Technical monuments

Liberec air-raid shelter

Location
Address:LucemburskáLiberec, 460 01GPS:50°46'10.3''N; 15°03'18.4''E[Map]
Contact
Phone:+420 485 101 709E-mail:info@visitliberec.euWeb:www.visitliberec.eu

A tunnel that became an air raid shelter

Work on building the shelter began at the end of the nineteen thirties, with the excavation of the first part of the planned road tunnel to connect Luxemburgská ulice with Frýdlantská. Work on the tunnel stopped at the beginning of the Second World War, and was not resumed until five years later, when the incomplete road tunnel was used as the basis for a large-capacity air raid shelter. Around 1,000 labourers were assigned to work on the tunnel, including roughly three hundred prisoners of war (probably French), in shifts starting at 8.00 in the morning and ending at 10.00 o’clock in the evening. Some 1,000 metres of passages were excavated at three connected work sites. However, the shelter was not completed by the end of the war and the construction work was abandoned again. 

Changes to the shelter during the Cold War

Work on the shelter did not begin again until the early fifties, during the Cold War, which saw the world’s superpowers arming themselves to the teeth, bringing the threat of a nuclear war. The semi-finished air raid shelter was converted into a fallout shelter in two stages, from 1952 to 1956 and 1959 to 1962. The last major construction works were carried out in 1976, to install the electrics and water supply. Guided tours now give you the chance to see this shelter in its final form.

Liberec underground

Venture down into our underground, which is also Liberec’s largest civil defence bunker. It consists of around a kilometre of passageways, built to provide shelter for some 1,500 people and protect them from the effects of weapons of mass destruction, including biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. During the tour, you’ll get to see most of the underground areas, take a look at the equipment installed to keep the people in the shelter alive, and can even see demonstrations of how it was all used.

Unveiled bunker

Finding this bunker used to be a challenge, as its inconspicuous exterior meant that it easily blended in with its surroundings. But all that changed with the Art Week Liberec 2024 festival, when Conrad Eric Armstrong and Viktor Valášek (working under the joint artistic pseudonym CONVICT) created a mural to cover the entrance wall. All week long, the artists drew inspiration from the surrounding area, which they then depicted in the mural. Not only that; they also made cleverly use of elements that were already on the wall (the central circle, cracks, graffiti) and added their own imaginative details. Finding the bunker now will certainly be a piece of cake for anyone wanting to visit it. The work bears the apt yet chilling title: “In the Hope That the Day Will Never Come”.
 

Guided tours:

  • Tours are in Czech language, foreign language text is available by prior arrangement
  • Dates: tours take place on the 1st Saturday of each month (subject to change)
  • Tours start at 8:30, 10:00 and 11:30 a.m.
  • Tour length: 70-90 minutes 
  • Ticket sales: online in the eVstupenka network or in person at the City Information Centre in Liberec
  • Due to the high demand, we recommend early booking / purchase of tickets
  • The year-round temperature in the shelter is around 11 degrees, so choose appropriate clothing
  • The tour is not suitable for pre-school children
  • Pets are not allowed
Properties
Museum Specification:
technical
Texts in foreign language:
EnglishGermanPolish
Services and facilities:
Opening hours
Prohlídky se konají každou I. SOBOTU V MĚSÍCI, v časech: 8:30 / 10:00 a 11:30 hodin
Admission
Full entrance fee:100,00 CZK
Children's tickets:30,00 CZK for children up to 15 years
Student admission:30,00 CZK
Senior admission:30,00 CZK for persons over 65 years
Attachments