Beautiful Decay inside Hotel Atlantis - Germany, September 2017 - Thread

Once a magnificent place. Today: Deserted. Only plants are living among these walls. One hundred years ago this site was a place of luxury. Even a king came here to see the grand hotel. But in the course of time the glory faded. On our hunt for the beauty of decay we travelled to this history-charged building. Join our exploration of this lost paradise. Welcome to Hotel Atlantis!

Watch our exploration on YouTube:

A lovely ski resort somewhere in Eastern Germany. When we were kids, some of us used to spend their winter holidays right here. But back then we didn’t notice this treasure. Many years later we returned. And instead of searching for the adventure on the slope we found it right inside the former grand hotel.

Hotel Atlantis #13 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

Windows and doors were boarded up. Huge parts of the imposing building complex were already ruined by vandals. After 20 years of vacancy the former luxury hotel is nothing more than a shadow of its former self. Hotel Atlantis consists of three building parts in total. The part we entered first was a horrific scene. There was graffiti nearly everywhere. We even found traces of a fire. It’s said that there were multiple cases of arson over the past few years.

Once Upon a Time by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

An impressive swimming hall was part of the hotel as well. We found this one in the second building. By now it has lost its appeal. It hurt to see it in such a bad condition. There was much more graffiti than we thought. The huge window facade on the outside was covered up with advertisements. On the inside there were massive mold spots all over the walls. Only the artful mural is a remnant of better times.

Swimming Pool by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

The third building is the oldest one. It was built over a hundred years ago and time takes its toll. Water is dripping from the ceiling and destroys the structure more and more. In some cases the floors are extremely rotten, so it would be very dangerous to move on them. Nature is reclaiming the hotel step by step. Whole rooms are painted green by mold. It was this beautiful decay that drew us to the site in the first place.

Hotel Atlantis #06 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

When Hotel Atlantis was built it was one of the finest and most modern accommodations in the whole region. It was in a top quality location and beautiful to look at. From the inside as well as from the outside. There was electric lighting and even a central heating system. The rooms were big and the hotel had its own restaurants and bars. Around 100 guests at once could find accommodation here. Back then even the local king spent a night in the luxury hotel. Famous winter sportspersons and their coaches stayed here too.

Mold by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr

As in the case of many facilities of the former GDR, the owner of this hotel changed after the German reunification. This was the beginning of the fall of Hotel Atlantis. The trust sold the building complex in 1991. Two years later it was reopened as a sports hotel. But the operators became bankrupt only a few years later. Since 1998 this place is vacant and rotting away. And as it seems all help will be coming too late. There won’t be a revival of Hotel Atlantis. Only a short time ago a commission surveyed the property and declared that the building stock is already in a ruinous state. The whole area will most likely be knocked down. Which would be the end of Hotel Atlantis.

This time for good.

Hotel Atlantis #37 by Broken Window Theory, on Flickr