as you may expect, and spending the night in provides also the advantage of a dedicated evening visit of the prison after the closing time, along with the other ‘inmates’.

The rooms where you sleep are the cells of the ground floor – originally intended for officers. There are two possible configurations, i.e. rooms with iron beds, or empty cells, where you assemble your ‘bed’ taking a wooden board and a mattress from piles in a deposit. Then you are given a pillow, sheets and a blanket. The sheets are marked in Cyrillic, and probably belong to the original supply of the Soviet prison.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

The door of the cell is left open, so you are totally free to move around all night, and even go out in the courtyard if you need. Toilets are in common, placed in the original toilet room. They are clean, even though basic, and there are no showers. There is a guard – who is also the guide on the evening tour – on the top floor, and the external perimeter of the prison is locked, so you feel reasonably safe. You can also park your car inside the perimeter. That said, spending the night in the cell is surely unusual and provokes strange feelings and thoughts… but that’s what you were probably looking for when you decided to sleep in a prison!

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

The prison offers more intense experiences where you are ‘disturbed’ during the night and treated more harshly by the guards, but these are only for groups. These packages are advertised also for companies, for team-building purposes.

The small restaurant has been put in the original canteen for the guards, and they offer a full Soviet-themed menu for dinner and for breakfast. The ‘hotel’ manager speaks English, and she can help you out with the menu, written in Latvian only.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

All in all, a unmissable pick for those interested in authentic Soviet experiences.

Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi
Karosta Liepaja Prison Hotel Soviet Nazi

Getting there and moving around

The museum in the prison of Karosta is an official tourist attraction in Karosta, which is part of Liepaja. The website provides much practical information about the museum and the many special activities they promote, plus you can find the contacts for arranging a stay in case you want to. You may inquire with your intended arrival date. In my case the answer was quick and punctual, and I was asked about usual details. The only ‘stressful’ thing was the check-in limit – 5 pm – but this turned out to be more flexible than initially expected. I had the deadline extended to 6 pm by e-mailing the staff earlier on the day of arrival, and a group of six arrived well after 8 pm, by prior arrangement.

On check-in you are shown the two cell types mentioned above – this happens before payment, in case you realize this is not for you and decide to leave! The fare for my 1-night stay was very low, 15 Euros or so, plus coins for dinner and breakfast.

After check-in I was invited to have dinner before taking possession of the cell-room, and then go downtown and come back well after the closing time of the museum. I was given the number of the guard, who opened the gate letting me in with my car when I came back.

The hotel office acts also as a tourist information point for the military district of Karosta and for the town of Liepaja. They provide maps, schedules of cultural activities and general information for the whole area.

As pointed out, if you are interested in spending the night in the prison you will have the chance to park inside a locked external fence. The rooms will not be locked, nor the prison building, so you should not experience any discomfort in that sense. You should not expect the room service, and be ready to make your bed, but the staff will treat you kindly and professionally. I was so tired for the trip I fell asleep with no difficulty – average light, average temperature, low humidity, no noise, unidentified ‘background smell’, but not excessively annoying…

Klavi Nuclear Missile Base

Similar to the base of Zeltini (see above), the base of Klavi was a surface missile base. Differently from Zeltini, Klavi is totally abandoned.

What remains there makes for a quick interesting visit. The characteristics of the complex are very similar to those of Zeltini, perhaps a bit more regular, for in Klavi all four launch pads are placed side-by-side in a single array. The most notable feature of the installation is the many bunkers, which include missile bunkers and smaller support ones. Some of the bunkers bear visible traces of the original Cyrillic writing.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The launch pads with the metal crown on the ground can be found also here – but the crowns are gone, probably the metal was resold. The exploration is somewhat complicated by some ditches and flooded areas, obstructing the access to part of the grounds. Nature is growing wild in the area, but garbage and waste material can also be found in significant amounts.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

Similar to Zeltini, besides the storage and launch area there are a series of support and living bunkers, plus a technical area which is today occupied by some form of business, including a soft-air training ground.

Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia
Klavi Soviet Nuclear Missile Base Latvia

The base testifies the double attitude towards these former missile sites adopted in Latvia, which on one side are left in a state of disrepair, but are not totally abandoned, and are often being used in our days for various kinds of business.

Getting there and moving around

The place can be found with a nav using the following coordinates, 56.661370, 24.128137, pointing to the access road of the launch complex. All roads around the site and reaching to it are unpaved – but this is the standard in Latvia. The point can be reached with a car. Going further may be easier by foot, for the road is not maintained and turns pretty narrow.

The former technical part with the soft-air facility is located 0.3 miles from that point moving northeast, and can be clearly spotted on a satellite photograph. Approaching the launch part from the south you will not pass through it, and you will more likely go unnoticed – the launch area is abandoned with no prohibition signs, so this is just if you don’t like to attract any attention.

I would say this place should be of interest for more committed urban explorers, as you should go with at least a basic consciousness of the general plan of a missile base to understand where you are and for moving around, due to wild nature obstructing the view in many instances.

Note: there is a sister site, almost a clone of this base, located south of the village of Zalite, about 5 miles south of the Klavi complex. Apparently not in a bad shape, the area has been taken over by small private businesses and marked with clear signs of prohibition. Strangely enough, there are apparently some people living in the rotting buildings of the former technical area. I went to the Zalite site also, but I was greeted by angry watchdogs moving around freely as soon as I approached the former launch area, and I could not even step off my car. Soon after I was spotted by a small group of people, like a family with elders and children with a ragged, disturbing appearance, including a woman with only one leg and a prominent metal prosthesis – the whole scene looked like some low-budget horror movie. They were clearly not happy to see me. I had a very bad feeling and decided to leave immediately.

The Corner House – KGB Prison in Riga

As soon as they landed in the territory of Latvia in the early Forties, the Soviets started to implement their regime in all its features. These included forced collectivization of private businesses, de-facto abolition of all political parties and free elections, and prosecution of non-communist elements of the society. The state security office monitoring the life of all citizens and assuring their adherence to the communist ideology and way of life was the local section of the NKVD, later to evolve into the famous KGB. This was tasked with the collection of information, arrest, interrogation, sentencing, detention and often times also deportation and execution of anybody suspected of ‘counter-revolutionary acts’ or ‘anti-Soviet crimes’ – the meaning of which was very generic and often used to prosecute people on the basis of scant or absent evidence of any type, and basically for political opinions.

It is still not clear for what particular reason this secret political police found a suitable home base in a nice apartment building in central Riga, which until the time of the Soviet occupation had been a normal residential building. Behind the elegant façade, the Soviets moved in an impressive quantity of offices and archives, plus a complete prison, located on the ground floor and in the basement, with cells and rooms for interrogation, with separate branches for women and men. The prison ceased function during the Nazi occupation, when it was opened to the public for propaganda reasons. Not discouraged nor impressed, the Soviet secret police reopened it as soon as it regained control of the region in 1945. After the secession of Latvia from the USSR, the building, which over the decades had become a symbol of communist terror, was closed up and left there, nobody reclaiming that haunted property, associated with fear, sad memories and negative feelings of hardship and oppression. Only a few years ago an association aimed at preserving the memory of the deadly function of the building, and of those who were touched by the violent ideological repression carried out by the Soviets in Riga and Latvia, started to offer regular tours of the prison.

The place is preserved as it was when it was shut down, much of the original furniture, lighting and paint being still there.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

The entrance is by the door on the corner, as it used to be in the past for the ‘general public’ – typically relatives of people mysteriously disappeared, going there to check whether they had been arrested by the KGB. What strikes most in these first rooms is the incredibly shabby, ragged, purely Soviet appearance of these public offices. A nice introductory exhibition with much info and data on the history of the place and of political repression in Latvia can be toured for free in this part of the building.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Here it is also where the guided tour of the prison will start. You will be driven through the corridor reserved to KGB employees and arrested people. From there you soon reach the prison – particularly disturbing even for Soviet standards, very dark and narrow.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Close to the entrance there is a control room for the whole prison, with original furniture from the KGB inventory – still tagged. A mix of terror and sadness, a really depressive ‘something wrong’ feeling can be clearly perceived there still today.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Interrogation rooms with a fake mirror glass and preliminary detention rooms as large as a phone box, with no windows nor ventilation, are among the first sights of the tour.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Along the walk the guide gives you a description of the life condition of inmates and an idea of the function of some special places in the prison.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Part of the tour is the caged courtyard intended for the few minutes of walk inmates were allowed per day.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

During the visit you will see also the basement, where the kitchen for the inmates can still be found, together with service rooms and further cells.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

Finally you will have a look at the inner courtyard, reportedly where many inmates had their last walk, soon before entering a dark room nearby where they were shot in the head, as mostly typical in the years of Stalin. The shabby room where this happened can be observed from the door, and is preserved with respect.

Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia
Corner House KGB Prison Riga Latvia

All in all, a true must see not only for the committed Cold War historian, but for everybody interested in the recent history of Latvia.

Getting there and moving around

The building of the KGB prison is located in Brīvības iela 61 in central Riga, and can be conveniently reached with a pleasant 10 minutes walk from the central historical district.

The Corner House is professionally managed as an international-level museum. It is possible to visit the informative exhibition for free, where for touring the prison you can either go there and reserve a visit, or buy an electronic ticket online in advance. Access to the prison is by guided tours only, but tours are offered in English, German as well as Latvian and other languages – website here.

