Bunker 5001 was East Germany’s ultimate undisclosed location. Had the Cold War turned hot, East German leader Erich Honecker and other high-ranking communist leaders would have comfortably ridden out the end of the world in this 7,500 cubic meter space.

It’s buried in the middle of a forest about 40 kilometers from Berlin.

My guide, Hannes Hensel, who’s part of a group called the Berlin Bunker Network, showed up and poked around the ground for awhile until he uncovers a steel trapdoor. He opens it and beckons me inside. We won’t surface again for well over 4 hours.

“This was the most technologically advanced bunker of its time,” Hensel says while explaining his interest in the site. Bunker 5001 was actually superior in some respects to similar American and West German bunkers of its time.

Inside, he shows me how the East Germans built the bunker as a series of massive containers, built on giant springs and coils so that the facility could ride out the shock wave from nearby nuclear blasts. The bunker contained its own generators, water system and air filtering facilities, so that its 400 inhabitants would have had no need to enter the nuclear wasteland above for two weeks after a war. The postwar plans were a bit hazier, however.

“After two weeks, they would have gone above ground wearing radiation suits and gotten to an airplane and flown eastward to Russia,” says Hensel.

Bunker 5001 is definitely number one on the most endangered list of bunkers in the Berlin area. The site’s entrances meanwhile IS SEALED UP with concrete sometime to prevent thrill-seekers from gaining access.

Further Documentation is available at http://www.bunker5001.com/

Find all hotels by Wyndham Hotels in Wandlitz from $85

Upfront pricing

Our total price for your stay includes taxes and fees

Treat yourself

Save 10% or more on over 100,000 hotels worldwide with Member Prices

Learn about One Key

Be picky

Search almost a million properties worldwide

Check prices for these dates

Tonight

Oct 17 - Oct 18

Tomorrow

Oct 18 - Oct 19

This weekend

Oct 17 - Oct 19

Next weekend

Oct 24 - Oct 26

Compare rooms and suites by Wyndham Hotels in Wandlitz with rates, reviews, and availability. Most hotels are fully refundable.

3 restaurants, breakfast, lunch, dinner served; international cuisine

"Front desk very helpful"

$89 nightly

Nov 16 - Nov 17

Total with taxes and fees

Lobby

"Needs a renovation, carpets are torn, rooms still use old-school keys rather than cards "

$79 nightly

Nov 13 - Nov 14

Total with taxes and fees

Reception

"Good place to stay. "

Exterior

"The staff was great and very friendly. Breakfast was good but not a lot of options. There were some parts of the hotel under renovation so I think it will look better in the future. "

$78 nightly

Nov 16 - Nov 17

Total with taxes and fees

View all properties

Save an average of 15% on thousands of hotels when you're signed in

Sign up, it's free

Top Wandlitz Hotel Reviews

Hotel Riu Plaza Berlin

Hotel Riu Plaza Berlin

10/10 Excellent

"Loved it great location and friendly staff! "

Explore a world of travel with Expedia

More ways to book

Book Wyndham Hotels in Wandlitz on Expedia.de

00889625-a0fd-4690-993b-d319bf68b4ef49749774-2439-4ff9-9af3-a18973a41ebc