The dome is constructed of 55,000 cubic meters of reinforced concrete.
It was intended to be the assembly and storage point for up to 500 V2 rockets.
The facility was bombed heavily by the Allies before it could ever launch a single rocket.
The bunker remained largely forgotten and sealed until the 1990s.
The underground tunnels span thousands of square meters, only a portion of which is open to the public.
The planetarium uses a digital projection system to simulate the V2 rocket trajectory and the subsequent space race.
The site represents the early transition from traditional artillery to long-range guided missile warfare.
La Coupole is a massive, concrete subterranean bunker complex built by Nazi Germany during WWII to serve as a launch base for V2 rockets. The site currently operates as a history museum focusing on the occupation of Northern France and the development of Hitler’s 'vengeance weapons.' Visitors explore the enormous concrete dome, which was originally designed to withstand heavy Allied bombing raids. The museum features a 3D planetarium that depicts the history of space exploration and rocket technology. Historical exhibits are housed within the original tunnels and production galleries of the bunker. The facility serves as both a memorial site and a research center for regional history and scientific military development.
The interior of the massive concrete dome, which showcases the scale of the original wartime architecture.
Bring a jacket as the underground temperature remains cool regardless of the weather outside.
Allow sufficient time for the planetarium shows, which run on a rotating schedule.
Read the provided audio guide thoroughly as the museum complex is vast and multi-layered.
Do not underestimate the time required; the museum is larger than it appears from the exterior.
Closed for the annual winter break in January.
Maintain a respectful tone due to the site's history as a site of forced labor and military conflict.