The guided tour lasts just less than 1 hour, and I strongly recommend it as a very suggestive experience which will not leave you indifferent, also thanks to the lively approach of the very knowledgeable local guides.

A Walk in Murmansk – A Soviet Industrial Port of Our Time

CarloR2 Comments

Murmansk is a port town in the northwestern corner of todays Russian Federation. It bolsters the biggest population among the centers north of the Arctic Circle in the world. It was founded in 1916, just months before the Revolution, and developed rapidly thanks to its strategic position for the needs both of the Navy and of maritime commerce. Actually this is the only Russian port on the Barents Sea which is not blocked by ice in winter, and it is in a region rich of substantial natural deposits, including nickel and coal. Furthermore, the coast in the vicinity of this town and along the Kola peninsula features countless coves and bays, providing an ideal setting for stationing a military fleet.

Probably the highest point in the history of Murmansk, which also contributed greatly in forming its current shape, was in the Great Patriotic War, i.e. WWII as they call it in Russia and the USSR until the Nineties. Murmansk was a key port on the supply line between the Western Allies and the USSR. A railroad linking Murmansk and St. Petersburg – some 900 miles south – existed since before its foundation. For this reason, and for the abundant raw materials in the region, the area was a dramatic theater of war, the German Wehrmacht relentlessly hitting there from both Norway and Lapland, the northernmost region of Finland. As a matter of fact, the resistance of the Soviets around Murmansk meant that the town was never conquered by Hitler’s forces, which where stopped just some tens of miles away to the west.

The damage and destruction brought by the war, acknowledged by the Soviet government with medals and the title of “Hero of the Soviet Union” awarded to Murmansk, meant that today the city has a mostly ‘modern’ appearance – in the Soviet sense. From the viewpoint of architecture, Murmansk has been rebuilt with industrial and military activities in mind, as most cities all around the USSR and differently from the most famous Moscow and Leningrad (today St. Petersburg). During the Cold War Murmansk developed into a huge port town and industrial center, with a population reaching almost half a million at some point. At the same time, military ports and shipyards multiplied in the region. The Soviet Northern Fleet has been stationed there since its foundation in the Thirties, and during the Cold War it was tasked with patrolling the Atlantic up to the northern coast of the USSR. The Northern Fleet was supplied with many iconic firsts for the USSR, including nuclear submarines and strategic nuclear missiles.

A trip to this industrial city is probably not in the list of many tourists, and even less from abroad. But for those looking for a full immersion in the atmosphere of an authentic Soviet town of the Cold War days, conveniently located not far from the Russian western border and still populated and very active, Murmansk has really much in store. Furthermore, if you care about the history of WWII and the Cold War, then this is definitely a place to go. The closed town of Polyarny, from where Marko Ramius sets off in Tom Clancy’s memorable fiction ‘The Hunt for Red October’, is just miles away from Murmansk.  If you would like to see something in this region which still retains much of its ‘CCCP aura’, unless you are from Russia Murmansk is one of the few towns in an extensive region which has been opened to foreign visitors – Polyarny, as well as Severomorsk, where the headquarters of the Northern Fleet are, and other military centers nearby unfortunately are not accessible to foreigners even today.

This post shows a possible itinerary touching some Soviet- or war-themed highlights in town. At the end of the chapter you can find information about reaching Murmansk, which itself may turn an interesting part of the trip. Photographs were taken in August 2017.

Map

The Google map below shows the itinerary I followed during my visit. All sights pinpointed on the map are mentioned or portrayed in the post. I covered the whole itinerary with a long walk, resulting in a very requiring 24 miles which I walked in one day. Despite the great photo opportunities you can get walking around alone, this distance can be definitely too much for the majority of visitors, so you may choose to hire a taxi or move with public transport for at least a part of the itinerary. Or you may decide to explore the town in one and a half or two days instead of just one.

Sights

Ploschad Pyat’uglov

The central square of Murmansk – ‘Five Corners Square’ in English – is where the two oldest hotels are, the ‘Azimuth’ and the ‘Meridian’. If you are staying at the Meridian – a good level executive hotel  – you can enjoy a good view of the Azimuth, a typical modern Soviet building, a section of the port and the northern districts of Murmansk. Your view will reach to one of the most famous Soviet monuments in Russia – Alyosha, the gigantic statue of a Soviet soldier.

Murmansk Azimuth Hotel
Murmansk Azimuth Hotel
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Alyosha
Murmansk Alyosha
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk fog
Murmansk
Murmansk

On the façade of the building to the left of the Meridian you can see a sculpture of some Soviet decorations attributed to Murmansk. Not far cross the road is a similarly themed obelisk.

Murmansk Hotel Meridian
Murmansk Hotel Meridian
Murmansk medals
Murmansk medals
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth
Murmansk Hotel Azimuth

To the southeast of the square, Tsentralnyy Park is a nice park frequented by Russian families with children. On the southeastern side of the park are a statue of Kirov – a friend of Stalin, who killed him at some point, as he often used to do with friends – and a couple of neoclassic Soviet public palaces with Soviet-themed decoration.

Murmansk Kirov
Murmansk Kirov
Murmansk
Murmansk

To the northwest of the Ploschad there is another smaller park with monuments and fountains, and the Regional Art Museum of Murmansk in one of the corners (website here). The latter is a nice little art museum, where works of many regional artists from the 19th century and well into the Soviet era can be found.

Murmansk Kapsula
Murmansk Kapsula
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Murmansk McDonald's
Murmansk McDonald’s

Among the elements helping to remember you are in the 21st century and not any more in the Soviet Union, there is a McDonald’s – possibly the northernmost in the world – and some banks around the square.

Prospekt Lenina

One of the two traffic arteries in Murmansk, describing a large arch crossing the central district. Moving south from Ploschad Pyat’uglov, you can walk down the full length of this boulevard. In the most central district, closer to the square, you will find many buildings with typical Soviet facades. Soon after leaving the square, on the eastern side there is a statue of Lenin, creating a nice scenery with the wings of the stately building behind it.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin
Murmansk Lenin

One of the most notable buildings along the boulevard apparently belongs to the heir of the KGB, and still retains a monument with the sword and shield close to the entrance. The façade is adorned with prominent hammer and sickle symbols.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

On the eastern side of the boulevard another interesting sight is the Monument to the Border Guards of the Arctic. This is placed in a small, well-kept and quiet park. Close by, a theater can be recognized by the frieze on the front – this was undergoing renovation at the time of my visit, and nothing more could be seen.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

Moving further south, the road turns markedly to the southeast, and correspondingly the quality of the buildings starts to decrease sharply, with some exceptions, including some bulky modern buildings. One of them is really imposing, fenced and guarded. It may be a tribunal or a military command of some sort, given the level of security. As the road starts to climb uphill, a monument connected to WWII is clearly noticeable, with and anti-tank cannon prominently standing on a pillar. From that place, it is possible to spot some Soviet decoration on lower profile residential buildings.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

In this part the panorama changes rapidly, with wild vegetation and poor housing coexisting side by side. Some buildings look as they are just waiting to collapse, and you think they are abandoned until you see two well dressed clerks coming out of a decrepit door. Hammer and sickles can be found on the façade or to the side of every other building.

Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina
Murmansk Prospekt Lenina

Somewhat unceremoniously, Prospekt Lenina comes to an end forming a sharp angle with Prospekt Kirova.

Prospekt Kirova and Ulitsa Shmidta

Turning northwest on Prospekt Kirova the road starts to descend. Here you can find a significant number of Soviet style apartment buildings. Looking carefully, you can see that the construction of the buildings is modular and the style is very repetitive – there are only about five or six variations in the basic module.

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

As the street turns north changing name into Ulitsa Shmidta you have on the southern corner a building connected with the Navy, possibly an academy, with some strange instrumentation on the roof. Cross the street there is a small park, with a modern church, clearly built after the end of the Soviet period.

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

From around this point it is possible to get some good pictures of a still working power plant, which is located basically in a block of this district, not far from the city center and surrounded by apartments. The proximity of the chimneys to the apartment buildings is typical to Soviet towns, much harder to find in the west, unless you’re running out of money building your town when playing SimCity. Furthermore, the power plant in Murmansk is really huge and the funnels really monstrous!

Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova
Murmansk Prospekt Kirova

Proceeding north on Ulitsa Shmidta, on the eastern side it is possible to spot many Soviet facades, where on the western side you may have problems getting a view of the railway and the port down below, due to the vegetation strip obstructing the view. At some point on the eastern side you will find a military building, recognizable by the red stars on the gates – the same model of gates and stars you can find in many abandoned military sites all over the former Eastern Bloc.

Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Alyosha
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Alyosha
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta

A block south of the last bend to the northeast where Ulitsa Shmidta changes its name into Ulitsa Kominterna, it is possible to find a small nice park with a monument to the Soviet Navy, just ahead of a stately building which may have been a former military headquarter.

Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta Fleet Monument

The monument is modern in design, and perhaps made after the end of the Soviet Union, yet looking very exotic if you are from the western side of the Iron Curtain.

Railway Station

Possibly one of the oldest buildings in Murmansk, and surely one of the most iconic thanks to the pinnacle with the red star on top, is the railway station. The façade and entrance are on Ulitsa Kominterna, but the building is built on multiple levels, for it is on the rim of a small coast. The passenger railway is at the bottom of the coast, and very close to the building. An old steam locomotive with a big red star is placed on one of the passenger platforms.

Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Ulitsa Kominterna
Murmansk Ulitsa Kominterna
Murmansk Railway Station
Murmansk Railway Station

On the northern side of the station building it is possible to get access to a footbridge, passing over the passenger terminal and the huge cargo terminal. The latter offers a really impressive show, with countless coal trucks unwinding along endless railways. The railway basically ends in Murmansk, and the port is specialized with taking coal from the trains and putting it on the ships – plenty of dedicated cranes are always active in this transfer work. The railway yard is always very busy.

Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta
Murmansk Ulitsa Shmidta

In the evening you can watch the assembly of the empty convoys, being set up for their travel back to inland Russia. This is a pretty violent and noisy show, as they usually form a train by kicking a car on a railway track against the rest of the convoy waiting at the other end. When the car hits the convoy a very loud bang is produced, which can be heard from a great distance everywhere in town.

Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine
Murmansk Railway Steam Engine

Given the number of convoys and cars, this unusual concert goes on for quite a while every evening.

Port of Murmansk and Icebreaker Lenin

Descending from the far end of the footbridge towards the sea you reach the platform of the port of Murmansk with a short walk. You can walk only a small part of the port area, including two piers. The famous icebreaker Lenin (website here), the first nuclear-propelled non-military vessel in the world, is permanently moored here and can be visited as a tourist attraction – in theory.

Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin
Murmansk Icebreaker Lenin

[NOTE: Obviously the dates of my trip had been chosen accounting for the opening times of this museum ship, one of the most relevant sites in town. I was very unlucky, experiencing the harsh treatment Russia still reserves to tourists this day – in spite of a published timetable of the tours available online, even though in Russian only, I found a printed paper in Russian on the entrance to the pier, basically telling ‘no tours for today and tomorrow’, full stop. Unfortunately, you can experience similar issues even in cities with a touristic vocation like St. Petersburg, so this happening in the remote Murmansk was not unbelievable. Yet considering I visited from quite afar, tuned my trip specifically for this attraction standing to the available information and came during the peak season, this shows a very low-level preparedness for tourism and especially a generally bad attitude towards foreign visitors, both parts of an unwanted heritage of the Soviet times. You’d better go ready to similar problems when traveling to Russia.]

Anyway the icebreaker can be admired also from the pier. The size is really stunning, especially if compared to the older and glorious Krassin, which can be found in St. Petersburg (see this post). Along the Lenin, on another pier a modern icebreaker can be seen. Murmansk is also a well-known starting point for arctic cruises.

Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port

A monument remembering the Great Patriotic War closes the square ahead of the piers on one side. Cross the bay from this point it is possible to spot another war monument, including a jet aircraft and a cannon.

Kursk Monument and Church of the Savior on Waters

Going back to Ploschad Pyat’uglov and restarting northeast along Prospekt Lenina after some walk and more interesting buildings, including the local government of Murmansk adorned with all the decorations earned by this town for the effort during WWII and the Regional Museum (website here) – which unfortunately was closed on the day of my visit -, you reach Ulitsa Papanina. Taking it to the northwest you soon cross Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk Hero City
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Again, here the quality of the housing and parks decreases sharply. Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev climbs aggressively uphill. After a distance the main road takes slightly to the left, and a building resembling a beacon can be seen further uphill, reachable with a flight of stairs. This beacon is a monument to the seamen lost at sea, and it includes a chapel which is closed most of the time irrespective of the published opening times.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Just behind the beacon there is a monument to the ill-fated nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk, a new strategic ship of the Northern Fleet launched in post-Soviet times, which in the year 2000 sank following two accidental explosions, killing all on board. Thanks to the shallow waters where this accident happened, it was later possible to recover the wreck. Part of the turret was taken away and transformed into the monument you see, which is actually a piece of the original vessel.

Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial
Murmansk Kursk Memorial

Proceeding further uphill, it is possible to reach the small nice Orthodox church of the Savior on Waters, which is operated regularly and is probably the most central temple in Murmansk.

Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church

Leninskiy Okrug and Museum of the Northern Fleet

To the back of the temple it is possible to reach again Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev. Keeping the Museum of the Northern Fleet as a destination, located close to the northern border of Murmansk, you can walk some miles crossing the district called Leninskiy Okrug, which is a very populated residential area of the ‘working class’. Here you can see by yourself the very low-level of the housing, roads, walkways and services of this industrial town, where most of the population is living today. This standard of living appears to be in striking contrast with what you see in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and you can imagine how the neighborhood must have looked like when all cars around where Soviet made and there were no services like banks and cell phones retailers giving a modern touch to the scene.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

The building hosting the Museum of the Northern Fleet is no exception – it looks like an abandoned building from the outside. The entrance hall is purely Soviet style, too large and very grim. An old lady stands knitting in one corner, watching a TV show. She will instruct you about the ticket price – very low, only cash accepted – and the way to go. The building must have been a former clubhouse for officers or retired staff.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

The museum (information here) covers the history of the Navy at least until the creation of the Northern Fleet. There are about ten small rooms, packed with tons of memorabilia items, documents, flags, parts of ships, photographs, paintings, portraits, uniforms, medals, models, maps, weapons and so on. Notwithstanding the old-style exhibition and the plenty of information mainly on the facts of WWII and the Cold War period, the museum is fairly up to date, mentioning also post-Soviet history and the current status of the fleet. It is noteworthy that most of the descriptions are in Russian only, so you should go with some knowledge of the topic if you don’t know the language.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

Some Soviet memorials and the portraits of all commanders of the fleet from its foundation to the present day can be found on the stairs.

Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk Museum of the Northern Fleet

Monument to the Waiting Woman

Setting the course back to downtown Murmansk, it is possible to reach the monument to the Waiting Woman, dedicated to the women of the seamen, with a multi-miles walk from the Museum of the Northern Fleet, again crossing Leninskiy Okrug.

Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Waiting Woman
Murmansk Waiting Woman
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

The monument is an example of Russian ingenuity, yet somehow evocative. The place where the small sculpture is located is a vantage point from where it is possible to have a look to the northernmost part of the port of Murmansk, invisible from the town center. Much precise information about the home port of the vessels of the current Northern Fleet is not easy to get, anyway in the pictures you can see the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the only Russian aircraft carrier, recently deployed to the Black Sea and now returned to the bay of Murmansk – somewhat mimetic, carefully look at the pictures below.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Admiral Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier
Murmansk Admiral Kuznetzov Aircraft Carrier
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Port
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk

Alyosha

The most famous monument in Murmansk and in the region surrounding it, the monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War, informally known as Alyosha – ‘little Alexander’ in English -, is a gigantic statue to the Soviet Soldier, commemorating the battles fought by the Soviet Army against the Third Reich during WWII. Not only is this monument placed on top of a hill, but it is some 115 feet tall, making it the third tallest monument in the former USSR, after Stalingrad, now Volgograd, and Kiev, today in Ukraine. It is visible from many places in town and from the area around Murmansk.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

It can be reached easily from downtown with a taxi, or if you are coming following the itinerary, climbing uphill at a short distance from the Monument of the Waiting Woman (see the map for a detailed trail to follow).

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

The monument is surely worth a visit. The size is impressive, and the eternal flame still burning ahead of the statue adds to the authenticity of the ensemble as a place of remembrance.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

There are also two anti-aircraft guns and some ancillary parts to the back of the monument. The square ahead of it, possibly made for ceremonies, is not very well-kept and infested by mosquitoes in the warm season.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

Leaving from the monument towards the city center can be done cutting through a wild green area along a well-marked trail. A mystery communication central can be found at some point. I met people grilling meat on a barbecue in this partially wild park.

Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier
Murmansk Alyosha Soviet Soldier

From here you have a good view of the industrial port and of the central districts of Murmansk. Upon reaching Ulitsa Chelyuskintsev there is a small modern memorial showing some pictures of Murmansk soon after the devastation caused by WWII.

Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

From here it is possible to go back to the city center where your hotel will probably be and where you can find some very good local restaurants.

Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk memorial
Murmansk Church
Murmansk Church

Getting to Murmansk

Notwithstanding the interesting ensemble and some noteworthy monuments, this city alone can hardly motivate a trip from abroad even for dedicated enthusiasts. On the other hand, it makes for a quick and easy detour from a travel to scenic Lapland (Finland) or northern Norway. After some investigation about going there with a car I abandoned the idea – too complicated in terms of papers and risky – and elected to go there starting from Kirkenes, a small town in northern Norway just a few miles from the only border crossing point between Norway and Russia. There is a local Norwegian travel agency called Pasvikturist selling on the Internet the tickets of a bus service operating between Kirkenes and Murmansk with no stops. The service is operated once per day in both directions. They also sell travel packages of one or two days to Murmansk including a part-time guide and accomodation.

The bus is actually a comfortable Russian registered minibus. The pick-up point in Kirkenes is by the Scandic Hotel, where there are some possible pick-up points in Murmansk, which is much larger, typically by all the biggest hotels.

You must have the visa for entering Russia, and you can get the necessary invitation from both the Azimuth and Meridian hotel. I noticed not all hotels in Murmansk offer this service, so be careful if you want to opt for a smaller hotel. Getting the invitation involves an easy electronic procedure worth a few dollars. Passport control – both Norway and Russia – takes a while, about 45 minutes in total for all on the minibus. Restrictions on the goods you can transport apply, but are by far less stringent than when traveling by air. You are not required to pass a metal detector, and bags are inspected only sporadically. My small army knife and all photographic gears passed without trouble.

