Urban Exploring or Urban Exploration (often shortened as UE or urbex) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the manmade environment.
Ever since we moved to Berlin more than a decade ago, we've been transfixed with its history. The abundance of historic locations - especially abandoned places - dating back 50, 100 or in some cases even 200 years instantly had us hooked. The accessibility (and availability) of these urban exploring locations has sadly dwindled over the years – but there is still an abundance of abandoned places to be found and documented.
While Berlin has become a touristic hotspot for new and old urbex-ers alike (though not quite yet rivaling the allure of our neighbour Belgium) – the Brandenburg region around Berlin, as well as Saxony and several of the other former East German States hold a treasure trove of lost and abandoned places to be found.
Considering that Berlin is our Urbex “home” – it’s only natural that we focus most on the locations that are right at our doorstep. It’s no secret though that we love Brandenburg – and whenever we get the chance, we head out for some urban exploring and check out the abandoned historical remnants.
While we do appreciate abandoned factories and other lost industrial places, our special focus lies on former military installations – specifically military bases left behind by the Third Reich and the Soviet Red Army. Visiting these abandoned places – from Jüterbog to Finsterwalde – allows us to trace some family connections and possibly answer some open questions. But that's a story for another day.
Bellow is the full selection of (public) urban exploring posts that we've currently published - but if you want to browse by region you can either select a region in the Urbex Menu, scroll down to the footer, or click on one of the three links here: Urban Exploring Berlin | Lost Places Oranienburg | Lost Places Brandenburg. Of course we also have a small selection of urbex posts from other countries such as France, Italy and Hungary below in the footer.
Be sure to check back on a regular basis - sign up to our Newsletter or subscribe to our Website and stay up to date whenever we go out urbexing and document a new abandoned place. And don’t forget to check out our Urbex Berlin Map if you feel like you need some urbex inspiration.
The East German NVA Hospital Bunker
Hidden in a forest between a somewhat busy road and a little housing estate, you can find an East German NVA bunker doing what a bunker does best – staying […]
Flugplatz Alt Daber (Wittstock/Dosse)
This article is also available in: Deutsch While we are avid rail travel enthusiast and avoid flying whenever possible – we have an almost unhealthy attraction to abandoned airports. East Germanys […]
The Twin Villas of Fürstenwalde
This article is also available in: Deutsch One of the many allures of visiting and exploring the cities and towns in Brandenburg is the chance to basque in the architectural […]
Brandenburgische Motorenwerke (Bramo Werk)
The forests of Brandenburg harbour many secrets – though more often than not, it’s almost impossible to fully decipher them. One of these secrets is what’s left of the so […]
Mars La Tour Kaserne Fürstenwalde
This article is also available in: Deutsch Seemingly every larger village in Brandenburg has some connection to Germany’s military past – but few places can boast 360 years of continuous […]
Hotel Fürstenhof
The Hotel Fürstenhof in Eisenach ist just a crumbling ruin today, but once hosted nobility and celebrities from all over Europe. With a history dating back almost 170 years, the […]
Flugplatz Werneuchen
While the German Air Force was demobilized after the end of the first world war, and eventually dissolved as a condition under the treaty of versailles in 1920 – the […]
NVA Flugplatz Löpten
While the German Luftwaffe had 70 military air bases and airfields spread around Berlin and Brandenburg alone at the end of World War II, the newly created Air Force of […]
The Avro Lancaster Crash Site
