Cities are constantly evolving, and buildings are inevitably abandoned as soon as they lose their usefulness. However, demolition or maintenance is often too expensive or time-consuming, which is why many buildings are left to slowly decay. However, the loneliness of these so-called lost places came to an end, especially in Berlin, with the emergence of the urban explorer movement (Urbex) in recent years. This movement gives the decaying buildings a new purpose, exploring and investigating them and decorating them with graffiti. The result could be described as anarchic museums, curated and visited by like-minded people. We present some of Berlin’s most famous lost places – especially at Halloween, they create a very special atmosphere!
Words of warning
Please note in advance that we do not actively recommend anyone to go on an Urbex tour. Exploring often puts you on thin legal ice, as it is not always clear whether a building may be entered. This is especially true if it is clearly cordoned off. Therefore, please be careful and be aware of the potential consequences!
In addition, there are some general rules of conduct that you should keep in mind:
- Leave nothing behind
- Vandalism and theft are not acceptable!
- Don’t take any risks – the buildings are often dilapidated.
- Be careful and respectful. Some lost places are guarded, others are kept an eye on by neighbors.
- Do not share specific addresses for the locations.
Lost places in Berlin: classics
Teufelsberg with listening station | Image: Shutterstock
As one of Berlin’s most famous lost places, Teufelsberg clearly deserves first place on our list. The area around the former listening station is pretty creepy for many reasons—and not just because of its name. Originally, there was no mountain here at all, but rather the shell of the Nazis’ military engineering faculty, which was never completed. After liberation from National Socialism, the building was blown up, and the rubble became one of the many mountains of debris in post-war Berlin. A total of 15,000 destroyed houses are said to be buried here – along with the stories of thousands of Berliners who once lived in them. From 1957 to 1990 , the Allies used the facility first as a listening station and later for air traffic control. It was then abandoned for financial reasons – and fell into disrepair. Today, Teufelsberg is both a lost place and a trendy hotspot: guided tours allow visitors to explore the site, while techno parties and art exhibitions can be experienced among street art, ruins, and antenna domes in Europe’s largest open-air gallery with over 400 works of art.
The enchanted castle
Just 1.5 hours outside Berlin, in the Brandenburg forest, lie the ruins of Hohenlandin Castle – an atmospheric lost place. The once magnificent English Tudor-style mansion fell into disrepair after expropriation, vacancy, and fires, becoming an overgrown ruin. Today, the building is mostly off-limits due to the risk of collapse, but the mystical walls and overgrown park make the place a particularly atmospheric destination for an excursion.
An abandoned high-security laboratory
Photo: Shutterstock
The Mäusebunker (mouse bunker ) is one of Berlin’s most extraordinary lost places – a huge concrete structure that looks like something out of a dystopia. Once a high-security laboratory belonging to the Charité hospital, animal experiments were carried out here for decades on over 16,000 m² – strictly isolated and secret. Today, the building is a listed monument and is considered an icon of late German brutalism. Its pointed walls, massive concrete surfaces, and ventilation pipes give it an eerie, almost futuristic aura. From laboratory to monument, the Mouse Bunker is a place that evokes fascination, unease, and architectural history. And if you want to learn more about its history, you can find the full article on the Mouse Bunker here!
The Ghost Consulate
Embassy in Villa Garbáty in Berlin-Pankow (1987) / Federal Archives, image 183-1987-0130-316 / Photo: Schneider / CC-BY-SA 3.0
The Bulgarian Ghost Consulate – spies, tunnels, and Cold War secrets: Built in 1970, this abandoned consulate building in Berlin-Pankow was used by the Stasi to monitor escape movements – including a secret tunnel that was only discovered in 2023. Once a diplomatic mission, it was also a covert espionage post in the middle of the GDR. Today, the dilapidated building is a listed historical monument and, as one of Berlin’s most mysterious lost places, serves as a reminder of the dark side of the Cold War. If you want to learn more about its hidden history and the spectacular discovery of the tunnel, you can find the full article here!
