WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the reunification of Germany, sites associated with the 40-year long Cold War and the division of the country into West and East Germany have become relics. One example of East Germany’s preparation for the so-called Third World War was the construction of highly specialised military bunkers.

This unique tour is a must for those interested in the military, or the history of the Cold War.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the reunification of Germany, sites associated with the 40-year long Cold War and the division of the country into West and East Germany have become relics. One example of East Germany’s preparation for the so-called Third World War was the construction of highly specialised military bunkers. Unlike typical civilian air raid protection bunkers, Eastern Germany was littered with bunkers of every size and type serving a multitude of different agencies. Some of these bunkers already existed during World War II, but during the Cold War there was a new sense of urgency with a genuine belief that NATO would attack the country. This led to a new and unstoppable demand for protected accommodation for everyone in command, at any level. There were bunkers for the East German army, Soviet forces, the East German government and for the Stasi – the East German secret police.

Today we will visit a very special bunker complex of former East Germany, kept top secret and not identified by western secret services until it was passed to West German forces during reunification. It is the atomic attack-proof Troposphere Radio Command & Communications Bunker of Eichenthal. On arrival at the bunker complex we are treated as special guests. Everything we will see and hear must be kept top secret! We will hear the guard dog barking and see the high voltage protection fence, which is still in use. No one is allowed to walk through the bunker site alone, so we will be guided to the entrance of the bunker – a very unique and mostly modern construction. The Bunker was created to ensure communication between headquarters and the divisional commanders, in the case of a NATO attack. Entering the bunker we hear all the machinery still working – pumps, air filters, radios and telecom equipment. We will experience what it was like to work and live in the bunker, which was designed to go ‘live’ – meaning atomic attack proof operational – within seconds! During our tour we will learn more about the use of the troposphere radio. At the end of tour, in the command post, we will then experience how it would have felt if the purpose this bunker was built for had become a terrifying reality....

While enjoying a cup of tea or coffee we are able to talk to a bunker specialist, here to answer our questions. There is a small souvenir area in the bunker to purchase mementoes, before rejoining our coach for the return transfer to Warnemünde.

TOUR NOTES: This tour is not suitable for passengers with limited mobility or those using wheelchairs. Anyone who suffers from claustrophobia should not participate. Guests must be physically fit to climb several staircases. The inside visit to the Bunker Site requires approximately 750 metres (2460 feet) of walking. The souvenir shop offers unusual souvenirs. Please note that warm clothing is recommended for the inside visit of the bunker (temperatures are regularly 6–10°C) as well as flat and sturdy footwear.

DESCRIPTION CORRECT FOR THE 2009 SCANDINAVIA & BALTIC SEASON