The year 1944 was the single most destructive year for both the RAF and USAAF during the strategic bombing of Germany. Combined, over 900 thousand tons of bombs were dropped […]
Villa Bogensee
Few places in and around Berlin highlight the complex german history layer cake like the Bogensee. Situated a good 15 kilometers north of Berlin, the Bogensee served as the scenic […]
NVA Flugabwehr-Raketenabteilung 4123 Klosterfelde
The forests around Berlin harbour a great many secrets. The Prussian, Nazis, East Germans and the Soviets – all of them have lurked around Brandenburgs expansive Oak and Birch forests, […]
The MFS Buchheide – The Stasi Hotel
On the south eastern edge of the picturesque city of Templin, nestled in a small forest next to the Lübbesee lies the MFS Buchheide – also known as the Stasi […]
9 Legal Lost Places to visit in and around Berlin (and 10 that you can’t)
Urban Exploring has become quite a mainstream activity over the years, thanks to its ever growing presence and popularity on sites like youtube, reddit and even tiktok. Even this website […]
Kraftwerk Vogelsang
Directly along the scenic Oder-Neiße border between Germany and Poland lies the concrete remnants of the Kraftwerk Vogelsang, a crumbling symbol of the destructive madness of the Third Reich. While […]
Flugplatz Rangsdorf
Berlin and its immediate surroundings have always been at the forefront of german aeronautical innovation and are steeped in history. Germany’s first Airport opened in (the now Berlin district of) […]
Olympiastadion Wünsdorf
Often by chance we pass by seemingly inconspicuous structures not giving them a second look. But these structures don’t just appear out of thin air and more often than not […]
Jagdschloss Schwarzhorn
Seemingly forgotten by its surroundings, hidden by a dense growth of trees lies the Jagdschloss Schwarzhorn. Its Rapunzel-like tower pokes above the treeline – just like it did over 100 […]
The Abandoned Soviet Training Tank
Wünsdorf and its surroundings have a magical hold over us. Its long military history and abundance of Soviet Military “leftovers” keep pulling us back into its orbit. While Zossen and […]
The Lenin of Fürstenbergs School Nr 27
Even 97 years after his death, Lenin still makes an appearance in the most unusual places. But considering that at one point, 1.5 million Soviets were stationed in Germany – […]
The AVUS
There are few places in Berlin that I both equally hate and love driving along – one of them being the route of the legendary AVUS in West Berlin. The […]
Fürstenbergs Soviet Murals
Fürstenberg – or to use its full name Wasserstadt Fürstenberg/Havel – has a long and difficult history. Its founding dates back to at least the middle of the 13th Century, […]
Bunker Wünsdorf Zeppelin | Bunkeranlage Maybach
Wünsdorf could have been just like any other city in Brandenburg – but if it was we probably wouldn’t be writing about. Its location, close enough to Berlin – but […]
Gut Gentzrode
There are few places that have left us with a deep sorrow after we’ve visited them – but the Gut Gentzrode (also known as Herrenhaus Gentzrode) possibly tops our list. […]
Lager Koralle
In June 1939, a group of Kriegsmarine technicians set out into countryside outside of Bernau – a good 20 kilometers north of Berlin – armed with a mobile radio truck. […]
Kernkraftwerk Greifswald
Germany had always been at the forefront of Nuclear Research with Otto Hahn and his assistant Fritz Straßmann being the first to discover Nuclear Fission on the 17th of December […]
Chemiewerk Rüdersdorf
Just a few kilometers outside of the city limits of Berlin, in the city of Rüdersdorf lie the ruins of the Chemiewerk Rüdersdorf – a former cement turned phosphate chemical […]
Heilstätte Grabowsee
Just a few kilometers outside of Oranienburg – in the middle of the forest lie the ruins of what used to be one of Germanys most modern Lung clinics, the […]
Panzerkaserne Bernau
Bernau, just a few kilometers outside of Berlin was a city once known for its extensive Beer and Cloth Production skills. Today its known for being conveniently located on the […]
