The deep silo
A look to the bottom from a platform.
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The Cold War Museum occupies a former underground Soviet missile base in the Plokštinė forest, within Žemaitija National Park in northwestern Lithuania. Opened in 2012, it is one of the rare places where you can enter a facility of this kind now that it has become a museum. Construction began in September 1960, with more than 10,000 soldiers working in secret for over two years. It was among the first Soviet bases of its type and stayed a closely guarded secret until US reconnaissance revealed it in 1978. It held four silos between 27 and 34 m deep, and no missile was ever launched from it, even in tests. A team of about 300 people worked here, most of them guards. The route takes you down into long concrete tunnels with corroded walls and heavy doors, then to a deep silo that you look into from a platform. Boards and displays explain daily life inside the base and the mood of the period. Above ground, a concrete dome sits among quiet grass and trees, a striking contrast with what lies below. The museum lies about 3.3 km from Lake Plateliai and 13.5 km from Plungė in a straight line. The tunnels stay cold even in summer, so bring a jacket, and they may not suit anyone uneasy in enclosed spaces or on narrow stairs. English guided tours are offered only by advance booking for groups.
A look to the bottom from a platform.
Long passages with corroded walls.
A concrete dome among grass and trees.
Šilinė g. 4, Plokščiai, Plungė District, Lithuania
No, none was ever launched from the base, even in tests.
A jacket and closed shoes, since the tunnels stay cold even in summer.