Leftover legacies from historic conflicts, Europe has its fair share of bunkers – and many of these fortified structures are now in search of new owners and a new purpose. From Cold War relics and nuclear shelters to former military facilities built to withstand the worst, real estate doesn't get much more robust than this. 

Click or scroll on to discover the most fascinating bunkers for sale right now...

A rare piece of British Cold War history is set to go under the hammer in Derbyshire in the East Midlands of England. This former Royal Observer Corps (ROC) nuclear bunker near the town of Buxton is looking for a new owner who can appreciate its fascinating past.

Constructed in the 1950s, the shelter was designed to house up to three observers tasked with reporting nuclear blasts and fallout during the height of the conflict between the Soviet Union and the US and its allies. The structure was part of a network that functioned as an early warning system of sorts.

In 1993 after the Cold War came to an end, the bunker was decommissioned and sold off – as was the case with many of the 1,500 shelters constructed by the ROC across the UK. 

The unique property fell into private hands and appears to have been remarkably well-maintained over the years. In fact, the compact space has been upgraded from its original utilitarian design. The walls are now adorned with velvet curtains, a cream carpet softens the concrete slab floors and artwork and gilded mirrors add decoration.

Now up for sale again, the bunker is heading to auction on 26 September 2024 with SDL Property Auctions. The unusual residence has a guide price of between £15,000 (€17.8k/$19.6k) and £20,000 (€23.7k/$26k), however, it will likely change hands for a higher sum. Seemingly hot commodities, the same auction house sold another ROC shelter for £48,000 (€56.9k/$63k) in the summer of 2024, more than double its asking price.

The fully furnished shelter has a number of extras that may entice buyers to up their bids, including a brand-new chemical toilet and a log burner to ensure the space stays warm in the colder climes.

Back in the bunker's days of operation, inhabitants would have been provided with ample food, water and supplies for a 14-day stay underground, as well as a radio and landline to keep in contact with the outside world.

Vestiges of the property's military heyday still linger in the space, including a pair of vintage binoculars, a fire blanket, tools and a number of official documents left behind by the last observers stationed here.

On the market with Denniel Immobilier for a bargain £38,000 (€45k/$49.6k), this next bunker for sale is in need of a buyer with a little imagination to breathe life back into its historic bones. 

The structure is located in the French commune of Montdidier in the Somme department – just south of the site of the infamous First World War battle of the same name. 

Semi-submerged below the earth, the brick shelter is barely visible among the long grass. Its camouflaged design is likely the reason it's still standing today, after bearing the brunt of the devastating First World War. While it's unclear exactly when the bunker was built, the listing agents approximate its construction around November 1915. There's also an inscription carved into the concrete door frame, a translation of which reads: "April 11, 1914, section, November 18, 1915".

Maps charting the advancements of the First World War between 1915 and 1918 show that the bunker was at times on the front line of the battle between Allied and German forces. 

According to the listing, the fortification appears to have played a vital role in defending this location until June 1918, when the advancing German army pushed Allied forces back beyond the bunker. However, the land was retaken by the Allies in the Hundred Days Offensive, a campaign that saw the end of the First World War on 11 November 1918 – Armistice Day.

It's extraordinary to think what these walls must have witnessed since the shelter's construction more than 100 years ago.

Made from brick and reinforced with concrete, the compact, rectangular structure is now showing signs of its age. Rubble lines the floor and plaster is flaking away from the walls. Nevertheless, this 861-square-foot (80sqm) space is steeped in potential. From an art studio or events space to a one-of-a-kind residence, there are plenty of ways an ambitious buyer could sensitively repurpose the bunker while showcasing its fascinating history.

What's more, the shelter is being sold with 10,763 square feet (1,000sqm) of surrounding land, so there's plenty of development potential on offer here for a remarkably small sum.

Western Slovakia's mountains are steeped in a rich mining tradition, but in one enclave near the city of Banská Bystrica, something altogether more surprising can be found embedded in the rocky slopes. Peeking out from beneath a hillside are two large circle doorways fitted with metal gates – the entrances to an abandoned bunker. 

The property is on the market with REALPORTICO for £253,000 (€300k/$331k) and provides a total of 4,639 square feet (431sqm) of usable space, waiting to be reimagined. 

Dating back to the 1950s, the bunker was constructed as a civilian protection shelter for residents of the surrounding villages. At that time, Slovakia, then a part of Czechoslovakia, was under Soviet rule and the Cold War was raging – the threat of nuclear annihilation was an all too real possibility.

The bunker encompasses a series of five rooms, structured as a long, meandering tunnel that delves deep into the rock. Residents would have sheltered here in the heart of the mountains should the worst have happened, though thankfully it never did. 

As you can see here, the original reinforced steel doors and metal ductwork are still in situ from the shelter's days of operation. 

Decades of abandonment have taken a toll on the fortified spaces, but their unique structure and scale open up a world of possibilities when it comes to redevelopment. The tunnel complex could make the perfect secure sanctuary for a prepper in search of a conversion project. Alternatively, the cavernous rooms could be transformed into a unique music venue, art gallery or entertainment space. The possibilities are endless!