The abandoned Stadtbad Lichtenberg
Berlin hasn’t always been a very “hygienic city”. Some say it still isn’t, but considering it boasts over 67 public baths today (83 if you count the members only / […]
Adolf Hitler Lager – Forst Zinna
An hour south of Berlin lay the ruins of the Adolf Hitler Lager – a sprawling military complex known more commonly as Forst Zinna. Between the 1930s and the early […]
SS Schießstand Sachsenhausen
The quaint Oranienburg, just an hours drive north of Berlin has a long history dating back to the 13th century when it was still known as Bötzow. Sadly the period […]
Rangierbahnhof Wustermark
Just a few kilometers outside of Berlin stands what’s left of the Rangierbahnhof Wustermark – once one of Germanys largest and most modern train shunting yards. Allied bombing in World […]
Löwen Adler Kaserne
The name Elstal might ring a bell for some – mainly due to it being the home of the (not so) abandoned 1936 Olympic Village. But the small village actually […]
The White Maria
The vast forest and fields around Berlin have had a long military history. The Döberitzer Heide (also known as Dallgow Döberitz), just on the border to the West of Berlin […]
The Abandoned Forest Tram
When venturing out into the forest surrounding Berlin you can never be quite sure what lost and abandoned places you’ll stumble upon, especially when you head just a few kilometers […]
The Winter Home of the State Circus of the German Democratic Republic
I’ve never really been a fan of Circuses. I’ve been to a fair share, including some in Russia, and I’ve always felt slightly uncomfortable with the often-dubious animal shows. Historically, […]
The Artillerie Kaserne
The seemingly sleepy town of Eberswalde, and hour north of Berlin has a lot more history than one could expect. Eberswalde saw a rapid industrialization in the middle of the […]
The Versuchsstelle für Höhenflüge
Oranienburg, 35 kilometers to the north of Berlin is a city with a heavy heritage. Not only was it home to two concentration camps – the KZ Oranienburg (one of […]
The Switch House
Nothing could be dug up about this little abandoned railroad switch house. We stumbled across this lost place by chance looking for another abandoned structure a while back. While there […]
The SS Hundertschaftsgebäude
When the KZ Sachsenhausen was constructed in 1936, it was intended to be used as a blueprint for other concentration camps, both in its design and management. Just outside of […]
The Heating Plant
Theres not much information to be found about the Heating Plant, but theres enough information about the surrounding area that one can speculate about its history. Judging from its architecture, […]
The SS Bath and Boiler House
When the KZ Sachsenhausen was constructed in 1936, it was intended to be used as a blueprint for other concentration camps, both in its design and management. Just outside of […]
Villa Heike
Hohenschönhausen is one of those areas in Berlin that one rarely traverses these days. Wedged above Lichtenberg and Marzahn, one struggles to come up with a reason to visit this […]
The Machine Factory
After receiving a patent in 1901 for a machine which was capable of drying yarn, the Industrialist Georg Lensch built himself a large representative factory in 1912. The factory was […]
Gasthof zum Schwarzen Adler
Not much can be dug up about the abandoned Gasthof zum Schwarzen Adler (Black Eagle Inn). The abandoned hotel and restaurant must have been quite the popular hangout seeing as […]
The Textile Factory
The abandoned textile factory was designed and built by the architects Naumann & Kalitzki in the year 1923 for two jewish brothers. The brothers had built up their business in […]
Carinhall – The ruins of Herrmann Görings Villa
In the heart of (one of) central Europe’s largest nature reserves – the Schorfheide – lie the ruins of Carinhall – Herrmann Göring’s luxurious villa, attracting treasure hunters, Neo-Nazis and […]
Schloss Dammsmühle
