The Secret of the Third Reich: Osówka

The most mysterious secrets lie beneath the ground of one of the Poland's local forests, under the tree roots: one of many Hitler's secret underground cities of the Third Reich, Osówka.

A tunnel in Osowka, PolandFoto: Shutterstock.com

At the end of the 1943, the Nazis started to build a project Riese aka Osówka in the Owl Mountains in Lower Silesia, former part of Germany. It is the most complete and the longest accessible underground construction in the Owl Mountains.The result was a complex of corridors, defensive structures and concrete halls. The building of this vast project was done by forced labours and prisoners from Gross-Rosen concentration camp. Many of them died due to the harsh treatment of the Nazis.

Switchboard, OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com

The true purpose of the project remains unknown. Most records of Osówka seem to be destroyed. Some says it served as a secret shelter and headquarters to Adolf Hitler. The others claims it to be used as a place for a secret weapon. The underground constructions were cancelled in 1945 after the Soviet union arrival. Soviets cleared the premises out and left it abandoned.

A path in a tunnel, OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com

Viting Osówka

Hidden entry, OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com

During the 1990s, some safety reconstructions and the complex was open to public. The mystery of the last project of the Nazis attracts thousands of visitors. The abandoned tunnels cause terror but it also lure many people to explore its history. When touring the city, you can choose from different routes depending on what kind of adventure you would like to experience. The best ones are the Extreme route  and Expedition Riese. They are the longest (2-3 hours) but the most interesting because visitors have to solve riddles, sail across the flooded tunnel and, equipped with proper clothes and helmet, they have to squeeze through narrow openings or get over a suspension bridge made of plank. Historical route learns you about the destiny of prisoners, mining labour, German armoury and much more.

One of many mysterious rooms, OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com

Narrow street, OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com

Underground city of OsowkaFoto: Shutterstock.com