Walim Adits (Project Riese, Rzeczka Complex)

The Walim Adits (Polish: Sztolnie Walimskie, roughly "shtol-nyeh vah-leem-skyeh"), also known as the Rzeczka complex, are one of three sections of Nazi Germany's secret Project Riese that you can visit today. Hidden in the Owl Mountains of Lower Silesia, these rock-cut tunnels were dug by prisoners and forced laborers in the last years of World War II. If you want to understand the darker side of wartime Silesia, and why Riese still fuels "Nazi gold train" legends, this is one of the best places to start.

Where it is

Walim is a village in southwestern Poland, about 85 km (roughly 1.5 hours by car) southwest of Wrocław, the nearest big city and airport. The adits sit at the southern edge of the village on regional road 383, toward the hamlet of Rzeczka. Wałbrzych, the nearest town, is about half an hour away.

What was Project Riese?

Riese means "giant" in German. Construction began in 1943, first under a company called Industriegemeinschaft Schlesien and, from spring 1944, under the Organisation Todt. Miles of tunnels and huge underground halls were dug beneath the Owl Mountains and Książ Castle, yet the purpose of the mountain sites has never been settled. Książ was being prepared as a Hitler headquarters; for the tunnels, historians debate bunkers, underground arms factories, or storage.

The human cost was enormous. The labor force included POWs, forced laborers and, from 1944, mostly Jewish prisoners from subcamps of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. Death rates were very high, and only part of the victims have been identified by name. A visit here is as much a memorial as a museum.

What you'll see

The Rzeczka complex is cut into Ostra mountain. Drilling started in March 1944; three adits and connecting galleries were bored, around 500 m (1,640 ft) in total, with only a small part lined with concrete. Some halls reach 10 m (33 ft) in height. The guided route leads through raw, partly flooded corridors where tool marks are still visible, past exhibits from the construction period such as the narrow-gauge spoil wagons. Outside you'll find a steel bridge, a guard post and military hardware. The tunnels are also a winter roost for bats.

Limited public access began in 1995; the museum has operated since 2001 and is run by the Walim municipal culture and tourism center.

Tickets, hours and tour tips

As of October 2026, according to the operator's website:

• Hours (October–April): tours start from 9:00; last entry 16:00 on weekdays and 17:00 on weekends and holidays. From May to September, one hour later. Closed on Easter Sunday, November 1 and over Christmas; the site also lists a closure on October 22–23.
• Tickets: adult 40 PLN (Polish złoty), reduced 30 PLN, under-4s free. Tours are guided in Polish; an audio guide in English, German, Czech or French costs 14 PLN.
• Contact: ul. 3 Maja 26, 58-320 Walim, tel. +48 74 84 57 300.

The tour lasts about 60 minutes. Entry times are set as groups fill up, so at busy times you may wait 40 minutes or more; online booking is offered only on selected days. Inside it's 5–7°C (41–45°F) and damp, so bring a jacket and closed shoes even in summer. The operator says the site is intended for teenagers and adults, and pets are not allowed (guide dogs excepted). There is no published accessibility information, so call ahead if you use a wheelchair.

Getting there

The easiest way is by car: there's free parking at the site. Public transport to Walim is limited, so check local bus times from Wałbrzych before you set out.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially if you combine it with the other Riese sites: the Włodarz complex and the Osówka Underground City are within a short drive, and Książ Castle in Wałbrzych has its own Riese tunnels. Together they make a full, sobering day out from Wrocław.