Wolf’s Lair (Wolfsschanze)

Hitler’s wartime headquarters in Poland

Few places tell the story of the Second World War as directly as the ruins in the Gierłoż forest. Massive concrete blocks, torn apart by tons of explosives and now covered in moss, still stand where the Third Reich planned its war against the Soviet Union. This page gives you the essential facts in English: the history of the headquarters, the failed assassination attempt, and practical information for your visit.

Wolfsschanze.pl is an independent website about the history of the Wolf’s Lair, not the official website of the site operator.

What is the Wolf’s Lair?

The Wolf’s Lair was the largest of Hitler’s field headquarters. It was built in the Gierłoż forest in former East Prussia, about 8 km east of Kętrzyn (then Rastenburg), in the Masurian Lake District. The code name Wolfsschanze referred to “Wolf”, a nickname Hitler used in his early political years. The same motif appears in the names of his other headquarters, such as Werwolf near Vinnytsia in Ukraine and Wolfsschlucht in Belgium and France.

The site was chosen in 1940, while Germany was preparing Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The remote, marshy and densely wooded area lay close to the Soviet border, far from main roads, and was protected by the Masurian lakes to the east. Construction was carried out by Organisation Todt, with the Hochtief company building most of the bunkers. To keep the project secret, it was disguised as a civilian chemical plant called Chemische Werke Askania.

A short history of the headquarters

Hitler arrived at the Wolf’s Lair with his staff on 24 June 1941, two days after the attack on the Soviet Union began. His longest stay lasted from June 1941 to July 1942, and his last one ended on 20 November 1944. In total he spent around 800 days here. By 1944 more than two thousand people lived and worked in the complex, including Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Martin Bormann, Albert Speer and Wilhelm Keitel.

The headquarters was divided into security zones. The inner zone held the bunkers of Hitler and his closest circle, the briefing huts, the casino and the communications centre. The outer ring was guarded by the Führer Escort Battalion, which by 1944 had grown to the size of a regiment and was equipped with tanks and anti-aircraft guns.

Camouflage was taken very seriously. Flat roofs were filled with soil and planted with shrubs and artificial trees, nets were stretched between the buildings and the surrounding forest, and the walls were covered with a green plaster made with seaweed. From the air the complex was meant to look like an ordinary forest, and aerial photographs were used to check the result. Traces of this plaster are still visible on many of the ruins today.

In 1944, fearing Allied air raids, the Germans encased the most important shelters in additional layers of reinforced concrete. The communications bunker, for example, grew to an outer size of about 40 by 23 metres. Because this work was still going on in July 1944, military briefings were held in a wooden hut, which would soon matter a great deal.

The 20 July 1944 assassination attempt

The Wolf’s Lair is best known as the place of the most famous attempt on Hitler’s life. On 20 July 1944 Colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg arrived for a military briefing with a bomb hidden in his briefcase. The meeting was held in a wooden briefing hut instead of a concrete bunker. Stauffenberg placed the briefcase under the map table, left the room and flew back to Berlin to launch Operation Valkyrie, a plan to seize power from the Nazi regime.

The bomb exploded, killing four people, but Hitler survived with minor injuries. The heavy oak table and the open windows of the wooden hut weakened the blast. The coup in Berlin collapsed within hours. Stauffenberg and his closest fellow conspirators were shot that same night, and in the following months thousands of people were arrested and many were executed. A memorial plaque now marks the site of the briefing hut.

Destruction and mine clearing

On 20 November 1944 the headquarters was moved to Zossen near Berlin. Two days later Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel ordered the Wolf’s Lair to be destroyed so that it would not fall into Soviet hands. The order was carried out on the night of 24 to 25 January 1945. Around eight tons of TNT were used to blow up a single heavy bunker, and witnesses said the explosions cracked the ice on the nearby lakes.

The demolition was only partly successful. Hitler’s bunker suffered the most damage, while other heavy bunkers survived as huge tilted blocks of concrete. The Red Army took the area without a fight on 27 January 1945. The surrounding minefield, one of the densest of the war, was cleared by Polish sappers over the following years, and the work continued until the 1950s.