Schloss Dammsmühle – an 18th century fairy tale castle to the north of Berlin slowly bidding its time. Once an illustrious home to a wealthy merchant, the abandoned castle has […]
Die Weiße Häuser Rechlin – Hitlers secret city
Hidden in a thick overgrowth and a fast growing forest in the northeast of Germany lies one of the last remnants of what Hitlers world capital Germania could have looked […]
The VEB Milchhof
The history of the VEB Milchhof (Dairy Farm) begins with the construction and opening of another famous (and now abandoned) Berlin location – the Säuglings und Kinderkrankenhaus in Weißensee in 1911. […]
The Wernerbad
The Wernerbad was Berlins oldest (abandoned) open air swimming pool. The term Swimmingpool might be a bit of a glorification as the origins of the Wernerbad are a kettle pond […]
The Abandoned Children’s Home
Hidden in a small overgrowth in a luxurious suburb of Berlin lie the ruins of an abandoned villa. Built at the turn of the of the 19th Century, the luxurious […]
The Nail Factory
Founded in 1867, the now abandoned nail factory specialised in manufacturing horse shoe nails. In 1871, the owners decided to relocate the factory to a new production site as they […]
Berlins Abandoned Boeing 707
Berlin and its Airports – a never-ending saga. First they killed off Berlins most central Airport, Tempelhof in 2008, then they wanted to expand Schönefeld and close down Tegel in […]
The Abandoned Helicopter
Wedged between some trees in a little forest stands a stripped Soviet helicopter. A Mil Mi-8 to be exact. As rumors have it, the Mil Mi-8 was pushed as a […]
The Jungle Hospital
When it comes to abandoned structures, it always struck me as odd why cities let Hospitals go to waste. Industries come and go (especially in East Germany), but everybody needs a […]
Schwimmhalle Pankow
It seems like nobody likes to go swimming anymore these days. Or at least one gets that impression when looking at the amount of abandoned swimming pools Berlin has. The […]
Tonnara del Secco – The Sicilian Tuna Fishery
Sicily – an explorers dream. Stunning landscapes, beautiful coastlines with crystal clear water and lots of abandoned villages and factories. Just a short walk from one of Sicily’s most stunning […]
The White Castle
Built in 1873 by one of the richest Germans of the Bismarck era – the White Castle was one of the only buildings in northern Germany at the time to […]
The Classical Villa
Once home to a wealthy industrialist or Businessman – this once stunning Villa has been left to fend on its own for several decades. Rotten to the core, its roof […]
The Stasi Tower
When the DDR erected the „Antifaschistischer Schutzwall“ – aka the Berlin Wall in 1961, the 160 Kilometer long fortification was overlooked by 302 Watchtowers. The East German Watchtowers weren’t only used for […]
Rapunzel’s Tower
Hidden in a small overgrown forest on the outskirts of a sleepy village lies Rapunzel’s Tower. Or at least what’s left of it. Rubble of the former castle is still […]
Il Grande Cretto di Gibellina
In the middle of nowhere, accessible only through one treacherous country road split and cracked by the Sicilian sun lies the Ghost Town of Gibellina. This place has many names […]
The Nazi Eagles of Berlin
Reichsadler. The word (unfairly) conjures up images of a Nazi Eagle and the Third Reich. Yet the Eagle as a symbol of Power has existed in the Germanic Realm for […]
Flugzeughallen Karlshorst
Berlin-Karlshorst has always had a long history in aviation. Between 1907 and 1911, Georg Wilhelm von Siemens ordered the construction of the first rotating Airship Hangar on a plot of land in […]
The School of Anatomy
Despite having only closed its doors a few years ago – vandals have found their way into this abandoned anatomy school. All that remains are the shards of glass and […]
VEB Kühlautomat
Back in the day, Berlin had 6 Airports – Schönefeld, Tegel, Tempelhof, Gatow, Staaken, and Johannisthal. 4 of those have since been closed, some converted into parks and nature reserves, […]
Ausländerlager Schönholz
