1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,000 An absolute labyrinth down here. 2 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Looks like there's a number of tunnels down here 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,000 that they haven't fully cleared. 4 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,000 None of this has been reinforced. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,000 Yeah, that's all **** in there. 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:21,000 Okay, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back. 7 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,000 Something's letting loose down there. 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,000 Here we go, here we go. 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,000 Let's go, let's get out of here. It's letting go. 10 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Here's a question. 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,000 What's the most valuable object to ever be stolen? 12 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,000 You might think it's a rare Picasso or a massive diamond, 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:46,000 but in fact, it is something bigger, much bigger. 14 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,000 Our story begins with the Nazis. 15 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:55,000 From 1933 to 1945, the Third Reich systematically plundered art from across Europe. 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Amidst the stolen hoard is one object more precious than all the rest. 17 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,000 Actually, it's not an object at all. 18 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,000 It's an entire room. 19 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:08,000 The Amber Chamber. 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Crafted entirely of amber, gold, and precious stones, 21 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:21,000 the Amber Chamber was once displayed in St. Petersburg's Catherine Palace, 22 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000 where it was dubbed the Eighth Wonder of the World. 23 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,000 1941, war rages across Europe, 24 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,000 and Hitler's forces have invaded the Soviet Union. 25 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,000 Curators are forced to abandon the Catherine Palace. 26 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,000 The Nazis disassemble and pack the amber room into crates, 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,000 load it onto a train, and send it to Konigsberg Castle in Germany. 28 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,000 The castle is then bombed by the Allies, 29 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,000 and the entire amber room vanishes. 30 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 It's location a mystery. 31 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,000 But recently, experts in Russia and Germany have discovered new evidence 32 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,000 the Amber Chamber survived the war, 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,000 as well as clues that may point to its exact location. 34 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000 Conspiracy theories abound, but I want to find real answers. 35 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,000 Not to mention, the chance of documenting potential breakthroughs 36 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,000 in the hunt for the world's most valuable missing object. 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:27,000 My name is Josh Gates, 38 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,000 with a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration. 39 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,000 I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations. 40 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,000 There has got to be a better way to make a living. 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,000 My travels have taken me to the ends of the Earth, 42 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,000 as I investigate the greatest legends in history. 43 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,000 You're going to fly, let's go. 44 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,000 This is Expedition Unknown. 45 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,000 St. Petersburg, the grand vision of Peter the Great. 46 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,000 It's one of the most colorful cities on the planet, 47 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:05,000 boasting stunning Baroque architecture and fairy tale palaces. 48 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,000 In short, it's the beating cultural heart of Mother Russia. 49 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,000 This is it, St. Petersburg, one of the world's all-time great cities, 50 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,000 home of Pushkin, home of Tchaikovsky, home of Gandalf, apparently. 51 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:19,000 All the greats. 52 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,000 And it didn't take long before I got exposed to the local culture. 53 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:27,000 I feel like you're not wearing any clothes under here, is that true? 54 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,000 Oh, beautiful, perfect. 55 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,000 What is going on? 56 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,000 Sweet hat, check. 57 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,000 You like it? Yeah? You and me. 58 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Captain, first mate. Here we go. 59 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,000 I'm apparently in the opening of a James Bond film. 60 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:55,000 With 300 years of history all around me, it's time to begin my quest. 61 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:01,000 This is where the mystery of the Amber Chamber begins, right here at Catherine's Palace. 62 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Welcome to the Summer Palace. 63 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 Originally constructed in 1717 as a modest vacation home for Catherine I, 64 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:15,000 the Amber Room was moved here in 1755, where it became a symbol of peace and unity. 65 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,000 That is, until the Nazis showed up. 66 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:24,000 Inside I've arranged to meet with historian Vladimir Chekanov and a translator 67 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,000 to get a first-hand look at the scene of the crime. 68 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:29,000 It's stunning though, it's just beautiful. 69 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:31,000 How many rooms in the palace? 70 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:33,000 How many rooms in the palace? 71 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,000 About a few thousand rooms. 72 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,000 Is it possible? It is possible. 73 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,000 Everything is possible in Russia. 74 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,000 As it turns out, maybe anything is possible in Russia. 75 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:55,000 The palace boasts a seemingly endless collection of dining rooms, portrait galleries, 76 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,000 and slightly over-the-top home decorating. 77 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:02,000 It also contains something else, a reconstruction of the stolen Amber Room. 78 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,000 So this is it, this is the Amber Room. 79 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,000 This is incredible, look at this place. 80 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,000 And this is just a replica. 81 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:22,000 The impressive facsimile took 24 years of work by Russian craftsmen. 82 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,000 The price tag? $12 million. 83 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:29,000 It's a lot of rubles, but these sparkling panels are merely copies. 84 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,000 Today the original would be priceless. 85 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,000 What did this room look like when the Nazis arrived? 86 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:46,000 Before the curators left, they wall-papered the entire room to hide it from the Nazis. 87 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:51,000 After three days in the castle, the Nazis became suspicious. 88 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,000 So they took their knives and cut through it, exposing the beautiful Amber beneath. 89 00:05:56,000 --> 00:06:02,000 Six low-level Nazi soldiers and one commanding officer dismantled the room. 90 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,000 It took 36 hours and filled 22 crates. 