Urban exploration photography : capturing images from abandoned places across europe
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The Images below are from road trips across Europe, Belgium, Germany,Italy, France, Spain, Hungary, Luxembourg etc, travelling with friends to abandoned places, Europe offers so many opportunities for urban explorers, I always look forward to these trips as you get to see a lot of the types of places you just don't see in the UK, spend time with good friends, having laughs, a few beers, what's not to like ?
Probably A weird kind of hobby to some, but the chance to walk around some of these places and to photograph buildings like these before they are gone is worth all the time and effort. |
Please look through the galleries below, clicking an image will open it in larger format, i hope you enjoy, feedback and comments always appreciated.
Note - All images are my own work and copyrighted, do not use them or reproduce them without asking for my consent, use of images without consent will result in legal action. |
abandoned asylum: Manicomio di Colorno - Italy
An abandoned asylum not too far from parma in italy - the asylum was built at the end of the 19th century and housed several thousand patients,
abandoned asylum
abandoned flour mill - germany
An old flour mill in a rural part of germany came as a nice surprise, not knowing much about this place we were pleased to see how much old equipment was left behind, despite the dodgy floors and walls it was still standing..... just !
Abandoned flour mill
peppermint powerplant - germany
A nice peppermint green siemens turbine which powered the paper mill on site, sadly the paper mill is no longer there but the powerplant remains.
Peppermint powerplant Germany
Diesel farm Powerplant - Belgium
A diesel fuelled power station with black start capability. Black start means it could be used to restore power in an electric power station at short notice in the event of a major power failure or blackout.
Diesel Farm Powerplant
Chateau Secession - France
A large 18th century chateau in a small french village, hidden behind high castle like walls is this amazing chateau and former home, inside are the remains for the last occupiers, furniture, personal belongings,all left to rot as the building crumple around them.
Chateau Secession - France
Filature Impressionante - Textile Factory Belgium
Filature Impressionante
Haut Furneau / Blast Furnace HF6 - Belgium
The blast furnace in Charleroi was used for smelting iron ore, and was the major technique used for the production of steel at the time. The iron and steel produced at HF4 was mainly used for car production, an industry that almost collapsed in 2008. Production at the steel works was halted and the plant placed on standby. The facility was sold to another company, however production was never restarted and in 2012 the site was closed down after a failed merger.
Haut Furneau / Blast Furnace HF6 - Belgium
Forges du Vulcain - France
A massive, now defunct Steel forge in France, closed for a number of years now, covered in razor wire and electric fance....Still it was our lucky day, arriving in dense fog and managing to find a way in, the day eventually lit up as the fog cleared and the place lived up to it's name AKA Forge Lunaire.
Manicomio di Racconigi - Abandoned Asylum in Italy
The manicomio di racconigi asylum in Italy was Built in 1871, the hospital was a transformation of other buildings that were originally a hospital of charitable institutions, and later a military college. The hospital was used to treat the mentally ill, electroshock therapy was used extensively here, along with experimental operations on the nervous system. Facilities included a laboratory of clinical research, one of pathology, one radiology, one of electrotherapy and an operating room for intervention to the nervous system. The asylum closed in 1981.
Manicomio DI R
Kelenföld Power Station - Budapest, Hungary
When it originally opened in 1914, the Kelenföld Power Station in budapest was one of the most advanced power stations in Europe, however it will likely be better remembered for its ornate Art Deco architecture than its technological wonder.
Designed and built by a pair of architects that clearly had high hopes for the look of the power plant despite its industrial purpose, the building is protected by Hungarian law, preventing it from ever being torn down.
Designed and built by a pair of architects that clearly had high hopes for the look of the power plant despite its industrial purpose, the building is protected by Hungarian law, preventing it from ever being torn down.
Kelenföld Power Station
Stahlwerk M
Once employing around 9000 people this massive steelworks closed in 2002, the site was huge with various power plants showing how the place had expanded, from the older 1911 steam engines to the more modern siemens turbines, an amazing place where we spent over 6 hours and still didn't cover the whole of it.
Alienworks - France
This abandoned power station in France was part of a huge blast furnace which origins go back to the late 1800′s. In the 1930′s the site got renovated and modernized and was actively used to forge iron, as especially in the beginning of the 1900′s there was a large demand for iron. This continued until the 1960′s when one of the many furnaces was closed. In the 1970′s the demand for quality iron increased again, but when one of the largest furnaces of the company burned to the ground, it never grew back to it’s standards. In the 1980′s people demanded more environmentally healthy industry, and these furnaces were not. In the early 1990′s, under pressure by society, the company had to close it’s doors for good.
