A Bunker for Everyone: How Switzerland Built a Second City Underground

Beneath Switzerland lies a vast network of concrete shelters — complete with ventilation systems, water reserves, and even underground hospitals.

What might sound like Cold War nostalgia is, in fact, a living system of civil protection that still functions today.

A Country Where Everyone Has a Shelter

Switzerland is the only country in the world where the right to a shelter is written into law — and actually implemented.

According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), there are over 360,000 shelters nationwide, offering more than 9 million places — more than the entire population.

Roughly three-quarters of residents have direct access to a shelter in their own building or nearby.

Why So Many Bunkers Exist

1. The Cold War Legacy

In the 1960s, fearing nuclear conflict, Switzerland decided to prepare for the worst. Since then, every new residential building must include a shelter or the owner must pay a fee to fund public ones.

2. Legal Obligation

Federal law guarantees that every person living in Switzerland has access to a protection space. Cantons and municipalities are responsible for ensuring enough capacity for their residents.

3. The Alpine Fortress Idea

The so-called “National Redoubt” — a defensive network in the Alps — shaped Swiss military thinking for decades. Many bunkers were cleverly disguised as chalets or barns, blending seamlessly into the landscape.

How Swiss Bunkers Are Built

Private Shelters

Most bunkers are private, meaning they are part of residential buildings and maintained by property owners.

By law, every developer must either build a shelter that meets FOCP standards or contribute to a municipal fund for public facilities.

Private bunkers serve all residents of the building, not just the owner’s family.

They are equipped with reinforced concrete walls, air filtration, manual ventilation, bunk beds, and storage for water and supplies — with at least 1 m² of floor space and 2.5 m³ of air volume per person.

Public Shelters

Where private shelters are insufficient, municipalities build large public bunkers designed to hold thousands of people.

The most famous example is the Sonnenberg bunker in Lucerne, which could accommodate 20,000 people and included a hospital, radio studio, and its own infrastructure. Today, parts of it operate as a museum.

Entrance to a Swiss bunker built into the mountain slope.

Photo: Yulia Mezina / UAinfoCH

Enough Space for Everyone – Including Ukrainians with S Status

Switzerland’s shelter system is designed to cover the entire resident population, not just Swiss citizens.

The federal law refers to “the population” rather than “citizens,” meaning that Ukrainians under S status — who are officially resident in Switzerland — are also covered by the civil protection network.

In an emergency, they would be allocated a shelter by local authorities just like any other resident.

How the Bunkers Function Today

Most shelters are still maintained in working order, with regular inspections required by law. However, many structures date back to the 1960s–80s and would not fully protect against modern nuclear or chemical threats.

The war in Ukraine has revived public discussion about civil protection. The Swiss government is now reviewing how to better protect people who spend their days away from home — at work or on the move.

Meanwhile, many bunkers have found a second life — as data centres, wine cellars, cheese-aging caves, or art spaces.

Did You Know?

• In Appenzell, a former bunker has become a cheese cellar, ideal for slow maturation.
• Several Alpine bunkers now serve as secure data centres, taking advantage of the stable temperature underground.
• In Lausanne and Basel, old shelters have been turned into art galleries exploring the themes of fear and protection.
• Some disguised military bunkers still look like ordinary chalets — with painted windows and flower boxes.
• A few homeowners now rent out space in their private shelters — an “Airbnb underground”, so to speak.

A Reflection of the Swiss Mindset

Switzerland’s shelter system represents more than physical protection. It embodies national values: independence, preparedness, and collective responsibility.

For many Ukrainians now living here, it also stands as a symbol of stability and safety — two things the world needs most today.

Sources

• Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP): babs.admin.ch
• FOCP brochure: Civil Protection Shelters in Switzerland
• Swissinfo.ch — “Switzerland sets gold standard for designing bunkers”
• House of Switzerland — “Hidden Switzerland: from military bunkers to mushroom farms”
• NZZ — Report on the Sonnenberg Bunker in Lucerne