91 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:12,000 The crates were loaded onto trucks and moved to a train which took them to the castle in Konigsberg. 92 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 So we know that the room went there, and then after that, we don't know. 93 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Do you think it was destroyed or do you think it's still out there somewhere? 94 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:25,000 It was hidden somewhere in the basement of Konigsberg. 95 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Do you think it's still in Kaliningrad? 96 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:30,000 It was used for gold. 97 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,000 If you want to find the Amber Room, follow the rails. Go straight to Kaliningrad. 98 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Thank you very much. 99 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,000 Thank you. 100 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Vladimir and other experts believe the Nazis buried the room in secret passageways below the castle. 101 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:52,000 It's an intriguing idea, and I plan to hop the next train to Kaliningrad to investigate. 102 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,000 That is, if I can figure out how to buy a ticket. 103 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Okay, I can probably work a Russian automated ticket machine. 104 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:07,000 Okay, from, this is St. Petersburg, to the Klingon home world, I think. 105 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,000 This makes perfect sense, obviously. 106 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:10,000 Purchase. 107 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,000 Pretty sure I just opened the checking account. 108 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:14,000 I don't really even know what's happening. 109 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:15,000 Bam. 110 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,000 Okay, I have a ticket. 111 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,000 I don't know to where, but I have a ticket. 112 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:28,000 I'm expecting the worst, but at the platform, I find an artifact nearly as beautiful as the Amber Chamber. 113 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,000 The Red Arrow. 114 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:34,000 This is a train. 115 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:40,000 This is some seriously cool, cold war, badass Russian technology here. 116 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,000 She's been running for a while, and she's been running for a while. 117 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:48,000 She's been reliably riding these rails since 1931, comes in candy apple red, 118 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,000 and blasts the hymn of St. Petersburg when it's time to board. 119 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Eat your heart out, Amtrak. 120 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,000 This was even compartment four. 121 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,000 Oh, look at this action. 122 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:17,000 I got box lunches and wrapped buns and, I don't know, Russian lotto scratchers. 123 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:18,000 What else could you need? 124 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,000 This is a lap of luxury here. 125 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:24,000 It's 140 degrees in this car, but other than that, it's awesome. 126 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,000 The Red Arrow pulls out of the station along the same rails that shipped Russia's greatest prize 127 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,000 into the heart of Nazi Germany, and it might still be out there. 128 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:39,000 Just six months ago, German authorities discovered 1,500 paintings stolen by the Nazis 129 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,000 stashed in a German apartment. 130 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:45,000 Collectively, they're worth more than a billion dollars. 131 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,000 Who's to say the Amber Chamber can't be next? 132 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,000 The journey from St. Petersburg will take me along the western edge of Russia, 133 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,000 skirting through Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania before arriving in Kaliningrad, 134 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,000 which, though it's geographically disconnected, is part of Russia. 135 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:06,000 All told, the train ride will cover 600 miles. 136 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,000 That's 16 hours. 137 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:10,000 Not that I'm counting. 138 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,000 It's a new day as I finally arrive in Kaliningrad. 139 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,000 Though, sadly, I'm still wearing the same shirt. 140 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,000 But as I make my way through the jumble of Prussian forts, German walls, 141 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:34,000 and Soviet apartment buildings, I'm reminded what a confusing place Kaliningrad is. 142 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,000 It was once a powerful German city called Konigsberg, 143 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:41,000 but in the aftermath of World War II, it was parceled out to the Soviets. 144 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:46,000 Think of it as the Russian Alaska, but with less snow and more linen statues. 145 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000 It's also the last known location of the Amber Room. 146 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,000 Whether the chamber is still here remains to be seen, 147 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,000 but one thing is clear, there is plenty of amber around. 148 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:02,000 From Amber Saints to Amber Hedgehogs, I mean, they've got it all. 149 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,000 The Amber Ships Wheel Clock? 150 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,000 I mean, come on. 151 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,000 The St. Elephant never forgets, and neither will your wife, 152 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:13,000 when you buy her this for your wedding anniversary. 153 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,000 Also, you'll be sleeping in the car. 154 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 There it is, the old Amber Seahorse Ashtray. 155 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,000 This is an amber frame, and this is amber. 156 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,000 She's a dancer, but she's got a heart of gold. 157 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:29,000 I'm not saying this, girls, adult dancer. 158 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:31,000 I just hope she is. 159 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,000 I'm literally covered in amber. 160 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,000 I mean, it is hot in this city. Seriously. 161 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:42,000 Forget the amber. Do you have any air conditioning around here? 162 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,000 Okay, thank you. 163 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,000 A man could get lost in Kaliningrad's treasure trove of amber chachkis, 164 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,000 but I'm looking for the real deal. 165 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:55,000 It's time to explore what remains of the amber room's last documented location. 166 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,000 Though you wouldn't know it today, 167 00:10:57,000 --> 00:11:00,000 Konigsberg Castle was once the epicenter of the city. 168 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:02,000 It was also a Nazi stronghold. 169 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:05,000 After the amber chamber was stolen and shipped here from Russia, 170 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,000 it was displayed for the elite of the Third Reich. 171 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:14,000 But in 1945, a British-led Allied attack reduced the castle to ruins. 172 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:18,000 Today, it's an eerie void that sits silently at the heart of the city. 173 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,000 At one end stands the foreboding House of the Soviets. 174 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Known locally as the Monster, 175 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,000 it has the dubious honor of being considered the ugliest building ever built. 