But the small chance of finding any valuables didn’t deter amateur gold-diggers.
“I see groups of people with metal detectors everywhere,” Jan Heinzen, 57, told Reuters while taking a break from his own search.
“Like many people, the news about the treasure inspired me to go looking for it myself. I think the chances of the treasure still being here after 70 years are slim, but I want to try.”
Klas Tams, the former mayor of Omeren who now runs the foundation that owns the lands hiding the treasure, said he has seen people from all over the country.
“A map with a line of three trees and a red cross marking the place where the treasure is supposed to be hidden,” he said.
“Whoever finds something has to report it to us, so we’ll see. But I don’t expect it to be easy.”