TOP 15 BIGGEST Underground Bunkers
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00:00Hey everybody, we're checking out massive subterranean complexes that were designed for various purposes from military defense during wartime
00:07to long-term survival facilities. These bunkers are engineered to withstand everything from nuclear explosions to natural disasters.
00:14Let's start with number 15, the Vivos X-Point in South Dakota.
00:19Vivos X-Point in South Dakota, United States is one of the most unusual communities in the world.
00:25It's located near the Black Hills. It's made up of
00:28575 military-built bunkers that once served as a munitions depot during the Second World War.
00:34But they've now been transformed into private, secure, and fully customizable living quarters designed to withstand a variety of catastrophic events,
00:43making it the ultimate prepper paradise.
00:45This was originally known as the Black Hills Ordnance Depot. Its location made it an ideal storage facility for ammunition and explosives.
00:53But once it was no longer needed, it was decommissioned and lay dormant for several decades.
00:58Each bunker here was built with thick, reinforced concrete walls designed to withstand significant blasts.
01:03And they're all spread out over a vast area,
01:05allowing for plenty of privacy and space, with the entire community covering an area of nearly nine square miles.
01:11The transformation of these bunkers into livable spaces involved extensive customizations.
01:16These bunkers can be equipped with modern features, such as kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, and bedrooms. And residents can operate advanced security systems, too.
01:25Renewable resources like solar panels and water filtration systems.
01:29This community is designed to be self-sustaining, with plans for communal gardens, livestock, and other resources to support long-term survival.
01:36And for those that are already living there, there are regular events, survival training sessions, and social gatherings to bring the community together.
01:44Making this not just a nice place to live, but a nice way of life.
01:49Number 14. Fort de la Hogue, Normandy, France.
01:53Fort de la Hogue, on the northeastern coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, France, was built in the late 17th century by the renowned military engineer Sébastien Lepreste de Vauban.
02:03It was designed as a part of a wider strategy to defend France against naval threat, and over time, it was further developed.
02:10Particularly during the Second World War, when it was repurposed as a bunker by the German military.
02:16Its location overlooking the English Channel provided an ideal vantage point for monitoring and defending against enemy ships.
02:22And it was this that made it ideal during the Second World War for being used by the German Wehrmacht as part of the Atlantic Wall,
02:29which was a network of coastal defenses stretching from Norway to the Spanish border.
02:33Thick concrete walls were added to enhance its resilience against aerial and naval bombardments,
02:39while gun emplacements, observation posts, and anti-aircraft batteries were all installed to provide a defense system.
02:45Inside the fort, the Germans constructed extensive underground facilities to house troops and store ammunition and supplies,
02:52and these subterranean bunkers were designed to protect against the relentless bombings and artillery common during the war,
02:57with the fort's maze of tunnels and rooms providing a secure environment,
03:01enabling German forces to maintain their operational capability, even under heavy attack.
03:07Number 13. The Burlington Bunker in Wiltshire, UK.
03:11The Burlington Bunker, which is beneath the town of Corsham in Wiltshire in the UK, is officially known as Site 3,
03:18and was built during the Cold War to be used as the central government HQ in the event of a nuclear strike.
03:24Constructed in the 1950s in a former bathstone quarry,
03:27it's a huge subterranean network extending over 35 acres.
03:31The natural protection offered by the quarry's limestone and bedrock provided an effective shield against potential nuclear blasts.
03:38This bunker was designed to accommodate up to 4,000 people, including the government officials, military personnel, and support staff,
03:45for a duration of up to three months.
03:47It was equipped with all the necessary facilities to maintain governmental functions during this period, too,
03:52such as water treatment plants, a power station, an extensive food storage area, and a hospital, of course.
03:59From its inception, the idea was for it to be completely self-sufficient,
04:02and it had a dedicated railway line connecting to the mainline rail network, allowing for the discrete transportation of personnel and supplies.
04:10But what's probably most impressive about this bunker, though, was that despite of the size, it remained a secret throughout its operational years.
04:18Its existence was only known to a select few within the government and military until the 1990s,
04:23when the declassification and public interest led to a gradual unveiling of its history and purpose.
04:29With the end of the Cold War and the reduced threat of nuclear conflict, the bunker was eventually closed down.
04:34Now, it remains a reminder of tensions and fears of the Cold War era.
04:40Number 12. The Greenbrier Bunker, Virginia.
04:44From the outside, the Greenbrier looks like any other luxury hotel,
04:48but during the Cold War, this became the site of one of the most important bunkers in the U.S.
