Cold war museum Prague: A hidden nuclear bunker museum

Learn all about life behind the Iron Curtain in a nuclear bunker at the Cold War Museum Prague.

Cold War Museum Prague Image of gas masks on mannequins at the Cold War Museum in Prague

About the author: David Angel is a British photographer, writer, and historian with 30+ years of experience exploring Europe. His work is regularly featured in the BBC, the Guardian and Conde Condé Nast Traveler. He currently lives in Prague.

This is my guide to the Cold War Museum Prague, learn all about life behind the Iron Curtain in a nuclear bunker at this hidden gem.

The Cold War Museum Prague is hidden deep below Wenceslas Square, the busy heart of modern Prague, in a bunker below the Hotel Jalta, a sealed-off world designed to be a safe refuge in the event of a nuclear attack.

As the world looks set to enter a second Cold War, we thought it would be a suitable time to look back on the first one.

The Prague Cold War Museum isn’t all about the threat of nuclear war – it’s set out to give you a taste of life in Cold War Czechoslovakia.

Our guide gives you a taste of what to expect at the Cold War Museum, and we tell you everything you need to know about visiting.

The Cold War – An Introduction

Image of the hammer and sickle on the Soviet Union flag
The Soviet hammer and sickle: workers of the world unite – and spy on each other
Image of nuclear bunker doors in the Cold war Museum Prague
The heavy entrance doors to the nuclear bunker

After World War II, relations between the victorious powers – the US, UK and France on one side, and the Soviet Union on the other – rapidly deteriorated.

While democracy was restored to most of Germany and Western Europe,  the countries of Central and Eastern Europe liberated by the USSR’s Red Army were gradually taken over by Soviet-backed (and, as it turned out, Soviet-imposed) Communist regimes.

Tensions and mutual suspicions reached their nadir in the early 1960s, when the Berlin Wall was erected and the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world close to nuclear war.

Interested in Prague history? Check out our guide to Prague World War 2 Sites and Communist Prague

Where Is The Cold War Museum Prague?

Image of entrance to Hotel Jalta Prague
The entrance to the Hotel Jalta

It is located in a purpose-built bunker – built to withstand nuclear attack – beneath the Hotel Jalta on Wenceslas Square, one of the most famous Prague squares, in the heart of New Town Prague.

The Hotel Jalta’s address is Václavské nám. 818/45, 110 00 Nové Město Prague.

See Also: 27 Hidden Gems In Prague To Discover

What To See At The Cold War Museum Prague

Image of medical room at Cold War Museum Prague
The medical room

The Cold War Museum in Prague only occupies part of the bunker complex below the Hotel Jalta. You’re taken around the complex by a guide wearing a 1960s Czech military officer’s jacket, but don’t expect Cold War (as in surly and miserable!) standards of customer service.

 A large part of it – the former hospital – isn’t included in the tour.  The bunker is a deep netherworld of heavy doors, fluorescent lights, overhead pipes and portraits of grim-faced Communist Party leaders enjoying their Socialist utopia.

Each room in the Museum has a different theme. The first room on the tour is a medical room, kitted out with a bed and contemporary equipment.

Image of the ventilation system at the Cold War Museum in Prague
The ventilation system kept the bunker occupants alive

You’re then taken into the ventilation room, without which the bunker couldn’t function. A series of pipes filtered out any toxins from chemical or nuclear attack, and if the power failed, you could operate everything with a hand-crank.

The air in the bunker was a little musty, but better than I had expected.

Image of communications equipment in the Prague Cold War Museum
Listening in, Cold War style

Communism in Czechoslovakia, like everywhere else, required a certain level of enforcement, and another room is devoted to the STB, the country’s secret police. 

There’s a mannequin of an officer behind a desk as well as lots of secret police paraphernalia, including banks of communications equipment. Some of this was used for eavesdropping, and others were there for contacting the outside world in case of emergencies.

Image of Cold War soldier's uniform
A Czechoslovak soldier’s uniform

There are also reminders of the Czechoslovakian military, with more mannequins, a set of army uniforms and a well-stocked armoury.

The soldiers played a major role in protecting the country from external threats and influences, which entailed keeping the population ‘safe’ behind the Iron Curtain. Risking escape would frequently lead to being shot, or at least shot at.  

Image of hotel switchboard used tolisten in on guests' calls Cold War Museum Prague
Guests’ conversations could be heard through this switchboard

The Hotel Jalta became a high-class destination for foreign – including Western – visitors. Staff were well-educated, often fluent in several languages, and the level of service was, shall we say, particularly attentive.

One of the rooms is furnished with a large analogue switchboard connected to a map of the hotel’s floors. When room 102 picked up the telephone to make a call, a light would flash on the switchboard and the operator would listen in and record the call. Several hotel guests realised this was going on, but many more didn’t.

Cold War Museum Prague – Final Words

Image of gas masks at the Cold War Museum in Prague
Gas masks in the bunker

This is one of the most unusual things to do in Prague, and having lived through the latter stages of the Cold War I’ve always wanted to visit somewhere like this.

This Museum is great for the experience of the nuclear bunker environment, and an insight into what life was like behind the Iron Curtain for Czechs and Slovaks during this period of heightened international tensions.

If you’re interested in the Cold War and are exploring this part of Central Europe, I also recommend the Stasi Museum Dresden. This grim former secret police prison shows you the brutality to which Communist authorities would resort to keep themselves in power..

Tip: We have been living in Prague for over 4 years, and our blog is filled with tons of articles to help you plan your trip. Check out the suggested articles below or visit our Czech Republic travel page for more information. We’ve explored extensively throughout the Czech Republic and love sharing our guides and insider tips to the amazing places in the country

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Image of David Angel found of Delve into Europe Travel Blog / Website

David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times.  David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.