What the Wolf's Lair was
The Wolf's Lair (German Wolfsschanze) was Hitler's secret headquarters, built between 1940 and 1944 in the forest about 8 km east of Kętrzyn. Adolf Hitler chose the place for two reasons: it was close to the eastern front (he planned and directed Operation Barbarossa, the attack on the USSR, from here), and it lay where Allied bombers would find it hard to reach — hidden in dense forest, far from the main targets.
The complex covered some 250 hectares and consisted of around 80 buildings, including 50 concrete bunkers of varying size, from a dozen or so square metres to 2,000 m². The thickest walls were 8 metres of concrete. The site had its own power station, airfield, railway station, telephone exchange and air-raid shelters. About 2,000 people were permanently stationed here — Hitler, his staff, Wehrmacht officers, signallers and servants.
Hitler spent more than 800 days here — the longest he stayed in any one place during the war. Among the visitors were Mussolini, Marshal Antonescu, the Hungarian regent Horthy and General Franco. In January 1945, as the front drew close to Masuria, the Germans blew up most of the bunkers. Even so the ruins survive — the concrete cracked apart, but the giant blocks lie where they fell.
The attempt of 20 July 1944
The best known event in the history of the Wolf's Lair is Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg's attempt on Hitler's life on 20 July 1944 — the culmination of the German resistance movement. Stauffenberg placed a time bomb in a briefcase in the conference room (the „Lagebaracke” hut), set it under the table near Hitler and left the meeting. The bomb went off, killing four officers, but Hitler was only lightly hurt — the briefcase had been pushed aside and the massive table leg shielded him.
The consequences were terrible — Stauffenberg and more than 200 fellow conspirators were shot over the following months. The site of the attempt is marked today by a memorial plaque, though the hut itself is gone (it was a light wooden structure, destroyed in the blast).
What to see today
- Hitler's bunker (B-13) — the largest in the complex, about 2,000 m², with walls 8 m thick. Blown up in 1945, but largely intact in form, and you can walk right round it
- Bormann's bunker (Hitler's secretary) — the second largest
- The site of the attempt of 20 July 1944 — a plaque and an account of the events
- Göring's bunker — near the entrance
- The guest bunker — where visiting diplomats stayed the night
- The museum — an exhibition of photographs, plans and models of the complex
- The military cemetery nearby — German soldiers who fell in the area in 1945
Practical information for visitors
Tickets: about 25 zł for adults, about 15 zł for children, with an audio guide about 10 zł extra (also available in an app). A guided tour in Polish costs about 15 zł a head and runs hourly in season. Tours in English and German go every few hours.
Visiting on your own — the paths are signposted (about 6 km), but without a guide it is easy to miss what matters most. An audio guide is the minimum.
How long it takes: an hour and a half at the very least, ideally two to three hours. There is a restaurant on site, and you can eat your own sandwiches by the car park.
Comfort: forest paths, pleasant in summer, muddy at times in autumn. In winter some of the paths are slippery. Wear walking boots.
With children: yes, but older ones (8 and up). The atmosphere is serious and sombre — this is not a theme park.
How to get there and practical info
- Address
- Gierłoż 5, 11-400 Kętrzyn
- From Mikołajki
- About 70 km, about 1 hour by car
- From Giżycko
- About 30 km, about 30 minutes
- Ticket
- About 25 zł adults, about 15 zł children
- Audio guide
- About 10 zł, recommended
- How long to allow
- 2–3 hours
- Season
- May to October is best, open all year
- Parking
- Free at the entrance
When to go
An excellent time — dry, few people, everything already open. The paths are easy going.
Crowds in July and August. Come early in the morning (it opens at 8:00).
Atmospheric — mist and fallen leaves suit the subject. The paths can be muddy.
Open, but the paths are slippery. A magical atmosphere, with the ruins under snow.
Other sights in Mazury
Straight-line distances from „The Wolf's Lair" — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
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