Mmm, is someone baking cookies?

Wolf's Lair (Wilczy Szaniec)

Gierłoż 5, Wieś Mazury

  • Monuments & Culture
  • Fortresses & Fortifications

A headquarters in the Masurian forest

Wilczy Szaniec at Gierłoż is an extensive complex of reinforced concrete shelters hidden in woodland a few kilometres from Kętrzyn. It served as Adolf Hitler's main command headquarters for the eastern front; the leader of the Third Reich spent more than two years here in total. The site was chosen deliberately — dense forest, lakes and boggy ground masked the compound and made access difficult.

What to see

Today the grounds are an open-air museum. Massive blocks of bunkers stand among the trees, most of them blown up in 1945 and frozen in the form of cracked concrete. A marked route leads between the staff shelters and Hitler's personal bunker, passing the site of the failed assassination attempt of 20 July 1944.

Practical notes

You can visit on your own or with a guide; an audio guide is also available in several languages, including Polish, English, German, Ukrainian and Lithuanian. The route is long and runs entirely through forest, so comfortable shoes are useful. Many ruins are not secured — access to the interiors may be restricted.

  • Large car park at the entrance
  • Ticket office and information point
  • Restaurant and souvenir shop
  • Marked forest paths
Visit duration: approx. 3 hours Seasonality: All year round, shorter opening hours outside the season

Kontakt

Source: http://wolfsschanze.pl