Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
4 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the Netherlands Imitation Airfield
AO Edited

Imitation Airfield

This fake airfield was built as a decoy to protect a real airport from the Allied Forces.

Oost-, West- en Middelbeers, Netherlands

Added By
Gertrude Abbring
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Wooden airplane in the woods.   gertrudeabbring / Atlas Obscura User
Wooden airplane in the woods.   gertrudeabbring / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of a wooden “bomb.”   gertrudeabbring / Atlas Obscura User
Information sign describing the fake airport   gertrudeabbring / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It was 1940 and the British bombers were determined to bomb the Dutch airfield of Eindhoven, which was by then under German control. The Germans, well aware of their intention, constructed this airfield as a decoy. Their imitation of Eindhoven is complete with hangars, runways, landing lights, and barracks. The airfield even had a “plane”—a wooden contraption that would drive up and down a rail from time to time when enemy planes approached. 

Hundreds of bombs were lobbed at the fake airfield throughout World War II—but most, if not all of them, were likely from the Germans themselves. The German fighter pilots used the airfield as a dumping ground, of sorts. When their bombers would return from England, they were often still loaded down with bombs that hadn’t been dropped. But the bombers couldn’t make it back to Germany without offloading their payload. To lose that extra weight, these bombers would fly as low as they could and drop bombs on their own (fake) airfield. 

After the Royal Air Force discovered the fake airfield, legend has it that they bombarded it with at least one wooden bomb. (Wooden plane. Wooden bomb. Makes sense, when you think about it.) An information board that recounts the history of the airfield displays a wooden bomb for curious passersby to see, and the wooden plane survives—it’s on the right of the pathway, surrounded by forest. Though not in Germany, this location remains a peculiar reminder of that country's WWII history.

Related Tags

Military History World War Ii

Community Contributors

Added By

gertrudeabbring

Published

March 3, 2025

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Imitation Airfield
Oost-, West- en Middelbeers, 5091
Netherlands
51.466162, 5.250315

Nearby Places

Hovenring

Eindhoven, Netherlands

miles away

Evoluon

Eindhoven, Netherlands

miles away

Doloris's Meta Maze

Tilburg, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Nearby Places

Hovenring

Eindhoven, Netherlands

miles away

Evoluon

Eindhoven, Netherlands

miles away

Doloris's Meta Maze

Tilburg, Netherlands

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Netherlands

Netherlands

Europe

Places 348
Stories 20

Related Places

  • The main entrance to the museum.

    Chiriaco Summit, California

    General Patton Memorial Museum

    A museum dedicated to the life and career of the gifted but controversial general.

  • The water tank

    Oxford, England

    Slade Camp

    A lost World War II military camp and post-war suburb swallowed by the woods.

  • Králíky, Czechia

    ‘K-S 14’ Infantry Bunker

    Witness to Nazi occupation, this bunker has managed to soldier on to this day.

  • The Bugøy Cannon.

    Norway

    The Bugøy Cannon

    Commemorating the story of how a small Norwegian village escaped destruction during World War II.

  • Entrance to the large tunnel.

    Nishiki, Japan

    Nishiki Secret Base Museum

    Secret tunnels leading to underground facilities lurk near the remains of a World War II-era Japanese Navy airbase.

  • Alresford, England

    Grave of Hambone Jr.

    This grave remembers the beloved canine companion of soldiers far from home.

  • The sector operations room.

    Valletta, Malta

    Lascaris War Rooms

    Both the World War II Allied Forces and NATO have used this modern bunker underneath Malta’s capital.

  • A floating Valentine tank, note the turret in the middle of the canvas

    Dorset, England

    Valentine Tank Wrecks

    The site of a dress rehearsal for D-Day that ended in disaster.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.