176 00:11:27,000 --> 00:11:31,000 Even worse, construction was abandoned in the 1980s 177 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,000 after it was revealed that it was literally sinking into the ground. 178 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Parts of the original castle sit under this behemoth, 179 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:44,000 and there has long been a rumor that there may be tunnels that lead to the amber chamber. 180 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,000 But is it true? 181 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,000 I'll need to get inside to find out. 182 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,000 All I have to do is get past the local security guard. 183 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:54,000 Hi. 184 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:55,000 Go! 185 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,000 Potom! 186 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,000 I'm in the former German city of Konigsberg, 187 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:10,000 where I'm hot on the trail of the missing amber chamber, 188 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:14,000 an entire room stolen from Russia by the Nazis in World War II. 189 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:16,000 The Third Reich moved it here, 190 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,000 in a castle that was then bombed to pieces by the Allies. 191 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:24,000 I'm trying to get inside an abandoned building built over the ruins 192 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,000 to see if there's any evidence the chamber could still be here. 193 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Hi. 194 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,000 No! 195 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Potom! 196 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:39,000 Well, that didn't go exactly as I hoped. 197 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:40,000 What happened there? 198 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:44,000 It's times like this when I'm grateful to have a Russian translator lurking in the background 199 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:45,000 and just off camera. 200 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Why don't you talk to him for a minute? 201 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,000 I'll wait over here. 202 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,000 We'll let my translator here talk to that gentleman for a moment and see what happens. 203 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,000 Okay, so it's not looking good. 204 00:12:58,000 --> 00:12:59,000 Here, stop filming. 205 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,000 But after being asked to shut down my cameras, 206 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:04,000 followed by a lengthy negotiation, 207 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,000 I'm being allowed inside. 208 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Let's perceive it. 209 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Eva. 210 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:13,000 I've gone from being shut out entirely to having full run of the place, 211 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,000 and what a place it is. 212 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,000 First, I'm going to check the basement to find out 213 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,000 if there really are any secret passages down there. 214 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,000 Going downstairs, it gets very dark, very quick. 215 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:26,000 There's no electricity here. 216 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Really dangerous. 217 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,000 Just open staircases, no railings left. 218 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,000 It's damn creepy down here, 219 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,000 but if the rumors are true, the amber room could be within reach. 220 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:44,000 I mean, it is just pitch black down here. 221 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,000 This is the basement level. 222 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,000 Looks like a dead end. 223 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:04,000 So this is it, the end of the line down here in the basement of the house of the Soviets. 224 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:09,000 It's nothing but garbage and razor wire, and there's nothing down here. 225 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:15,000 It just ends in poured concrete slab, and no doors, no passages, just end of the line. 226 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:19,000 My search didn't reveal any secret passages that I can see, 227 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,000 but before I leave, I'm making a quick climb to the roof 228 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,000 to get a view of the castle's footprint that extends beyond the house of the Soviets. 229 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:29,000 The building is literally falling apart, 230 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:34,000 and as you can see, there's just cracks and huge sections of concrete that have tumbled off. 231 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,000 And the roof. 232 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,000 Wow. 233 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,000 Well, bad building, grave view. 234 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,000 From the roof, you can see the ghostly outline of Konigsberg Castle. 235 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:53,000 The Nazis brought the amber room here in 1941, 236 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:58,000 but at the end of the war, the ancient fortress was demolished by the Allies. 237 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:01,000 This is all that's left of Konigsberg Castle. 238 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,000 Other than that, it's just been utterly destroyed. 239 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:08,000 Many believe the amber room lies hidden somewhere beneath the ruins. 240 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:13,000 They've just recently started excavating this area over here to get down to some of the basement levels. 241 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:17,000 Even now, some 70 years later, the Russians are still looking. 242 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:20,000 Crazy. 243 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:27,000 Avenir Azayanov is the chief historian for the castle's excavation on the other side of the courtyard. 244 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:33,000 So far, they've turned up rare artifacts from precious past and even stonework from the Middle Ages. 245 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,000 But what about the amber chamber? Is it still here? 246 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,000 Take me back in time a little bit. 247 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,000 Today we're standing in what looks like ruins, 248 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000 but what would this castle have looked like before 1944? 249 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,000 We know that the amber is the castle's main source of history. 250 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:53,000 We know that the amber room was here in this castle, yes? 251 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:05,000 143 items from the amber room arrived in Konigsberg along with three boxes filled with pieces of amber. 252 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:09,000 They set up the room on the first floor on the southern part of the King's Castle. 253 00:16:09,000 --> 00:16:14,000 The amber panels were within 500 feet of where we are standing now. 254 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,000 Have any substantial pieces of the amber panels ever been found? 255 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,000 What they found in the summer of 1945 was small pieces, 256 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,000 but none of the bronze connectors holding the pieces together were ever found. 257 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,000 Which means the masterpiece might have been moved to Germany. 258 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:42,000 There is a German historian who believes the amber room is hidden in the forest near Oswald. 259 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:48,000 And further south, a treasure hunter has good evidence that parts of the room might be buried in a mine. 260 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:51,000 Thank you very much for your time. I appreciate it. 261 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:55,000 Thank you so much. 262 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:00,000 His team believes that there are two solid leads for possible locations for the amber chamber. 263 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Both are in Germany. 264 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:10,000 After eight hours aboard the train, it's clear that we're not in Russia anymore. 