Lost Places Berlin
Abandoned Places, Ruins and Their History
What Are Lost Places in Berlin?
Lost Places are abandoned buildings, industrial sites or other places that no longer serve their original purpose. In Berlin, these include former hospitals, factories, railway facilities and military sites from different periods of the city’s history.
The Berlin locals recommend.
What Are the Most Famous Lost Places in Berlin and Brandenburg?
Some of the most famous Lost Places in Berlin and Brandenburg include the Beelitz-Heilstätten, Teufelsberg, Wünsdorf, the former Bärenquell-Brauerei, Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee and Rundlokschuppen Pankow. Some are still abandoned, while others are being renovated, repurposed or are now open to visitors.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Region: Berlin and Brandenburg
- Well-Known Lost Places: Beelitz-Heilstätten, Teufelsberg, Spreepark, Bärenquell-Brauerei
- Typical Sites: Hospitals, factories, military facilities, railway stations
- Historical Periods: German Empire, World War II, GDR, post-reunification era
- Accessibility: Depends on the individual site
- Information Last Updated: September 2026
Alright, friends,
Berlin and Brandenburg have no shortage of abandoned places. Old hospitals, factories, military sites and disused railway stations, some of which haven’t been used for decades.
Many of these buildings tell stories from before World War II, from the GDR era or from the years following German reunification.
Some are still standing empty today. Others were demolished long ago or have since found a new purpose.
In this blog, we’ll show you eleven well-known Lost Places in Berlin and Brandenburg, explore their history and explain what’s actually left of them today.
And because abandoned buildings tend to attract some pretty wild stories, we’ll also get into urban legends – and my own experiences at places that, in some cases, no longer exist.
Important: This article is not an invitation to enter secured sites or private property. We distinguish between places open to the public, former Lost Places and sites that are still abandoned.
Why Are There So Many Lost Places in Berlin and Brandenburg?
There are several historical reasons why Berlin and Brandenburg have so many abandoned places.
After World War II, Berlin was divided. When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, it created new political and economic borders.
Industrial sites, railway stations and entire transport connections lost their former importance.
This change became particularly noticeable after 1990.
GDR businesses closed, former Soviet military sites were abandoned, and countless buildings suddenly stood empty.
Brandenburg played an important role in this too. The area surrounding Berlin was home to large military bases, sanatoriums and industrial sites, many of which had no immediate new purpose after German reunification.
Over the decades, nature reclaimed many of these places, while others were discovered by graffiti artists.
Others disappeared beneath new developments.
What we call a Lost Place today was often once an ordinary workplace, a hospital or an important part of everyday life in Berlin.
Teufelsberg Berlin: Former NSA Listening Station in Grunewald
Teufelsberg in Grunewald is a former American-British listening station from the Cold War. Today, the listed site is open to the public, offering street art, history and views across Berlin.
The hill itself was created after World War II from the rubble of the destroyed city.
In the 1960s, the United States and Great Britain built a listening station there to monitor radio communications from the Eastern Bloc.
The facility was abandoned after the end of the Cold War.
On 30 October 2018, the site was officially granted listed status.
Can You Visit Teufelsberg Today?
Yes. The former listening station is now regularly open to visitors for an admission fee.
You can explore the site independently during opening hours. Guided tours and exhibitions are also available.
So Teufelsberg is no longer a classic abandoned Lost Place.
Its former radar domes, graffiti and historic buildings still make it one of the most interesting places to explore Berlin’s post-war history.
You can learn more about its history in our detailed Teufelsberg blog.
Spreepark Berlin: The Abandoned GDR Amusement Park in Plänterwald
Spreepark in Plänterwald opened in 1969 as the GDR’s only permanent amusement park. After closing in 2001, the site became one of Berlin’s most famous Lost Places.
My parents and grandparents still tell stories about this famous amusement park to this day.
For years, the rides stood motionless. The Ferris wheel became a symbol of an abandoned amusement park slowly being reclaimed by nature.
By now, that chapter is largely over.
When Will Spreepark Berlin Reopen?
The new Spreepark is scheduled to reopen in spring 2027.
The site is being transformed into a park dedicated to art, culture and nature. Historic rides are set to be preserved, with some reimagined for their new surroundings.
The Ferris wheel was reassembled in 2025 and is expected to operate again when the park reopens. The former workshop building is also being renovated.
The historic Eierhäuschen has already been open as a venue for art, culture and gastronomy since March 2024.
If you want to follow the progress, you’ll find a webcam on the official Spreepark website.
