Stay the night in a converted nuclear bunker in Brno, Moravia
Beneath Brno, the “10-Z Bunker” reminds visitors of Czechia’s complex history. Built during the Second World War to shield against bombings, the partially completed bunker provided refuge. Today, the 10-Z Bunker is open to the public as a historical site and hostel, offering guided tours through preserved technical areas, video stories, and artifacts like prison doors inscribed with messages from condemned inmates.
The “10-Z Bunker,” located in Brno Czechia, began as an air-raid shelter constructed during the Second World War to guard against both American and Soviet bombings. In mid-November 1944, during the first significant Allied air raid on Brno, a partially completed air raid shelter was made available to Brno's German citizens, and possibly to Czech citizens as well, along with German anti-aircraft police and some Wehrmacht units.
A notable chapter following Brno’s liberation was the shelter's use during the brief post-war period of semi-democracy. About six months after the war ended, amid efforts to restore normalcy and clear debris from many of the city’s damaged buildings, two local wine merchants applied to rent space in the former shelter on Husova Street. These men were Hermann Löwy, 43, who had been operating his business in Brno since the 1930s, and his partner, 36-year-old Karel Šmíd. So, in 1946, it shortly became the site of the Löwy & Šmíd wholesale wine store, but just two days after the Communist coup in February 1948, the government seized the property.
Completed in 1959, the nuclear shelter was designed to protect up to 500 key personnel needed to control the city and region for up to three days. The 10-Z nuclear shelter was never used for its intended purpose, apart from a few practice alarms.
In 2016, it was opened to the public as a historical site near the city center. History and political enthusiasts can stay at the shelter since it has been converted into a hostel. Today, visitors can take guided tours or explore independently with a map provided at the entrance. QR-coded videos throughout the shelter reveal the history and stories of people connected to the site.
The tour covers the technical sections (diesel generator, filter room, and telephone exchange) and displays doors from the death cells of Brno’s former prison on Cejl Street, showing messages from those who were condemned to death.
