wolfsschanze, wolf's liar

i visited the wolfs lair earlier this year,no sure what to expect,i found it a very worthwhile visit to actually touch some of things , that some of the most evil people on earth touched , gave me an eerie feeling

An excellent place to visit if one has an interest in World War II. It is hard to imagine what it was like but this shows exactly what it was. The semi destroyed bunkers show the scale of the efforts made to try and protect the German leadership. This place should really be shown more clearly on any tourist information. In season there are guides available to take one around. You can even ride on old military vehicles and it is a very large compound. We went in winter which gives a different perspective of the harsh conditions. It is hardly mentioned on Tripadvisor which is a pity! It is a must see!!!

A long drive into Eastern Poland but well worth it.An amazing and slightly creepy place. The sheer scale of the place is difficult to comprehend. Do not miss the "free" to enter stuff on the other side of the road.Looking at how little success the post war authorities had in their attempts to destroy things shows how effective this would have been against any kind of military attack.

For anyone interested in the cataclysmic events of WW2, the Wolfsschanze is a "must". There are plenty of reviews here which describe the place, so I will not add to them. Suffice it so say that to stand on the very spot when Graf von Stauffenberg set off his bomb on 20/7/44 and to enter, as far as is possible, the Fuhrerbunker (No.13) is an extra - ordinary experience.15km away, on the road to Angerburg/Wegorzewo, it is possible to visit the Army (OKH) headquarters, the Mauerwald, (named after the nearby Mauersee) the bunkers of which are all undamaged.For those interested in the East Prussian railways, there is an Eisenbahn museum in the station at Angerburg/Wegorzewo. During the season the enthusiasts run a train service between Angerburg and Rastenburg, which passes through the Wolfsschanze. The line is, of course, that upon which all the Sonderzuge travelled to FHq, including that of Mussolini.For those wirh architectural, spiritual, and musical interests, there is the beautiful pilgrimage church of Heiliglinde (Swieta Lipka) just the other side of Rastenburg. Here it is possible to listen to short organ concerts on the truly amazing organ. These concerts offer, as is well known, both a visual and an auditory experience, which is rare, but not unique in East Prussia. One thinks also of the organs at Frauenburg/Frombork and the Cathedral of Oliva (Danzig/Gdansk).In short, former East and West Prussia have a wealth of interesting places to visit, soaked in the often terrible history of the land.

we started out in Warsaw & this is a 4 hour drive, we started out early & couldn't wait to arrive,it was an over cast day & the senic route was very nice,lots of old homes & pastures, very nice, when we arrived at the wolfs lair, we came with a "guide & driver" we were really prepared for our day of history, on the way we were given books & lots of tid bits about the grounds & photos with hitler but seeing this first hand was fantastic & numbing at the same time, the first thing you see is the train tracks Hitler used to travel to & from the lair, then you move along to a building that is now a hotel & very good restaurant, on the right is a book shop, with guide books & post cards & like every other tourist I bought everything, the monument of the famous Claus von Stauffenberg was very nice to see, I really enjoyed going to each building & learning what its function & purpose was, also our guide was able to let us climb Hermann Göring bunker, this was very cool & unexpected, for me I would recommend taking a full day & seeing all it has to offer & if you swing it stay at the hotel & walk around in the morning without anyone else being there, great photo opportunities! This was one off my bucket list & anyone trying to decide I would say check it out & enjoy.

There is a trail to walk around and see the different buildings, as well as military vehicles you can pay for a driving tour. There is a nice restaurant on site for meals as well.

We had read the reviews, and yes it is well worth the visit, we bought the guide book, which explained where everything was, it was easy walking through the forest, and took us approx. two hours to walk around, that included going into the various bunkers, and around the ones that you could not go into. We had a meal in the café, and it was good quality and a good price, (much better than some of the other attractions) The thickness of the concrete has to be seen, The shops were spread out, and had the usual tourist items for sale, it was well worth the visit.

wolfs lair = blown up bunkers in the forrest.You will get a map so that you know what each building was back in the days.I found the place interesting (due too the history its carrying) and i can recommend this place too other people specially if you like WW2 history.You are not allowed too enter the bunkers but i saw a lot of people doing so anyway even me.

I would certainly not like to give the impression that this is an experience for enjoyment , rather for the Historical fascination to see the buildings and the place that was important. It is interesting to see the huge bunker buildings, to be able to walk around and in some of them where it is safe to do so. The thickness of the Concrete is amazing. To see the building where Hitler was almost assassinated and know that History, bad History took place at Wolf's Lair. It is a bit out of the Way, but well worth the visit.

Hitler spent a huge part of the war at Wolf's Lair and supposedly the Nazi regime went unnoticed!the bunkers were amazing with the huge thickness of the concrete. The whole place felt really weird with an eerie chill even though it was a very hot day when we visited. Would recommend if you are fortunate enough to get that far north in Poland that you make the effort to visit this historic site. The tour guide was really knowledgeable would recommend that you read and research this place prior to visiting, I understand that the famous assassination attempt on Hitler took place here it's well worth visiting.

While the Germans did their best to destroy this facility as the Russians approached, there are still plenty of structures to see, and even the ones that were hit with TNT are, due to their size and construction, largely intact and can sometimes be walked through. We met a guide in the carpark (rather than front gate) who for 60 zlotys, took us around the around the complex for more than an hour. It was money very well spent as she was great. Highly recommended site to visit. I was surprised to learn that the facility is run privately.

