With the pandemic fresh in our memories and global tensions escalating by the day, it's no surprise that the demand for luxury bunkers has risen sharply in recent years. Of course, the world's mega-rich have already started prepping for the worst and are investing in luxe safe houses where they can shelter in safety should disaster strike.

Packed with everything from swimming pools to golf courses, movie theatres and bowling alleys, these are the planet's most luxurious subterranean shelters. Click or scroll on to take a look inside...

Billed as 'the largest billionaire bunker in the world', The Oppidum is a shelter concept planned for the Czech countryside by the eponymous Swiss firm Oppidum.

When – or if – it's completed, it's said that the complex will sprawl over 323,000 square feet and consist of a cavernous underground shelter with a ground-level golf course, helipad and automated defence technology. 

Plans for the lavish development involve the ambitious conversion of an existing military bunker on the site.

The historic complex was built by the Czech government and the Soviets in 1984 at the height of the Cold War. It can withstand everything from a nuclear attack to a natural disaster, making it the ideal candidate for the luxury, disaster-proof project. 

Real estate entrepreneur Jakub Zamrazil acquired the bunker in 2013 and set about designing one of the world's most luxurious underground shelters, capable of keeping its occupants safe and in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed for up to 10 years.

The subterranean complex will feature a large 6,750-square-foot master apartment, six 1,720-square-foot suites and plenty of premium facilities and amenities.

Designs for the complex also show a movie theatre, billiards room, children's playrooms and an extensive library to keep residents entertained. The underground hideout will also feature plenty of storage space, enough for ten years' worth of food and drink.

Living spaces in The Oppidum will rival the world's finest five-star hotel suites with high-end furnishings and cutting-edge entertainment facilities.

Best of all, the living rooms and bedrooms will reportedly feature virtual window panels that give the illusion of being in the outside world.

The floor plan of the subterranean structure will range from large entertaining rooms and social spaces to more intimate nooks like this cosy snug – the perfect place to hunker down while World War Three rages overhead. 

There'll be no roughing it in communal bathrooms here. Each suite within the complex will have a swish ensuite bathroom, complete with a whirlpool bath, rainfall shower and double sink.

If residents find themselves yearning for greenery, they can relax in the subterranean garden, which will feature simulated natural light to mimic a sunny day above ground. Occupants will also be able to take a leisurely dip in the adjacent swimming pool or relax in the treatment spa.

Keeping fit and maintaining muscle tone shouldn't be a problem in The Oppidum. Renders of the on-site gym show the space packed with state-of-the-art workout equipment, from treadmills and elliptical trainers to exercise bikes and chest press machines.

The plans also include a conference and communications room, hospital and dental surgery within the facility.

Designed for just one buyer, the bunker will ultimately be made to fit the specifications of its billionaire owner. It's not clear if the shelter has become a reality yet, or if it ever will – The Guardian has claimed the plans are no more than a "CGI pipe dream", or perhaps the project is simply being kept under wraps. 

Oppidum has since expanded its catalogue to offer a range of ultra-luxury designs for its discerning clientele to choose from. These range from the bijou two-bedroom Model Linear starting at $8 million (£6.3m), right up to the extraordinary five-bedroom, seven-bathroom Model L'Heritage. Let's take a look around...

L'Heritage is an extremely opulent underground option for an end-of-world escape. The 10,760-square-foot design descends 49 feet below ground and is built to NATO-standard ballistic and blast protection levels, using the same formulation of high-density concrete used to build nuclear power plants. 

Oppidum founder Jakub Zamrazil says that "an Oppidum provides peace of mind" in an "uncertain world". We should hope so, given that the starting price for L'Heritage is $60 million (£47.3m), increasing to around $100 million (£79m) when you add in luxury extras, such as staff quarters.

L'Heritage is entered by means of a hydraulically activated ramp, which can be concealed so that it is "almost invisible" until it is opened. The ramp allows vehicles to drive down into what Oppidum calls the parc fermé, a secure underground garage guarded by its own security gate. Access to the bunker can also be provided via a flight of stairs down from the optional helipad.

Once you've navigated your custom-designed garage, you pass through an airlocked decontamination zone set between two blast doors, the first of which is controlled by a multi-biometric reader, which uses not only facial scanning but also iris- and palm-recognition technology. 

Inside the sanctuary, you're greeted by an impressive entrance hall, which leads to a luxurious lounge, as well as a fully secured space for confidential discussions so that business can continue no matter the circumstances above ground.

A discreetly concealed button turns opaque walls transparent, revealing an underground garden and the adjoining art gallery (pictured). Constructed to the same anti-intrusion standards as commercial bank vaults, the gallery boasts top-of-the-line fire protection, ventilation, temperature and humidity control systems to keep everything in perfect condition.

The L'Heritage model is designed so that the private living quarters, which include the lounge and all the bedrooms, are securely separated from the more public sections of the bunker, enabling residents to safely separate business and family life when inhabiting the bunker full-time.

