Command bunker (Kemmel, Belgium)

Aug. 29, 20202526 weergaves Hill Country, West Flanders 3 min read

Until a few years ago, this was one of the most secret places in Belgium: during the Cold War, the Belgian Army could gather here in this bunker located at a depth of 15 meters in Flanders' highest hill: the Kemmelberg (156 m). The bunker was built almost at the same time as Hostellerie Mont Kemmel in 1954. Many thought it was a nuclear shelter, but nothing could be further from the truth. Some also thought that there was a connection with the military domain next to Hostellerie Mont Kemmel but that's not true either. There is no connection between the two domains. The infrastructure next to the Hostellerie concerns communications equipment, while the command bunker is really about military command infrastructure.

The command bunker extends over 3 floors. It is, due to the absence of an elevator, not suitable for wheelchair users. However, it is worth visiting this bunker. You can see the generators, the consultation rooms, the central "war room" (also called "Ops Room"), the telex room, the infirmary, and so on. Note that this command bunker has nothing to do with either World War I or World War II. It really dates from the "Cold War" period when it was thought that the great danger would come from the East (say "Russia"). Therefore, they looked for a place in Belgium as Western as possible which eventually became Kemmel. Here the Belgian General Staff was also close to the French and English NATO allies.

Noteworthy detail: although we're talking about a "bunker" here, apparently the budget ran out at some point and there were no funds left to put up a ... decent, secure bunker door. The whole thing was accessible through a small house with a stairwell in it. Unbelievable but true 😉.

Google Maps.
Indication on the map of Top.Flanders.
Information about the command bunker in Wikipedia.
Information about the command bunker on Toerisme Heuvelland.
Information about the operator: World Heritage Institute.
VRT Canvas documentary: "Publiek Geheim: de command bunker onder de Kemmelberg" (duration: 26 minutes).
Hotel & restaurant nearby: Hostellerie Kemmelberg ****.