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Lost Places / Urbex Europe - by Peter Untermaierhofer, Kumrovec (2026)

22/10/2026

Le cabinet du marquis

(+ previously published images of this former abandoned château)

An old library and study inside one of the most extraordinary châteaux I've ever photographed in France.

The room was packed with books, documents, old photographs and all kinds of objects collected over the years. Wooden shelves covered almost every available wall, while several tables in the centre were still filled with paperwork and old writing equipment.

The elaborate blue wallpaper was quite unusual, especially in combination with the rather simple wooden bookshelves. Together with the antique furniture, framed pictures and countless small details, the room had the character of a private collection that had grown over several generations.

The entire château was filled with remarkable interiors. Beautifully furnished bedrooms, enormous tapestries, family portraits, a private theatre and even a small chapel. Some rooms looked almost untouched, while others already showed signs of decay. Exploring such an enormous building was quite an experience, with something new to discover behind almost every door.

Fortunately, this is one of the rare abandoned places with a positive development. After years of neglect, the château was acquired by new owners in 2024. Restoration work is now underway, and the building has even opened its doors to the public.

The following photographs are a selection of previously published images from my earlier visits, showing just how much of the original interior had survived the years of abandonment.

20/10/2026

La Foi entre l’Épée et l’Étendard

(+ previously published images of this abandoned church in France)

Another photograph from a beautiful abandoned church somewhere in France, where the effects of decades of neglect are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

In this latest photograph I'm sharing from the church, two religious figures stand on opposite sides of the central nave. On the left is Saint Michel Archange, depicted with his wings spread and his sword raised against evil. On the right stands Sainte Jeanne d’Arc, wearing armour and carrying her banner. Two very different figures, both closely associated with faith, courage and the fight against evil or oppression.

Between them, the long central aisle leads towards the main altar, surrounded by towering Gothic arches, old wooden pews and magnificent stained-glass windows.

Despite the impressive architecture, the church is in a worrying condition. Moisture has damaged large sections of the walls, plaster is falling away and several of the side chapels have been reinforced with massive wooden supports to prevent further structural damage.

The other photographs offer a closer look at some of these chapels, including their elaborate altars, religious sculptures and beautiful stained glass. Much of the original interior is still there, although the building is clearly suffering from years without proper maintenance.

It would be a shame to see such an extraordinary piece of religious architecture disappear.

16/10/2026

Sénescence florale

(+ previously published images of this abandoned château)

Back in 2019, I had the opportunity to photograph one of the most remarkable abandoned châteaux I have ever visited in France.

At the time, the building was still in surprisingly good condition, at least considering its years of abandonment. Most rooms were fully furnished, with antique furniture, paintings, books, carpets and countless personal belongings still in place.

The bedroom in the first photograph was a beautiful example of this. Its elaborate floral wallpaper, carved wooden bed and old furniture had survived remarkably well, although the enormous moisture damage on the left wall was already a warning of what was to come.

The château itself has a history dating back to the 15th century, although most of the present building was constructed in the 19th century. Its interiors included magnificent reception rooms, a private chapel, several bedrooms and an extraordinary library with green wooden shelves and a collection of old sewing machines.

Unfortunately, seven years later, the château is only a shadow of what it once was. Many of its furnishings have disappeared, water has caused extensive damage and parts of the ceiling in the library have collapsed. The deterioration over such a relatively short period is quite shocking.

A local preservation association was founded in 2020 and has been fighting to save the building. With the current owners apparently absent for years, efforts have been made to find a legal solution that would allow the property to change hands and finally receive the attention it desperately needs.

I really hope they succeed. Looking back at these photographs, it's difficult to imagine how much has already been lost in just seven years.

13/10/2026

Leaf Spiral

A look down the old spiral staircase of a former grand hotel in eastern Germany.

Opened in 1902, the Hotel Fürstenhof was once one of the city's most prestigious addresses. After closing in 1996, the enormous building complex was left abandoned and slowly deteriorated over the following decades.

I photographed the hotel in 2017, when much of its original architecture was still intact despite years of neglect. The staircase was a beautiful example of the craftsmanship that went into buildings like this at the beginning of the 20th century. Its elegant spiral, the curved wooden handrail and the delicate metalwork with decorative leaves created a remarkable view from above.

Unfortunately, the hotel's long history is now coming to an end. Demolition work began in 2026, following years of disputes over its preservation. Since this staircase was located right next to the former ballroom, I suspect it has already disappeared along with parts of the surrounding building.

Another piece of architectural history that probably only survives in photographs.

12/10/2026

Innocens Manibus Et Mundo Corde

(+ previously published images of this abandoned monastery)

An abandoned monastery somewhere in Italy. I honestly know very little about its history, but sometimes the architecture and the atmosphere of a place are enough to make it memorable.

What I particularly liked here was the combination of beautiful old architecture and nature slowly taking over. Ivy had spread across the floors, climbed up the columns and covered entire walls. The old cloisters, with their vaulted ceilings and elegant arches, were still recognisable, even though parts of the building had already collapsed.

There was also a remarkable sense of silenzio throughout the monastery. Despite the advanced decay, the place felt surprisingly peaceful. Especially in the overgrown courtyards, where nature had gradually replaced almost everything that once filled these spaces.

