The proton shelter Denis under Petrov will open to the public from the turn of May and June

Brno - Soon, the nuclear shelter Denis will join the attractions of the popular Brno underground. The Tourist Information Center TIC Brno has received it from the city to manage, and it will be made accessible to the public in the state it was in when it was closed years ago, so that people can imagine what it would be like to spend days there. Visitors are expected to be impressed by its cool and authentic atmosphere. Tours are planned to start around the turn of May and June, depending on epidemic measures, said TIC spokesperson Adéla Nováková today to ČTK.

During the guided tour lasting about 50 minutes, visitors will explore the power plant, machine room, filter chamber, and a room with two wells and a pump. "There are three machine rooms here. They served to clean the air and distribute it throughout the area. There are also devices designed to measure internal and external pressure to ensure the environment was pleasant for survival," described the expert on the Brno underground, Aleš Svoboda.

Visitors will also learn which entrance was used in the event of an atomic attack. "Contaminated people who survived thanks to masks would pass through here, and they would go through showers where they would undress, clean themselves, receive new clothes, and could join those hiding. Close to this entrance, there are also barriers that would shatter the pressure from a bomb falling at the entrance," added Svoboda.

The labyrinth of nearly a kilometer of underground corridors is located in the rock beneath Petrov. The shelter was excavated into the massif in three stages between 1946 and 1955. The corridors are up to 35 meters underground in places. Three entrances lead to it from the corner of Nádražní and Husova streets. Emergency exits lead to the Capuchin Gardens, and one directly into the basement of the Capuchin Monastery. During a crisis, up to 3,000 people could hide in the corridors, although the space has never been used for this purpose. Its corridors still serve as a depository for some stone elements from the destroyed Royal Chapel, which once stood at the corner of Veselá Street and Dominican Square.

Last year, the newly opened water reservoirs on Žlutý kopec attracted significant interest, compared to an underground cathedral. Slightly smaller than Denis but accessible for several years is the bunker 10-Z, which was to serve as a shelter for the city's and region's leadership. Another new feature that TIC BRNO is preparing for the end of the year is a new interactive exhibition in the Mincmistr's cellar.