Dusty interiors, musty smells, and eerie feelings: 16 Lost Places in Germany

Lost Places have a very alluring quality; they are usually abandoned for a long time, with interiors covered in a thick layer of dust. The decay of these buildings and the surrounding areas, which are typically overgrown and wild, particularly captures the interest of so-called Urbexers who love to explore Lost Places on their own.

Many Lost Places are also associated with spooky events, which is why the travel experts from Travelcircus have researched one Lost Place per state, marking the start of the darker and colder season. After all, autumn is perfectly made for spooky experiences! So a goosebump or two is definitely guaranteed!

Are drowned sailors haunting this place?

The island of Sylt in the North Sea is not generally considered a spooky location, but the so-called Gongers are said to roam there. According to legend, these are drowned sailors who visit their descendants, often in the second or third generation, when they feel they and their fate are fading into obscurity.

The Gonger usually visits his relatives in the evening or at night, enters their home, turns off the lights, and lies down in their bed. The next morning, only a puddle of seawater in the kitchen indicates his visit. The Gonger continues this behavior until the family remembers him and recalls his tragic death.

The abandoned village in the Lüneburg Heath

Only the vacant houses, the old village school, and an abandoned farm indicate that Lopau was not always so deserted. In the mid-1970s, Lopau had only 62 residents left, as its proximity to the largest military training area in Europe became its downfall: In 1980, the remaining residents had to be relocated due to the high risk of stray bullets from military exercises conducted at the Munster Nord training ground.

There was a danger to life, and the final fate of Lopau was sealed. Even though the dilapidated village is certainly intriguing to visit, entering it can still be life-threatening, as the military continues to conduct shooting exercises in this area.

A final resting place that is increasingly deteriorating

The mausoleum built for Baron von Schröder from Hamburg impresses with its imposing size, encompassing a total area of 2,390 square feet!

For decades, the largest mausoleum in the North has been exposed to the elements; the peeling plaster and broken windows bear witness to the consistent decay of this historic building. If Baron von Schröder were aware of the current state, he would likely turn in his grave. Perhaps his spirit still wanders the area today?

Once a refuge, now abandoned and forgotten

Unassumingly disguised and not immediately recognizable, a Lost Place of a special kind is located near the Bremen main train station. Directly beneath the station square lies a bunker that could provide shelter for up to 900 people during attacks in World War II. Until the 1970s, it also housed male homeless individuals who lost their homes after the war.

Today, the bunker can be visited on guided tours, sharing its story that still sends shivers down the spine.

Access is still prohibited here

The idyllic-looking Wustrow Peninsula is located in the Baltic Sea and does not seem like a Lost Place or a spooky site at first glance. Only the notice that the peninsula is strictly off-limits initially raises eyebrows. What happened?

In 1933, the peninsula was purchased by the German Wehrmacht, establishing the largest Flak artillery school in Germany. Over time, village-like structures were established, barracks were expanded, and a harbor and an airstrip were constructed. In addition to many residential houses for the civilian population, evening entertainment was also available: there was a swimming pool, a cinema, and a bowling alley.

After the end of World War II, the Soviet army blew up all military facilities of the Wehrmacht, erected barricades, and stationed guards. In 1993, the last Russian soldiers departed from the peninsula. Due to the remaining military remnants, entering the ghost village of Wustrow has been prohibited since 2004.

A sanatorium with a Hollywood character

The Grabowsee sanatorium has a long history, beginning in the late 19th century. At that time, tuberculosis rates in the country rose dramatically, but there was a lack of treatment options.

Initially, the Grabowsee sanatorium was an experimental facility aimed at determining whether tuberculosis could be treated successfully in low-lying areas by the German Red Cross. During World War I, Grabowsee was used as a spa for lung-diseased soldiers, and it was continuously expanded over the years.

Even 50 years after the end of World War II, the Soviet Union used the hospital, after which the sanatorium was left vacant. In subsequent years, it was occasionally used as a film location, most notably in the Hollywood film 'The Monuments Men', which was partly filmed in Grabowsee.

A cemetery with eerie occurrences

Among the lesser-known Lost Places offered by the capital is the so-called Suicide Cemetery in Grunewald. Sure, cemeteries generally have an eerie or unsettling aspect to them, especially in darkness. However, knowing the history of the Suicide Cemetery surely guarantees a few goosebumps!

During the establishment of the cemetery in the Grunewald Forest in the late 19th century, suicides were not buried in the regular cemetery as suicide was considered one of the deadly sins, leading to the establishment of a special forest cemetery. This forest cemetery is located directly by the Havel River, which flows through Grunewald, where many water corpses were washed ashore at that bend.