Visiting the Wolf’s Lair today

Today the Wolf’s Lair is one of the most visited historical sites in north-eastern Poland. The main attractions are inside a fenced area, Zone I, where Hitler and his inner circle lived. Entry to this zone is paid. Zone II can be explored on foot on your own, without an organised route. Your ticket is valid for the whole day, from opening to closing, so you can take your time.

• Tickets and parking are paid at the gate, by cash or card, without leaving your car.
• Audio guides cost 10 PLN (8 PLN reduced) and are available in English, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Czech.
• Local guides can be hired at the entrance and are highly recommended.
• Dogs are welcome on a lead and with a muzzle.
• Wear sturdy shoes. The paths run through the forest and the ruins are uneven.

Ticket prices 2026

*Reduced tickets are available with a valid document for school pupils (up to 18), students (up to 26), holders of the Polish Large Family Card, people with disabilities and their carers. Prices may change, so check them before your trip.

Parking

Opening hours change with the season. The site is open all year, but it closes earlier in autumn and winter, so check the current hours before you travel.

How to get to the Wolf’s Lair

The Wolf’s Lair is in the village of Gierłoż, about 8 km east of Kętrzyn on the regional road towards Giżycko. By car it is roughly a four-hour drive from Warsaw and about three and a half hours from Gdańsk. The nearest airport is Olsztyn-Mazury in Szymany. Kętrzyn can be reached by train or bus, and from there it is a short taxi ride to the site. Many visitors combine the trip with a holiday in the Masurian Lake District.

A detailed map of the bunkers, with the numbers used on site, is available on our plan of the headquarters page (in Polish).

Where to stay

You can stay right inside the complex. The Wolf’s Lair Hotel occupies the former building of the Führer Escort Battalion. It was fully renovated and reopened in August 2025, with interiors inspired by the 1940s. It has 55 beds in single and double rooms and two apartments, and the price of a stay includes parking and entry to the Wolf’s Lair. There is also a campsite in the forest, with electricity, toilets and showers renovated in 2024. See accommodation and prices (in Polish).

What else to see nearby

• Mamerki (Mauerwald), the headquarters of the German Army High Command (OKH), with well-preserved bunkers, a museum and an observation tower.
• Giżycko, with the Boyen Fortress, a swing bridge and a lively harbour on the Masurian lakes.
• Święta Lipka, a baroque pilgrimage church famous for its organ concerts.
• Reszel, a small town with a medieval castle and a beautiful old town.
• Other Hitler headquarters: read about them in our article on Hitler’s headquarters in Europe (in Polish).

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Wolf’s Lair?

The Wolf’s Lair (Wolfsschanze) is in the Gierłoż forest in Masuria, north-eastern Poland, about 8 km east of the town of Kętrzyn (German: Rastenburg), on the road from Kętrzyn to Giżycko.

How much does it cost to visit the Wolf’s Lair?

In the 2026 season (1 April to 31 October) a standard ticket costs 30 PLN and a reduced ticket 25 PLN. From 1 November to 31 March the prices are 25 PLN and 20 PLN. Children under 6 enter for free. Parking for a car costs 15 PLN.

How long does a visit take?

Tickets are not time-limited, so you can stay from opening to closing. Most visitors need two to three hours to walk the marked route through the main zone and see the largest bunkers, including the remains of Hitler’s bunker.

Is there an English audio guide?

Yes. Audio guides are available in English, German, Polish, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Czech, as well as in Polish Sign Language. You can also hire a local guide at the entrance.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, dogs are welcome in the Wolf’s Lair. Keep your dog on a lead and muzzled, and clean up after it.

Did Eva Braun ever visit the Wolf’s Lair?

No. Eva Braun never visited the Wolf’s Lair. In 1944 around two thousand people lived in the headquarters, and only about twenty of them were women.