Depending on the sort of media you like to consume, there are all sorts of things, from the bizarre to the macabre, that you might imagine you could find hidden away in the depths of a sprawling complex of abandoned mine tunnels. We’ll bet you didn’t have an enormous stash of classic Volkswagens on that list, though.
That’s exactly what sits deep inside an old mining complex somewhere in the mountains of Switzerland, though. The bizarre sight has been documented by urban explorer Bob Thissen, who’s checked out all manner of remarkable abandoned places on his YouTube channel, Exploring the Unbeaten Path.
This mine perhaps isn’t quite on the same scale as some of the other places he’s visited, including a prison, an aircraft carrier and an entire international airport, but it is full of old cars, so it’s a bit more our speed.
After finding several dead ends within the vast complex of tunnels, Thissen and his companion eventually hit the jackpot: a large space packed full of classic VWs. A good chunk of them are original Beetles, but there are also Mk1 and 2 Golfs, early Polos and Passats, and a few examples of the Mk4 Golf and (not very new anymore) New Beetle.
Abandoned VW Beetle in a mine
While the damp, cold conditions have not been kind to these cars, it seems they haven’t been down here as long as they appear: some, according to stickers in the windscreens, were road registered as recently as 2018.
But what exactly are they doing down here? The video’s top comment claims they’re owned by a museum dedicated to classic VWs, and are either parts cars or simply examples the museum doesn’t have room for. The Autopian has identified this as the Volkswrecks Museum in the town of Saint-Sulpice. As its name suggests, concours-worthy condition doesn’t seem to be the museum’s top priority, which might explain why all these cars are being stored like this.
Abandoned VW Polo and Golf in a mine
This isn’t the first eerie automotive sight Thissen has visited – last year, he travelled to the Fukushima exclusion zone in Japan, showing off some of the rare cars that were abandoned there after the nuclear meltdown there. We tip our hats to Jalopnik for drawing our attention to this latest car-based expedition, though.