According to Oppidum’s website, the bunker’s living quarters can be designed to accommodate as many guests as the buyer requires.

Another special feature of L'Heritage is the remarkable inner garden, in which a range of flowers, plants and trees flourish year-round, courtesy of a sophisticated automatic irrigation system. Overhead, a skylight provides full light spectrum simulation, including sunrises, sunsets and changes in season.

Elsewhere, L'Heritage includes a swimming pool worthy of a film set, which can be filled with either fresh or saltwater, a fitness room and a plush home theatre equipped with a projection screen and a host of live feed options to keep boredom at bay. We're starting to like the sound of underground life!

Where better to take shelter in the event of an apocalypse than a former Cold War bunker? Situated in northwest London in the UK, this remarkable piece of real estate offers security, seclusion and plenty of stunning living spaces.

Previously on the market back in 2020 with F W GAPP for $12.7 million (£10m), we wouldn't mind holing up here at the end of the world.

Dating back to the early 1950s, the structure was originally built as a command centre by the British government in response to the threat of nuclear war. The fortified structure was where military commanders would take cover should an attack take place.

These days it looks a little different from its previous life as a utilitarian bunker, with a beautiful modern interior and no shortage of high-end fixtures.

The converted residence now encompasses 10,000 square feet of living space, including a sprawling reception room, six luxurious bedroom suites, two kitchens, a dining room, a study and even a home cinema.

There's definitely no shortage of space in this stunning doomsday shelter and it's no wonder – the structure was originally built to shelter up to 50 staff.

The residence's other opulent amenities include an incredible 30-foot indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room, so you can kick back and unwind, safe in the knowledge that you're protected by five-foot-thick, steel-reinforced concrete walls.

When the house was originally listed back in 2020, it was billed as a "pandemic refuge" and we can certainly see why. 

Outside, the property and its grounds are guarded by concrete walls and electric entrance gates. Privacy was of the utmost importance to the British government when the bunker was constructed, as well as to the home's most recent owner.

Set within 1.5 acres, the property was designed to be invisible from all vantage points, with no neighbours overlooking the house. You don't get much more secure than that!

Disaster-proof property developer Survival Condo has refurbished a former Atlas F nuclear missile silo in rural Kansas and converted the 20,000-square-foot space into luxury subterranean condos and communal areas.

Aimed at the less price-conscious among us, the condos start at $1.5 million (£1.2m) for a 900-square-foot space covering half a floor, increasing to $3 million (£2.4m) for a full-floor condo suite that can accommodate six to ten people.

There's also a penthouse option starting from $4.5 million (£3.6m), which boasts 3,600 square feet of space across two levels, should you really want to see out the end of the world in style.

Extremely tough, the "nuclear-hardened" silo is protected by two armoured doors weighing eight tonnes each and nine-foot-thick walls, which can withstand a direct nuclear hit, severe flooding, extreme tornado wind speeds and pretty much anything else humankind or nature can throw at them.

The underground complex contains all the necessary facilities to keep its occupants safe for up to five years. For instance, a hydroponic farm provides fresh fruit and vegetables, and residents will be able to raise fish in aquaculture tanks.

Each condo is fully furnished and the interiors have been created by top designers. Conceived with relaxation and entertainment in mind, the apartments are kitted out with massage chairs, 50-inch LED TVs and virtual windows.

Foodies are well catered for in this prepper complex. All condos feature fully equipped kitchens with Kohler sinks and taps and high-end stainless-steel appliances – ideal for cooking up the veg and fish harvested from the on-site hydroponic and aquaculture farms.

The condo bedrooms are generously apportioned and surprisingly bright and airy. A virtual LED window simulates views of the great outdoors and residents can customise the scene they'd like to see. 

A dedicated library will eventually stock thousands of books that residents can read at their leisure. The bunker complex also houses a classroom for children and adults who want to further their education during their time underground.

The bunker has a large swimming pool buried deep below the ground. The tropical-themed resort space features real palm trees, waterfalls and a slide for endless entertainment while you wait out a global disaster.

There's even a climbing wall if residents are feeling especially energetic. For fitness fans, there's also an on-site gym available where occupants can pump some iron or work up a sweat on a treadmill.

Among the high-tech entertainment amenities on offer, there's a spacious movie theatre where residents can kick back and enjoy movie marathons.

There's something for four-legged family members too, as the complex features its very own subterranean dog park. 

This converted nuclear bunker, located in the idyllic village of Mistley in Essex, UK, was built in 1951 during the Cold War. Formerly used as a communications hub to protect officials in the event of an attack, the bunker was originally kitted out with military-grade tank steel and reinforced concrete walls. 

However, the bunker was never used, and following the end of the Cold War, it was converted into a museum that closed in 2002.

Now, after years of lying derelict and empty, the space has been overhauled and converted into three luxury apartments. 