The trip from Kirkenes to Murmansk can be very interesting. The region you cross is full of military installations. Extensive areas along the road are fenced and under surveillance. Going to Murmansk we had to stop to let a number of tanks cross the road. There is at least one military checkpoint where all passports are quickly inspected again by military staff!

Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Pechenga
Pechenga
Nickel
Nickel
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks
Sputnik tanks

Among the unusual sights along the road are the huge nickel mines between Nickel and Zapolyarny, the countless memorials of WWII along the valley of the Pechenga river, the military town of Sputnik, and a ropeway built by the German Army to carry supplies to the front. The background scenery is that of an endless sequence of hills with arctic vegetation.

Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik training grounds
Sputnik training grounds
Pechenga training grounds
Pechenga training grounds
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga monument
Pechenga
Pechenga
Pechenga
Pechenga
Kola
Kola
Pechenga
Pechenga
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik ropeway
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Sputnik
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel Zapolyarny
Nickel
Nickel
Sputnik
Sputnik

Getting closer to Murmansk you will see directions to many ‘closed towns’ – connected with military activities, and where foreign visitors cannot enter – including Polyarny, cited in ‘The Hunt for Red October’. This surely adds to the atmosphere and prepares you to the visit of the town.

Polyarny closed town
Polyarny closed town
Polyarny
Polyarny
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Entering the town you will pass over the bay on a bridge and you will get a view of the southern part of the port and of the city, otherwise difficult to reach by foot.

Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk train
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk chimney
Murmansk chimney
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk

Murmansk is clearly served also by an airport, so if you want or need you can surely reach the city by air – and also by train – from within Russia, but you will not get a view of the region, which may be very interesting if you are traveling as a tourist.

Soviet Airbases in the GDR – Third Chapter

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As mentioned in previous chapters on the same topic – you can find the first and second here – the territory of the GDR was cluttered with an uncommonly high number of military bases, run either by the local Armed Forces of the GDR (‘German Democratic Republic’) or by the Soviet Union. This was also due to the great strategic relevance of the area, placed right in the center of Europe and on the border with ‘the West’.

Soon after the reunification of the two halves of Germany and the withdrawal of the Red Army after the collapse of the USSR, most Soviet/Russian bases in Germany were deemed unnecessary by the new federal government, hence they were converted into something else. Airbases have been turned most typically into solar powerplants or, more rarely, into general aviation airports. Armored cavalry training areas have been largely cleaned up, and allocated as land for reforestation.

Despite large parts of these installations having been recycled to some other function, substantial traces – and sometimes even more – of these once prominent and populated bases can be found still today. These include many technical buildings, like aircraft shelters, hangars for maintenance, weapon storages, bunkers, … as well as housing and buildings for the families of Soviet troopers. Needless to say, this kind of stuff is of primary interest for urban explorers and war historians as well, for these places – besides being really creepy and often preserving a ‘Soviet ghost aura’ which may appeal to a part of the public… – are usually full of lively traces of the Soviet occupation, like signs in Cyrillic alphabet, murals, monuments and Lenin’s heads, which make for an interesting memento of the recent past, when the map of Europe looked pretty much different from now.

In this post you can find a pictorial description of a visit to the two airbases of Sperenberg and Finsterwalde, south of Berlin, the airbase of Grossenhain, close to Dresden, plus a quick chapter on the former tank regiment base of Zeithain, close to the sport town of Riesa – not an airbase, but convenient to visit and well worth a quick stop when going to Grossenhain. Photographs have been taken in spring 2017.

As for the second chapter, some historical photos from the collectible book Rote Plätze – Russische Miltärfluglplätze Deutschland 1945-1994 have been included to allow for a ‘now and then’ comparison. I do not own the copyright for those pics.

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

Sperenberg

The Soviet airbase of Sperenberg stands out in the panorama of the facilities of the Red Army in the GDR for two reasons.

Firstly, it was not an attack base, but the primary logistic airport of the Soviets in Eastern Germany. The place was developed with air transport in mind, so differently from most bases around, there are no shelters for deadly MiGs or Sukhois ‘mosquitos’, but instead enormous open-air aprons, hangars and parking bays for Antonov and Ilyushin monster-size transports, as well as for bulky Mil helicopters. The place even bolsters a small passenger terminal for military staff, a truly unique feature. The proximity to Wünsdorf, a small town in Brandenburg which since the end of WWII and until 1994 hosted the headquarters of the Soviet Forces in Germany (covered in this post), may have played a role in defining the function of this base.

Secondarily, Sperenberg was simply shut down at the time of the withdrawal of Soviet/Russian forces, but was never converted into something else – at least at the time of writing. This makes it truly a one-of-a-kind item for lovers of ‘ghost airbases’, for here everything, including all taxiways and the runway, is still there. Nature is fiercely reclaiming much of the area, which is nowadays completely surrounded and partly submerged by a wild forest – making the silent remains of the base look even more creepy, unnatural and haunted…

The installation is also very big – similar to an average-size civil airport – , and besides the airside part, there is also an extensive array of residential buildings for the troops. For the major point of interest of the place is the preserved – for now… – airport infrastructure, I concentrated on that, neglecting the barracks and housing. This was also due to the latter being closer to the old main gate to the base, and standing to the available information there are rangers and local citizens who sometimes keep that part under watch. With only a basic knowledge of German, I think it’s better to take all countermeasures to avoid misunderstandings, thus enjoying a reasonably safe and undisturbed exploration…

Sights

In order to reduce the chance of a contact with the locals, it makes sense to intrude into the perimeter from the northeast, heading southwest directly to the center of the airport, leaving the housing part to the east. This will result in a multi-miles walk in the trees, along former service roads, now seldom used by woodcutters. Sooner or later, you will meet the original fence of the base, with concrete posts, barbed wire and an unpaved service road for service cars running all around it.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

In order to make your way through the wilderness, unless you are from that very district and have a (very) good knowledge of the area, you will need a GPS. I profitably used the Ulmon app on my iPhone. It worked perfectly, all paths were precisely indicated. The external fence around the northwest area is very well preserved. The function of the first group of buildings I came across with is not very clear. You can clearly spot them on aerial photos of the base, to the northwest of the main part of the apron, connected to the airside area with a long straight service road aligned in a northwest-southeast direction.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

I guess the facility may have been a former fuel deposit – there is a large maneuver area possibly for trucks, an inner fence for further protection, a water deposit, possibly for firefighting, and a strange array of aligned pipe ends made of concrete, pointing vertically.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Going southwards to reach the apron area, I came across an abandoned… Soviet boot, plus some more mysterious buildings, clearly blown up at a certain point in history, and possibly not built by the Soviets. These resembled in shape the cannon bunkers placed by Nazi Germany on the northern coast of France, constituting the backbone of the ‘Atlantic Wall’. Maybe residuals from an even farther back era?

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

After crossing another fence – again, concrete posts and barbed wire – and going through a really wild trail in the trees, basically not signed except for traces of animals everywhere, I appeared on the apron in the northwesternmost part of the airport, with a huge array of parking bays for transport aircraft. Reportedly Antonov An-12s and Tupolev Tu-134s used to be placed in this area, as you can see also from historical pictures.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

The proportions of the abandoned airport are really striking. Taking a closer look at many of the parking bays, it is possible to find substantial traces of the original delimiting and direction strips for aircraft. The apron is made of the typical Soviet slabs, not coated with asphalt as typical for most airports in the West.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Moving south from the parking area, which unwinds along an east-western direction – as it is clear from the aerial pictures – , walking along a connection taxiway it is possible to notice its uncommon width, which is not typical to attack bases, but necessary for a transport base operating with Soviet giants.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Accessing the southern east-western taxiway from the west, it is possible to find a very special feature of Sperenberg – the passenger terminal. The small terminal is located to the north of a dedicated apron for passenger/mail loading and unloading.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

The terminal area is made of two main buildings. One is probably older, with a large glass window looking to the apron. A gazebo and some small walkways suggest the place was intended for waiting, and for ‘quasi-civil’ operations.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

The main terminal bears the date ‘1986’. From historical pictures, you can notice that it underwent some modifications during the few years of operations, which ceased by the year 1994. In particular, the central window on the front façade, made for the baggage treadmill, was bricked up at a certain point.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

The inside of the building has been totally spoiled, except for some wallpaper on the ceiling.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

A couple of strange movable structures, possibly extendable covered passages for passenger loading operations, can be found on the apron and in the trees besides the former terminal. Also these can be spotted in one of the aerial photographs. They are full of unofficial mottos and signatures of Soviet troops, written in Cyrillic.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

From the area of the terminal it’s a – relatively – short walk to the western end of the runway.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Moving eastwards from the terminal along the southernmost main taxiway, you come across several interesting items, including a Soviet control tower and many parking bays for large helicopters.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

The only hangar on the airport can be found on a very wide taxiway connecting the two parallel east-western main taxiways. The hangar, albeit appearing rather big at a glance, was probably used for maintenance of helicopters and smaller transports, as large Soviet transports need a much bigger size. Traces of a motto on the front of the hangar, obviously in Cyrillic, can be seen today.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

This also are quite mysterious, for on the photos from the last days of operations the inscription cannot be spotted. It was probably covered in Russian, post-Soviet times, reappearing now as the paint coat is fading.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Also in the area around the hangar another control tower, possibly from an older age, can be spotted, but not accessed.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Taking again to the east along the southern taxiway, more helicopter parking bays can be found, and finally another large aircraft parking area. From pictures from the time, this area was used for parking mainly An-12s, some of them with the tail leaning over the grass. Many interesting strips and indications for aircraft can be found in this area, with writings in Cyrillic, together with strongpoints for anchoring aircraft to the ground.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

From the end of the taxiway, where more interesting signs on the ground can still be found – one of them telling ‘cars must stop here’ – it’s again pretty easy to come to the eastern end of the runway. The connection taxiway descents gently towards the runway.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Here some of the original lights can be found. Some slabs close to the end of the runway appear highly damaged, like they were stricken from above. Possibly some overweight plane heavy-landed here at some point?

