Command bunker (Kemmel, Belgium)
Photos – Info – Weather – Tips – Geo Info – Starry sky [- Tides]
General information about Command bunker
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 😉.
Visitor tips Command bunker
General tips:
1) if you are looking for other nearby attractions, consult our Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen.
2) You can consult our overview lists: by category ( e.g. timeline, size, ...) or by region
3) You can also always consult tourist services: see our overview of tourist services
Geographical information
Address: Lettingstraat 64, Dranoutre, West Flanders, Belgium
Geographical coordinates:
- Google Maps: Latitude = 50.7761088 - Longitude = 2.8147686
- Open Street Maps: Latitude = 50.775952 - Longitude = 2.816729
- Altitude h = 97 m
Indication of Command bunker on:
Tourist map of Top.Vlaanderen - Google Maps - OpenStreetMap.
Route to Command bunker: Route via Google Maps
Meteo
7°C
| Day | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
 light rain
|
7° | 8°°C | 0.2 mm | 20% | 24 Km/h | 88 % | 994 mb |
|
Fri Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
 cloudy
|
4° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 27 Km/h | 96 % | 997 mb |
|
Sat Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
cloudy
|
2° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 15 Km/h | 93 % | 999 mb |
|
Sun Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
cloudy
|
1° | 8°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 14 Km/h | 94 % | 999 mb |
|
Mon Jan 26
10:00 p.m.
|
cloudy
|
2° | 5°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 19 Km/h | 91 % | 1007 mb |
| Hour | Condition | Temperature | Precipitation | Rain Chance | Wind | Humidity | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tomorrow
01:00
|
cloudy
|
4° | 7°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 21 Km/h | 85 % | 994 mb |
|
Tomorrow
04:00
|
cloudy
|
3° | 5°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 18 Km/h | 79 % | 993 mb |
|
Tomorrow
07:00
|
cloudy
|
3° | 3°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 17 Km/h | 80 % | 992 mb |
|
Tomorrow
10:00
|
cloudy
|
5° | 5°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 20 Km/h | 81 % | 993 mb |
|
Tomorrow
13:00
|
cloudy
|
5° | 5°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 24 Km/h | 78 % | 993 mb |
|
Tomorrow
16:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 22 Km/h | 77 % | 993 mb |
|
Tomorrow
19:00
|
cloudy
|
9° | 9°°C | 0 mm | 0% | 22 Km/h | 81 % | 993 mb |
|
Tomorrow
22:00
|
light rain
|
8° | 8°°C | 0.2 mm | 20% | 18 Km/h | 88 % | 993 mb |
Starry sky above Command bunker
Internet information from and about Command bunker
Information about the command bunker on Wikipedia: Dutch – French
Information about the command bunker on Toerisme Heuvelland.
Information about the operator: World Heritage Institute.
VRT Canvas documentary: "Public Secret: the command bunker under Kemmelberg"(duration: 26 minutes).
Heuvelland Tourism Service:
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Westhoek Tourism (Westtoer)
Website – Facebook – Instagram
Our photos about Command bunker
Onze foto’s, video’s, … zijn allen (c) 2004-2026, Top.Vlaanderen, België. Ze mogen niet “zomaar” worden overgenomen of gebruikt. Ze zijn evenwel licentieerbaar. Wil U uw eigen toeristische attractie, B&B, vakantiewoning… laten fotograferen door ons, dat kan ook. Neem hiervoor contact met ons op via ons Contactformulier .
Spherical 360° photos
Want to know how such a spherical 360° photo is taken, check out our special page on the subject: "Taking a spherical 360° photo".
- 360-180° panoramic photo of the central command room of the Kemmel command bunker:
- photos of the Kemmel command bunker:
Disclaimer: All information presented on top.vlaanderen has been compiled with the utmost care. It is also checked regularly. If you have any comments, errors, additional information, etc... please contact us via our contact form. We are not responsible for possible incorrect or incomplete information.