04:54Officially, it was known as Project Greek Island.
04:56The structure was secretly built beneath the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia,
05:02and would have been an emergency shelter for the United States Congress in the event of a nuclear attack.
05:07The resort was an unlikely location for such a critical piece of national infrastructure,
05:12but its secluded location in the Allegheny Mountains made it an ideal site for a top-secret government project.
05:18The construction of the bunker began in 1958, with the facility being completed in 1961,
05:24and was a collaborative effort between the United States government and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which owned the resort at the time.
05:31The bunker itself had 112,000 square feet of space and was built with reinforced concrete and buried 720 feet into the hillside.
05:40The facility could accommodate over 1,100 people, ensuring that lawmakers, support staff, and essential personnel
05:46had the resources needed to survive and govern for an extended period of time.
05:50It was a huge project, but even so, the existence of the Greenbrier Bunker remained a closely guarded secret for over 30 years.
05:58The public and most government officials were completely unaware of its existence,
06:02with the facility maintained and staffed under the guise of a renovation project for the resort.
06:07The secrecy surrounding the site was eventually compromised in 1992, when the Washington Post published an article about it.
06:14Following this disclosure, the bunker was decommissioned, and its operational role as a congressional shelter ended.
06:20Today, the Greenbrier Bunker is no longer a top-secret government installation, but it has been preserved as a historical site.
06:28Number 11. Bundesbank Bunker, Germany.
06:32The Bundesbank Bunker in the town of Kochem-Kahn in Germany is an interesting remnant of the Cold War era
06:38of financial and strategic planning, and it was conceived for a very different purpose than most other Cold War bunkers.
06:44Constructed between 1962 and 1964, it was an ultra-secret facility, hidden beneath the vineyards and rolling hills of the Moselle Valley.
06:53The choice of the town for this asset was driven by its remote location, which offered both security and discretion.
06:59The 16,000 square foot structure was built from reinforced concrete, and was designed to withstand the impacts of a nuclear blast.
07:06But instead of protecting people, though, the bunker was created to be a safeguard for the German currency.
07:12During its operational years, the bunker had a reserve of over 15 billion Deutschmarks in cash.
07:17This reserve was meant to be released into the economy to maintain liquidity and stability, should the country's financial infrastructure be disrupted by war.
07:26The bunker's vaults were filled with new, uncirculated banknotes, ready to be deployed to prevent hyperinflation and economic collapse in the event of a national crisis.
07:35It was truly state-of-the-art for its time, with advanced ventilation systems to filter out radioactive particles,
07:41secure communication lines, and heavy steel doors to protect against both external threats and unauthorized access.
07:47It remained completely secret during its operational years,
07:50but the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany, the perceived threat of nuclear conflict reduced,
07:56leading to the decommissioning of the bunker in the 1980s.
07:59It remained mostly forgotten for several decades, until it was declassified and opened to the public in the early 2010s.
08:06Number 10. Tito's Bunker, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
08:10Tito's Bunker, near the town of Konjik in Bosnia-Herzegovina, was officially known as the Atomic War Command,
08:17and was built under the direction of Josef Rose Tito, the leader of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
08:23Construction started in 1953, with the escalating tensions of the Cold War and the unique geopolitical position of Yugoslavia.
08:31Unlike many Eastern European countries, Yugoslavia was not aligned with the Soviet Union, and instead had a non-aligned stance.
08:38But this independent position made it crucial for Tito to ensure his country's defense capabilities against potential threats,
08:45from both NATO and Warsaw Pact countries.
08:48This bunker was hidden beneath a mountain near Konjik and took 26 years to complete, finally being ready in 1979.
08:56It was, of course, shrouded in secrecy, with its existence known only to a few high-ranking officials.
09:01And by the end, it's believed to have cost upwards of 4.6 billion dollars.
09:05It covers an area of around 70,000 square feet, and was designed to withstand a 20 kiloton nuclear blast.
09:12It's got room for about 350 people inside for up to six months without outside contact.
09:17This whole complex had over a hundred rooms, including conference rooms, offices, dormitories, a cryptography center,
09:23even a presidential suite for Tito. The bunker also features state-of-the-art communications, too, and air filtration systems, plus its own power plant.
09:31Tito's bunker was never used for its intended purpose. Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s,
09:38the bunker lost its importance. During the Bosnian War, the site was largely forgotten,
09:43and avoided being destroyed due to its obscured location and secrecy.