Concealed within a fenced compound in the town of Neusiedl am See in Austria, just south of Vienna, is a former military bunker complex that's been converted into a one-of-a-kind residence. 

This robust piece of real estate is listed with Austria Real for £839,400 (€995k/$1m) and includes 7.4 acres (3ha) of land, offering a wealth of development opportunities beyond what you'll find below ground.

The property's main bunker sprawls across two levels and provides 2,368 square feet (220sqm) of accommodation. Its winding, white corridors are lined with the former military compound's original red metal doors. 

The facility was built back in 1960 in the midst of the Cold War. While Austria remained neutral during the conflict, the nation's occupation by the Red Army, Britain, the US and France, which began during the Second World War, only ended in 1955, so the threat of invasion and war no doubt loomed large in the newly independent country.

The covert compound features a ventilation system, power generator, sewage system and its own water supply, as well as electric- and wood-powered heating – preparations have also been made for the installation of a solar array. 

The bunker doesn't sacrifice creature comforts either. Pictured here is one of the entertainment rooms, which includes a bar and a snug screening area for watching movies. 

There's also a gym, sauna and a full kitchen complete with a wood stove. The bunker is being sold as seen, with its current furnishings and fixtures in place.

As well as the main complex, the acreage also includes nine smaller bunkers, which would be ideal for storage, along with an additional 398-square-foot (37sqm) underground shelter. If you're looking for a secure, subterranean home with plenty of space to stretch out, it doesn't get much better than this.

Situated across a 7.4-acre (3ha) site in the German town of Pasewalk in the county's northeast region lies a forgotten government site with an intriguing past. On the surface, the property consists of a few sprawling, dilapidated buildings and a radio tower, encircled by a dense forest. However, the remote complex has surprising hidden depths.

Below the ground, an enormous bunker system secured by airlock doors extends a staggering 10,225 square feet (950sqm). The fortified shelter is thought to have been constructed in the 1980s when the area was part of Soviet-occupied East Germany, before the country's reunification with West Germany in 1990, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

Pictured here is the property's current owner, Heinz Fuhrmann, who purchased the site around 2020 with a view to renting it out to the prepper community. Fuhrmann claims that the bunker, which features two emergency power systems, can sustain 35 people for up to 60 days should disaster strike.

Speaking to German press agency dpa international, Fuhrmann said he was told that the bunker was built to protect Heinz Hoffmann, a former general of the East German army. Other sources claim the structure was built to safeguard national communication links. Whatever the truth, the shelter's importance during this turbulent period of history is indicated by the vast quantity of tape recorders left behind – mass surveillance was commonplace in East Germany and citizens' telephone calls were regularly recorded and monitored.

After the reunification of Germany, the facility was sold off to a telecommunications company, before passing through a number of different owners. 

So what might the next chapter hold for this former military complex? As well as an ideal prepper compound for a security-conscious buyer, Fuhrmann suggests that it could be converted into a data site given the scale of the space on offer. The property also already benefits from an income stream, as the radio tower is currently being rented out for around £759 (€900/$993) per month, according to the listing.

While the site's listing does not include an asking price for this unusual piece of real estate, Fuhrmann told dpa international that he was looking to sell the facility for £843,200 (€1m/$1.1m).

A converted school, this idyllic 1920s home near the town of Ljungby in the south of Sweden looks like a picturesque, rural retreat. The charming house, which is divided into two apartments, spans 3,444 square feet (320sqm) and is beautifully outfitted with every modern convenience. Along with multiple outbuildings, there's also a self-contained spa complex featuring a sauna and Jacuzzi pool, as well as a barbecue area, kitchen and bar. 

However, in stark contrast to its contemporary fixtures, the estate conceals a fascinating time capsule of yesteryear beneath the ground...

Tucked away in the home's basement is a fascinating civil defense bunker known as Lugnet. The shelter was constructed in the 1970s as a safe haven for municipal staff and emergency services, where they could continue their work below ground if Cold War tensions bubbled over into a nuclear disaster. Comprising two floors measuring a total of 5,274 square feet (490sqm), the hardened survival structure was designed to withstand an aerial bomb of 1,100 pounds (500kg).  

Entry to the bunker is via eight decontamination showers and an airlock, while the ventilation system is kitted out with carbon filters to keep the air free of harmful contaminants. 

Pictured here is the bunker's nerve centre, which still contains its original control panels. Impressively, the shelter has its own power plant that can supply electricity to the entire property. There's also an electric cartridge heater and an air-water heating fan to keep the complex at a comfortable temperature. 

The upper level contains the main communal living spaces, including a 1,076-square-foot (100sqm) lounge, a kitchen, a laundry room, a bathroom and a bar, which is decked out with quirky mementos and bunker memorabilia. 

Meanwhile, the lower level houses the shelter's private quarters, including bathrooms, shower rooms, six bunkrooms with space to accommodate 26 people and a hospital room. 

The entire estate is currently on the market with Sweden Estates for just under 16 million SEK, the equivalent of £1.2 million (€1.4m/$1.5m). Not bad for a luxurious home with a state-of-the-art survival facility thrown in!

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