Berlin is made of Bunkers. Where ever you go, chances are pretty high that you’ll stumble across some signs or remnants of a Bunker. Be it the Volkspark Friedrichshain, underneath […]
VEB Bärensiegel
Everybody loves a drink or two – and Berlin was (and still is) a city for drinkers. 150 years ago, the city had over 200 breweries and distilleries – today […]
Heeresbekleidungsamt Bernau
With more and more abandoned places in Berlin being converted into apartments and offices (or just outright being torn down) – it’s becoming increasingly more uncommon to find “untouched” and […]
The Cinema Directors House
From the outside it looks like any other closed down villa – but this 2 story house is more than that. Upon closer inspection this run down Villa turns out […]
Checkpoint Bravo
The Berlin Wall didn’t go up on the 13th of August 1961. What actually happened was that East Berlin Closed all its borders with West Berlin that day. Roads were […]
The Abandoned Friedhofsbahn
Berlins rail based public transport network is huge. Combined, the S-Bahn and U-Bahn have over 477 Km worth of tracks, 25 lines and 339 stations – something very few cities […]
Berlin – Mission Control
Spotted – Berlin, Germany
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 68: The Müggelturm
Berlin is best enjoyed from the top. Not that there are that many opportunities within the city aside from the Fernsehturm and the Weltballon. But if you venture out to […]
Munitionsdepot Oranienburg
After the Soviets liberated the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in April 1945, they immediately occupied all buildings and structures in and around Oranienburg which they thought they could profit from such […]
The BVB Freibad Lichtenberg
Schools out for Summer and everyone’s heading to the pool. But not this one. The Freibad Lichtenberg has been closed for a good 20 years, the ground is still rumored […]
Funkbunker Karo Ass
When the Nazis set up the Concentration Camp Sachsenhausen in Oranieburg (35km North of Berlin), the SS swarmed out in search for suitable space to settle their units. A small […]
SS-Hundeschule Sachsenhausen
While the horrors of the KZ Sachsenhausen in Oranienburg have been documented for posterity, and the KZ itself has been preserved as a memorial for future generations – many of […]
Flugplatz Oranienburg
Oranienburg is one of those German Cities whose not so distant history casts a very dark shadow over it. It was home to not one, but two Concentration Camps – […]
VEB Kabelwerk Köpenick
*Update 19.7.2013* Just as I was about to post this I stumbled across some bad news. Some asshole set the VEB Kabelwerk Köpenick on fire on the 7th of June […]
Oranienburg – The Digital Cosmonaut
Spotted – Oranienburg, Germany
Truppenübungsplatz Döberitz
Gut Ding will Weile haben – a good thing is worth waiting for. That is until you wait too long. When I first moved to Berlin I heard about an […]
VEB Fotochemische Werke Berlin
The steady decline of film photography and production has become a mere side note in today’s digital world. Every so often you’ll see a small news article pop up stating […]
The Abandoned 1950s Gas Station
Virtually untouched – hidden in a courtyard lies an old abandoned Gas Station, an 80-year-old Berlin time capsule. A trio of old Arab men guard the courtyard entrance, suspiciously eying […]
The Abandoned Iraqi Embassy in Berlin
It’s a scene akin to the ransacking of Iraq. Broken glass, smashed doors, charred ceilings, and paper. Lots of mouldy paper strewn across every room on every floor. Everybody knows […]
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 86: The S-Bahnhof Siemensstadt
Berlin has its fair share of Geisterbahnhöfe – Ghost Stations. Some are hidden underground, behind brick walls, or in overgrown forests while others are hiding in plain sight. The Second […]
The Abandoned Childrens Hospital in Weißensee
The Abandoned Childrens Hospital in Weißensee Berlin or as its was officially known as: The Säuglings- und Kinderkrankenhaus Preußens (Childrens Hospital Prussia) was the first communal run childrens hospital in Prussia. […]