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Leaving north from the eastern end of the runway, crossing both main east-western taxiways, you can point back to the fence of the airport. Going further east you would reach the housing area, which I did not explore. Going north I came across an abandoned railway track, and a railway/truck interchange area. Finally, I reached the usual barbed wire and I left in the trees. I had to walk again along a very nice multi-miles track in the wilderness back to where I had parked.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Now that I was fine with the goals of the exploration, I moved to the main gate – where you are quite exposed and it’s easier to get spotted – to take some pictures from the outside. These can be compared to an historical pic from post-Soviet times – see the Russian Eagle to the left of the gate.

Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base

Another set of exciting pictures from the air, taken during a special flight over this area, can be found in this chapter.

All in all, I would say Sperenberg was among the most interesting Soviet airbase in the GDR I’ve ever visited. You can really feel the ‘Soviet ghost aura’, for the place looks really like it was simply closed up and forgotten. And I didn’t even look at the housing part. The wilderness around is really nice to walk in spring, you will see many birds, deers and some say they have spotted boars. I walked something around 12 miles in the area, my stay lasted a full afternoon, and I noticed only a few people having a look around, far in the distance. So if you are looking for an evocative walk, mixing the pleasure of the countryside to serious, top-quality urban exploration in a former military setting, this is really a place to be!

Getting there and moving around

Sperenberg is located about 20 miles south from downtown Berlin. The unattractive village bearing this name can be conveniently reached by car, and the main gate to the base can be found to the west of it. If you don’t want to access the base from here – which may attract some unwanted attention – you may elect to go to the area of Kummersdorf a few miles north, park your car and cut through the wilderness to reach the area of the former airport. For doing that you will need a map. The Ulmon map on my iPhone was perfect for guiding me on the task, all major and almost all minor service roads were perfectly signed. Due to the size of the base, you may choose to reach the perimeter from different directions, especially if you are more interested in some part than another. It used to be a full-scale transport airport, so expect to walk a lot if you – like me – want to have a look to everything. Being placed in the deep countryside of Brandenburg, finding a parking place should not be a problem.

Grossenhain

The former base of Grossenhain, close to Dresden, has been in the focus of an important conversion plan. Much of the facilities – especially the many hangars – have been converted into something else, including busy factories and warehouses. The area of the airport has been reduced, and the majority of the original buildings – some of them dating back to the Nazi era – demolished. A small flight club operates from the southeastern quarter of the base, using the original runway. From a bird’s eye view, the area for flight operations has been sensibly reduced, but thanks to the conversion, most hangars are still in place, so it’s easy to get an idea of how the base looked like in the past.

Historical pictures show that this airbase was used for open days in the years of the GDR, and in the transition period between 1989 and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Similarly to other bases in the GDR like Rechlin/Laerz, Jüterbog and Merseburg, this attack base hosted a model GRANIT special weapon storage (‘Sonderwaffenlager’). This is still preserved today, and makes for the most prominent feature of this base.

Sights

Three items make this base really attractive. First and foremost, a bunker for storing special weapons. Perhaps a unique case in the former GDR, the bunker has undergone a complete refurbishment, and it now appears like new.

Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base

The two imposing doors are preceded by a barbed wire fence. It is inaccessible, but it can be easily photographed from the outside. There is even an explanatory panel, both in German and Russian, with photographs from an older time.

Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base

A second sight of interest is the former gate guardian of the base. It is a MiG-17 of the Aviation of the Red Army. It is placed on a concrete post – designed in a pure Soviet-style – with writings in Cyrillic. Pictures from the day of operations suggest a different background than the rotting hovel now behind it. The gray sky on the day of my visit added to the Cold War atmosphere of the place.

Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base

Finally, another sight of interest is a wooden round table from the age of the Nazi dictatorship, used to align flight instrumentation. It is very large, and perfectly preserved. An explanatory panel can be found also besides this item.

Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base

All in all, while not a place for a real exploration – the area is very busy and not abandoned at all – Grossenhain offers some very unique items, keeping memory of its strong military past, surely worth a detour for the committed specialist.

Getting there and moving around

Grossenhain is about 20 miles north of Dresden, and just 8 miles north of world-famous Meissen – the birthplace of the Meissen pottery. The still active ‘flugplatz’ – local airport – is immediately north of this averaged-size village. Access is via the road N.101 or N.98, surrounding the airport area to the west and south respectively. There is no barrier except for the small flight club, many public roads have replaced the original taxiways and service roads. You can move in the former area of the airbase with your car and park at your convenience. Just be sure not to interfere with the many businesses in the area, especially big trucks going in and out on smaller roads.

Finsterwalde

This once prominent, very large airbase, is still in operation as a local airport. During the Cold War, this place was selected for storing nuclear warheads with a specially built facility. Other two installations of the kind existed over the territory of the GDR, namely Brand and Rechlin/Laerz.

Sights

The airport area is largely inaccessible, for the airbase is still an active general aviation airport. Among the most visible items in this part, a great example of a control tower from the years before WWII. It has been perfectly refurbished. Nearby are some very big hangars, today hosting some private business. Closer to the apron, some shelters from Soviet times are possibly used as hangars – they were shut when I visited. I could see a Transall C-160 parked outside, a really ubiquitous military transport in Germany, likely not any more managed by the Air Force.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

The ‘ghost part’ of the base is located to the south of the airport. The ideal trailhead is a former railway station and interchange platform. From historical pictures, it’s easy to see this was very busy supplying materials to the base, where also extensive housing could be found in Soviet times.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

Going south following a former service road, still used by woodcutters and acceptably maintained at least for an easy 0.8 miles walk, you can reach the old bunker for nuclear ordnance. It is preceded by parking areas, demolished truck depots and many service roads. The assembly should have looked like the one in Brand, but most of the buildings today are gone.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

The bunker is not interred, so the size can be appreciated from the side. Unfortunately, the bunker has been left open, and at some time in its history it must have been set on fire, so the walls inside are covered in black soot, and exceptionally dark – unfortunately I couldn’t take an acceptable picture even with a torchlight. More recently, it has been used as a dump for common waste. The area is far from hygienic, with piles of garbage here and there. Furthermore, on the outside it was covered by stupid and ignorant graffiti.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

On the plus side, the crane for maneuvering the ordnance ahead of the main door is still in place with its original roof. Also visible is the truck unloading dock, ahead of the entrance to the bunker.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

To the west of the area of the bunker, along the public road giving access to today’s airport, some of the original Soviet housing can be seen, apparently still inhabited in some parts. The base offers also some aircraft shelters close to the southeastern corner, but these are used as storages, and they are fenced and inaccessible.

Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base

Another set of exciting pictures from the air, taken during a special flight over this area, can be found in this chapter.

Generally speaking, Finsterwalde deserves a visit for the still active part of the airport, and for the unique nuclear bunker – even though it is the worst preserved of the kind in the GDR, the ‘Soviet ghost aura’ can still be perceived. A visit of about 1-1.5 hour, including a walk to the bunker and back, may be enough for the entire installation.

Getting there and moving around

Finsterwalde is located about 20 miles east of Cottbus, and about 55 miles south of downtown Berlin. The town of Finsterwalde has also another GA airport, to the northwest of the urban area. The former base is located south, and can be reached looking for ‘Fliegerstrasse’ if leaving the city to the south on ‘Dresdner Strasse’, or for ‘Sudstrasse’ when leaving on the L60 to the southeast. In any case, less than 2 miles south of the city center. Parking is possible besides the control tower, or close to the former railway station. As written above, the place is not abandoned, there are small businesses all around and even some fields of solar cells. Anyway I didn’t attract any unwanted attention when exploring the abandoned building of the railway station – even though I am sure I was spotted by the cars passing by – and when heading by foot in the trees to reach the nuclear bunker.

Zeithain

Sights

The countryside around the small sleepy town of Zeithain was once busy with tank operations, with extensive training grounds dating from before WWII. The Soviets maintained the original function of the installation. More recently, the area was mostly cleaned up, almost no buildings remain and trees have grown covering the once barren area for maneuvers, but the partially fenced former military zone still hides an item of great interest from the Cold War age.

It is a complete Soviet commemorative monument. The first part is a very unusual statue of Lenin, in a somewhat informal pose with a hand in his pocket. The centerpiece is a mural with a map showing the trail followed by the Soviets to reach Berlin during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 – which is how Russians call WWII. The mural is extremely well preserved, I would say it was refurbished at some point in recent history.

Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base

The third and most impressive ingredient is a 6 feet tall head of Mother Russia. I would say this is the most beautifully made Soviet sculpture I know of in the GDR. It makes for a good rival, and possibly a winning one, for the three majestic Soviet monuments in Berlin, but with less pomp and more art. Really something with an artistic value.

Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base

The fourth and last component of the monument is another mural with portraits of Soviet soldiers and an inscription in Cyrillic.

Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base

The ensemble is really impressive, the silence and remoteness of the place clearly adding to your perception of it. A walkway leading to the center of the monument can be seen still today.

Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base

As I wrote, there is something strange in this particular monument, for it is too well preserved for an outdoor monument left behind since at least 1994. I guess somebody has been taking care of it in more recent times. Nonetheless, nature is wild around it, and overgrown trees partially hide the perspective.

Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain - Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base

As a practical indication, I must admit I took a high risk visiting this place, cause the former perimeter of the base is fenced, and I believe the grounds are now in private hands. The original entrance to the base – you can see the original control booth and the gate – was open when I arrived, but an unlocked padlock was hanging from the door. I heard some cars and trucks moving out when I was taking pictures. So basically I think I intruded into a private business, at the high risk of remaining locked inside – together with my car… I would suggest moving in by foot, in order to make escape easier, just in case you get locked in!

Getting there and moving around

The base of Zeithain is located about 3 miles north of central Riesa, a mid-sized town in the countryside 30 miles northwest of Dresden.

Getting to the entrance of the base maybe a bit tricky, for the area under the administration of Zeithain covers an extensive part of the local countryside, so if targeted with ‘Zeithain’ your nav will probably point in the middle of nowhere and pretty far from the base.

A time-saving way to reach the place is as follows. Start from the junction between the N.98 and N.169, located east of a small town. Take to the north on the N.169. The road goes off with a gentle bend to the right immediately after the junction. Then it becomes straight, and you will have a fuel station to your right, and a road departing to the left – ‘An der borntelle’ is the name of the road. Take it as it goes straight northwest for less than half a mile, till a sharp bend to the left. At the level of the bend, a smaller road – ‘Abendrothstrasse’ – goes off abruptly to the right. Take it, and again less than 0.5 miles ahead the road splits in two, the main road going slightly to the left. Leave the main road and keep going straight. You will see a gate and a wall to your right. This is the entrance to the former training base. I skip providing any further details about how to move on from there, for as I have explained I realized this is probably an actively managed private property. Visiting and taking pictures may take 15 to 30 minutes.

Riesa

Sights

This sleepy town, mostly famous for sports than for everything else, may be interesting for the location, very close to Zeithain – see description above – and for the presence of one of the remaining statues of Lenin in the former GDR. This statue is part of the local Soviet cemetery. Such cemeteries are not so rare and scattered over the immense territory conquered by the Soviets in Europe during WWII. Besides fallen soldiers buried in war cemeteries, due to the great number of Soviet troopers and their relatives in the GDR, I guess it was not uncommon for them to be buried abroad.

Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin

The cemetery is still maintained today, and the statue still looked after as a part of it. This makes it pretty uncommon, for all other statues of Lenin in the GDR have been removed or abandoned. There is clearly some controversy about its placement in a public park in a town of today’s Germany, so it is possible the monument will be relocated at some point in history. For now, together with the ‘Socialist housing’ right behind it in the background of the cemetery, the monument makes for an unusual picture – a Soviet-style ‘postcard from the GDR’.

Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa - Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin

Getting there and moving around

The small cemetery and monument are located to the southwest of Riesa, and can be reached easily where Poppitzer Strasse and Mergendorfer Strasse meet. You can park at your convenience close by. Visiting will not take more than 10 minutes.

Soviet Airbases in the GDR – Second Chapter

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As pointed out in other posts on the topic – here and here -, the territory belonging to the German Democratic Republic (‘GDR’, or ‘DDR’ in German) was densely populated with military bases of all kinds, including tank bases, logistic bases and airbases. This was the result of two powerful Armies coexisting within the borders of the communist DDR – the local East-German Army and the Soviet ‘Red Army’.

Looking at a map of the Country, the density of airbases is particularly striking. Due to the strategic significance suggested by its very position in central Europe, right on the border with ‘the West’, the DDR was attributed a privileged status by the Soviet government in terms of military equipment. The number of Soviet troops stationed here was in the order of the hundreds of thousands, meaning that on most bases also housing and services for Soviet soldiers and their families had to be built in large numbers.

After the German reunification, the end of the Soviet Union and the retirement of Russian – ex-Soviet – troops by the mid-Nineties, all the bases – mostly stripped of any transportable stuff, which was withdrawn to Russia – were returned to Federal Germany. This resulted in a surplus of military hardware for the German government, which soon started a lengthy plan to convert, refurbish or demolish most of the newly acquired facilities.

Consequently, some of the former bases are now commercial airports, whereas most of them had the airside areas converted into solar powerplants. In most cases, only part of the former installations have been converted to non-military use, and huge ghost hangars, depots and housing can still be found in the premises of these airbases. What remains is sometimes of great interest for war historians and urban explorers as well – especially those bases where communist memorials with writing in cyrillic alphabet can be found, and stand out as vivid memories of a recent past, when everything was very different from now in central Europe.

Similarly to other ones on this website, this post covers with photographs and some info two Soviet airbases – Rangsdorf and Brand – visited in April 2017, and what remains of three more – Brandis, Nohra and Köthen – visited in 2023. Where in the premises of the first two much hardware could be checked out (at least as of 2017), the latter (as of 2023) have been almost completely wiped out, or left to the elements and to the spoilers to the point that only few or very damaged relics remain.

To provide some sort of ‘then and now’ comparison, I included a few pics from the wonderful book Rote Plätze – Russische Militärflugplatze Deutschland 1945-1994 by Lutz Freundt and Stefan Buttner, for which I don’t own the copyright. I recently grabbed a copy of this wonderful, out-of-print book, published in 2007 by a now defunct publisher in Berlin (AeroLit), and distributed only locally. This book is now very difficult to find, and basically a collectible item. Consequently, the price was indecent, but the maps, photos and info therein are really worth the financial effort!

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

Rangsdorf

Getting there and moving around

The former airbase in Rangsdorf can be found on the outskirts of Berlin, actually less than 8 miles south of Schönefeld Airport. It can be reached very quickly from the highway N.10, taking through the village of Rangsdorf and reaching its the south-western corner, where a small lake with sport activities and a group of new ‘American style’ houses is being built and partially completed – the land were the new houses are standing was once part of the base.

To be honest, I had some difficulties finding a parking place, because the area is densely populated and much looked after, and most parking lots are privately owned. I finally elected to park ahead of a small kindergarten, which at the time of my visit was already closed.

What remains of the base is totally abandoned, and you will likely find sheep in the former areas of operations. When preparing your exploration, just have a look a the Google map of the site to plan your moves ahead. There are a few remaining huge hangars and service buildings to explore, and they are all in the northern part of the former airfield. The original fence with lines of barbed wire and concrete posts is still standing, but there are many spots where it is cut and broken, so getting in is not difficult at all.

Notwithstanding that you can easily access the base, the populated area around is a potential threat, for entering the buildings is formally forbidden – there is also a firefighters station close to the northern section of the fence, and you could be easily spotted from outside when you are in. So I suggest being careful in your movements.

Sights

The military airbase in Rangsdorf dates back from the years of WWII and the Nazi regime, when it was a major base for transportation of high-ranking military staff traveling by plane. It was from here that Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, the key-character in the failed attempt to murder Adolf Hitler in July 1944, took off to reach the Wolf’s Lair in what is now eastern Poland.

When the airport fell into Soviet hands, it was soon converted into a helicopter base, due to the inappropriate size of the airfield for the standards of the jet age, and the constraints put on its development by the surrounding villages. It used to be a very active helicopter transport base until the collapse of the Wall. In the years preceding the withdrawal of the Soviet/Russian troops the place became famous as ‘The Dump’ – the Soviet helicopter fleet was rationalised, and many rotorcrafts met the scrapman here.

Approaching from the west of the complex the fenced perimeter is very irregular, and when coming in I passed at least four lines of barbed wire while walking along a straight line! Many original lamps along the fences are still in place.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

What seems to be a large air raid shelter, or possibly a reinforced communication bunker can be found before reaching the hangars. It is really big and isolated, with traces of wiring on one side.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

Among the traces from the Soviet ‘Dump’ there are some aircraft-style seats, possibly from a big helicopter, several winches and some electric motors.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

The two-winged building facing the grass-invaded former apron includes the control tower in the middle, and two lateral hangars. The assembly is a nice example of Nazi military design. The wooden doors and roof confirm the old age of the construction. Nonetheless, these hangars have been used also by the Soviets, as witnessed by the more modern ventilation system and traces of technical schemes and gear inside.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

From the top floor of the old control tower it is possible to appreciate the original size of the airfield. As you can see from older pictures, only the northernmost part of the field was converted for helicopter operations. The helicopter platforms can be easily spotted, albeit half-covered by grass in the area ahead of the tower.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

To the west of this main hangar there is a mysterious buildings with almost no windows and two pinnacles, which seem to be large twin funnels. I did not explore this thoroughly inside, as the building appeared to be in an especially bad and dangerous condition.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

The next large hangar to the east is much bigger than the one with the tower. The construction is again pretty old, I guess again from the Thirties. Inside it is possible to find traces of mottos in big characters in cyrillic alphabet all along the wall. In older times, a famous panel with an ‘artistic’ hammer and sickle was hanging from one of the walls. This is unfortunately gone, only a barely visible trace remaining in place.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

On one side of this big hangar a smaller service building can be found. Again, the intended function of this part of the complex is not immediately clear. I found traces of a huge table of chemical elements in Russian, like can be found in schools… but I don’t think they had a school right besides a hangar!

