Wolf’s Lair – How to visit

 Exploring Wolf’s Lair – What to visit?

Wolfsschanze, known as the Wolf’s Lair in English and Wilczy Szaniec in Polish, served as Adolf Hitler’s wartime headquarters during the Second World War. Located in northern Poland, in the small settlement of Gierłoż, near Kętrzyn, it was constructed with the war against the Soviet Union in mind. In the mid-20th century, this area belonged to the Third Reich and was located close to the planned Eastern Front. Its location was chosen to facilitate the effective command of troops during the conflict. Hitler spent nearly three years here, from the start of the war with the USSR in June 1941 until November 1944. During this time, many of Nazi Germany’s most significant civilian and military leaders were also based at the Wolf’s Lair.

In this post, we’ll tell you about the fascinating sights to discover at Hitler’s headquarters—and in the surrounding area! Beyond the famous shelters of the Third Reich leaders, there are some equally intriguing but less visited spots nearby.

For details on how to get to the Wolf’s Lair, check out this post. And to make the most of your visit, explore the site with our original audio guide!

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Wolf’s Lair – Zones

The Wolf’s Lair is situated near the railway line connecting Kętrzyn (formerly Rastenburg) with Węgorzewo (formerly Angerburg). Just as it was in the past, the area remains sparsely populated. The dense, marshy forests are inhospitable and challenging for human settlement. Additionally, the marshes and lakes surrounding the site made access difficult. It was one of the key reasons this location was chosen for the complex.

Built in just a few months, the quarters in Gierłoż were divided into three zones. Zone One formed the central part of the complex, where the most prominent figures of the Third Reich lived and worked. This area is now open to visitors. On the other side of the tracks lay Zone Two. It was essentially a small town where staff members serving Zone One and lower-ranking Third Reich officials lived and worked. Today, this area is a publicly accessible woodland. We encourage you to explore it with our exclusive original audio guide!

Zone One – Shelters of Third Reich Leaders

What should you visit at the Wolf’s Lair? First and foremost, Zone One, the heart of the entire complex. This is where Adolf Hitler, Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, and other Third Reich officials lived and worked. It housed the largest and most heavily fortified structures of the Wolf’s Lair. It was also the site of Claus von Stauffenberg’s infamous attempt to change the course of the war. The failed assassination attempt on 20 July 1944 took place in one of the barracks within this area.

As mentioned, the Zone One grounds are officially open to the public. Following recent renovations, the area now resembles a park, with pathways weaving through reinforced concrete ruins. Rather than a grim wartime complex hidden in a swamp, visitors walk along elegantly paved, illuminated paths within a dense deciduous forest. Some bunkers can be safely entered, allowing a closer look at their construction. In 2024, an observation deck was added next to the ruins of Hitler’s destroyed bunker. From this vantage point, you can truly grasp the immense size of the structure and the significant challenges involved in dismantling the Wolf’s Lair.

In addition to Hitler’s bunker, the visitor bunker and the remains of Hermann Göring’s villa are also worth exploring. If you have a torch, take a walk through the corridor inside the communications bunker—a fascinating experience. We cover all these locations in detail in our audio guide to Zone One! In Bunker 4, where the projection room is located, you’ll find a model showcasing the layout of the Wolf’s Lair. Equally intriguing is the account of the 20 July 1944 assassination attempt, presented at the site of the former staff barracks and in one of the barracks near the end of the tour.

Exploring the Wolf’s Lair – Zone Two

The Wolf’s Lair complex in Gierłoż spans both sides of the railway line connecting present-day Węgorzewo and Kętrzyn. The area officially open to the public includes Zone One, located on the north side of the railway. Tours of Hitler’s headquarters typically begin and end here. However, if you’re fascinated by this grim history, you can extend your visit to Zone Two, located to the south, across the road. During the war, this area accommodated and employed around 1,500 people.

The most intriguing structure in Zone Two, in our opinion, is the railway station, located near the main entrance gate by the railway line. This station is also the starting point for the Zone Two tour in our audio guide. Here, you’ll find the platform and the remains of the station building. From the station, follow a faint trail leading deep into the forest, where you’ll discover more remnants of barracks and bunkers.

After a short walk, you’ll encounter the largest shelter in Hitler’s headquarters—a double bunker spanning 500 square metres. Although much of it has been destroyed, it remains an impressive sight when viewed from the forest road.

Note: Exercise extreme caution when exploring Zone Two, especially while following our audio guide. The paths are unpaved, unmarked, and unprotected. The forest floor is littered with remnants of reinforced concrete structures, making it easy to trip or injure yourself.

If you need help finding your way around, our audio guide to Wolfsschanze includes a map of both zones. Please note that the official guide available at the ticket office only covers Zone One. It provides very little information about the railway station, the largest bunker in Hitler’s headquarters, or any other structures located on the opposite side of the railway.

Zone Three

When discussing what to visit at the Wolf’s Lair, it’s important not to overlook Zone Three. It surrounded Zones One and Two and formed the perimeter of the Gierłoż complex. This area housed guard posts tasked with preventing any unwanted visitors from entering.

Today, little remains of this zone, and its former boundaries are difficult to trace.

Other WWII Sites in the Area

The Wolf’s Lair is not the only site of its kind in Masuria! Just a half-hour drive from the Gierłoż headquarters is the village of Mamerki aka Mauerwald, near Węgorzewo. There you’ll find the former main military headquarters of the Nazi Land Army. From Mamerki, another half-hour drive takes you to Pozezdrze, where the remains of a headquarters used by Heinrich Himmler, another key figure of the Nazi regime, can still be found.

Audio Guide to Wolf’s Lair

Exploring Hitler’s headquarters is best done with a guide. You can choose to hire a live guide on site or use an audio guide. Don’t miss our original audio guide to the Wolf’s Lair. We’ll not only take you through Zone One but also we’ll explore Zone Two! Also, as an added bonus, we’ve included a guide to the nearby site of Mauerwald (Mamerki)!

Check out our Audio Guide to Zone 2

Available exclusively in our app

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Second Zone / Druga Strefa