265 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,000 Station stop Berlin. 266 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,000 Few places have had a more dramatic turnaround than this storied city. 267 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:26,000 This was once the tightly regimented nerve center of the Nazi Empire. 268 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:31,000 Today, it's absolutely alive with a youthful artistic pulse. 269 00:17:31,000 --> 00:17:35,000 Even the Berlin Wall, once a gray, monolithic symbol of division, 270 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,000 is now a kaleidoscopic canvas for free expression. 271 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:42,000 I'd love to stay a while, but my train is rolling on. 272 00:17:48,000 --> 00:17:52,000 A few stops later, I disembark in the quaint town of Oswald, Germany. 273 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,000 Good day. Hello. 274 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:57,000 Hello. Can I make an breakfast? 275 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Alright, look at that. 276 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,000 I mean, that is the largest bun that you have available. 277 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,000 Okay, I'll take it. Look at that. 278 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,000 Bratwurst? Check. 279 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Let's go treasure hunting. 280 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,000 This is author and historian Matthias Gluba. 281 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:31,000 He has a compelling new theory that the amber room was transported here to Oswald by train, 282 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,000 along with some seriously dangerous cargo. 283 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:37,000 Okay, what have we got here? 284 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:43,000 This is a classified aerial photograph taken by the US Air Force in 1945. 285 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:49,000 It details the transport of two massive cannons from Konigsberg to Avisweider by train. 286 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,000 The cannons he's talking about are known as Dora and Gustav. 287 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,000 They are the two biggest guns ever built. 288 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:02,000 They were designed to ride on existing rail lines and fired 16,000-pound projectiles. 289 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:07,000 Had Hitler been able to deploy them, they may have changed the outcome of the war. 290 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,000 Tell me how this links to the amber chamber. 291 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:14,000 Train cars were used to transport the components of each gun. 292 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:20,000 But along with the cannons, there are reports that they also loaded the convoy with a secret cargo. 293 00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:27,000 It turns out Gluba has uncovered a previously top-secret document that just might point right to the treasure. 294 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:39,000 In 1941, the Nazis stole a priceless piece of Russian art, a room crusted with amber and gold. 295 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,000 It may have been moved by train to Germany, where it vanished. 296 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:51,000 Historian Matthias Gluba has uncovered new evidence that the amber chamber could be here in the German town of Oswald. 297 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:58,000 This is a top-secret Air Force intelligence photo from 1945 that Matthias dug out of the archives in Berlin. 298 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,000 46 train cars were used to transport the components of each gun. 299 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:09,000 But along with the cannons, there are reports that the convoy was traveling with a secret cargo. 300 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:17,000 This photo shows six extra cars on the train that were unaccounted for on official documents, but rumored to be carrying wooden crates. 301 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:22,000 So when the Allied forces made it here, what did they find when they made it to this depot? 302 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:28,000 The rail cars carrying the pieces of the gun were all still full of their cargo. 303 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,000 However, six of the rail cars were completely empty. 304 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:37,000 And do you think it's possible that the chamber could have been taken off these rail cars and hidden somewhere? 305 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000 I think it's highly likely. 306 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:45,000 If the chamber was taken out of those wagons, where could they possibly have hidden it around here, that the Allies wouldn't have found it? 307 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:47,000 Is this Allied's glen there? 308 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:51,000 There was a road that led from the train depot towards the Bunker in the forest. 309 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,000 That would be the perfect place to hide the boxes carrying the amber room. 310 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Are these bunkers still there? 311 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:59,000 Some were bombed, but for the most part, yes. 312 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:04,000 If these documents are accurate, the amber room could be hidden in these forgotten bunkers. 313 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:09,000 It doesn't take long for me to hike up to the forests, and Gluba has loaned me a German map of the Nazi compound. 314 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:14,000 So, I came in off the road here. 315 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:18,000 There should be a series of these bunkers on my left on this trail. 316 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:22,000 This might be one here. 317 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,000 You see how this whole thing is moving? 318 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,000 It's moving. 319 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,000 This might be one here. 320 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,000 You see how this whole thing rises up like that? 321 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,000 Yep, it is. It definitely is. Check this out. 322 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:41,000 These are big concrete blocks. 323 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:50,000 Looks like more bunker pieces here. 324 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:53,000 Same thing. 325 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,000 There's just nothing left here. 326 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000 When the Allies came in here, they just took these things down. 327 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,000 You can see how thick these walls used to be. 328 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:05,000 And now it's just a big open crater, just totally bombed to pieces. 329 00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,000 Okay, that's one down. Just keep checking them off. 330 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:16,000 The Nazis were obsessed with the amber room, and they would have done anything to keep it. 331 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:22,000 Most of these bunkers were destroyed near the end of World War II, but based on Matthias' promising leads, 332 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,000 I'm excited to see if one could still be intact. 333 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:32,000 Okay, according to the map, there's supposed to be a really huge underground area 334 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,000 that may not have been bombed somewhere in these woods. 335 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,000 Oh, look at this. Check this out. 336 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:50,000 Another one. This one's not collapsed. It's like a chimney. 337 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:54,000 I mean, I don't know where that goes, but it's huge down there. 338 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:56,000 That's freaky. 339 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:00,000 This looks like one of the bunkers, and it may still be in one piece. 340 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,000 Unfortunately, I can't fit inside. 341 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,000 But with a little jury rigging, my camera can do the work for me. 342 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:18,000 I thought camera's under water. See what it sees. 343 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:23,000 I mean, it's crazy. It's like a f***ing horror movie. 