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

Even more to the east, close to the outer wall of the base and to a still active railway, there are two more hangars. The smaller one with wooden doors is very damaged inside, whereas the one to the north is apparently more recent in construction, but it is closed. My exploration accelerated a bit from here, as I noticed activity in the houses nearby outside the fence of the base, a watchdog started barking, and I feared to be spotted! Luckily this happened almost at the end of the exploration program…

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

Close to some communist-style housing, refurbished and still in use to the north of the airfield, I found a piece of wall, probably belonging to the original outer wall of the base, with celebrative writings in cyrillic – possibly names of sport teams from Soviet times.

Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base

All in all, I would say this base has the relevant advantage it was not converted to a power plant or something else, so it is poorly guarded and not totally off-limits – at least the open air grounds. It is also close to Berlin, easy to reach in a short time, and compact in size, so you won’t need to walk much, and visiting may take less time than with other former bases – about 2 hours for me, taking all the pictures. On the other hand, the populated neighborhood of Rangsdorf makes interception by the locals more likely. While not particularly rich of communist remains, the buildings in the base are still mostly in place, so visiting can be satisfactory also for photographers interested in architecture.

Brand

Getting there and moving around

The area of the former big airbase of Brand is associated to a fairly well-known attraction of our days – Tropical Island. This amusement park, which is officially indicated as an attraction even on highway N.13, connecting Berlin to Cottbus and the border with Poland, was built inside a colossal, modern hangar, designed for airships around the year 2000. This can be spotted from quite afar.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

A large area of the former airbase is – from a viewpoint of urban exploration – compromised. The former runway has been turned into a huge parking area, whereas a luxury tropical-themed resort with bungalows and camping lots for mobile homes has been built in the western part of the airport. Most taxiways have been either recycled as alleys in the park, or literally removed. Some of the many aircraft shelters of this once prominent attack base have been converted to host other forms of business, ranging from restaurants to hay storages.

All the part connected with leisure business, which corresponds to everything north of Tropical-Islands-Allee – also named road L711 and going east from highway N.13 to the near village of Krausnick, where a small memorial to the Soviet actions in WWII can be found – is actively guarded by private guards, with their own small modern barracks close to the gate of the complex, and moving around by car.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

In striking contrast with this, shrouded in the vegetation to the south of the same road, roughly cross the street with respect to the entrance to the Tropical Island complex, it is possible to find a conspicuous amount of Soviet relics, basically unguarded. All accesses to the roads going south is physically interdicted to cars, so parking may be not obvious in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the park. I suggest going past the gate along L711 and driving towards Krausnick to find an unofficial but safe parking spot between the roadside and the limit of the forest, away from suspicious eyes.

Another part of great interest for war historians include the storage for nuclear warheads, typical to Brand and other few bases in the GDR. This is rather distant – about 1.8 miles southeast – from the airport area and Soviet housing. The original connection road – not accessible by car – is straight and very long, with little to offer in terms of relics. For exploring that part of the site I suggest driving to Krausnick from Tropical Island, and taking the L71 pointing southwest towards the village of Schönwalde. The road runs deep in the trees, and at some point it comes about .6 mile to the site of interest. You may park on the roadside, on one of the many service roads used by woodcutters and reach the place with a quick walk following one of those trails.

Take your time studying the area in advance on Google Maps, and choose what option best suits your needs.

You may also have a look at aerial pictures of the base, taken during a special flight over the area, described in this report.

Sights

Before being turned into a civil airport and then into an amusement park, Brand was one of the largest Soviet bases in the GDR, with flocks of MiG-21, 23, 27 stationing here, as well as Sukhoi Su-15 and even Su-27 in the final years of operation. Most notably, the base was selected already in the 1960s for storing air-launched nuclear warheads – together with Finsterwalde and Rechlin/Lärz (see this post). This led to the construction of a purpose-built reinforced storage bunker, which can still be seen. As pointed out before, there are two main focus areas in a visit to this installation.

The first is the ghost town for the troops once stationed here, and for their families. This is incredibly close to Tropical Island, but the contrast between the aura of these two places couldn’t be more striking!

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

There are residential buildings from various Soviet models, mostly three-four storeys buildings possibly from the Fifties-Sixties, but also some more imposing pre-fabricated buildings possibly dating from as recently as the Eighties.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Walking alone in this once lively village, with traces of playgrounds, mailboxes, lamps along walkways now invaded by vegetation, and even a swimming pool with some dead water in it, was for me one of the weirdest and creepiest experiences ever!

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Unfortunately, from the pics you can’t feel the unreal silence where the place was immersed – the only sounds were those of the wind blowing in the trees and of some door slamming somewhere within the buildings… you would expect a zombie, some ghost troopers or a mutant monster coming out to meet you at every time!

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Most of the buildings are in relatively good overall condition, but almost nothing survives of the interior of the apartments – which may collapse at every time and should not be accessed. By looking closely at some tires in a playground you can spot cyrillic characters on them – maybe they come from a consumed nose wheel of a MiG? The lamps are of the usual model commonly found in Soviet bases.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

To the west of the residential area there is a similarly extensive zone with a great number of possibly former barracks or technical buildings. Almost all of them have been half-demolished by destroying the roof – I think this was made in purpose, for literally all buildings in this part have encountered the same fate. The style of these buildings suggests they are older than most of the housing. This is confirmed by comparing historical photographs of the base from above.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Among the most prominent buildings in the area, it is possible to find a former school, with an imposing façade of classical inspiration.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

To the back of the school building a small gym can be found. The roof has collapsed – or it was demolished – long ago, so that some trees are growing inside – no more basketball here!

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

A highlight of the exploration in this area is a huge mosaic wall with the head of Lenin. This item is a bit of a mystery, cause it’s hard to imagine it was originally placed where it is standing today – there is no architectural ‘frame’ supporting the monument nor a backstage completing it – it looks like a decorated floor, but placed in a vertical position!

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base

Anyway, the sight is of course very uncommon, and I would say unique in the panorama of communist-themed art in the former GDR.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Close by the ghost town, three aircraft shelters remain to the south of the road marking the ideal border with the ‘Tropical Island domain’. These can be accessed and explored. Among other particular features, it is possible to spot the rusty engine for opening the gates of one of them. These shelters could host aircraft up to the size of a MiG-23/27.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

The second part of interest in Brand is the bunker for nuclear warheads. As stated above, this was built really far to the southeast from the housing and from the airport, differently from the other two bases in the GDR where similar bunkers were built (see this post). A straight connection road links the two portions of the base.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

Traces of the further line of inner fence built around this area can be found today. The good quality tarmac of the roads have survived to this day.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

The bunker is not accessible, the main gate blocked with a pile of land. Nonetheless, it is still visible and fairly well-preserved – even the camouflage above the front door – as you can see from a comparison with a photo from when the bunker was being used.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

On the crane-supporting structures ahead of the entrance you can find traces of cyrillic writings.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

There is a truck-loading dock nearby and several larger and smaller service buildings and garages. On some of the walls you can find ‘unofficial’ writing in cyrillic alphabet.

Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand - Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base

In both parts of the base I didn’t meet a single person during my exploration, which lasted about 3.5-4 hours in total, including the time for transfer from a trailhead to the other. When I visited, Tropical Island was closed for the season, with many people going in and out for maintenance. There were also tourists with mobile-homes and caravans, and guards with their cars. Anyway, during the exploration of the Soviet housing, which is really close to Tropical Island, I didn’t see a person, and as pointed out the place was unnaturally silent! The part of the nuclear warhead bunker is also very remote, and more obviously I didn’t come across anybody.

All in all, even though a substantial part of Brand has been converted into something else, what remains here is a great fun to visit, with tons of photo opportunities, a very intense ‘Soviet-ghost aura’ and much to see also for curious war historians. The countryside is pleasant and even though some walking is required, the place is nice to walk and very enjoyable. And if you feel tired, you can always decide to switch off your camera and enter Tropical Island for a relaxing rest-of-the-day!

Köthen

Getting there and moving around

The base was located immediately south of the homonym village, itself 10 miles southwest of the larger and famous town of Dessau. The entire premises of the former large Soviet base of Köthen have been converted for housing or into industrial facilities, currently run by several companies. The former airside of the base with the runway has been covered by a huge field of solar cells. As a result, visiting as tourists is strictly speaking not possible.

Possibly the only exception – in theory – is the southernmost hangar, which bears traces of the original camouflage, and the prominent portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels on its side. The hangar is in the hands of a private energy-related company. The area around is fenced. I simply drove in as a visitor, from the road through the open gate, on the company premises all the way to the building. Access is from road K2074, roughly .4 miles south of the crossing with road 185, to the right when going south.

I asked for permission to a worker, and he cordially allowed me to move around a bit and take pictures outside of the building. Then I met another individual, possibly the village idiot having some time in the open air – surely not a worker, he was in shorts and accompanied by a little girl, very weird in a place like that! – who intimated me to leave, with some impolite and intimidating gesture also on the menu. Preferring not to start a litigation and attract attention from the workers, I left, with the pictures I had taken up to that moment. With a better luck, exploring this part of the former base should be easy and more rewarding. However, since moving around at will is clearly not possible on private grounds, the visit may be of just a few minutes in any case, making for an ideal quick detour for those passing by.

Sights

The Soviet base of Köthen was once a prominent part of the arsenal, hosting for long decades during the Cold War Soviet flying groups almost every type of MiG fighter, from MiG-15 down to MiG-29. The base was complemented with modern reinforced aircraft shelters since the 1960s, and a multi-purpose Granit-type bunker was erected later, for employment as a storage for munitions.

