Alytus Fortress Remains

The forests around Alytus conceal the remains of an extensive World War I-era German military fortification system. Built during the German occupation of Lithuania in 1915-1918, these concrete bunkers, observation posts, trenches, and connecting passages were part of the Ober-Ost defensive line. A century of forest growth has transformed the military landscape into something hauntingly beautiful. Massive concrete structures are split by tree roots, trenches have become green ravines, and bunkers serve as homes for bats and other wildlife. The contrast between military brutality and natural reclamation is powerful and photogenic. While most structures are in various states of collapse, the sheer scale of the fortification system — extending for kilometers through the forest — testifies to the military importance of the Alytus region.