Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility – Borås SV, Sweden - Atlas Obscura

Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility

Borås SV, Sweden

This abandoned urban warfare facility is a dream come true for airsoft and paintball enthusiasts. 

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Warfare in an urban environment is much different from fighting in open terrain, and as such requires special training. Fighters must learn their way around both buildings and underground infrastructure. Armed civilians defending their homes become hard to distinguish from combatants. And the ease of placing booby traps and snipers in various concrete nooks and crannies makes operations complicated.

It’s for this reason that governments create urban warfare facilities to train their troops. But not all of them remain in use. The Swedish Armed Forces abandoned this facility outside of the city of Borås years ago, and it has now become a sanctuary for paintball and airsoft players in the region.

The buildings, tunnels, and streets make the perfect environment for anyone who wants to play war. Graffiti enthusiasts have also found their way to the facility, and unfortunately, so have arsonists, who have burned down a few of the buildings.

The future of the Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility is uncertain. The Swedish Armed Forces no longer maintains it, claiming that the city of Borås took on that responsibility when they left. But until anything is decided, the local paintball and airsoft enthusiasts can enjoy a perfect environment for their hobbies.

Know Before You Go

Bockaby Urban Warfare Facility is a 10-minute drive by car from downtown Borås.

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