What was once an abandoned GDR amusement park is becoming a new public cultural destination.
My First Encounters with Abandoned Places in Berlin
My first encounter with a Lost Place was when I was a kid.
I grew up in Berlin-Friedrichshain, and right next to the Oberbaumbridge, there was an old factory building that had been standing empty for years.
To us, it was just one huge adventure playground.
We were still in primary school and often spent time there after school, without really understanding what the place had once been.
That was when I first started to realise just how many places in Berlin had simply been left behind.
Buildings that had once been part of everyday life in the city and now existed only as ruins.
The Stories About the Schleicher von Beelitz
In the early 2000s, we kept hearing more and more stories about a place outside the city: the Beelitz-Heilstätten.
Among teenagers, wild rumours were circulating about the so-called “Schleicher von Beelitz”.
Apparently, a figure was said to roam through the abandoned buildings at night.
By now, we know who it was.
When we were 13 or 14, we eventually ended up there ourselves – first during the day, then at night too.
And of course, exactly the kind of things happened that make you wonder years later whether they really happened at all.
We heard chains dragging across the floor.
We saw lights in buildings where nobody was supposed to be.
Sometimes we heard screams or saw small flames among the ruins.
Today, a lot of it is much easier to explain.
Even back then, the Beelitz-Heilstätten attracted people from all over Berlin: photographers, graffiti writers, urban explorers and homeless people.
But as a teenager, that place felt like another world.
Beelitz-Heilstätten: Abandoned Hospital and Lost Place Near Berlin
Construction of the Beelitz-Heilstätten began in 1898 as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients. Parts of the complex later served as a military hospital and a Soviet military hospital.
During World War I, Adolf Hitler was among those treated here in 1916.
After World War II, the Soviet Army took over large parts of the site.
It wasn’t until the troops withdrew in the 1990s that numerous buildings were abandoned.
The Beelitz-Heilstätten then became one of Germany’s most famous Lost Places.
Can You Visit the Beelitz-Heilstätten Today?
Yes. Parts of the former sanatorium complex are now regularly open to visitors.
Since 2015, a treetop walkway has taken visitors above the grounds of the former women’s tuberculosis sanatorium.
Visitors can look down on the overgrown buildings from above. There is also an observation tower, and guided tours of historic buildings are available.
Other parts of the extensive complex have since been renovated and repurposed.
Today, the Beelitz-Heilstätten are a mix of historic monument, visitor attraction and buildings that remain unused.
Bärenquell-Brauerei Berlin: From Abandoned Brewery to Revier Südost
Bärenquell-Brauerei Berlin: From Abandoned Brewery to Revier Südost
The former Bärenquell-Brauerei in Niederschöneweide is one of the best-known industrial sites in southeast Berlin.
After the brewery closed for good in 1994, large parts of the complex stood empty.
Over the decades, the buildings fell into disrepair and became a well-known Lost Place from Berlin’s industrial past.
What Is at the Former Bärenquell-Brauerei Today?
The site is now home to Revier Südost.
The former brewery is used for techno events, food and drink, art and cultural activities, among other things.
Baergarten is also part of the site.
This former Lost Place has long since become part of Berlin’s nightlife and cultural scene again.
The historic industrial buildings and graffiti still define the atmosphere, though.
Address: Schnellerstraße 137, 12439 Berlin-Niederschöneweide.
Siemensbahn Berlin: Abandoned S-Bahn Line Set to Reopen
Siemensbahn Berlin: Abandoned S-Bahn Line Set to Reopen
The Siemensbahn opened in 1929 to connect the Siemens factories in Spandau to Berlin’s S-Bahn network.
The line was shut down following the Reichsbahn railway strike in 1980.
Over the decades, its stations and tracks fell into disrepair.
The abandoned platforms and overgrown tracks became an unusual Lost Place right in the middle of Berlin’s transport network.
When Will the Siemensbahn Reopen?
The line is scheduled to return to service in 2029.
On 29 June 2026, initial work began to restore the historic steel viaduct.
Deutsche Bahn is first examining suitable methods for repairing the listed structure.
The viaduct consists of 71 individual structures in total.
The Siemensbahn shows that even infrastructure left unused for decades can have a future in Berlin.
Blub Badeparadies Berlin: The Lost Place That Disappeared in Neukölln
Blub Badeparadies opened in Berlin-Neukölln in 1985 and was one of the city’s best-known water parks for many years.
In 2005, the complex had to close due to financial problems and hygiene issues.