344 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,000 I am like halfway convinced I'm going to see a skeleton down here. 345 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,000 Okay, come out. 346 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,000 I want to see what's on this thing. 347 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,000 A little musty. 348 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 Let's see what we got here. 349 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:49,000 As I play back the footage, I'm hoping for any signs of treasure or for another entrance. 350 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,000 You see debris, branches. Water looks pretty filthy. 351 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000 It's like a big domed bunker. 352 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,000 Can't tell how deep the water is, but... 353 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:00,000 Oh, right there. 354 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:02,000 Look at that! 355 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,000 It's a huge room. It looks domed. 356 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,000 It's like a big domed bunker. Can't tell how deep the water is. 357 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,000 The amber room could be right under my feet. 358 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:22,000 Oh, right there. 359 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:24,000 Look at that! 360 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,000 That looks like another opening right there. 361 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,000 Might be another one of these chimney things. 362 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,000 Let's go see if we can figure out where the light source is coming from. 363 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:44,000 Oh, look at this! 364 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:46,000 This is it! 365 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,000 This is the other light that I was seeing from down there. Huge opening. 366 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:55,000 This is a much better view down there. 367 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,000 I can see some sort of... 368 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,000 Looks like a metal container even. 369 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,000 And just debris everywhere. 370 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,000 This is definitely that entrance that I was seeing the light from down there. 371 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,000 It's all one chamber. 372 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:10,000 Much bigger entrance though. 373 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:12,000 Fortunately or unfortunately, 374 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,000 I think I can fit down this one. 375 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,000 So, I should get down there and check it out. 376 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:20,000 It's getting dark. 377 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:24,000 And, it's about to get a whole lot darker. 378 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,000 Let's go check this out. 379 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:31,000 I break out boots and what few supplies I have. 380 00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:32,000 Okay. 381 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,000 This is gonna be terrible. 382 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,000 This is terrible. 383 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,000 It all spires all over the wall. 384 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,000 As I descend into the depths of a bunker 385 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,000 that was crawling with Nazis 70 years ago, 386 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:58,000 I can't help but feel a little uneasy at what I might discover. 387 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:00,000 Okay, I'm down. 388 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,000 Holy f**k! 389 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,000 Look at this place. 390 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,000 God, it's huge down here. 391 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:10,000 It goes way back. 392 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,000 It's just filled with debris. 393 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:14,000 Muck and gunk. 394 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:15,000 I mean, it's really bad. 395 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:28,000 Whatever this is. 396 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,000 I mean, it's probably the grossest water I've ever been in. 397 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:38,000 There's gasoline or oil in the water. 398 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:43,000 Oh, this whole piece of concrete that I'm on is totally unstable. 399 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,000 This whole piece of concrete just wants to flip over. 400 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,000 It's the only thing on here that's stable at this point. 401 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:05,000 Oh, that just drops right off there, doesn't it? 402 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,000 I managed to sort through as much of the debris as I can. 403 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,000 But it's mostly twisted metal and military scraps. 404 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:14,000 No sign of priceless artistic treasure. 405 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:17,000 I think with this bunker being burned out the way it is, 406 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:19,000 I think this might be another dead end, 407 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,000 and I think it's probably not that safe to stay down here 408 00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:26,000 because this air feels really stale and smells really chemically. 409 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,000 So I think I'm going to get the hell on out of here. 410 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,000 While Gloobus theory is compelling, 411 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,000 this particular bunker is trashed and was likely burned during the war. 412 00:27:39,000 --> 00:27:41,000 Still, with more time and resources, 413 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:45,000 who knows what other relics could be found in these decaying structures. 414 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:56,000 That is not where the amber chamber is, 415 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,000 but it is pretty amazing. 416 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:00,000 Wow. 417 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,000 Can I get like 40 gallons of Purell, please? 418 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:09,000 It's late and I'm beat, but German trains wait for no man. 419 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:15,000 That'd be a long day of running around. 420 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:26,000 A few hours later, the sun is up again, and so am I. 421 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,000 I'm disembarking to meet with an ex-CIA informant turned treasure hunter, 422 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,000 who has details about what may be the most promising search 423 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,000 for the amber chamber ever mounted. 424 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:44,000 I can't help but notice an unguarded border to the Czech Republic, 425 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,000 or the bar on the other side. 426 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:48,000 Bucket list item number 237, 427 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:51,000 illegally enjoy a beer in the Czech Republic. 428 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:52,000 Check please. 429 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:55,000 Check please, nobody. 430 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,000 Okay, where were we? 431 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,000 Ah yes, the ex-spy. 432 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,000 Helmut Ganzel's espionage days are behind him, 433 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:05,000 but he's managed to come into possession of a previously unpublished letter 434 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000 written by a German soldier, 435 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,000 who was secretly transporting boxes from Konigsberg 436 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:13,000 to the nearby city of Ducznodorf in 1945. 437 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:17,000 So these documents are written by a soldier, 438 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,000 and he's driving this truck, 439 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,000 and what does he say in the letter specifically? 440 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:24,000 The letter describes a very mysterious shipment 441 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,000 that came out from Königsberg. 