It's one of those abandoned buildings that I've seen photos of over the years, and although it doesn't really look spectacular in the end, I've long harbored a desire to visit and photograph this old ballroom.
So when the opportunity presented itself, I took it.
It was also the last opportunity, because just a year or so after our visit, the roof collapsed and demolition followed just a few months later.
We were on our way from one overnight stop to another during our 2019 summer vacation, and the old social hall was very conveniently located on the way for a quick stop. There was even a public parking lot almost directly in front of it.
Finding an entrance was very easy - there wasn't really any fencing, so we could easily find an open door.
We were first in a long corridor, and there was a strong smell of smoke - probably a relic of one of the many larger and smaller fires that have raged in the old building over the years.
Starting from this corridor, we found some rooms that were long past their prime - you could see through the ceilings into the ballroom one floor up, the walls were covered in graffiti, and the floors were full of rubble and trash.
So when the opportunity presented itself, I took it.
It was also the last opportunity, because just a year or so after our visit, the roof collapsed and demolition followed just a few months later.
We were on our way from one overnight stop to another during our 2019 summer vacation, and the old social hall was very conveniently located on the way for a quick stop. There was even a public parking lot almost directly in front of it.
Finding an entrance was very easy - there wasn't really any fencing, so we could easily find an open door.
We were first in a long corridor, and there was a strong smell of smoke - probably a relic of one of the many larger and smaller fires that have raged in the old building over the years.
Starting from this corridor, we found some rooms that were long past their prime - you could see through the ceilings into the ballroom one floor up, the walls were covered in graffiti, and the floors were full of rubble and trash.
We reached the ballroom via the staircase. Although it was already more than broken, we were amazed at its former splendor. The metal columns, the high, vaulted ceiling, the railings decorated with wooden elements and the large, framed stage - grand celebrations certainly took place here!
At the time of our visit, the last sounds of the orchestra had long faded away, and the ravages of time have gnawed deep holes in the floor and ceiling.
We dared to take only a few steps into the room to take a few pictures. The floor was so precarious that we quickly retreated back to the more "solid" area of the building.
We found the collapsed ceiling in the dressing room area particularly impressive - the broken wooden beams formed a strange structure that seemed almost surreal.
All in all, the visit was worthwhile, because you could get a good idea of how beautiful the ballroom must have looked in its best days. It is always a pity that such buildings are not preserved and put to a new use - although here the protection of historical monuments and the immense costs of a renovation in keeping with the preservation order often deter potential investors.
To find out about the history of this place and to check out all the photos, click the button below.
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