1950’s Czecholslovakia was under the iron grip of a communist regime that was quite preoccupied with squashing internal dissent. Their bosses, the USSR guys, had them running a tight ship. This department of their business was booming, lots of overhead to keep the people in line. All of the secret police and “upper management” needed to be protected from a nuclear bomb and have a command post. So, they decided that buildingf a massive 2-story concrete bunker was a high priority. They disguised it by building the luxury Jalta Hotel on top of it. Yes, a luxury hotel, but run by people trying to push a Communist agenda. Ironic. The hotel sits on a wide and long boulevard where thousands of Czechoslovakians would participate in those show of strength type parades dictators are so enamored with.
We got to tour the bunker with a guide who took us through about seven of the rooms.
This bunker could house 150 of Czechoslovakia’s top brass types if needed.
The bunker had enough to carry these wonderful folks through a month post nuclear attack. This place also had quite the day-to-day operation, a setup where the secret police could spy on the hotel’s VIP guests and foreign dignitaries via phone tapping.
One of the most detailed rooms was one that served as a hospital. We couldn’t stop laughing at the decontamination poster on the wall.
We even got to play dress up in their gun room. A little cheesy, but we had fun with it!
The entry fee was 400 Kc (about $18.20) for adults and 330 Kc for students ($15).
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