Alienworks - Ukange Steel Forge.
Central Térmica Abandoned Power station - Mallorca
Central térmica power station near the port of Alcúdia was the island of Mallorca’s main power station - now just an abandoned ruin
The Central Termica power station, Mallorca.
Colonia Il - Abandoned Orphanage in Italy
AKA "Crying Baby Hospital" this abandoned orphanage high in the italian hillside was closed in the 1970's
Colona IL
Usine S - An Abandoned Textile Factory in Belgium
Uscine S
Prison H15 - An old disused prison in France
An abandoned prison in france, it was closed in 2010 after an american style maximum security prisons was built close by.
Prison H15
The Horror Labs - Disused veterinary university in Belgium
Known as the horror labs was a former veterinary university which has now been converted to apartments, named the horror labs due to the jars or animal specimens which were left in the small basement room, the rest of the building was impressive itself.
The Horror Labs
Powerplant Cyclonkessel - Abandoned power plant in Germany
Powerplant cyclonkessel sits in a quite yet picturesque valley in Germany, This power plant which supplied the power to the neighbouring paper mill, disused for a number of years now, had gladly escaped the clutches of the vandals and metal thieves.
Power Plant Cyclonkessel
Dr Anna's Haus - Germany
dr annas house is The home and surgery of former dr's of urology, also husband and wife, a grand house now in a poor state has been looted and damaged however still retains lots of interesting features.
Dr Anna's Haus
collegio salesiano - an old religious college in italy
collegio salesiano is a former religious college in italy, it is a large self contained complex where students lived whilst studying, now closed and falling into disrepair.
Collegio Salesiano
abandoned textile factory - italy
This textile factory named "textile pullover" made all sorts of woolen garments, located in a small italian village, the factory closed down a number of years ago and has been left virtually untouched since.
Textile factory pullover - Italy
fabrica de textil Baleares
A fabulous old textile mill on the island of majorca, closed in 1971 and left full of old machinery, files, materials etc, proper old time warp.
Abandoned Textile Mill Majorca
Powerplant X - Luxembourg
Part of a large decommissioned steel works in luxembourg, and home to the biggest power unit i've seen, a huge old flywheel.
Powerplant X - Luxembourg
Gigawatt Power Station - Belgium
Power plant gigawatt, Before it's closure this was Belgium’s largest thermal power plant.
The plant had been expanded several times over the years since it opened in the 1960s with two turbine sets. As demand increased further turbines were added and by the 1990s the turbine hall contained six sets. Modern heat-recovery techniques were added to attempt to increase efficiency, however they failed to provide a sustainable future for the plant forcing it to close in 2012.
The plant had been expanded several times over the years since it opened in the 1960s with two turbine sets. As demand increased further turbines were added and by the 1990s the turbine hall contained six sets. Modern heat-recovery techniques were added to attempt to increase efficiency, however they failed to provide a sustainable future for the plant forcing it to close in 2012.
Powerplant Gigawatt Belgium
Red Star Train Graveyard - Budapest, Hungary
Nicknamed the red star train graveyard, this Train yard in hungary was built in 1959, and used until the 1970’s.
The trains are housed in dilapidated buildings just off the active railway site. The buildings are falling apart as are the trains within. Many of carriages have been sitting in the same place for over 40 years, some of the cars were used to transport Jews to Auschwitz during the Nazi occupation.
The trains are housed in dilapidated buildings just off the active railway site. The buildings are falling apart as are the trains within. Many of carriages have been sitting in the same place for over 40 years, some of the cars were used to transport Jews to Auschwitz during the Nazi occupation.
Red Star Train Graveyard
Krankenhaus von Rollstullen - Old Care home in Germany
AKA the house of wheelchairs is an abandoned care home in Germany. the hospital like facility cared for the sick and elderly towards the end of their life.
The hospital was closed by the authorities after a patient in a wheelchair tumbled down the concrete steps, falling to her death.
The hospital was closed by the authorities after a patient in a wheelchair tumbled down the concrete steps, falling to her death.
The House of Wheelchairs
Red Cross Hospital - Italy
A children's religious colony supposed to have been founded around the turn of the 20th century. It was eventually abandoned in the 1980's and has been left empty ever since.
Red Cross Hospital - Italy
Chambre de Commerce - Belgium
The chambre du commerce is former Antwerp sock exchange building which closed in 1997, originally a trading hub for spices, a lovely gothic style building right in the heart of the city.
