The decades-long search for a fabled Nazi gold train, rumored to be laden with looted treasures and hidden in a secret tunnel during the final days of World War II, has been thrust back into the spotlight. A mysterious letter, delivered anonymously to a local treasure-hunting foundation, claims to pinpoint the location of three camouflaged train carriages buried near the city of Walbrzych, reviving hopes of uncovering one of history’s greatest lost fortunes.

The letter, received by the Silesian Treasure Hunters’ Foundation, describes “camouflaged train carriages” concealed within a tunnel in the rugged terrain of Lower Silesia, a region long associated with the Nazi’s secretive Riese Project—a vast network of underground tunnels and bunkers constructed by forced labor between 1943 and 1945.

According to reports, the anonymous sender, who claims to have stumbled upon the site, provided detailed directions to a location near Walbrzych, sparking a frenzy among treasure hunters and historians alike.

“This is the most credible lead we’ve had in years,” said Lukasz Kazek, a local historian and member of the foundation, in an interview with the Post. “The letter’s specificity—describing three carriages hidden in a sealed tunnel—matches longstanding legends about the train. We’re cautiously optimistic but eager to investigate.”

The legend of the Nazi gold train has captivated adventurers since 1945, when retreating Nazi forces reportedly hid a train loaded with gold, jewels, and priceless artworks to evade the advancing Soviet Red Army. Local folklore suggests the train was driven into a tunnel in the Owl Mountains, part of the Riese complex, and sealed away, possibly booby-trapped to deter intruders.

Despite numerous searches over the past seven decades, including high-profile excavations in 2015 and 2016, no concrete evidence of the train has ever been found, leading some to dismiss it as a myth.

The 2015 search, led by treasure hunters Piotr Koper and Andreas Richter, made global headlines when ground-penetrating radar suggested a train-shaped anomaly buried near the 65th kilometer of the Wroclaw-Walbrzych railway. Polish authorities, including the military, cordoned off the area, and the nation’s deputy culture minister declared he was “99 percent certain” the train existed.

However, the dig was abandoned after experts from Krakow’s AGH University of Science and Technology concluded the radar images likely showed natural ice formations, not a train. The effort wasn’t entirely fruitless—tourism in Walbrzych surged by 44%, injecting an estimated $200 million into the local economy.

Now, the new letter has reignited the debate. The Silesian Treasure Hunters’ Foundation, cautious after past disappointments, plans to conduct non-invasive surveys using advanced radar and LIDAR technology before any digging begins.

“We’re not rushing in blindly,” Kazek said. “The technology available today—ground-penetrating radar, thermal imaging, and drones—gives us a better shot than ever to verify this claim without disturbing the site unnecessarily.”

The letter’s anonymity adds to the intrigue. Some speculate the sender could be a descendant of a wartime witness, possibly a German soldier or a local forced laborer, while others wonder if it’s a calculated hoax designed to drum up publicity. The foundation has vowed to protect the sender’s identity, stating only that the letter was delivered through a trusted intermediary.

Skeptics remain unconvinced. Dr. Michal Banas, a geologist at the Polish Academy of Sciences who investigated the 2015 site, warned that the region’s complex geology and extensive tunnel network make it easy to misinterpret data. “There might be a tunnel, but the idea of a gold-laden train has been exaggerated by decades of storytelling,” he told the New York Post. “Without physical evidence, it’s hard to separate fact from legend.”

Yet the allure of the Nazi gold train persists, fueled by the region’s dark history. The Riese Project, shrouded in secrecy, was intended for an unknown purpose—possibly a hidden weapons program or a last-ditch bunker for Hitler’s inner circle. The Nazis’ hasty retreat in 1945, coupled with the destruction of most tunnel plans, has left treasure hunters like those in the Lower Silesian Research Group scouring old maps, survivor testimonies, and abandoned mineshafts for clues.

For Walbrzych, a former coal-mining town struggling since the collapse of communism, the renewed hunt is already paying dividends. Local hotels and tour operators report a spike in bookings, and Ksiaz Castle, a nearby 13th-century fortress linked to the Riese tunnels, is seeing record visitors.

“Whether they find the train or not, the gold train has always been good for business,” said Arkadiusz Grudzien, a city spokesman.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)