Podziemne Miasto Osówka
Unfinished underground complex from the Second World War in the Owl Mountains, visited with a guide on routes ranging from multimedia to extreme.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Osówka is part of the secret German project “Riese” (“Giant”) in the Owl Mountains. Work began in the middle of 1943 and led to an extensive system of concrete corridors, guardrooms, halls and excavations in gneiss rock. The purpose of the construction was kept secret: according to one hypothesis Adolf Hitler's headquarters was to be set up here, and according to others, halls of underground armaments factories. Forced labourers and prisoners of the Gross-Rosen concentration camp were employed on the work.
The complex was never completed, and after the war the area was surveyed, among other things, in the search for uranium. Today the site belongs to the company Podziemne Miasto Osówka, owned by the commune of Głuszyca, and lies in the Owl Mountains Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Gór Sowich).
Visitors can choose one of several guided routes. The historical route leads deep underground along corridors completed by the end of 1944, with documentary films, holograms and display cabinets with equipment. The extreme and retro routes are conducted by torchlight, and the educational route is designed for children. A separate Path of Memory commemorates the prisoners forced to work on the construction.
Highlights
- Extensive underground complex of the “Riese” project in the Owl Mountains
- Historical route with holograms, films and exhibitions
- Torchlit routes: the extreme route with a boat crossing, and the retro route
- Educational route for children and the Path of Memory
- Guided tours only, helmets included in the ticket price
Permanent exhibitions
- Trasa historyczna (multimedialna) – A route through corridors completed by the end of 1944, with documentary films, holograms, display cabinets with equipment and exhibitions.
- Ścieżka Pamięci – Mroki historii – Path devoted to the fate of the prisoners forced to work on building the complex, with an interactive exhibition on the camps and sub-camps in the Owl Mountains.
- Operated by
- Podziemne Miasto Osówka Sp. z o.o. (gmina Głuszyca)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | 40 zł |
|---|---|
| Reduced | 33 złChildren and school pupils, students up to 26, pensioners, people receiving disability pensions, holders of the Karta Dużej Rodziny (Large Family Card), people with disabilities and their carers. |
| Children & teens | 33 złThe historical route is available to children from age 5. |
| Seniors | 33 złPensioners and people receiving disability pensions. |
| Visitors with disabilities | 33 zł |
| Students & apprentices | 33 złStudents up to 26. |
| Groups (25+ people) | –Group tickets for organised groups of 25 or more; tours for groups only by booking by e-mail (until 15:00 on working days). One carer per 10 pupils of school groups, and the tour leader or guide of the group, enter free. |
| Route “Powojenne historie – ekstremalnie” (“Postwar Stories – Extreme”) (by booking) | 45 złReduced ticket PLN 40. |
| Retro route (by booking) | 35 złReduced ticket PLN 30. |
| Combined ticket: historical route + extreme route | 70 zł |
Prices apply to the historical route; no additional fee is charged for the guide, and helmets are included in the price. Card payment is possible. The ticket is valid on the day of purchase.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The underground has architectural barriers; for safety reasons, people using wheelchairs and people with mobility impairments may not tour it.
Kids & families
Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 5+
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Children from age 5 may tour the historical route (under 13 only with a carer), and the extreme and retro routes from age 8. An educational route has been prepared for children (a booklet with tasks and a crossword, 90 minutes), for six-year-olds in kindergarten and for primary school pupils. There is no offer for children under 5.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Głuszyca, Centrum Przesiadkowe (ul. Łukasiewicza)
By train to Głuszyca station; from there about 900 m (12 minutes on foot) to the transport hub at ul. Łukasiewicza, from where a bus runs to Osówka: Monday to Friday at 9:15, 12:45 and 14:45; on Saturdays at 9:15, 12:05, 14:00 and 16:00.
By car
Free parking
Three free car parks at the site, open to guests 9:00–19:00; parking is free for visitors and restaurant customers.
The recommended route is by asphalt road through Głuszyca, Kolce and Sierpnica; GPS navigation can be misleading and leads along narrow side roads. For coaches this is the only possible route.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Restaurant
A restaurant operates at the ticket offices. Protective helmets are included in the ticket price, and free kennels are provided for dogs during the tour. Toilets and three car parks are free for guests.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography for personal use is allowed, but elements of the security systems, guides or bystanders must not be photographed. |
| Good to know | Tours are only with a guide and in helmets. The historical route lasts about 60 minutes and covers 1,200 m, the extreme route about 70 minutes (1,500 m), and the educational route 90 minutes. It is cool and damp underground, so take warm clothing and sturdy footwear. Tickets for the historical route are bought on site without booking; the extreme and retro routes and groups require booking by e-mail. Audio guides in foreign languages are available for individual tourists, and a guide in a foreign language for groups can be arranged with the office. Animals may not enter the underground. |