The first photograph shows what remains of the chapel on the upper floor. Much of its roof has already collapsed, and looking at the remaining structure, I wouldn't be surprised if the rest followed soon.

Taking this particular photograph was quite an experience. Finding a reasonably solid place to put my feet required some careful consideration and a certain amount of faith in what was still holding the building together.

Apparently, a little faith was enough. At least that day.

11/10/2026

Dark Billiard Session

A long time ago, I explored an old château somewhere in France, back when the building was still abandoned and much of its original interior remained untouched.

One of the most interesting parts was the billiard area, which was actually part of the entrance hall. A massive wooden billiard table stood in front of two beautifully decorated archways, leading towards an impressive wooden staircase. Dark wall panelling, carved woodwork, antique furniture and ornamental plasterwork gave the entire space a remarkable atmosphere.

What I particularly liked was the contrast between the dark billiard area and the warmer light coming from the hall behind it. Even the billiard balls were still lying on the table, as if someone had simply interrupted a game and never returned.

Apparently, things have changed considerably since my visit. The building has meanwhile been cleared out and, from what I've heard, is now inhabited again.

Good news for the building, although I wonder how much of this remarkable interior has survived.

10/10/2026

Gran finale in re minore

The piano is still there, but the room around it is slowly giving up.

The ceiling has already opened in several places, beams are exposed and parts of the old decoration now lie across the floor. On the walls, the portraits are still watching over what is left.

I like how all these elements come together here. The piano, the half-collapsed ceiling, the paintings and the remains of a once carefully designed room almost make the scene look staged, even though nothing about the decay is.

It feels less like silence and more like the very end of a performance.

One last movement before the room disappears completely.

Gran finale in re minore.

09/10/2026

Middleschool Staircase

Secondary School No. 5 was one of the last schools built in Pripyat, the Soviet city established for the workers of the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and their families.

Opened in 1985, the school had barely been in use for a year when the reactor disaster on April 26, 1986, brought everyday life in the city to an abrupt end. The following day, Pripyat was evacuated. What was initially supposed to be a temporary measure became permanent, and the pupils never returned to their classrooms.

I photographed this staircase during my first visit to the exclusion zone in 2017.

What I particularly liked about this part of the building was its almost perfect symmetry. Two staircases leading to the upper floors, separated by old glass partitions and surrounded by faded turquoise walls. The architecture was typical of Soviet public buildings from that period. Rather functional and simple, but with a certain geometric appeal when viewed from the right perspective.

More than three decades of abandonment had left their marks everywhere. Rust was spreading across the metal structures, plaster was falling from the walls, windows had disappeared and moisture had slowly worked its way through the building.

The school itself was still relatively young when I photographed it. In fact, it had already spent far more time abandoned than it had ever been used for its original purpose.

A building intended to educate generations of children, left behind after barely a year.

08/10/2026

Waiting for the Tenth

Hundreds of empty seats, all still facing the centre of a synagogue that has been silent for years.

Built in the 1930s, this was a remarkably modern building for its time. Its Art Deco architecture was influenced by Scandinavian design, with a huge barrel-vaulted ceiling, pale blue surfaces, light oak interiors and a gallery running around three sides of the prayer hall. Even small details were carefully considered: the seven sections of the hall and the seven-part window behind the Ark were designed as references to the Menorah.

For more than seventy years, this was a living place of worship. Eventually the congregation became smaller and the synagogue closed in 2008. What remained was an almost complete interior: rows upon rows of wooden seats, the women’s galleries above them and the central Bimah still showing exactly how the room once functioned.

The title came from one of the basic ideas of traditional Jewish communal prayer.

In Orthodox Judaism, a minyan requires ten adult Jewish men.

Standing in a room with hundreds of empty seats, that number suddenly felt very small.

Waiting for the Tenth.

07/10/2026

Villa Veranda

A small abandoned villa somewhere in eastern Germany.

While I was there, I met an acquaintance of the owner. At first he was understandably a little sceptical about what I was doing there, but after a while we started talking and he told me some of the story behind the house.

His acquaintance had bought the villa with the intention of restoring it. The idea was to save the building and bring it back to life, but once the work began, the real extent of the damage became apparent. What looked manageable from the outside turned into a much bigger project, until the renovation was simply too large and too expensive to carry through.

Looking around the interior, that is especially frustrating because the amount of craftsmanship is remarkable for such a relatively small villa. Dark timber columns, carefully worked balustrades, decorative wall panels, stained glass and all the little details around the staircase show how much effort once went into a private home like this. Even the transition between rooms was treated as something worth designing rather than simply building.

At the same time, the damage is impossible to ignore. Parts of the floor and ceiling are already gone, moisture has worked its way through the walls and every year without a proper solution makes the job more difficult.

Sometimes the intention to save a building is there.

The building itself just asks for more than anyone expected.

Lost Places / Urbex Europe - by Peter Untermaierhofer

22/10/2026

20/10/2026

16/10/2026

13/10/2026

12/10/2026

11/10/2026

10/10/2026

09/10/2026

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07/10/2026

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