WALBRZYCH, Poland (AP) – The placid woodlands around this medieval castle town have suddenly become the hottest spot in Poland – as treasure hunters descend on the area in search of a mystery Nazi train said to be laden with gold.
Government reports that two men may have located the legendary World War II treasure, purportedly buried in a secret tunnel in the bowels of the earth, have set off a frenzy of excitement among fortune-hunters from across Poland and beyond.
“It’s a true gold rush,” said Andrzej Nowak, a 60-year-old retired teacher who lives near the spot.
Polish authorities recently said that two unidentified men used radar to locate an armored train deep under the woodlands around Walbrzych, and believe it could be the so-called Nazi “gold train.” Rumors have swirled for decades about the train, also said to be filled with weapons, though there is absolutely no evidence that it ever existed.
On one recent day, the normally quiet area was swarming with tourists, journalists and locals. Nowak, who himself has joined the treasure hunt, said he has seen cars with plates from across Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and elsewhere.