Category: Czech Republic

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During the Cold War, the threat of a nuclear attack was very real for all living in Czechoslovakia.

Czech citizens were constantly brainwashed to hate everything from the west.  Children were taught in schools and adults at work to be constantly prepared to evacuate in the event of a nuclear attack and how to handle the effects of an attack.  Suitcases were packed with the essentials needed to survive in the bunkers…radios, batteries, food.

The bunkers were not designed for comfort, but merely a means to keep people alive for a couple of weeks until plans could be made to evacuate the people to the countryside.

During one of my “offbeat things to do” searches for Prague, I came across the Nuclear Bunker tour.  Tour times are offered twice a day…once in the morning, which did not quite work with our arrival time, while on layovers.  The other tour, at 2:30, meant that I could maybe get a half hour of sleep before heading down to the tour office to sign up, but after flying all night, somehow I never made it.  So, finding myself with extra time in Prague while visiting with my son, I decided that it was now or never.

The tour office, located in the Art Passage, just past the U Prince hotel, is a small cubicle next to the Money Exchange office on the left hand side of the passage, a few feet after stepping inside.  Finding it closed for lunch from 1:00 until 2:00, we walked out to the Old Town square to watch the Astronomical Clock perform its two o’clock show before returning to purchase our tickets.   Seemingly, an extremely popular tour, we were amazed with the amount of people who purchased their tickets after us and began their wait for the tour to begin.

Beginning as a walking tour, we departed Old Town and encountered many places that played a role in the Cold War era, including the Secret Police headquarters and Wenceslas square.  It was in Wenceslas Square that Jan Palach, a student of history and political economy at Charles University in Prague, set himself on fire on January 16, 1969 to protest the invasion of the Soviet Union.  A very inconspicuous monument in front of the National Museum marks the place of his death.

Other places of interest, such as the Reduta Jazz Club, which attempted to promote Jazz at the time when this genre was condemned by the Communist regime, and artwork by Czech artist David Cerny were pointed out, including “Hanging Out” a Colonel Sanders-sequel figure that dangles suicidally from a rooftop near Old Town, the giant babies that climb the Zizkov TV Tower and the Franz Kafka Rotating 42-Layer Head.

While most of these places and points of interest can be visited on your own, the most riveting parts of the walking tour were the stories that our tour guide Katarina told us of her family’s experiences with communism.  The Melantrich Balcony, near Wenceslas Square, served as a tribune for speakers to the masses of protesters in 1989 during the Velvet Revolution.  Although just a young child, she accompanied her parents to this site to hear Vaclav Havel address protesters at the beginning of the fall of communism.

After our visit to Wenceslas Square, we boarded tram number 9 (included in the tour price) for the final part of our tour.  A few stops later we were making our way down to the Nuclear Bunker.

Climbing down the four story spiral staircase, one can only imagine the panic and chaos you would encounter in the event of an actual nuclear attack.  Stale, musty air greets your nostrils and not much else.  Designed to give each person one meter of space, it is a stark and cramped area, although interesting to note, this particular bunker has been used as a club venue in recent years.

Walking down the corridor, past a storage area, we then made our way through the bathroom facilities and into the medical area.  This location offers museum-like displays depicting the area’s usage.  The next corridor offered a wide array of gas masks, many pictures from protests and other interesting protective suits designed for children.

Passing thru the next doorway into the small vestibule, an exhibit for a communications office is presented in an adjacent room and a depiction of the decontamination area.  A weird mannequin wearing a Santa hat and called “Santa” guards the door.  Walking further, you are confronted with strange displays of children wearing gas masks and carrying guns and dolls.  Crates of ammunition (hopefully disabled) line the walls.

 Finally, the fun part.  A large assortment of coats, hats, gas masks and guns are available for visitors to try on and take pictures with alongside gas-mask wearing mannequins and a large Russian flag.  Just don’t push the BIG RED button!

After making your way back through the many corridors, you climb the spiral stairway once again.  Upon exiting the heavy steel doorway, you can take a deep breath of fresh air and gaze upon a still intact civilization.

A small local bar occupies the area outside of the bunker.  In the event of being a little unnerved during your time so far down inside the earth, a cold beer can help to take the edge off!

A short walk takes everyone back to the tram and to Wenceslas Square where your tour guide leaves you to make your way back to your hotel or to your next destination!