10-Z Bunker Hostel – A night in a nuclear shelter, Brno.

While travelling through Europe during the summer of 2023, money became a bit tight. We were heading for Brno, Czechia, and needed somewhere cheap to stay. Nicola took the reigns on this one and booked accommodation for one night for £40 for the three of us. It was just outside Brno when I asked for the name of our accommodation, and it was only then that I realised we were staying in the now defunct nuclear bomb shelter – 10-Z Bunker Hostel.

About 10-Z Bunker hostel.

10-Z was the code name for this bunker. The bunker was built during World War II into the hillside of Špilberk Castle and was meant to protect up to 500 people for 3 days if a nuclear bomb was ever dropped in the area. Thankfully, it was never needed for this reason.

After World War II, the bunker was used as a wine store until 1948, when it was confiscated by the Communist government.

Now the old bunker has been given a new lease of life and is used as a museum, bar, and hostel.

Where is 10-Z Bunker Hostel located?

Located at the base of Špilberk Castle, 10-Z Bunker Hostel is in a great location for exploring Brno, with most of the main attractions a short walk away. The bus and train stations are both within walking distance as well.

Check in

We booked through hotelsdotcom, and check in was quick and easy. They do take a deposit off you for your room key, which is given back to you at check out. **Make sure you have cash for this**

Once checked in, we were given a map and brought to our room by a member of staff. As I walked along, I kept thinking about how I was going to remember what corridor to take, and looking at the map, it meant absolutely nothing to me as I couldn’t find any reference points…

Our Room

I had seen the pictures, so I knew it was going to be basic, and it certainly was. 3 basic beds, thin mattresses, a sleeping bag, and a rubbish pillow, they certainly have done a great job of recreating what it would have been like during the Cold War. I should also add like the entire bunker the room was spotlessly clean.

Megan was less than impressed and was having a bit of a huff. Thankfully, they had WiFi, so she was able to keep up with the goings on in the outside world. **There is no phone signal, so you will have to go outside for calls or text messages.

It does get a bit cold in the room as the temperature throughout the building is set to 14°C, but the sleeping bag provided was enough to keep us warm throughout the night.

Throughout the night, I heard this hissing noise; it was doing my head in, and I commented about it. However, Nicola rightly pointed out that it was probably keeping me alive as oxygen was being pumped into the rooms.

Bathrooms

We had a shower room and toilet right next door to us. It was very basic, with one toilet and three shower cubicles.

Megan refused to use the showers or the toilet. Both were fine; you aren’t going to be getting hotel standards, but they did their jobs.

The showers are a bit annoying; you pull a chain and warm water comes out. However, it is on a timer, and you get 30 seconds of water, and you have to pull again. It is really annoying when you have shower gel in your hair and eyes.

I should add that the showers we used were mixed gender. I opened the door first thing in the morning and had to keep saying “sorry,”, but literally no one cares. There were single gender showers, which I noticed closer to the check in when I was leaving.

Nights sleep

I’m not going to lie; I was worried I wasn’t going to get any sleep in this place.

However, after a few beers and a bad night’s sleep the night before, I was out like a light at 10 p.m., and while I woke up a few times during the night, it was an okay night’s sleep.

It’s just a bit strange not being able to see outside.

Breakfast/Meals

Breakfast is FREE and served in a room near the exit; it isn’t anything special, but it will set you up for the day.

Hotelsdotcom mentioned there were evening meals available to buy, but we didn’t notice anything, so that might be dated. I recommend Pokhara next door, which is an Indian/Nepalese restaurant. Now,  it does look very basic, and there wasn’t anyone eating in it during our time, which did put me off going in. However, the food is cheap and beautiful, there was a never ending queue of delivery drivers and collections, and the reviews are good.

Museum

Guests who are staying in the hostel get to walk around the museum for free; non-guests can pay for guided or self guided tours. The museum gives information on the history of the bunker and the technical part of the shelter (how it all works and would have worked if a nuclear bomb was dropped).

I really enjoyed taking time to read about the history of the bunker, and it being free for guests was a nice touch.

Would we recommend 10Z Bunker Hostel?

If you are okay with the following, then I would recommend booking it, probably for no more than one night.

• The building is cold. I can imagine it gets colder in the winter months. You do get given a heavy sleeping bag, which should keep the cold out.
• Showers are shared by both genders, and the shower rooms are very small. You pull a chain, and you get about 20–30 seconds worth of water. Then it stops, and you pull again.
• There are no windows.
• Breakfast is basic.
• Noises echo around the place; it can feel spooky.
• Tight, narrow corridors might be a problem for those who have claustrophobia.

We enjoyed our stay, not the best place we have ever stayed, but certainly not the worst! It was a fun experience!

Thanks for taking the time to read about our stay at 10-Z Bunker Hostel. Check out our other accommodation reviews.

The Lewis family