When visiting Prague , Budapest and Berlin I expected I’d learn plenty about the rise and fall of communism. But I never imagined I’d be standing in a nuclear bunker, 16 metres below the ground, wearing an army uniform and clutching a machine gun.
Some might consider dress-ups and role playing distasteful or offensive, but many European historians and educators believe it's an important way to educate people about the horrors of the past to ensure history doesn't repeat itself.
There are well over 350 underground bunkers in the Czech Republic (some believe there are as many as 700) and the one we visited is still fully-functional. Not only is it equipped to house as many as 5000 people in an emergency but it also plays host to regular underground music events.
Tours of this bunker have been running for about a year. Our tour guide, John, runs tours in between classes at university.
As part of the tour we got to see how the bunker works and enjoy a beer underground. Trying on the gas masks, hats and other military gear was definitely a lot of fun, especially for Bryan...
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