N-S 81 Lom casemate

N-S 81 Lom is an infantry blockhouse (pěchotní srub) sitting on a ridge east of Náchod, near the Běloves district, built in 1938 as part of Czechoslovakia's pre-war border fortifications.

What kind of site is this?

N-S 81 Lom belonged to the so-called "Polsko" construction section, part of the heavy fortification line Czechoslovakia raised in a hurry to defend against the growing threat of Nazi Germany just before World War II. It is a standalone, two-sided combat bunker: it carried two firing embrasures facing opposite directions, allowing its crew to sweep the defensive line along both flanks. Inside, the structure is split into two levels — an upper combat floor holding the weapon and observation positions, and a lower rear floor used for technical equipment and crew facilities.

One of the most distinctive defensive features is the pair of diamond-shaped anti-personnel trenches dug in front of the main firing embrasures on each side of the bunker, roughly 3.2 metres deep and 1.5 metres wide. Their purpose was simple but effective: keep attacking infantry from reaching the firing slits and planting explosive charges against the bunker's walls.

N-S 81 Lom stands close to the Dobrošov artillery fortress, built between 1936 and 1938 as the anchor point of this fortification section, and not far from the Březinka memorial. Together with dozens of other bunkers scattered across the hills around Náchod, it forms part of an open-air fortification trail that draws visitors interested in 20th-century military history.

How to get there?

The bunker lies east of downtown Náchod, near the Běloves district, along the hiking paths leading toward Dobrošov. The easiest way to reach it is on foot or by bike, following the network of trails that link the various fortification sites of the Náchod region's "fortress open-air museum." Many of the bunkers in the area can be combined into a single day's walking route. It is worth checking current trail markings and opening schedules in advance, since access to individual bunkers is seasonal and depends on local volunteer enthusiasts who maintain them.

What will you see inside?

The blockhouse is now open as a small museum, cared for by the Vojensko-historický klub Náchod (Military History Club Náchod), a group of enthusiasts dedicated to preserving and documenting Czechoslovak border fortifications. Visitors can walk through the original combat rooms, see the machine-gun emplacements, inspect the ventilation and air-filtration systems, and view surviving pieces of late-1930s military equipment. The exhibits illustrate both the daily routine of the garrison stationed here and the careful engineering behind the defenses, from the thickness of the reinforced concrete walls to the anti-personnel trenches outside.

When should you visit?

Summer and early autumn are the best times to come, when the fortification trail's sites are typically open to the public, usually on weekends. History enthusiasts often pair a visit to N-S 81 Lom with a trip to the nearby Dobrošov fortress — seeing both gives a much fuller picture of how this stretch of the Czechoslovak border was meant to be defended.

Frequently asked questions

Is N-S 81 Lom a standalone bunker or part of a larger fortress? It is a standalone, isolated combat blockhouse, but it functioned as part of the same fortification section as the nearby Dobrošov artillery fortress.

How many soldiers would have served here? A two-sided blockhouse of this type typically housed a crew of a dozen or so soldiers operating the machine guns and technical systems across its two floors.

Can you go inside the bunker? Yes, the site is open as a small museum run by local military history enthusiasts — it is worth checking current opening hours before you visit.

What are the trenches in front of the firing slits for? Those are diamond-shaped anti-personnel trenches, about 3.2 metres deep, designed to stop attacking soldiers from reaching the bunker's firing embrasures directly.