Chambre de commerce - Belgium
Kraftwerk MD - Germany
The disused power plant to a paper mill site in industrial germany, closed for a number of years.
Kraftwerk MD
Château Lumière - France
Built by a descendant of a wealthy tobacco tycoon the Neo-Baroque style building was erected in the early 1900’s. The property apparently benefits from some historical protections from the government, it has however remained abandoned since the 1950’s and despite several changes in hands no-one has returned to occupy the place.
Château Lumière - France
Pensionnat Catholique - France
Built as a boarding school for catholic girls. The school opened just before World War II, replacing a smaller school on the same site. The school was occupied by the German army for much of the war, until the American allied forces took the building.
The school returned to its intended use and was expanded many times. At its height there were over 600 students attending classes.
The number of students signing up gradually started to decline, as students became more interested in science and technology. The school finally closed in the early 2000’s
The school returned to its intended use and was expanded many times. At its height there were over 600 students attending classes.
The number of students signing up gradually started to decline, as students became more interested in science and technology. The school finally closed in the early 2000’s
PENSIONNAT CATHOLIQUE - FRANCE
Centrale Thermique Terres Rouges - Luxembourg
This Abandoned power station sits in the industrial heart of Luxembourg. it was built in 1951 to power the regions steel industry which was one of the largest in europe, advanced for it's time using a new process to convert the furnace gas, which was released by the melting of the steel, into electricity,it closed When the last furnace in the region was shut down in 1997.
Centrale Thermique Terres Rouges - Luxembourg
Château de la Forêt
Château de la Forêt is A Neo-Tudor castle style building. Built in 1860, still owned by the descendants of the original owners but sadly left disused and decaying.
The castle features a rectangular design with 4 corner turrets and over 340 windows.
Château de la Forêt is A Neo-Tudor castle style building. Built in 1860, still owned by the descendants of the original owners but sadly left disused and decaying.
The castle features a rectangular design with 4 corner turrets and over 340 windows.
Château de la Forêt
Papierfabrik W - Germany
A really old paper mill in germany, very much decayed and suffering from a collapsed roof and bad water damage, despite this it's a pretty decent place to look around, the two turbines still in place are worth it alone.
Papierfabrik W - Germany
Val Benoit University - Liege, Belgium
The university was set up in 1924, on 8 hectares of land around the ruins of the ancient Cistercian Abbey of the Val-Benoit.
Including an Institute of Applied Chemistry and Metallurgy, an Institute of Mineral Sciences, a Laboratory of Thermodynamics coupled to a power plant, an Institute of Mechanics and one last Civil Engineering Institute.
Work began in 1930. In November 1937, King Leopold III inaugurated the Institute of Chemistry and Metallurgy, the Institute of Civil Engineering, and the Laboratory of Thermodynamics. The Mechanics Institute was inaugurated shortly before the second world war.
In the late 1950s, the University of Liège embarked on the long adventure of migrating all its activities to the Liège district named Sart Tilman. A little more than twenty years after the inauguration of its first buildings, the premature demise of the Val Benoit campus had been planned. The University of Liege finally left the campus when it closed in 2006.
Including an Institute of Applied Chemistry and Metallurgy, an Institute of Mineral Sciences, a Laboratory of Thermodynamics coupled to a power plant, an Institute of Mechanics and one last Civil Engineering Institute.
Work began in 1930. In November 1937, King Leopold III inaugurated the Institute of Chemistry and Metallurgy, the Institute of Civil Engineering, and the Laboratory of Thermodynamics. The Mechanics Institute was inaugurated shortly before the second world war.
In the late 1950s, the University of Liège embarked on the long adventure of migrating all its activities to the Liège district named Sart Tilman. A little more than twenty years after the inauguration of its first buildings, the premature demise of the Val Benoit campus had been planned. The University of Liege finally left the campus when it closed in 2006.
Val Benoit University - Liege, Belgium
Beelitz-Heilstätten - germany
Beelitz-Heilstätten hospital complex was built by the German government between 1898-1930 for the treatment of German workers, it was used heavily during both the first and second world wars. In World War I it is estimated that approximately 17,500 military patients were treated at the hospital, including Corporal Adolf Hitler who was admitted to Beelitz on the 4th December 1916. after the war the area was occupied by the Red Army. The sanatorium then became the largest military hospital of the Soviet / Russian army located abroad functioning until 1994 when it finally closed. in December 1990.
Beelitz-Heilstätten