442 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:31,000 The boxes, it was kept very secret, nobody could talk about. 443 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:33,000 Does he say how many crates there were? 444 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,000 No, four trucks. 445 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:36,000 Four trucks worth? 446 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:37,000 So a lot. 447 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,000 And did he see inside the boxes? 448 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:40,000 He saw only one box, 449 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,000 and that's what they saw, that is kind of the mirror. 450 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:44,000 That's a tantalizing detail, 451 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,000 because we know that a lot of the amber chamber 452 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 had these ornate mirrors and reflective pieces. 453 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:52,000 A secret transport, two weeks and only going tonight, 454 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,000 I think it was the amber. 455 00:29:56,000 --> 00:30:00,000 And where does he say that this secret shipment ends? 456 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,000 About eight kilometers from Deutsche Neu-Dorf. 457 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,000 In Deutsche Neu-Dorf, there are tunnels, 458 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:05,000 about three kilometers. 459 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:07,000 I'm sorry, does three kilometers of tunnels? 460 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,000 I would say even more, if you put all together. 461 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:14,000 The probability that they put it in there is very high. 462 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:17,000 So if I'm going down there to Deutsche Neu-Dorf, 463 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,000 who should I meet, who should I intersect with? 464 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,000 Heinz Peterhaustern, he's the mayor of the town. 465 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:24,000 And he's involved with the search? 466 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:25,000 He is the search, right? 467 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:26,000 He is. 468 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,000 He is the search. 469 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:29,000 So if helmets right, the Nazis hit the amber room 470 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:31,000 in a German mine in Deutsche Neu-Dorf. 471 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,000 And since my train doesn't run that way, 472 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:38,000 I'm taking a more local mode of transportation. 473 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:41,000 I've all gone to protect my mother, 474 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:43,000 now I ain't got a bit of to my name. 475 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:45,000 So I'm shooting this man, 476 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,000 I walk somebody and say, 477 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,000 you're all his bitch. 478 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,000 Now this is what I call a bike, 479 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:55,000 riding in style through the German countryside. 480 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:57,000 This baby here is state of the art. 481 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,000 I've just lost a few parts. 482 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:09,000 Come on girl. 483 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:12,000 I'm tearing across the German countryside 484 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,000 on the hunt for a priceless relic, 485 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:16,000 known as the amber chamber. 486 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:18,000 After pulling the bike off the road, 487 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,000 I hiked through the woods only to find this. 488 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:27,000 Heavy equipment and a group armed with high-tech scanners. 489 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:29,000 One of the team members 490 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,000 had a very good idea of what to do 491 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,000 with the German mine. 492 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:35,000 And I was able to find the right place 493 00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,000 to take the bike. 494 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:40,000 One of the team members, Paul, 495 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:42,000 introduces me to Peter Hausstein, 496 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:44,000 the mayor of Deutsch-Nedorf. 497 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:46,000 Hello, Peter, nice to meet you. 498 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,000 What's going on up here? 499 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,000 It seems like you guys have a full-scale operation going here. 500 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:06,000 Right under our feet, 501 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:08,000 we have a lot of mines, 502 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:11,000 and we think it's in one of these mines underneath the ground. 503 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,000 And so have you been able to get inside the mines at all, 504 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:16,000 or you're just trying to find a way down into them? 505 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:18,000 This is Bergwerk-Vertunasstall, 506 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,000 deckname Orfe. 507 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:22,000 Well, you have to understand, there was a factory here. 508 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:24,000 This factory is where the shipments from Konigsberg 509 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:26,000 were said to have been brought. 510 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:28,000 But it wasn't until 15 years ago 511 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:31,000 that anyone in the town knew that the factory had a secret. 512 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:34,000 It had been built atop a massive silver mine 513 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:37,000 that was found nearly 300 years earlier. 514 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:39,000 Coincidence? Probably not, 515 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,000 since there was an entrance to the mine in the bowels of the factory. 516 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,000 So what was being hidden down there? 517 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,000 What Peter then did with the support of the people and the government 518 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:53,000 is to remove that factory and find the way to the entrance. 519 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,000 Have you been able to enter any of the mine from above, 520 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,000 or only the one entrance where the factory was? 521 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,000 I often didn't think of it. 522 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:03,000 This is a pretty impressive operation. 523 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,000 I mean, you've got heavy equipment up here, 524 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,000 you've got very high-tech gear. 525 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:09,000 Do you need any help? I'd be happy to run that thing. 526 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000 Can I maybe put this thing in? 527 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,000 No, come on. Really? 528 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:19,000 I promise you that you just made a huge mistake, sir. 529 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:21,000 I'm definitely going to break this thing. 530 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:23,000 I'll find that chamber right now. 531 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,000 This is crazy. 532 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,000 I swear I have my German excavator driver's license. 533 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:29,000 Okay? 534 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,000 Oh, that's awesome. 535 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:31,000 If I do find the amber room, 536 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,000 let's hope I don't crush it with my new toy. 537 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:37,000 Okay. This is... 538 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:39,000 This doesn't look very complicated. 