Párizsi Udvar – The Hidden Treasure
It’s no secret that I am a huge Hungary Fan. Every year I visit Budapest at least once – which might be because my lovely partner is Hungarian – or […]
111 Places in Berlin – Nr 5: The Ballhaus in Grünau
1920s Berlin was the place to be – it was the epicenter of culture and vice. The Weimar era brought out some of the best in German Culture, from Bauhaus […]
L’église du Bon-Pasteur
So I spent a few days in Lyon again in December and January, enjoying the weather, good food, and some well needed rest. On the brink of cabin fever (read: […]
Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow Heinersdorf
It seems like i’m slowly turning into a train spotter – or something akin to that. Though i’m not that interested in the trains themselves, i’m interested in the structures that used to […]
VEB REWATEX
By now everyone should have realized that Berlin is a large urban wasteland dotted with specs of “civilization”. With a little research and some light reading you will easily stumble […]
Kino Sojus
Marzahn. The last Bastion of old Berlin. Cold, Ugly, and Unwelcoming. Plattenbauten as far as the eye can see. Unless you are a fan of giant east german housing estates, […]
Papiermühle Wolfswinkel
Most people living in Berlin will be familiar with the name Eberswalde – mainly because of the U2 U-Bahn Station Eberswalderstraße (and the fact that Konopkes Currywurst and the Mauerpark […]
The Lost Cabaret
Berlin is a truly wonderful place. No matter where you go there, there’s always a secret bit of history to be discovered. Not too long ago a curious property investor […]
Stadtbad Oderberger Straße
On every second sunday in September, Germany (and several other european countries) celebrates the “Tag des offenen Denkmals”(Day of the open Monuments) as part of the European Heritage Days. Monuments, […]
The Eisfabrik
Walking along the Spree you’ll find an ever decreasing amount of crumbling factories and halls. All are destined to make way for the MediaSpree Project, for luxury Hotels and Offices […]
U6 Tunneltag
Germans Love Tunnels. They simply go apeshit for them. Theres simply no other explanation as to why over 7000 people queued up on a Sunday Morning after the BVG invited […]
Sanatorium E
The “Sanatorium E” was constructed as a Lung Clinic between 1912 and 1914 by the Jewish Doctor Walter Freimuth and his wife. After the German Reich introduced the first form of public […]
Kaserne Krampnitz
After the end of the Second World War, the Allies – and especially the Soviets started a mad scramble to repurpose former Nazi Military installations. Never letting a good Wehrmacht […]
Urbex Brandenburg: Adolf Hitler Lager / Forst Zinna - Avro Lancaster Crash Site - Bramo - Zümo Werk - Bunker Wünsdorf Zeppelin | Maybach I - Chemiewerk Rüdersdorf - The Artillerie Kaserne - Flugabwehr-Raketenabteilung 4123 - Flugplatz Alt Daber - Flugplatz Löpten - Flugplatz Rangsdorf - Carinhall - Fürstenbergs Soviet Murals - Gasthof zum Schwarzen Adler - Gut Gentzrode - Heeresbekleidungsamt Bernau - Jagdschloss Schwarzhorn - Kaserne Krampnitz - Kraftwerk Vogelsang - Lager Koralle - Lenin Bust Fürstenberg - Mars La Tour Kaserne Fürstenwalde - NVA Lazarettbunker - Olympiastadion Wünsdorf - Panzerkaserne Bernau - Papiermühle Wolfswinkel - Sanatorium E - The Stasi Hotel - Truppenübungsplatz Döberitz - Twin Villas Fürstenwalde - Abandoned Soviet Training Tank - Villa Bogensee - Flugplatz Werneuchen
Urbex Oranienburg: The SS Bath and Boiler House - Flugplatz Oranienburg - Funkbunker Karo Ass - Heilstätte Grabowsee - Munitionsdepot Oranienburg - SS-Hundeschule Sachsenhausen - The SS Hundertschaftsgebäude - Veruschsstelle für Höhenflüge
Urbex Germany: Hotel Fürstenhof - Kernkraftwerk Greifswald - The Machine Factory - The Nail Factory - The Textile Factory - Rapunzel’s Tower - The Soviet Helicopter - The White Castle - Weißen Häuser Rechlin
Urbex France: L’église du Bon-Pasteur
Urbex Hungary: Párizsi Udvar
Urbex Italy: Il Grande Cretto di Gibellina - Tonnara del Secco