Situated around a stylish modern atrium, the new apartments are the perfect place to ride out a nuclear attack. They're protected by heavy blast doors made from military-grade tank steel and three-foot-thick reinforced concrete walls. Despite its heavy-duty architecture, the finished apartments are the lap of luxury inside. 

With one four-bed apartment and two three-bed apartments, the developers, Buildvantage, have made sure to include plenty of lavish finishes.

The floor plans are airy and open-plan, making them the perfect places to ride out a nuclear event in comfort. In this unit, a skylight provides residents with natural light and a glimpse of the outside world. 

The new design retains the bunker's reinforced doors and walls, and one of the properties also features an original ventilation system housed behind a glass wall.

Named the 'secret bunker', the apartments hidden within the Grade II-listed nuclear bunker went up for auction in November 2021 with a guide price of $1.8 million (£1.4m).

Dubbed 'the world's ultimate Doomsday escape', Vivos Europa One is hidden behind a high perimeter fence, topped with razor wire in Rothenstein, Germany.

It's the brainchild of Vivos CEO Robert Vicino, who has built multiple bunkers across the globe, including Vivos xPoint, which is a more affordable option, and Vivos Indiana, which we'll come to in a moment.

Like many of the shelters in our round-up, the $1.1 billion (£868m) Vivos Europa One is a converted former Cold War bunker. Carved out of solid bedrock, the cave-like underground shelter is embedded deep within a limestone mountain and can survive a close-range nuclear explosion, a direct airline crash, severe flooding and earthquakes, as well as biological and chemical attacks.

Still under construction, the elite 227,904-square-foot bunker is no longer taking applications for residents. However, when spaces were still up for grabs, prices for the luxe living chambers began at $2.2 million (£1.7m) for a private 2,500-square-foot apartment.

There was also a slightly more affordable option available to those with thinner wallets: $38,000 (£30k) per person for a 97-square-foot semi-private suite, but residents have to share the overall space with up to four other people.

Future residents are free to customise their living space. The chambers will nod to high-end yacht design and feature lots of marble, polished wood finishes and leather upholstery. Buyers can also opt for extras such as private swimming pools, movie theatres and gyms.

Bedrooms will be sumptuous and lavishly decorated, with opulent king-sized beds, fine wood cabinetry and calming mood lighting, plus the sleeping areas will feature the latest technology, from 4K TVs to smart automation.

Residents can even opt for a massive aquarium in their bedroom space, filled with stunning tropical fish. Each chamber will also feature deluxe ensuite bathrooms and wetrooms, as well as a gourmet kitchen.

Although residents can opt to have a private pool installed in their personal chamber, they'll also get to swim in the sizeable community pool. The pool area will lead out to an underground nature garden lit by simulated sunshine.

If the end of the world really is nigh, then it's likely some of the residents will want to put their hands together and pray, so Vivos is building a medieval-style chapel within the complex. It's slated to feature a vaulted, wood-beamed ceiling and virtual stained-glass windows.

Perfect for binge-watching films or TV shows from the pre-apocalyptic days, the Vivos Europa One movie theatre will provide residents with a mind-bogglingly massive library of content, from romcoms to cookery shows. 

A sort of Noah's Ark, Vivos Europa One will have its very own zoo, with a specially selected collection of animals to safeguard their survival should a mass extinction event occur.

The complex will also include a mini museum and an artefacts room, as well as a DNA and seed vault.

Ideal for the super-rich buyer with a parcel or two of empty land lying around, this ultimate disaster shelter can be installed anywhere around the world.

Made by Rising S Company, The Aristocrat is their most premium bunker design and it's got everything you need to live in the lap of luxury underground.

Yours for just over $9.6 million (£7.6m), the luxury hideout has a ground-level safe house that conceals the entrance down into the bunker, and the hatch itself even lies behind a false door to deter unwanted visitors.

The ultra-secure structure features bullet-resistant steel-plated walls and a heavy blast door with a deadbolt locking system. Inside the bunker, a sprawling kitchen and living room offer plenty of communal space for socialising.

There are 14 bedrooms with a mixture of double beds and twin beds, along with five bathrooms, a laundry room, a workshop, a tool room and a garage.

Beyond the standard creature comforts, the complex also has a variety of luxury home features, including a movie theatre room, bowling alley, games room, firing range and even a motor cave for storing the residents' prized car collections.

Elsewhere, there's a swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and fitness centre kitted out with all the state-of-the-art equipment a fitness fan could ask for.

Self-sufficiency hasn't been overlooked either, as a sprawling greenhouse complex provides LED grow lights and automated irrigation, so you'll have a sustainable food source too.

At its highest capacity, the bunker has space for around 50 people, so activity zones like the vast games room will come in useful when you're all hunkered down together.

Outfitted with an air filtration system, the hideout is fully equipped to run on or off the grid, with a solar battery for storing backup energy. We know where we'd want to be when the end of times rolls around!

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