A wee article I spotted on the BBC news website about the Sonnenberg tunnel in Luzern.

I read this as well... I don't know why, but I can only describe it as 'chillingly cool'... To think I've driven past it so many times and didn't even know! Of course, it seems like a major waste of money, but well hey, that's one thing this country isn't short of

I just read that article - amazing - loved it!!

So if there is a nuclear war - the only survivors will be the Swiss and cockroaches?

For those of you living in a block of flats that has been built from the 60's onwards, take a closer look in your underground car park or cellars, it's all there...

Along with that consider the fact that every hospital in Switzerland has a fully operational underground bunker hospital, including operating theaters that all patients can be moved into!!!

Not to mention the entire villages built INTO the Alps to house govenment officials in the event of Armagedon!!!

During my national service, I was based in Moudon (VD) and, as part of our training as paramedic soldiers, we visited the underground hostital there, pretty impressive stuff...

so just out of curosity - who maintain these places and how? - are they used for some alternative purpose in the meantime? or do they just lie empty till the day comes - or hopefully never comes...

Maintenance is down to building managers if in the block of flats or the local authorities if it's a communal shelter. The block's shelters are used as cellars and the communal ones are used as a kind of cheap hostel for visiting school classes and the likes (I stayed in one when I went with school to Basel for Fasnacht) and that's where you can end up when you're doing your 3 weeks.

The overall control is exercised by "Protection Civile" which is a manned by those Swiss who can't be bothered/can't physically do national service, very bad for you liver with the constant "apero"...

another tunnel of interest... maybe?
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6471241.stm

I would like to visit the Sonnenberg bunker.

Does someone know if it's open to the public?

Any other interesting big bunker to visit?

You could visit this one Here, and stay there if you wish

There is actually even a bunker hotel somewhere...don't remember where.

Not really interested in those. I would like to visit a huge one.

In my post just before yours

Great minds think alike :-)
Have you actually stayed there? (I only saw it on tv)

My place of origin is Luzern and when it was built and before the motorway was opened there were a couple of open days to view the facilities.
There was everything as described in that article and I also recall there were "nuclear baths" if you had been contaminated.
However, I do recall that those 350 tonne doors would take four hours to close at the time.

I also recall that if you take the motorway from Luzern to Italy, there is a long straight stretch of motorway before a long tunnel (a few kilometres after Stans). Inside that tunnel are entrances into hangers for aeroplanes. The central reservation can be dismantled and the motorway outside the entrance of the tunnel used as a runway and there is a lot more I am sure.
That is why when Canadian-Dude had the tread on the Swiss Army being terminated, my argument was that it was important for the logistics of the facilities and the delegation of appropriate duties to maintain them.

If you want to visit a bunker you could go to:

Crestawald:
http://www.festung-gr.ch/index.php?id=1

Vitznau:
http://www.festung-vitznau.ch/

or inquire at Beatenberg Tourismus about the next guided tours of the Waldbrand fortification (probably the most impressive)

Waldbrand:
http://www.festung-oberland.ch/Berne...Waldbrand.html

I think 'Feschtung Sargan's, is open to public. It was mentioned before here .Ask Wollishofer ,he is a walking encyclopedia $hit i forgot how to spell festung

Near Sargans Magletsch is open for visitors:

http://www.afom.ch/

then there is Heldsberg near St. Margrethen:

http://www.festung.ch/index.php?id=3

and a bit closer to Zurich the small fortification in Grynau:

http://www.schwyzer-festungswerke.ch...ung/index.html

For once, thank-you for resurrecting an old thread. That was a great read. The car park under Basel University Hospital is a nuclear bunker, and has pretty impressive blast doors.

Back in 1999, I spent the night (about 3 hours plus half a bottle of whisky ) with my son's scout troup (and a few others) in the ex-secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, near Basildon, England. Quite disturbing it was too.