09:47It was finally declassified and opened to the public in 2011, and today,
09:51it's a museum that hosts art exhibitions and historical tours, drawing visitors from around the world.
09:57Number 9. Diefenbunker, Ottawa, Canada.
10:01The Diefenbunker, located in Karp, which is a rural community near Ottawa in Canada,
10:06is officially known as the Central Emergency Government Headquarters,
10:09and was built to serve as a secure shelter for the Canadian government in the event of a nuclear attack.
10:15The bunker is named after John Diefenbaker, the Prime Minister of Canada at the time of its construction,
10:20who was strongly in favor of its development.
10:22The idea for the bunker emerged during the late 1950s, at a time when the Canadian government began construction of a series of underground bunkers
10:30across the country. The Diefenbunker, built between 1959 and 61, was by far the largest and most sophisticated of all of them.
10:37Designed to withstand a nuclear explosion and ensure the continuity of the government operations for up to 30 days,
10:43the facility has four floors and covers an area of approximately 100,000 square feet.
10:48It was constructed with concrete and reinforced steel, which did make it capable of withstanding a blast of up to five megatons.
10:55Inside, it was equipped with everything you'd need, including living quarters, offices, a cafeteria, hospital, a broadcast studio,
11:02and, of course, a secure communication center. This facility could accommodate up to 535 people,
11:07including the Prime Minister, key government officials, and military personnel.
11:12Ultimately, though, it was never used, and when the tensions of the Cold War diminished, the facility was decommissioned in 1994,
11:19with it then being preserved as a National Historic Site and open to visitors.
11:24Number 8. Jisha Cheng, Beijing, China
11:28Jisha Cheng, also known as the Underground City of Beijing, was first conceived during the height of the Sino-Soviet tensions in the late 1960s.
11:36It was built under the orders of Mao Zedong to protect the citizens of Beijing from potential nuclear attacks.
11:42Construction began in 1969 with the project involving the labor of tens of thousands of workers,
11:48including soldiers, civilians, and schoolchildren, who dug by hand and with basic tools.
11:53This massive undertaking resulted in a subterranean city that covered approximately 33 square miles,
12:00with tunnels reaching depths of up to 59 feet or about 18 meters.
12:04Jisha Cheng was designed to be completely self-sufficient, capable of sustaining life for an extended period during a nuclear crisis.
12:12Connectivity here was key. The tunnels were designed to link important government buildings, residential areas, and strategic locations throughout Beijing,
12:20allowing for secure and rapid movement of people and supplies, should the need arise.
12:24With the easing of Chinese-Soviet tensions in the 1970s, the Underground City remained a well-kept secret for many years,
12:31and it wasn't until the late 20th century that information about this place began to emerge.
12:36While officially it was never used, there have been suggestions that it took on a secondary role once the fears of nuclear war had passed,
12:43but these ideas remain unproven. In the 1990s, parts were open to tourists,
12:47but safety concerns and the deterioration of some areas led to the closure of those sections in the early 2000s.
12:53Today, most of Jisha Cheng has remained off-limits to the public, with only limited access granted for specific purposes.
13:00Again, leading to suggestions that now it's the site of a new secret project.
13:06Moving on to number seven, the Raven Rock Mountain Complex, Pennsylvania.
13:11The Raven Rock Mountain Complex, commonly known as Site R, is a huge Cold War-era installation in the Raven Rock Mountain in Pennsylvania in the U.S.
13:20Construction of the site began in 1951, as a part of a wider project to provide secure places around the country for important personnel.
13:28This particular site was chosen for its location near the presidential retreat of Camp David and its closeness to Washington, D.C.,
13:35while also being far away enough to be considered relatively safe from direct attack.
13:40The complex was built to withstand a nuclear blast and ensure that key government functions continued.
13:46The facilities embedded within the mountain with extensive tunneling and reinforced concrete structures,
13:51and this construction involved extensive drilling and blasting to create a network of tunnels and chambers.
13:56The result of all this work was that the Raven Rock Mountain Complex is more like an underground city than a bunker.
14:03It features a range of facilities necessary to sustain life and maintain government,
14:07including command and control centers, communication facilities, offices, conference rooms, living quarters, dining facilities, and medical centers.
14:15The complex is also equipped with its own power plant, water supply, and sewage treatment facility, ensuring complete self-sufficiency for months on end.
14:23Over the decades, the complex has been continuously updated and maintained to keep pace with technological advancements and evolving threats,
14:31and although the end of the Cold War reduced the immediate threat of nuclear conflict,
14:35Site R continues to be an integral part of the United States national security infrastructure.