The only part of the former premises of this once large base which is today partly preserved and (theoretically, see directions above) visible is one of the main hangars. The construction, flanked by two low-rise towers, shows the actual origin of the facility, which dates to the years of the Third Reich. Actually, the area was busy with flying activities since even earlier (1920s).

The hangar is relatively low in height, with sliding doors closing it to the front, and painted in a brown-greenish camo coat. Inside, today a huge pile of manure can be found, arguably employed for some chemical process (the company holding the building runs an energy-related business).

The most interesting sight is represented by two medallions, with pretty unusual portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels, in black over a white background. Besides the portrait of Lenin, to the left of the front door of the hangar, an inscription in Russian quoting a thought of Lenin on the army can be found as well.

Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR

The medallions, inscriptions and camouflage appear rather well kept. Even a small plaque with a German translation of the inscription can be found.

Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR

This witnesses an interesting example of a welcome and uncommon preservation effort, making a short visit to this facility interesting at least for the more committed Cold War historian.

Nohra

Getting there and moving around

The former Soviet helicopter base of Nohra used to take a sizable area both to the north and south of road 7, connecting Weimar to Erfurt. However, the base was accurately eradicated, and virtually no trace of it (except what remains of a half demolished helicopter hangar) can be seen to the north of the road. The territory has been returned to agriculture or taken over by industrial facilities, therefore even the original general appearance of the base is impossible to retrace.

Similarly, the area to the south of road 7 has been cleared of almost every trace from its aeronautical past. The only relics, described in the paragraph below, can be found along Pappelallee, which runs parallel to road 7, and can be accessed from its western end from road 85.

Along Pappelallee the old entrance to the pre-existent Third Reich base, in the typical style of the 1930s, can be clearly spotted. Today, a bed & breakfast operates this gate building, which was employed also by the Soviets. Going through would give direct access to the perspective leading to the second highlight of the place, a preserved statue of Lenin. However, going through is not possible. The statue can be reached walking along the road parting to the south of Pappelallee, from a little west from the bed & breakfast. You can leave your car close to the gate buildings, away from the road, and walk along this trail. The statue is in the focus of a perspective, and hard to miss.

Going there is not unlawful, there are no prohibition sign and no fence, plus the statue is clearly preserved.

The area around the statue has been completely reforested, so no dangerous building are to be found in the area. Since some walk is involved, a visit to this site may take about 30 minutes.

Sights

The base of Nohra was established back in WWI, and was potentiated by the Third Reich Luftwaffe from 1936 onwards. By the end of WWII, it was captured by US forces, who had to hand it over to the Soviets in July, following post-war agreements.

It was then potentiated into one of the largest helicopter bases of the Soviets in the GDR, with virtually every type of Mil helicopter being flown from here over the years, including the mighty Mil-24 over the last two decades of the Cold War.

Today, as noted in the previous paragraph, the former airbase has been completely and accurately wiped out, so that its very existence could not be suspected by unaware subjects driving along the busy roads between Erfurt and Weimar.

Curiously, two small preserved portions indeed exist, making for an interesting detour when visiting the area.

The original gate buildings of the old Luftwaffe military installation can be clearly spotted along the road. The style shows the typical features and elegance of German architecture from pre-WWII period – totally incompatible with the generally shabby appearance of Soviet architectures from the post-war period.

The original gate facility is today privately owned. However, when open, the gate between the two wings of the facility allow to spot a statue of Lenin, placed to the far end of an alley departing from the gate.

Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR

Luckily, access to the statue is possible with a short walk (see paragraph with directions above). The statue today is basically in a small forest of trees, and its location appears quite inexplicable. However, getting closer to it and moving around, traces of painted signs on a small network of asphalt roads witness the existence of a populated area once around its location. Clearly, with all buildings demolished and tall trees in their place, the scenery is not any more typical for a statue of Lenin…

Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR

Interestingly, the statue has been actively preserved – an unusual sight in the GDR panorama. The communist leader is portrayed in its typical appearance, moving forward in a proactive attitude. To the back of the statue, a curtain wall painted in crimson is likely part of the original installation.

Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR

The quality of the statue appears pretty good, when zooming on it.

Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR

All in all, despite the complete disappearance of Nohra, this preserved fragment represents an important trace of a significant chapter in the history of this area, otherwise irreversibly released into oblivion.

Brandis/Waldpolenz

Getting there and moving around

Brandis is located about 10 miles west of Leipzig city center, immediately west of the homonym village.

Differently from most former Soviet bases in the GDR, what remains of Brandis – i.e. what was not taken over by solar cells and private companies – has been left free to explore for the general public. Therefore, access to the few buildings still standing on site – which include some big old hangars, as well as technical buildings, housing and more – is possible in many ways and from many directions.

This was not my own choice, but in hindsight, the most convenient way to access the premises is getting as close as possible to the buildings in the northern part of the base and park your car, then moving around by foot. A choice for parking is where Am Alten Flugplatz changes name into Falkenallee. Car access to the latter is impeded, but you can park by the obstacles put in place, and move by foot from there.

All accessible buildings are located to the north and northwest of the base. Its original premises, including the runway area and taxiways, are now mostly taken over by solar cells. For the rest they are crossed by public roads, making the perception of the original limits of the base and its original design not so evident.

The very poor condition of most buildings will not appeal much to war historians, possibly more to urban explorers. However, since the base is sizable, the time for a thorough exploration is at least 2 hours after having parked.

Sights

The base of Brandis has a complex history, as usual dating back to the Third Reich era. It was selected for the deployment of the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet, and from 1944, thanks to the direct railway connection, an ambitious program for the final assembly and operation of this interceptor was started. The war ended with the defeat of Germany before the conversion was completed. Buildings from the Luftwaffe era include at least three big hangars with a wooden door, a control tower, some official buildings, and apparently a number of smaller technical buildings.

The Soviets employed the place mostly for early jets and later (from the 1960s) for transport and attack helicopters. However, from the 1970s the base was potentiated significantly (including the addition of housing and service buildings for the families of the Soviet troops), and became active with Su-25, which were stationed here until the then-Russian military left the facility in 1992. Apparently – and unusually – no reinforced aircraft shelters were ever built by the Soviets in Brandis, preferring laterally-reinforced open-air parking bays and a large open apron (the latter similar to Sperenberg, see here).

As noted above (paragraph on directions), most of the base is gone today, with a huge solar plant having covered most of the former airside, including the runway and the huge area south of it, formerly employed for helicopter operations. Furthermore, some private companies now occupy part of the area between the hangars and the tower.

Therefore, the focus of a visit is in the hangars and tower (immediately north of the former runway), the technical buildings to the west, and the housing and service buildings along the northern perimeter.

The old hangars are three. The one to the northwest of the former airside is home to a big inscription in Russian, mentioning the 28th congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Also some other inscriptions can be seen on the southern wall, barely emerging from the graffiti layer.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Apparently, in this hangar early jet drones were stationed by the Soviets in the late 1980s.

The central hangar is bigger. Its original wooden front door is pretty well preserved. Inside, the main hall is sided by technical rooms along the solid walls. Some of them are easier to access from outside through the broken windows!

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Close to this hangar, a few yards to the west, is the old control tower. Despite heavily stricken by writers and spoilers, this building is an interesting example of architecture from the Third Reich era.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Behind this main hangar and close to the tower, it is possible to retrace original internal roads of the base, thanks to the lights and the now overgrown hedges once framing them. Not far north from this area, major housing from the 1970s can be found.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

In the same area, a mystery building with a curved ceiling – a technical building of some sort – offers some relics like Soviet boots and damaged clothes.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Again close to the hangar, some pipelines and some exhausted tires can be found. The labels of the latter clearly bear Russian markings.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

A last big hangar can be found somewhat further east. The wooden door, left partly open, has been penetrated by the vegetation, creating an unusual scenery.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

An interesting sight in this hangar is an original ‘No smoking’ writing in German. This is apparently in a Third Reich era font, and may be a fascinating witness of the original tenancy of the airbase. Needless to say, the inscription now barely emerges from a thick coat of meaningless ‘works of art’…

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

The housing and service buildings along the northern perimeter of the base clearly date from different ages. The gigantic facade of some of the houses clearly betray a post-1970 building approach.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Unfortunately, all these buildings are in very poor conditions, just the walls and stairs remain, and they are literally covered in graffiti. Thanks to the severe spoiling action carried out by the writers, the ghost aura of former Soviet bases is hard to feel here – everything looks more like a rotting poor neighborhood of a big town.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

To the west of the base, possibly an old railway or truck-loading facility can be found, maybe from the Third Reich era.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Close by, an array of smaller technical buildings, apparently garages, reveal some interesting writing in old-German characters. Also these buildings are possibly from the Luftwaffe tenancy of the airbase.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Finally, a highlight of the visit is what appears to be an old school building. Here an incredible mural of a Soviet soldier honoring the Red Banner, the flag of the USSR, can be found in the hall on top of the stairs.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

A little bit of respect has been shown by the usual writers, who massively attacked all the rest of this building similar to all others. Thus this fragment of the original Soviet decoration of the airbase is still surviving. Besides the soldier are other troops, with interesting facial appearances, resembling some different ethnicity from within the USSR. Also some writing in Russian is visible in the background.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Other naive paintings can be found around this building, including 18th century characters, a few trees, and other cartoon characters, today not recognizable. Most of these innocent paintings however have been targeted by spoilers.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR

Along the external perimeter of the base, now not obvious to retrace, some rusty parts of the original high-security fence can still be found.

Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR