Sure, you can discover impressive natural jewels just an hour away from Berlin – like something out of a fairy tale. Or trace the heart of the Middle Ages further south. But for a real thrill, nothing beats a lost place: once a sanatorium for lung diseases, later a fascinating backdrop for award-winning film productions. Now we’ll tell you which place it is and which iconic films have been shot here over the years!
Abandoned sanatorium becomes the backdrop for Hollywood films
Just 50 kilometers away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, hidden deep in the forest in the small town of Beelitz, lies an abandoned sanatorium: the Beelitz-Heilstätten – today probably the most famous lost place near Berlin. Originally built to treat lung patients who were supposed to recover from the fresh forest air, the facility became a military hospital during the First and Second World Wars. After 1945, the Red Army took over the site and turned it into the largest Soviet military hospital outside Russia.
The atmosphere of the Beelitz-Heilstätten is so unique that even Hollywood filmed here – including scenes from the award-winning film “The Pianist” (2002). The impressive architecture and the morbid charm of the dilapidated buildings lent the location an authentic flair that was perfect for depicting the destroyed Warsaw ghetto. The dilapidated corridors and ruins of the former surgery in particular were used intensively. Their real state of decay was strongly reminiscent of real war scenes and made elaborate backdrops superfluous. Director Roman Polański, himself a survivor of the Warsaw ghetto, deliberately sought out locations that radiated a credible wartime atmosphere. Although Beelitz was originally built as a hospital, it was not staged as such in the film – rather, it served as a ghostly backdrop for a town marked by war and destruction.
The Beelitz sanatoriums not only served as the backdrop for “The Pianist”, but also for other well-known film productions. These include “Operation Valkyrie – The Stauffenberg Assassination” (2008) with Tom Cruise. For this historical film, the buildings were used as a location for military facilities and offices of the Nazi regime.
In 2016, the sanatoriums were used again – this time for the mystery thriller “A Cure for Wellness”. In contrast to previous productions, the site was deliberately and elaborately restored to create the atmosphere of a gloomy, Alpine sanatorium. Large parts of the film were shot on location and the backdrop was deliberately created to look both authentic and disturbing.
What is the abandoned sanatorium used for today?
Since 2015, Brandenburg’s first treetop path has been on the grounds of the former sanatorium. The barrier-free walkway is almost 800 meters long and runs at a height of 17 to 23 meters over the overgrown ruins of the so-called “Alpenhaus”. At the end of the path, a 40-metre-high observation tower awaits visitors with a panoramic view of the site and the surrounding forest. Admission costs €17 for adults. Children aged 7 and over pay around €12, while children under 6 are admitted free of charge.
If you want to delve deeper into the history of the sanatoriums, there are several guided tours to choose from. The “Changing times” tour is particularly popular , as most of it takes place outside and ends with a short visit to the old surgery. The Alpenhaus tour, which takes you through the dining room, kitchen and bathroom wings, offers more insight into the interior. There is a special surgery tour for those who love detail, and those interested in technology and hidden structures can explore old tunnels and supply systems on the “Beelitz Underworlds” tour. Finally, the gatekeeper tour combines several areas into a comprehensive tour.
What are you waiting for? You don’t find an abandoned sanatorium that is freely accessible every day. Immerse yourself in the history, feel the special atmosphere – and let the goosebumps work their magic as you roam the grounds and walk through the quiet interiors.