Tour Report: The Green School

We had had this location on our list for quite some time, but never had the opportunity to visit it until our summer vacation in 2020. The abandoned school in Saxony had been empty for over 15 years at that point. For most of that time, it lay virtually untouched in a deep slumber; the first pictures had appeared online only a few years before our visit. On the eve of our excursion, there was a barbecue at the husky farm, and our host's two (adult) grandchildren had expressed a desire to accompany us on the tour – a wish we were happy to grant. The two had already accompanied us on a trip a few months earlier, and we were delighted to have the extra company again.

So we set off in the morning after breakfast. The journey took us about an hour and a half. The abandoned school is located in the middle of a residential area, so we first had to find a parking space. While it was still relatively cool when we left, we realized when we got out of the car that it was going to be another really hot day. It was still morning, but the thermometer was already showing 30 degrees Celsius.

The next step was to find an entrance to the abandoned building.

Many of the windows on the ground floor were boarded up with thick wooden planks, and entering from the street would have been very conspicuous anyway. So we walked around the building and looked for an entrance in the courtyard. The courtyard was completely overgrown after so long. We had to search for a long time, but then we discovered an open window that led to the basement. To get to this window, we had to cross a ditch next to the building. It was in the shade, which made it very damp and partly muddy, and as a result, there seemed to be billions of mosquitoes there.

Behind the basement window, it was quite a long way down, but someone had been kind enough to leave a ladder there so that we could climb down without too much trouble.

We began our exploration from this basement room.

Unfortunately, there weren't many remnants of the school's former use, such as school desks, blackboards, and chairs—the school was basically swept clean. In this respect, most of the rooms were relatively uninteresting from a photographic point of view. However, the large main staircase, which gave the school its “stage name,” was really a great sight. The sunlight did the rest to set this area off beautifully. The sports hall with its large windows and parquet flooring also provided a beautiful motif – even though a few teenagers had once gone to great lengths to destroy this place with a bonfire.

In total, we spent about two hours exploring every room in the old school. Then we left the building the same way we had entered it and made our way back to the husky farm.

To find out more about the history and to check out all the photos from this place, click the button below.

Tour Report: Air-Raid Shelter W.

After visiting the “Moostaverne” on the sixth day of our 2020 summer vacation, we took a day off to relax a little. We often do this when we arrive at the husky farm, because the first evening is usually so full of joy at seeing everyone again that the next day is more about recovering from the hangover.

In this case, we also wanted to take it a little easier due to temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius.

Unfortunately, the temperatures hadn't changed much the next day. Nevertheless, we wanted to go on an outing, so we looked for a location that wasn't too far away and that we could explore in a short amount of time.

So we decided on an old air-raid shelter on the grounds of a huge former mineral oil plant. Originally, sixteen of these “Salzgitter” type bunkers were planned for the site. Eight were built, and only two have survived the decades since World War II. One of these two bunkers has been converted into a museum, but it rarely opens its doors to the public. The second remaining Salzgitter bunker on the site is located south of the premises of a metal recycling company. We drove around a bit to find a parking lot that wasn't too far from the bunker and, ideally, provided a little shade—given the heat, this was the right thing to do.

In the end, we parked in a small niche between some bushes right by the road and set off on the short walk.

Even this short distance had us sweating profusely.

When we arrived at the bunker, we could see an entrance and hoped that it would be a little cooler inside. But no such luck. The bunker is above ground and not covered with earth, so the summer sun and heat had plenty of time to warm up the walls. It was only marginally cooler inside than outside.

But of course we took a few pictures—nothing spectacular, because this place didn't really offer much in terms of photo opportunities. Nevertheless, visiting this place was another piece of the puzzle in our picture of the mineral oil plant, other parts of which we had already visited in the past.

As I said, it was just a little trip to satisfy our desire for abandoned places and history. But that was really enough in this heat, and we made our way back to the husky farm, where a nice siesta awaited us.

To find out more about the history ofm this place, click the button below.

Mold's Tavern

On the sixth day of our 2020 summer vacation, our route took us eastward. We had planned to spend the second half of our holiday with our dear friends at the husky farm and take day trips from there.

On the way, we took the opportunity to visit a location quite well known in the urbex scene – the so-called “Schimmelwirt”, which roughly translates as “Moldy Landlord.” It’s an inn that was built around 1890 and has stood vacant for many years following severe water damage.

Our plan required a small detour, but the wonderful summer weather made it more than worthwhile. The drive led us through the Weser Uplands – a landscape of rolling green hills and lush meadows. Beyond that, the road continued into a vast conservation area, characterized by deep forests and wide, unspoiled fields. Numerous ranches and stud farms in the region attract day-trippers and tourists alike.

Our destination lay on the southern edge of a small village, almost exactly halfway between our first stop and the husky farm. Fewer than 250 people live there.

The building stands directly beside the country road. On its eastern side are a few occupied houses, and there are more residential buildings across the street – which naturally increased the risk of being noticed.

There was no discreet place to park. However, since it was the middle of the week, we assumed most residents would be at work. So we took the chance and parked right in the inn’s own parking lot.

Almost immediately, we spotted an open door at the back of the building. We grabbed our gear from the car and got to work. Entering through the door, our first impression was disappointing: the room we stepped into looked more like a garage, cluttered with trash. But that disappointment didn’t last long – another door led from there into the heart of the inn.

Of course, we had seen photos of the place before, but we were still surprised to find that the first dining area showed almost no signs of decay. The inn must have been popular and lively in its heyday; we found dozens of commemorative plaques from local clubs that had celebrated their anniversaries there over the years.

Decorative items and even music cassettes were still scattered around, and an opened bottle of Linie Aquavit stood in the cake refrigerator.

From the bar area, we moved into another dining room – and here it became obvious how the place had earned its nickname. The water damage had truly taken its toll: plaster had crumbled from the ceiling and lay on the tables, wooden panels had come loose overhead, and the walls, though still paneled, had warped from the damp. Black and green mold covered almost every surface.

Interestingly, this level of decay was largely confined to that one area and to some of the rooms directly above it. The rest of the building – including the guest rooms – was in surprisingly good condition. Some parts had naturally suffered from years of neglect, but others still looked as if they could welcome new guests at any moment. The furnishings, of course, are far from modern – they evoke a charming nostalgia, a time capsule of the 1980s.

After about two hours of exploring, we had seen everything. We took a short break by the car and then set off again – after all, we wanted to reach the husky farm in time for dinner!

To find out more about the history and to check out all the photos from this place, click the button below.