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<img src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T200037702Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(33).jpg" />
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It's like a travel back in time, a long way back. If you ride the coastline of Norway – <a href="https://travelfeed.io/@koenau/voringfossen-wet-dream-of-a-water-fall">read my travel diary here</a> – you will see sometimes not only nice beaches, strange little mountains and the wonderful views to the atlantic ocean. At a lot of places are fortresses from the WW2 too. They are all roundabout 80 years old and made by the german occupiers after their attack named „Weserübung“ at the April 9. 1940.
<figure><img alt="All attempts to blow the bunkers away after the war were given up" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195652467Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(32).jpg" width="4618" height="3464" /><center><figcaption>All attempts to blow the bunkers away after the war were given up</figcaption></center></figure>
Norway, this beautiful dreamland for every hiker in scandinavia, at this time was a neutral state between the so called german „Reich“ and the allies. But the germans nevertheless came to the north to conquer Norway because the german industry needed the swedish iron and the norwegian havens. The norwegians fight hard, but they lost the battle.
<figure><img alt="This fortification is more than 80 years old" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T200144848Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(31).jpg" width="3618" height="2035" /><center><figcaption>This fortification is more than 80 years old</figcaption></center></figure>
And the germans begun, to build an 3.400 kilometerns long coastal fortress along the whole coastline of noway th prevent an feared invasion from die allies. The forifications included colossal coastal guns, batteries, mortars, and artillery, and thousands of German troops were stationed in the holes and a few baracks near by.
<figure><img alt="Just a bunch of rust" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195708379Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(10).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Just a bunch of rust</figcaption></center></figure>
The leftovers of this wall made from bunkers and cannons along the Atlantic Ocean nowadays is an very special attraction for every tourist who come to Norway. There are abandoned bunkers, caves, gun positions and artillery stations, hidden behind artificial hills and under extra planted grass.
<figure><img alt="Bunkers, 360°" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195736257Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(30).jpg" width="5660" height="2517" /><center><figcaption>Bunkers, 360°</figcaption></center></figure>
Some of the military installations are disintegrate, the most of the doors and bunker lids are rusty. You can hike along on easy ways, making pictures and marvel at the madness of mankind. But at Grønsvik Kystfort, one of the best preserved fortresses between Stokkvågen i Lurøy, you will find a museum the see original stuff from this short era of occupation. <a href="https://www.visitnorway.no/reisemal/trondelag/kystriksveien/listings-kystriksveien/gr%C3%B8nsvik-kystfort/194007/"> Here</a> you can go down in bunkers and tunnels and walk under the surface through the dark rooms of yesterday for only 5 euro or 6 $.
<figure><img alt="The concrete ring of a artillery battery" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195754760Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(29).jpg" width="3840" height="2160" /><center><figcaption>The concrete ring of a artillery battery</figcaption></center></figure>
Until the 70ths the Norwegian army modernisized parts of the german batteries and integrated them into the norwegian coastal defense. The Norwegians at this time were in fear for a russian invasion., so they had have soldiers at Sola Beach too. The bunkers here, near the airport of Stavanger, are right on the beach, grey monsters made of concrete, surrounded by heavenly beaches.
<figure><img alt="Behind a landscape full of bunkers are new build holiday homes" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195807652Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(28).jpg" width="3840" height="2160" /><center><figcaption>Behind a landscape full of bunkers are new build holiday homes</figcaption></center></figure>
No tunnels and caves here, but you can go into the abysses of the command bunker the Germans builded to defend the supply route to the German Murmansk front and the much more important supply route for iron from the north of Sweden to Germany. All these buildings made from concrete, wood and steel, puzzled together from over 200 standardised armour parts, are a part of a wall stretched from the north cape of Norway down to the Spanish border.
<figure><img alt="Watch your head" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195830616Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(4).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Watch your head</figcaption></center></figure>
It's maybe the greatest fortress after the chinese wall mankind ever build. And she was completely pointless because the anticipated invasion never come true.
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<b>More from Norway</b>
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Walk into <a href="https://travelfeed.io/@koenau/a-hell-of-a-trip-trekking-dreams-in-norway">the rain</a>
See the <a href="https://travelfeed.io/@koenau/sola-beach-fine-art-at-the-atlantikwall">hidden streetart of Stavanger</a>
Follow me trekking the <a href="https://travelfeed.io/exit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhive.blog%2F%40koenau">Lysefjord</a>
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Come with me to <a href="https://travelfeed.io/@koenau/oyuvsvatnet-paddling-over-the-mountains">Preikestolen</a>
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Few more pics for you:
<figure><img alt="Clean room after all these years" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195847820Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(22).jpg" width="4917" height="3687" /><center><figcaption>Clean room after all these years</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="360°" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195856661Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(27).jpg" width="5660" height="2446" /><center><figcaption>360°</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="Sola beach, where concrete monsters are sleeping in the sand" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195910513Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(24).jpg" width="4618" height="3464" /><center><figcaption>Sola beach, where concrete monsters are sleeping in the sand</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="A leftover cannon" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195918295Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(19).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>A leftover cannon</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="Marked weapon" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195923367Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(18).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Marked weapon</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="Gronsvik Kystfort, parking lot" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195931467Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(17).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Gronsvik Kystfort, parking lot</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="At the museum" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195938807Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(16).jpg" width="2304" height="3072" /><center><figcaption>At the museum</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="A bunker under rocks" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195946300Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(13).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>A bunker under rocks</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="Down in the dark" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T195958255Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(6).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Down in the dark</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="Sign of times" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T200007341Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(3).jpg" width="3072" height="2304" /><center><figcaption>Sign of times</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="A hidden place" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T200016279Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(12).jpg" width="2304" height="3072" /><center><figcaption>A hidden place</figcaption></center></figure>
<figure><img alt="The door downunder" src="https://img.travelfeed.io/koenau%2F20200820T200104103Z-Bunker%20Norwegen%20(26).jpg" width="3840" height="1707" /><center><figcaption>The door downunder</figcaption></center></figure>
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