14:40It does stand ready to be activated in times of national emergency,
14:44ensuring the continuity of the government and military command, even though its existence isn't as secret as it once was.
14:51Number 6. Bunk Art in Albania
14:55Bunk Art in Tirana, Albania is an underground bunker complex that was constructed during the rule of Enver Hoxha,
15:02Albania's longtime communist leader.
15:05Construction began in the early 1970s during a period of heightened tension with the Cold War.
15:10Hoxha, who was deeply distrustful of both the Soviet Union and the Western Allies, embarked on an ambitious project to build thousands of bunkers
15:17across the country, ranging from small pillboxes to extensive underground complexes like Bunk Art. The complex was completed in
15:251978 and it's a sprawling facility with more than a hundred rooms spread across five floors and covering an area of almost
15:3130,000 square feet.
15:33It was designed to serve as a command center and shelter for Hoxha, his government and military officials in the event of an attack.
15:39The complex includes living quarters, offices, conference rooms, a canteen, and even a small theater.
15:44It was equipped with its own power supply, water reservoirs, air filtration systems, and enabled it to support its occupants for extended periods.
15:51And it was common for leadership bunkers and communication facilities to maintain contact with it. In recent years though,
15:57it's been revitalized and turned into a museum and cultural space, providing an insight into Albania's Cold War history.
16:04It was open to the public in 2014 and it now hosts a variety of expositions that chronicle Albania's history.
16:10With art installations, performances, and events, this blend of history and modern culture has made Bunk Art a popular destination for visitors.
16:17Inside a structure that's the perfect place to chart the country's journey towards a more open and democratic society.
16:24Number 5. Bunker 42, Moscow.
16:28Bunker 42, officially known as the Tengensky Protected Command Point, is in central Moscow in Russia.
16:34It is a massive underground complex that was built part of the Soviet Union's efforts to protect its government and military command structure
16:41from a potential nuclear attack. Work on it began in 51 under the direct orders of Joseph Stalin and was completed in
16:481956 during Nikita Khrushchev's leadership,
16:51with the plan being for it to serve as a secure command post for the Soviet military.
16:55At around 213 feet below ground, the facility covers over 75,000 square feet.
17:01The thick concrete walls, reinforced with steel, were constructed to provide maximum protection against radiation and shock waves.
17:07With an advanced air filtration system and communications infrastructure,
17:10it was linked to other military facilities and the Soviet Union's vast network of missile silos and strategic assets.
17:17With the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bunker 42 was eventually decommissioned and fell into disuse.
17:25Efforts were made, though, to preserve it as a museum, and that's how it remains today, showcasing original equipment,
17:31historical artifacts, and multimedia exhibits that talk about the period's geopolitical tensions.
17:37Number 4. Regan West, Denmark
17:41Regan West, which is in Jutland in Denmark, is one of the most important Cold War bunkers in Scandinavia.
17:47Officially known as the Danish Government Cold War Command Center,
17:50it was to be a secure headquarters for the Danish government and military leadership in the event of a nuclear war.
17:56Construction started in the early 1960s amid rising Cold War tensions, and Denmark,
18:01which is a member of NATO, was very aware that its location in the North Atlantic made it a target in the event of a nuclear conflict.
18:07The bunker is around 197 feet underground, covers an area of around 59,000 square feet.
18:13This includes living quarters, a command center, and a communications room, and its self-sufficiency was ensured through advanced systems like air filtration
18:20and water supplies. It was fitted with one of the most advanced communication suites in the region, with everything hardened against electromagnetic pulses,
18:27or other forms of interference, so constant contact could be maintained with NATO allies.
18:32Even once the Cold War was seen as having come to an end in other countries, a level of skepticism remained in Denmark,
18:38which meant this bunker remained operationally ready well into the 1990s.
18:43Now, it's a museum, detailing Denmark's preparedness during the Cold War.
18:47It is a popular destination for both locals and tourists, showing just how close things came to the outbreak of war.
18:54Number three, Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado.
18:58Now one of the most recognizable military sites in the U.S., because of its use in a number of TV shows and movies,
19:04Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado is home to one of the most secure installations on the planet.
19:09This underground facility is deeply embedded within the granite of the mountain,
19:13and it served as a critical command center for the United States military for more than 60 years,
19:18with its main purpose being to monitor and respond to potential aerospace threats.
