Poland to put Hitler's forest lair on tourist trail

[Thorlifter]

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland is looking for an investor to turn the "Wolf's Lair" of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler into a tourist attraction.

The ruins of Hitler's fortress complex deep in the woodlands of northeastern Poland is famed as the site of an assassination attempt on Hitler by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and popularized by a 2008 film starring Tom Cruise.

The Wolf's Lair served as one of Hitler's military headquarters during World War Two and was destroyed by the Nazi forces as they retreated in early 1945.

The site -- whose name refers to Hitler's nickname, "Mr. Wolf" -- consisted of 80 buildings at its peak and is owned by the local forestry authority.

"We are waiting for offers, but so far we have none," local forestry official Zenon Piotrowicz said.

"The requirements are quite high because we want a new leaseholder to invest a lot, particularly in a museum with an exhibition that could be open all year long."

The remaining ruins are open to the public, but do not attract many visitors because they are hidden deep in a forest and accessible only by treacherous dirt roads.

The fortress near the Russian border was built in 1940 and 1941 to protect Hitler and other top Nazi officials from air bombardment during Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. It had its own power plant and a railway station.



The complex was heavily camouflaged deep inside a forest and surrounded by a minefield, which took 10 years to clear after the war.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I would buy it, if I had the money...

I think I know where I am going to take a small vacation to though. I have to see this before I leave Europe again.

[vikingBerserker]

I'm surprised nothing has been done with it yet.

[mikewint]

I always thought that the Wolf's Lair was in Bavaria, not Poland. After all this time the investment required would be massive and not even a road!

[tyrodtom]

It was his private resort near Obersalzberg, I think that's either still in Bavaria, or on the Bavarian/ Austrian border. The highest building was called the Eagles Nest. The Nazis loved their animals of prey.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It was his private resort near Obersalzberg, I think that's either still in Bavaria, or on the Bavarian/ Austrian border. The highest building was called the Eagles Nest. The Nazis loved their animals of prey.

Yes the Eagles Nest is in Obersalzburg on the Austrian border. There is also a Bunker complex under the grounds of the old General Walker Hotel there. I have been to it many times and used to stay in the General Walker Hotel when it was a US Military Hotel.

Here are some pics that I took from the last time I was at the Eagles Nest.











And the bunker system below the former General Walker...

[marshall]

I'm surprised nothing has been done with it yet.

Don't be surprised, Poland has big delays in many areas and it's very much because of the outcome of the world war 2.



More info about the site: Wolf's Lair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And some pictures: Wolfsschanze - Wikimedia Commons

[stona]

The problem for me is that there isn't much left to see!
Steve

[Messy1]

I would be interested in any photos. A quick google search brings up many photos for Wolf's Lair, I just do not know how credible many of them are.
Here's a link with some photos listed as Wolf's Lair
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blo...1620/tpod.html

[mikewint]

very cool everyone, thanks for posting the pics. Another item on the bucket list

[v2]

Wolf's Lair | Wolfsschanze | Wilczy Szaniec

[Messy1]

The map using google earth on the website link is cool to play with. You do get a few glimpses of the area, and you can see a few buildings.