Even today, many stories surround the Suicide Cemetery in Grunewald. For instance, a woman reported in 2010 that she saw a dark figure in the shape of a cloud rising from the Havel at that spot.

A Lost Place of a different kind

Probably the oldest Lost Place in this overview is located in Saxony-Anhalt, specifically in Pömmelte southeast of Magdeburg. The circular ditch system is a site used for rituals with a very long history. The shaft pits arranged in rings were used during the transition to the Bronze Age for both ritual burials and the practice of ancestor worship.

Excavations have proven that during the rituals, tools as well as animal and human body parts were buried. This fact makes the site seem a bit eerie, especially considering it was revered as a sanctum and associated with diverse rituals.

The former showcase villa

The impressive building, reminiscent of a Renaissance castle and set on a vast estate, was built in 1891 for Carl Kolbe, the managing director of the chemical factory von Heyden.

After World War II, it was used as a clinic and served as an annex of the local hospital since 1972. Until 1995, the so-called Villa Kolbe housed a workshop for individuals with disabilities; since the move-out, the building has been vacant. The decline has also affected this impressive structure, which has now fallen into total disrepair and the grounds have become overgrown.

Here, tuberculosis was fought

The Sophienheilstätte was built in 1898 in Munich, a present-day district of Bad Berka, as a sanatorium for lung patients. Initially, it could accommodate up to 80 patients, but it quickly reached capacity, necessitating expansion and an increase in bed numbers.

In 1924, the facility was converted into a clinical sanatorium to allow for surgical procedures. Following a drastic rise in tuberculosis cases, treatment was increasingly carried out on-site. In 1993, the complex was evacuated and has remained abandoned since. Obvious signs of ongoing decay are apparent.

The German Death Zone

The Hürtgen Forest, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, is also known as the 'Forest of Death'. This nickname comes from World War II when several defensive battles took place between the German Wehrmacht and American forces from October 1944 to February 1945. It counts among the heaviest battles fought by the US Army in World War II; it took five months for American forces to take the forest area.

A total of 12,000 German and American soldiers lost their lives. Even today, entering the Hürtgen Forest off marked paths can be life-threatening, as countless remnants of ammunition and glass mines are scattered around and cannot be located.

The ossuary of Oppenheim

Presumably built at the beginning of the 11th century, the basement of the chapel was used as an ossuary between 1400 and 1750. It is estimated that over the years, the remains of up to 20,000 people were buried there.

Due to waves of illness, famines, and wars, many people died in quick succession. To maintain the capacity of the local cemetery, bones were exhumed and stacked in the ossuary.

During guided tours, visitors can view the vault and catch a glimpse of the numerous remains. Standing amidst the countless bones inevitably sends a shiver down the spine.

Villa of a physician with a lively past

The most famous Lost Place in Germany is located in North Hesse. The abandoned physician's villa was used by its owner and his family both as a residence and as the practice for the family father.

In the basement of the house, there was a urology practice for many years. Since the death of the physician couple, the villa has been vacant. The nearly fully furnished villa, along with the practice, attracts many seeking to explore Lost Places.

Unfortunately, the villa is no longer in its original condition due to significant damage and vandalism. As a result, it has lost much of its unique and at the same time eerie charm.

No one is treated here anymore

The Charlottenhöhe sanatorium was established in 1907 and was commonly used for the treatment of tuberculosis. Thirteen years later, it was expanded into a sanatorium for occupational therapies for long-term patients who were to be able to perform light work after their treatment.

By 1973, there was no longer a need to continue operating the sanatorium, resulting in its closure. Nearly 20 years later, it was still used as a center for retraining courses and repeatedly changed hands among private investors.

Today, not much remains of the once highly regarded Charlottenhöhe sanatorium, as its buildings are greatly affected by decay.

Curious, curiouser, the Bottle House in Upper Franconia

Probably the quirkiest Lost Place on this list is located in Upper Franconia. The house, whose facade is entirely made up of various colored glass bottles, was constructed by its owner without a building permit.

Numerous myths now surround it and the Bottle House: One of them claims that the owner received a visit from the local police due to an illegal construction project and allegedly defended himself with a shotgun. This incident led to an arrest, causing the Bottle House to now languish and become a popular destination for Urbexers.

No one sews here anymore

The Seamstress's House certainly deserves a mention in this list. This remote house, hidden somewhere in Saarland, was occupied by a couple living in very simple conditions. Among other things, there was no bathroom in the house, so a separate building was constructed on the property.

The husband of the seamstress died back in 1960. The house gets its name from the many sewing instructions found inside alongside several sewing machines. Since the death of the owner in 1978, the building and garden have increasingly fallen into disrepair, and two cars still stand abandoned on the property. Unfortunately, the Seamstress's House has also been significantly affected by vandalism, so it now looks quite dilapidated.