Włodarz Complex

The Włodarz Complex (roughly "VWOH-dahsh") in Poland's Owl Mountains is one of three publicly accessible sections of Project Riese ("Giant"), Nazi Germany's vast and still mysterious underground construction program of 1943–1945. It is the only one where part of the tour is by boat through flooded tunnels. Raw, unfinished galleries blasted into the mountain show the scale of the project, and the site is also a place of memory for the thousands of prisoners forced to dig them.

Where it is

The complex sits at Górna Street 71 in Jugowice, in the Owl Mountains (Góry Sowie) of Lower Silesia, southwestern Poland, about 60 km (37 miles) southwest of Wrocław as the crow flies. Wrocław has the nearest international airport; from there a car is the most practical option, and there is on-site parking.

Project Riese: what happened here

In September 1943 the Nazi leadership decided to build a new headquarters for Hitler in Lower Silesia, and work in the Owl Mountains officially began on November 1, 1943. Seven complexes are known; Włodarz, called Wolfsberg (Wolf Mountain) in German, is one of the largest. From spring 1944 the Organisation Todt ran construction. The labor came from prisoners of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp system, forced laborers and prisoners of war from across Europe; many died of exhaustion and typhus. Work stopped in early 1945, and historians still debate what Riese was really for. Włodarz opened to visitors in 2004.

What you'll see

The grid of tunnels runs to roughly 3 km (about 2 miles), and about a quarter is flooded. The tour covers:

• the lower level, with spoil, rail remnants and equipment;
• part of the upper level, where joined galleries form chambers up to 10 m (33 ft) high;
• a boat ride through flooded corridors, the boats pulled along ropes fixed to the ceiling;
• an underground cinema with footage on the site's history.

Above ground, the "Wilcza Góra" trail links 27 points, including adit entrances, foundations and a former explosives store.

Tickets, hours and tips (as of October 2026)

The "Włodarz" ticket (surface area, both levels, boats, cinema) costs 39.99 PLN (Polish złoty), sold at the on-site ticket office. Tours last about one hour, are guided and require a helmet. Tours are in Polish; an English-speaking guide must be booked in advance. In the winter season, weekend tours start hourly between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with fewer on weekdays; the official site lists two different schedules, so call +48 74 845 33 42 before you go.

It's about 7°C (45°F) underground with humidity up to 95%, and floors can be muddy: bring a jacket and closed shoes. Children under 3 aren't admitted, animals aren't allowed underground, and photography requires a paid sticker. Not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you're interested in World War II history. Combine it with the nearby Osówka and Rzeczka complexes, also part of Riese, and Książ Castle, whose tunnels are linked to the same project.