As the threat of invasion is nowadays very much downgraded, the Swiss have deemed maintenance spending on the upkeep of the country’s army bunkers and shelters to be too costly to be continued. In light of this, many have been sold off, or sealed off, while others have been set aside for historical preservation.
"The army and the bunkers are deeply anchored in our tradition and in the history of Switzerland," explained Véronique Kanel, spokesperson for Switzerland Tourism.
5 Decommissioned & Renovated Swiss Army Bunkers & Shelters
The former Swiss Artillery Fortress Reuenthal located near the village of Reuenthal near the Swiss-German border close-by the Aare and Rhine rivers was under military control until 1988. Today the public is welcome to venture in and explore this fortress museum.
What once was a former Swiss army bunker located within a mountain has now been converted into a highly-secure Data Centre perfect for safe-guarding sensitive data and IT. When it was under military control, this bunker housed up to 1,500 soldiers.
"Along with our processors, our key selling points are the Swiss brand & the physical safety of this bunker," stated managing director at Deltalis data centre, Frank Harzheim.
This former artillery fort in the town of Faulensee was in military use until 1993. Once decommissioned it was renovated into a museum open to the public.
This former artillery fortress situated on the Swiss-Austrian border near the town of St. Margareten dominated the Rhine up towards Montlingen and the southern part of the Lake of Constance in the north. It was under Swiss Army control until 1992. Today this converted fortress takes the guise of a museum and is open for public viewing.
Another military bunker located in the town of Duggingen has been disguised as a medieval house by its current owners. It is not open to the public.