Spooky Halloween: Mysterious nuclear bunker under Nuremberg's main train station!

Spooky Halloween: Mysterious nuclear bunker under Nuremberg's main train station!

A piece of history is hidden in the silence of Nuremberg Central Station. Today, October 31, 2025, the nuclear bunker below the train station opens its doors to visitors who want to experience a piece of the past. The bunker, which was built in the 1970s during the Cold War, served as a shelter for up to 2,300 people in the event of nuclear, biological or chemical attacks. People should be able to hole up here for up to two weeks, equipped with the bare essentials to withstand a nuclear attack. But the security concept at the time also raised many questions. “What would have happened after returning to the surface?” asks Ralf Arnold, the chairman of the Nuremberg Rock Passage Association, who is passionate about preserving and communicating this bunker history. Many of the bunkers, such as the one in Krebsgasse, which has space for 1,885 people, have often been forgotten. These buildings are intended to enable younger people to experience how the threat during the Cold War shaped society. Above all, the fact that only 1.3% of the population in Bavaria can find space in bunkers is frightening. Reality showed that the average city bunker could not withstand a nuclear threat.

The guided tours of the Nuremberg nuclear bunker have been open to the public again for a year and a half. Here visitors gain insights into the civil defense measures after the Second World War and the nuclear armament of the time. During the tours, guests can sit or sit on loungers while learning about the exhibits used to prevent danger. An impressive computer simulation demonstrates the destructive power of atomic bombs and makes the horrors of that time tangible. The tours take place every day at 2:30 p.m. and occasionally even twice a day, which shows that interest in this topic is high.

Practical information for visitors

Access to the bunker is under the main hall of the main station via an escalator to the Königstorpassage. Tickets are available online and can only be booked as part of the guided tours. Adults pay 13 euros, while schoolchildren and students can benefit from discounts.

Although the nuclear bunker is only part of Nuremberg's city history, it represents a significant contribution to collective memory. The support association's commitment shows that history should not be forgotten and that younger generations can benefit from the lessons of the past. These places of remembrance are important to raise awareness of the dangers that existed in the past and to develop understanding for today. After all, even as a museum, the bunker offers a direct, tangible connection to the stories that our parents and grandparents told us.

In times like this, when the world is once again confronted with geopolitical tensions, the knowledge of such protective structures also has a new meaning. The awareness of possible threats is, like the bunker itself, deeply rooted in Nuremberg's history. “There is something here,” one might say, as we remember the lessons of the past while reflecting on the present.