19:22Construction of the Cheyenne Complex began in 1961, at the height of the Cold War, and the facility was officially activated in 1966.
19:30The selection of Cheyenne Mountain was due to its natural protection, with the solid granite offering excellent shielding against nuclear blasts and EMPs.
19:38The site's got around five acres of underground space, with its core consisting of a network of tunnels and chambers built into the mountain.
19:46The main complex is situated about 2,000 feet below the mountain's peak, providing significant protection.
19:53As such a protected place, this complex is a command center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the United States Northern Command.
20:01It's the nerve center for these operations, and has advanced radar, satellite monitoring systems that track potential threats,
20:07including missile launches on unauthorized aircraft.
20:10Along with its primary role in aerospace defense,
20:13the Cheyenne Mountain Complex has historically functioned as a backup command center for other critical military operations,
20:19including the United States Strategic Command and the United States Space Command.
20:24This means that even if primary command centers are compromised, the Cheyenne Mountain Complex can maintain essential defense and coordination functions across the country.
20:34Number two, the Sonnenberg Tunnel, Switzerland.
20:38Switzerland holds the unique record of being the only country in the world that has built enough bunkers to provide space for every
20:44resident in the event of a nuclear war, but making this possible required a novel approach.
20:50The best example of this is the Sonnenberg Tunnel, which is in the city of Lucerne, and it was a dual-purpose infrastructure project,
20:57being both a road tunnel and a massive fallout shelter, capable of protecting thousands of people.
21:03Work began in the late 1960s and was completed in 1976, providing a direct route through the Sonnenberg Hill,
21:09and significantly reducing travel time.
21:12The tunnel itself is around a mile, and it's made up of two main parallel tubes designed for vehicles.
21:17It was, though, designed to be turned into one of the world's largest fallout shelters, with massive steel doors, each weighing over
21:25350 tons, that could be closed at each end to seal off the tunnel from the outside world,
21:30transforming it into a secure shelter.
21:32When this happened, the Sonnenberg Tunnel was designed to accommodate up to 20,000 people.
21:38The complex not only provided measures against radiation, but also facilities to support everyone.
21:43The shelter was equipped with advanced air filtration systems to ensure a supply of clean air, as well as its own water and power supplies.
21:50Regular tests and drills revealed difficulties in rapidly converting the tunnel from traffic route to a functional shelter,
21:57and the logistics of accommodating and supporting so many people in such a confined space
22:01proved to be more complex than initially expected.
22:04Today, the Sonnenberg Tunnel continues to be used as a road tunnel, and parts are open to visitors to see
22:09exactly what would have happened in the event of a war. The doors have, though, been decommissioned, so it can never be sealed shut again.
22:18Number 1. The Joint Operations Command Center in Beijing, China.
22:23Militaries around the world have top-secret sites where operations are overseen from, and while their location is usually known,
22:31everything else remains classified. In the case of Chinese armed forces, though,
22:35only a few details are known about the Joint Operations Command Center in Beijing,
22:39with only a select group of people even knowing where it is exactly.
22:43Providing a secure and sophisticated facility for the command and control of military ops,
22:48but what we do know is that it's deep underground, with experts believing it's the largest and most protected bunker that's ever been built.
22:55The decision to build this command center underground was driven by the need to protect it from potential attacks,
23:01including nuclear strikes, cyber threats, and other forms of modern warfare.
23:05Buried beneath layers of reinforced concrete and rock,
23:08it's designed to withstand significant blasts and other forms of kinetic attacks.
23:13The only way you'll ever get in here is if you're meant to be there.
23:16The location underground also provides significant operational advantage.
23:20The JOC is equipped with state-of-the-art communications and data processing systems,
23:24and it gives uninterrupted communication with various branches of the People's Liberation Army,
23:29including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and Strategic Support Force.
23:33The underground design has an added benefit, is that it helps with the use of advanced technological systems.
23:39The air filtration systems are designed to protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, which further safeguard personnel.
23:47Its role extends beyond traditional military operations.
23:51It's been a critical part of the PLA's cyber and space operations, which are areas that China's been investing in heavily.
23:58It plays a role in space surveillance and operations. While at first it was highly secretive,
24:03the Joint Operations Command Center has gained more attention in recent years because of its role in large-scale military exercises.
24:11A few details have, as a result, been released, not just to take control of how much is known about it,
24:16but also to let China's enemies know that no matter what happens, they'll always have full control over their movements of the military.
24:23Thanks for watching everyone. I'll see you next time.
24:27Thank you to our channel members.