539 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:42,000 I've seen aliens. This is exactly like the thing from aliens, right? 540 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,000 So this is... 541 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:48,000 Uh-huh. Bucket goes down, bucket goes up. 542 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,000 Arm goes up, arm goes down. 543 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,000 What does this one do? 544 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:53,000 It turns the machine. 545 00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:56,000 Is this like a rocket launcher or a... 546 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:58,000 Horn? Got it. 547 00:33:58,000 --> 00:33:59,000 Found the horn. 548 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Okay, here we go. 549 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,000 I'm doing good. Look at this. 550 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,000 Good. 551 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,000 Guys, can I join your team permanently? 552 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,000 Absolutely, you can. 553 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,000 This is a multinational effort, 554 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:20,000 Germans and Americans working together in harmony. 555 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 I'd like to apologize for that phone tapping thing. 556 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,000 So, no sign of the amber chamber just yet. 557 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,000 We're down about 15, 20 feet here. 558 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:31,000 Any chance you can show me what's underneath us here? 559 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,000 I'm a little eager to get down there and see what you got. 560 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,000 Absolutely, you can. 561 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,000 Yeah? 562 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,000 Oh, come on. 563 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,000 All right. I'll just leave all this running, 564 00:34:40,000 --> 00:34:43,000 because otherwise I'm going to drive into this hole and kill myself. 565 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:44,000 Okay, all right. 566 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,000 I love the mare. 567 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:48,000 The mare says goes. 568 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,000 Let's go, guys. 569 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,000 Just beyond the tree line, the mare leads me to a building 570 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,000 where the old factory once stood. 571 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:02,000 Beneath our feet are purportedly miles of pitch black serpentine tunnels. 572 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:06,000 Wow. 573 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,000 The mare is willing to give me unprecedented access 574 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,000 to the deepest point of the mine that they've been able to reach. 575 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:15,000 I'm excited, but I'm not sure this yellow coat or hard hat 576 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:19,000 is much of a match for the thousands of tons of rock above my head. 577 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:21,000 Yeah? 578 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:22,000 We look good. 579 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:23,000 We're done. 580 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,000 This is the mine. 581 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:28,000 Oh, yeah, it is. 582 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:29,000 Oh my God. 583 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:32,000 So, yeah, obviously this is the entrance here. 584 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:36,000 This door was once hidden behind a factory wall in Nazi Germany. 585 00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:40,000 Now that it's been revealed, it's time to see what secrets are inside. 586 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,000 That is terrifying looking. 587 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:44,000 Lead on. 588 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,000 Here we go. 589 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,000 This is crazy. 590 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:55,000 There's no doubt about it. 591 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:59,000 This is a mine, a creepy, secret and very old mine. 592 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,000 This is actually really old stonework. 593 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:03,000 It's amazing. 594 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,000 It's like it's cut out of the rock, 595 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,000 but then you see these sort of beautiful arches and tunnels 596 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,000 from when they built this mine out of the rock. 597 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,000 And it's like, it's like a rock. 598 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:13,000 It's like a rock. 599 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:14,000 It's like a rock. 600 00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:15,000 It's like a rock. 601 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,000 It's like a rock. 602 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:17,000 It's like a rock. 603 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:18,000 It's like a rock. 604 00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:19,000 It's like a rock. 605 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,000 It's like a rock. 606 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,000 There are arches and tunnels from when they built this mine out, I think. 607 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,000 None of the stuff's new. 608 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:26,000 It was built out this way originally, it looks like. 609 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,000 These tools were used by the very first people who built this mine 610 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:35,000 in the 17th century. 611 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:39,000 Back then, it was being explored for silver and copper deposits. 612 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:40,000 I mean, this was there. 613 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:42,000 This was the high-tech tools of the day, right? 614 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:43,000 They didn't have more. 615 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,000 And using just this, how much progress would they make? 616 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:48,000 Maybe six meters a year. 617 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,000 18 feet a year. 618 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:52,000 We're working through 500 years of work. 619 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,000 It's like a time machine. 620 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:54,000 It is like a time machine. 621 00:36:54,000 --> 00:36:55,000 That's amazing. 622 00:36:55,000 --> 00:36:58,000 And despite their slow progress in carving these tunnels, 623 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:02,000 what they accomplished down here is nothing short of breathtaking. 624 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,000 It's like coming into a big chamber. 625 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:06,000 Oh my God. 626 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:08,000 Look at this. 627 00:37:09,000 --> 00:37:11,000 Look at this place. 628 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:12,000 Are you kidding me? 629 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:14,000 This is unbelievable. 630 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,000 Look at the stonework. 631 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,000 I mean, this is like Lord of the Rings down here. 632 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:19,000 How tall is this room? 633 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:21,000 It's in 30 meters. 634 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:23,000 About 30 meters high from here. 635 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Almost 100 feet tall. 636 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:28,000 And all of this looks like it's hand-laid brick and arches. 637 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,000 When were these arches made? 638 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,000 It was hundreds of years. 639 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:32,000 17th century? 640 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,000 Yeah, 17th century, exactly. 641 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:36,000 Do you guys have a dragon down here? 642 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,000 No, we haven't found one yet. 643 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,000 It's like something out of a movie. 