Authorities confirm a military train has been found in Polish mountains

THE hunt for a long-lost Nazi train carrying gold, weapons and other priceless loot has taken a new twist. Is the search over?

THE hunt for a long-lost Nazi train carrying gold and guns in the Polish mountains has taken a new twist with the discovery of a train of a “military nature” in the south-western city of Walbrzych, the mayor’s office has confirmed.

Last week two treasure hunters claimed they found the legendary train, which was believed to be loaded with priceless Nazi loot when it “vanished” in Poland in the closing days of World War II.

Walbrzych deputy mayor Zygmunt Nowaczyk said a lawyer for the two men told him it was somewhere in mountainous Walbrzych.

“The city (of Walbrzych) is full of mysterious stories because of its history. Now it is formal information — (we) have found something,” Mr Nowaczyk said in a press conference.

Arkadiusz Grudzien, a spokesman for Walbrzych council’s legal office, said: “The letter (from the ‘finders’ lawyer) does not give the exact location but there is no doubt the location is within the limits of our district.

“The train is of a military nature. There is no mention of valuables: just military equipment.”

The military has reportedly cordoned off a large area where the train is believed to be located.

#goldtrain tunnel location pic.twitter.com/VXsgrZGcFi

— Exen (@Exen) August 26, 2015

It is not known whether the find is the legendary Nazi gold train.

According to local lore, the heavily armoured, 150-metre train is packed with treasures taken from Polish museums, galleries and private reserves, along with 23 boxes of gold bullion. Locals say the train “vanished” into a mountain at the end of World War II as the Germans fled the Soviet Red Army.

Mr Nowaczyk said he would pass on the information he has about the train’s location to the Polish government because, if found, the train would be state property, reports The Telegraph.

People have been hunting for a legendary Nazi gold train for 70 years.

The Polish state treasure and culture ministry have been notified in case the find contained anything of value.

But the two men who claim they found the loot — a Pole and a German — said through their lawyer that they would only reveal the location if they were guaranteed a finders’ fee of 10 per cent its value.

Fortune hunters from across Europe are now flocking to Walbrzych, in the Owl Mountains about 10 kilometres from the Czech border, in the hope of enjoying some of the potential spoils.

Experts have warned that the train may be packed with explosives and could also be mined.

“We are on alert should we need to take any specific security measures,” a police spokeswoman told Polish news channel TVN24.

Ksiaz Castle in Walbrzych, Poland, about 10km from the Polish-Czech border. Picture: AFP / PAP / Maciej Kulczynski

Talk of the gold train has sent the town of Walbrzych abuzz.

“People are talking about it,” local cafe owner Marek Marciniak told The Telegraph.

“They are talking about in the town. My clients talk about it and we’ve had a lot of journalists coming by.

“And when I go home and flick on the television I see a lot of news about the about the ‘gold train’.”

Mr Marciniak said many people in the past have tried and failed to find fame and fortune through the gold train’s discovery.

But he added what made this claim of discovery different was that the two claimants had taken the legal step to file a claim with local authorities in the hope of securing a reward.

One of the holes made by the treasure hunters next to an old ventillation shaft at the #goldtrain location pic.twitter.com/DtLFSUZDBu

— Exen (@Exen) August 26, 2015

Some experts have said it could take up to six months to dig up the train, assuming it’s buried.

It is believed the train vanished near Ksiaz Castle in Walbrzych, which was the local Nazi headquarters during World War II.

According to legend, during the Nazi occupation, a treasure trove of gold, gems, art and historical artefacts had been stripped from Polish museums, galleries and private collections. The Germans also took the gold reserves of the nearby Wroclaw bank.

Gold bars taken from Jewish people by the Nazis and stashed in the Heilbron Salt Mines. Source: National Archives Source

As the Red Army was closing in on Wroclaw in the final days of the war (about 82km from Walbrzych), the Germans felt the priceless plunder was at risk of falling into Russian hands.

As the legend continues, the Germans sent the heavily armoured train to Wroclaw (formerly Breslau) in May 1945 to collect the loot, which it reportedly did, but it disappeared sometime after leaving Wroclaw on a south-western rail line.

The hills around Walbrzych are home to some of the Project Riese tunnels — the code name for a construction project of Nazi Germany that comprised seven underground structures. The purpose of the project remains uncertain.

“It would be an incredible discovery,” historian Joanna Lamparska told TVN24, adding: “(Until now) no one could ever prove the existence of this train”.

Lawyer Jaroslaw Chmielewski, who spoke to Radio Wroclaw on behalf of the two treasure hunters, said: “This is a treasure of global significance, comparable with the Titanic.”

Part of a subterranean system built by Nazi Germany in Poland. Picture: AP Photo