Wolf's Lair, Poland

Hitler spent more than half of World War Two at Wolf's Lair, a secret military location in a wooded area in eastern Poland.

It initially appeared to still be a secure location because despite our best endeavors (and those of our satnav, Ben), we continued to reach dead ends and small towns with names that were impossible to pronounce, or spell. Eventually we stumbled upon it, and it was quite different to what we had envisaged.

Above ground concrete bunkers, with walls between 1 and 3 metres thick were hidden among the forest, connected to each other by a series of tracks. Apart from being overgrown and having the netting camouflaging removed , the buildings appeared to be unchanged from when the Nazis blew them up, 48 hours before the Soviet Army arrived on 25th January, 1945.

Apparently Hitler was paranoid about the complex's location being discovered by the Allies, and bombed. It is thought neither the Soviets or the Allies knew of its location. It was at Wolf's Lair that Claus von Stauffenburg attempted to assassinate Hitler in July, 1944 by placing a bomb and detonating it during a meeting Hitler was attending. Hitler was unfortunately only slightly wounded, but four others were killed. The plotters were all subsequently shot.

Depite the Nazi's using over 18,000 tonnes of explosive the buildings were only partially destroyed. About 55.000 land mines were removed from the surrounding land after the war.

Johan impersonating a tree. Note the thickness of the walls.

The tree can climb.