Hidden Belgium: The secret nuclear bunker

For many decades, no one knew about the NATO bunker buried below the Kemmelberg hill.

This vast underground complex was constructed in the 1950s as a command centre for NATO’s air defences in the event of nuclear war. Abandoned in 1995, it opened as a Cold War museum in 2010.

This fascinating complex is like a James Bond movie set, with military maps on the walls, austere metal cabinets, and rows of old telephones from the 1950s, while above ground there is nothing to see apart from a fake farmhouse hidden in the woods.

Tickets must be bought in advance at Heuvelland tourist office in Kemmel. You then follow a 1km walking trail that leads to the secret bunker.