Beelitz Sanatorium
Image: Shutterstock | Nicole Kwiatkowski
Our second entry is certainly already familiar to many Berliners. The sanatoriums are only an hour’s drive or train ride outside the city. In the otherwise idyllic forest area, you will find the remains of a once majestic yet somehow eerie complex that was used as a sanatorium for lung diseases. With the extremely barbaric methods used at the time to “treat” the mentally ill, it is easy to imagine what once took place within these walls.
If that’s not creepy enough for you, just take a look at the dilapidated buildings, which exude an enormously eerie presence. Since 2015, you no longer have to break into the grounds to get a glimpse. Since then, there has been a 700-meter-long treetop path that leads you through the treetops of the forest surrounding the building, offering a great view without risking your neck. Curious? Find out more about the history of the sanatoriums—and which world-famous film was shot here — here!
Stasi Hotel
The hotel that never became one: the collapse of the GDR came before the building could be completed. The building, also known as the MfS-Ferienheim Buchheide, was intended to offer state informers some peace and quiet between their eavesdropping and manipulation activities. To this end, in addition to 180 bedrooms, it was to be equipped with a pool, sauna, bar, and bowling area. Instead of the planned informer spa, a unique ecosystem has developed here. Nature has reclaimed the site – as evidenced by trees fighting their way through the empty floors, among other things.
Südgelände Nature Park
The Südgelände in Schöneberg is probably the easiest lost place to discover on this list. Over the years, the former train station has become a nature reserve, which is why some areas are not accessible. In addition to the tracks, which have not been used for years, there is also a railway depot and a water tower to visit. The steam locomotive is one of the most popular photo motifs at the Südgelände.
Institute of Anatomy
The former Institute of Anatomy of the Free University of Berlin, which was relocated here in 1949, is the perfect backdrop for a horror movie. After the medical faculties of Berlin’s universities were merged in 2003, the building lost its official purpose. The pathology classrooms in the basement are particularly creepy. There you will find old dissection tables and refrigerated compartments for test subjects.
Weißensee Children’s Hospital
As the photo above shows, this lost place scores significantly better on the decay scale than its predecessors on this list. Nevertheless, it clearly shows how the ravages of time are gnawing away at what was once a state-of-the-art institute, thus depicting a bittersweet memento mori. State-of-the-art technology, a park for fresh air, and even its own farm for milk supplies made the building the pride of Weißensee. After it closed in 1997, it became a top spot for urban explorers. Learn more about this abandoned hospital—and why it’s also known as the zombie hospital — here!
Ballhaus Grünau
Image: @faribeault
The music hasn’t been playing here for a long time! In 1890, the Ballhaus Riviera in Grünau was the equivalent of Berghain today. At the Ballhaus Riviera, you could dance and party all year round. Especially after the 1936 Summer Olympics gave the venue a new lease of life. But everything comes to an end, and since the Ballhaus closed in 1990, the piano has been nothing more than an untuned dust collector.
Blub air and swimming paradise
Blub, blub, blub. This former leisure center has also gone under. Although in a way, it still contributes to leisure and fun. For example, a comment we found online reported that Blub was a popular venue for raves during the coronavirus pandemic! The water park in Britz was originally closed due to a rat infestation and unsanitary conditions. Added to this was the enormous risk of collapse after several fires.
Iraqi Embassy
One of the most notorious lost places in Berlin is the former Iraqi Embassy in Niederschönhausen, which was abandoned in 1991 when the last Iraqi ambassadors left Germany. According to official law, this building still belongs to the Iraqi state, as embassy buildings have perpetual rights of use. To this day, many controversial stories surround the abandoned embassy: Was it once a refuge for terrorists? Were confidential documents belonging to Hussein stored here? We will probably never find out, but the mystery remains and continues to attract urban explorers who want to solve its riddles.