I did a lot of research before we visited, and the site delivered everything I expected. I guess the negative reviews were written by folks who either did not research the site beforehand, or had been somehow misled on what to expect. It was just as I had imagined it would be, only more impressive.There are good guide books in English sold on the site for $4-5 each. With one of these guide books (with map), you really don't need to hire a guide. The main Sperrkreis I site with the main ruins is actually quite small and you can easily explore all of this in a morning or afternoon, following the marked paths and the guide book. The main ruins all have numbers painted on them, corresponding to the trails and commentary in the guide books. You can probably also do the Blue Route to the south side of Sperrkreis I on the same morning or afternoon as the main Red Route. Then you can visit the ruins of the train station (just down the tracks to the west of the entry gatehouse) and the main ruins of Sperrkreis II opposite on the south side of the tracks. You can easily do all of this in one day. Some of the most impressive blown up bunker ruins are in this part of Sperrkreis II (the Nachrichten/communications Bunker).I recommend planning a second day to visit the Mauerwald (Mamerki) bunker site, 18km north of the Wolf's Lair. There is a small map available in the hotel (as well as guide books to the Mauerwald site, although we did not see one in English) and the route is well marked (follow the signs to Mamerki/U-Boot). There are small museums there that include a reproduction German U-Boot, but these museums were not open when we visited. The bunkers at Mauerwald were not destroyed in 1945 as was the Wolf's Lair, so you can see what the intact bunkers would have looked like (actually small on the inside). There are two bunker sites on either side of the road, but you can visit just one side of the road (the original "Quelle" site) to see the largest bunkers and representative types of the smaller bunkers. Bring a flashlight! There is a large dirt parking area on the right (east) side of the road, just up from the entrance to where the bunker museums are - this parking lot is marked with a large sign like at the entrance to the Wolf's Lair, for Mamerki / OKH Mauerwald. Just inside the woods from that lot starts the trail to the "Quelle" bunkers.There are other associated sites around there to see, but you will have to have a good map or a guide. Heinrich Himmler's bunker complex "Hochwald" is easy to find, but Hans Lammers' bunker is not. The unfinished locks on the Masurian Canal near Mauerwald are a breathtaking piece of Nazi concrete architecture, but not easy to find. You can also visit an old fortress at Gizycko that was used as part of the overall Wolf's Lair complex.I recommend mid-April as the best time to visit, to avoid summer foliage obscuring the ruins, avoid the infamous mosquitoes, and avoid large tourist crowds.

An eerie complex, created in an isolated piece of Polish forest, and quite well preserved and accessible to most of the public (despite the transport facilities being a bit awkward to negotiate). Very impressed by the tour guide's knowledge and ability to convey messages to a variety of languages. They were most helpful and willing to spend a little time explaining things. Should be high on a 'must do' list for any travellers to Poland, as the surrounding countryside is also spectacular, making the journey even more worthwhile. We stayed at a beautiful little hotel a short drive away - Zajad Bialy Mlyn, Ryn, which had excellent facilities, food, and hospitality. It worked well with Wolf's Lair, as opening hours were from 10 - 4pm, and we were able to visit lost/found relatives beforehand. Wolf's Lair had a good food menu, and good service, even though they were very busy. My son had a ride on a restored German side-car too, which was a thrill.

I went to Wolf's Lair on an overnight side trip from Warsaw, catching the train from Warsaw to Ketrzyn (3.5 hours) and then a local bus from Ketrzyn to Gierloz (50 minute wait then 20 minute ride). The bus service is run by Veolia, and the bus station is in an office at the end of the railway station (go in and ask which bus stand to wait at). At Wolf’s Lair there are guides waiting on site but I bought a guide book and that was all I needed. As well as the main ruin site inside the entrance gate there are more ruins across the road that few people go to (the group tours skip it). One of the bunkers on the other side has a ladder that you can climb to the top, but obviously take care and do so at your own risk.The accommodation at the hotel is basic but for 80 zloty a single room (ie less than $30) it is perfectly acceptable. The room tariff even includes breakfast. Because I stayed overnight I was able to visit the ruins again early the next morning and I had the whole site to myself.I loved the food in the restaurant attached to the hotel. It was authentic, well prepared and cheap. Be aware that the restaurant closed at 5pm when I stayed so it was available for a late lunch but not dinner.The return journey to Warsaw took longer because of the train timetable, allow an extra few hours.

I have visited a lot of WW2 sites over the years. All very interesting and amazing to see.This one had always been at the bottom of the list due to its location. Eventually made it there and well worth the wait. To think I was walking in the footsteps of a mad man - how different the world would be today if the bomb plot had worked !!! Well worth a visit.It cost 15 zloty to get in and 10 to park the car.We were approached by a woman as we exited the car offering tours. Took her up on the offer - 60 zloty ( about £12 ) for a one hour tour - she spoke English however I don't think every tour guide does.One thing to note - Drove from Gdansk to the Wolfs Lair. It took about 3hours 15 mins. Used a sat nav with fastest route setting . Gdansk has good roads and so does Ketrzyn - but inbetween its about 80 km of twisting turning country roads.