644 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,000 This place is totally insane. 645 00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,000 Speaking of insane, I can't help but notice the pumps 646 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,000 that are being used to drain water out of a mine. 647 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:51,000 And so this is keeping the mine from flooding? 648 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:52,000 Exactly. 649 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,000 Okay, so let's hope that keeps working. 650 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,000 Without these systems in place, the mine could flood at any moment. 651 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,000 That looks safe. 652 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,000 That's a lot of water. 653 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,000 I think it's going to be a lot of water. 654 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:08,000 I think it's going to be a lot of water. 655 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:09,000 It's safe. 656 00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:17,000 You can see they've just jammed everything from steel rods to parts of trees. 657 00:38:17,000 --> 00:38:20,000 Try to keep the chamber from collapsing. 658 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,000 How old are these supports, Paul? 659 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,000 How old are these arches? 660 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,000 350 years. 661 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:29,000 350 years. 662 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:31,000 This looks up to code. 663 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:34,000 Charles, come on. 664 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:35,000 I'm coming. 665 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,000 I'm coming. 666 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:37,000 Here, Charles. 667 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:38,000 Okay, here you go. 668 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:40,000 The water still separates us from this treasure. 669 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:43,000 So they want to go in here in this shaft 670 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000 because they suppose there's another room. 671 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,000 Are you saying that there's another level underneath this? 672 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:49,000 New floor. 673 00:38:49,000 --> 00:38:51,000 Yeah, exactly what you're saying. 674 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:56,000 It's all flooded down there, but you can see that it does. 675 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,000 It goes into another chamber. 676 00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:01,000 Okay, so we can't get down in this area yet, 677 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,000 but we can keep pushing forward. 678 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,000 Looks like there's a number of tunnels down here 679 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,000 that they haven't fully cleared, 680 00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:16,000 so he's taking us down to areas that have not been explored. 681 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,000 Okay, so left. 682 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:20,000 Leaked? 683 00:39:20,000 --> 00:39:21,000 Okay. 684 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:22,000 I caught him. 685 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,000 Okay, here we go. 686 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,000 An absolute labyrinth down here. 687 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,000 The mine is getting smaller and more claustrophobic. 688 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:34,000 I've been walking for what seems like hours, 689 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:38,000 and I know there's no way I could ever find my way to the surface alone. 690 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:42,000 Finally, we come to what looks like an opening, sealed by rubble. 691 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,000 No one has explored beyond this point. 692 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:48,000 Could the amber room be here? 693 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:50,000 There's only one way to find out. 694 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:51,000 It goes up, yeah? 695 00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:52,000 Yes. 696 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Yeah, bring it down. 697 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:56,000 You got it? 698 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:02,000 Easy, sliding back. 699 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:06,000 Yeah? 700 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:08,000 Oh, it opens up. 701 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:10,000 It definitely opens up here. 702 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:13,000 This looks super sketchy, all this stuff. 703 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,000 None of this has been reinforced. 704 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,000 This is all old from the mine. 705 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:22,000 It looks like part of a ladder, maybe. 706 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:23,000 Careful, careful, careful. 707 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:25,000 None of this looks like it's in good shape. 708 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,000 This too, it's collapsed though. 709 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,000 Yeah, that's all in there. 710 00:40:33,000 --> 00:40:36,000 Oh, oh, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back. 711 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:37,000 Something's a little loose down there. 712 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:38,000 Here. 713 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:40,000 Definitely not safe. 714 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:43,000 Here we go, here we go. 715 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:47,000 Let's go, let's get out of here, it's letting go. 716 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:55,000 Hey, nice work. 717 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:56,000 Let's get out of here. 718 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,000 The mine is too unstable for us to go any further, 719 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,000 and frankly, we're probably lucky to have made it back to here. 720 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:04,000 The amber chamber's back there, 721 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:07,000 and I gotta tell you, I am halfway convinced it could be. 722 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:11,000 It's gonna need a lot of reinforcing of these walls to get to. 723 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,000 It's not safe in there at all. 724 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:17,000 This is as far as my journey is gonna take me. 725 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:22,000 If I'm being honest, I can't help but feel that the amber room could really be here. 726 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:25,000 But if it is, it's not going to be found today. 727 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,000 The Nazis may have won this round, but I'll be back. 728 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:30,000 Or at least the mayor will. 729 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:36,000 In the end, what's so compelling about the amber chamber is not what's been lost, 730 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:39,000 but what so many have labored passionately to find. 731 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:45,000 In St. Petersburg, craftsmen have toiled for decades to recreate the pride of a nation. 732 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:50,000 In Kaliningrad, relics stolen to a once mighty castle are being recovered. 733 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:56,000 And deep beneath the surface, a historic mine is slowly revealing its own long-buried secrets. 734 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:03,000 It seems fitting that the Nazis' divisive aim to covet and destroy great cultural treasures 735 00:42:03,000 --> 00:42:09,000 has only served to unite nations in a cooperative effort to preserve their heritage. 736 00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:12,000 There's no real, hard evidence that the amber chamber was destroyed, 737 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:17,000 and as more masterpieces continue to turn up nearly three-quarters of a century after the war, 738 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:20,000 perhaps the amber chamber is still out there, 739 00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:24,000 waiting patiently for someone to bring it back into the light.