Wolf's Lair

Why visit?

The Wolf's Lair (Wolfsschanze) in the Masurian forests near Gierłoż was one of Adolf Hitler's principal military headquarters — a city of bunkers laid out over more than 250 hectares, with around 200 structures including dozens of reinforced-concrete shelters with walls several metres thick. Hitler spent a total of some 800 days of the war here; the attack on the USSR was planned from this spot and the Eastern Front was run from it. It was from here that Claus von Stauffenberg left with his briefcase bomb on 20 July 1944 — the explosion in the conference room killed four people, but Hitler survived. Retreating in January 1945, the Germans blew up the complex, yet constructions this solid could not be fully destroyed: today you can walk among the ruins of shelters, guardhouses and barracks, including the famous shattered conference bunker. A signposted route, a multimedia exhibition and an audio guide explain the layout of the headquarters and the story of the assassination attempt. A visit means 2–3 hours of walking forest paths between the bunkers — comfortable shoes and mosquito repellent in summer are essential. The site is open daily all year, with the longest hours in summer (until 20:00). From Olsztyn it is under 1.5 hours by car; combine the trip with Mikołajki or Święta Lipka.

What you’ll see

• Ruiny bunkrów Hitlera o metrowych ścianach z żelbetu
• Miejsce zamachu Stauffenberga 20 lipca 1944 roku
• Sala konferencyjna i schron przeciwlotniczy — trasa oznakowana
• Ekspozycja multimedialna i audioprzewodnik
• Leśne ścieżki między wartowniami dawnej kwatery

Map