Bunker of Civil Defence (Kryt Civilní Ochrany)

Deep below the historic city centre of Olomouc, concealed within its medieval strongholds, exists a conveniently overlooked shelter. Blown up with explosives in the 1950s to host the headquarters of local Civil Support (Civilni Obrana) in situation of an atomic battle, the shelter has offered different objectives throughout the years.

It was a military installation with all the requirements required to endure for a number of weeks in the instance of a nuclear armageddon, including a diesel aggregate, decontamination, and protected water systems.

Tickets are readily available and the excursion starts from the tourist details workplace on the primary square. The stroll down into the park behind St Michael’s takes around 5 minutes and it might take another five minutes for the guide to open up the hefty steel doors that were the initial line of protection against nuclear chemical or standard strike.

Entry is possible only in the existence of a guide and the visiting times are 10.00, 13.00 and 16.00 on Saturdays and 14.00 on Thursdays from mid May to mid September. There’s a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 20 participants on each excursion and the admission fee is a symbolic 20Kč.

Kryt Civilní Ochrany – Institut Paměti národa Olomouc (as it’s listed on google maps) is conveniently recognizable by a large Czech flag with the first head of state of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, painted over it. It is available from the Bezrucovy sady park, listed below the level of the historical city centre. Its inside can be seen each Saturday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. It can be rather cold inside, so do bring a coat.

In 1989, with the start of the Velvet Change, and the gradual change to a market economic situation within the 90s, the shelter fell into the hands of the regional municipal council. Unclear of just how to make use of the room, the council leased the shelter free of cost. This brought about a grassroots activity called Civil Culture Shelter (Kryt civilni kultury), which attempted to transform the area right into a brand-new social venue, complete with a stage, for the city’s comprehensive pupil population.