When I was a kid, almost every birthday party seemed to take place there. It was a popular place for a day out, with plenty of water slides and play areas.
After it closed, the swimming pools and water slides stood abandoned for years.
The site became a well-known Lost Place.
Today, the former water park has largely disappeared. Plans are underway to redevelop the site near Buschkrugpark for housing.
Anyone who remembers Blub from their childhood remembers a place that no longer exists as it once did.
Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee: Abandoned Children’s Hospital with an Uncertain Future
The former Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee was built in the early 20th century and served as an important medical facility for many decades.
After it closed, large parts of the listed building complex stood empty.
As the buildings fell into disrepair, the site became a well-known Lost Place.
What Is Happening to Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee?
The site’s long-term future remains uncertain.
In May 2026, the state-owned housing company HOWOGE announced that it could not make the planned residential development on the site financially viable.
Key obstacles included wildlife protection requirements and financial risks.
The district authorities are therefore considering redevelopment through the granting of a long-term leasehold.
Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee remains one of Berlin’s Lost Places whose future is still undecided.
Flughafen Rangsdorf: Abandoned Airfield and Former Bücker Aircraft Factory
Flughafen Rangsdorf: Abandoned Airfield and Former Bücker Aircraft Factory
The former Rangsdorf airfield opened in 1936.
During World War II, the site played an important role in Germany’s aviation industry.
The site continued to be used after the war. Later, numerous buildings and former production facilities stood empty.
The historic Bücker aircraft factory in particular became a well-known Lost Place.
What Is Being Built at the Former Rangsdorf Airfield?
The site is now being transformed into a new residential neighbourhood called BUC-36.
Some of the historic buildings are being renovated and incorporated into the development.
In June 2026, a topping-out ceremony was held for the former listed engine test facility and the first residential buildings, among others.
Around 1,000 apartments are planned in total.
The former airfield is therefore no longer a completely abandoned site, but a place undergoing redevelopment.
You can find out how a former airport in the middle of Berlin has changed in our blog about Airport Tempelhof.
Stadtbad Lichtenberg: The Abandoned Hubertusbad in Berlin
Stadtbad Lichtenberg was built between 1925 and 1928 and is one of Berlin’s historic public bathhouses that has survived largely in its original condition.
In the past, facilities like this were used not only for swimming but also for personal hygiene.
Many Berlin apartments didn’t have their own bathrooms back then.
After it closed, Hubertusbad stood empty for decades.
Can You Visit Hubertusbad Today?
The historic building is now occasionally used for events, exhibitions and cultural activities.
Guided tours of the former public bathhouse are also available.
However, it still does not operate as a regular public swimming pool.
Hubertusbad is therefore a former Lost Place that is once again open to the public, at least from time to time.
Rundlokschuppen Pankow: Abandoned Railway Roundhouse in Berlin
Rundlokschuppen Pankow was completed in 1893 and was part of the former Pankow railway depot.
Locomotives were once stored and maintained here.
Its unusual circular design makes it a remarkable piece of Berlin’s railway history.
After the depot closed, the building gradually fell into disrepair.
Rundlokschuppen Pankow is a listed historic building.
Unlike the Siemensbahn, there are currently no similarly advanced plans to bring the historic structure back into use.
Its long-term future therefore remains uncertain.
Rundlokschuppen Pankow is another example of just how difficult it can be to preserve large historic industrial buildings.
Natur-Park Südgelände: Former Lost Place and Industrial Nature in Berlin
Natur-Park Südgelände is located on the site of the former Tempelhof marshalling yard in Berlin-Schöneberg.
After the railway facilities were shut down, an unusual landscape developed there over the decades.
Trees, shrubs and rare plants spread between old railway tracks, rusty signals and abandoned railway buildings.
Today, the site is no longer a classic Lost Place but a protected industrial nature park.
Can You Visit Natur-Park Südgelände?
Yes. The park is regularly open to visitors.
You can follow designated paths to discover historic railway structures, art installations and the area’s unusual urban nature.
For us Berliners, it’s one of those places that shows exactly how this city works: nothing completely gone, nothing completely new – just something in between.
And that’s exactly what makes it one of Berlin’s most fascinating places when it comes to nature and industrial history.
Wünsdorf: The Forbidden City and Former Soviet Military Town Near Berlin
For decades, Wünsdorf, south of Berlin, was one of the most important Soviet military bases in the GDR. After Russian troops withdrew in 1994, they left behind barracks, swimming pools, theatres, residential buildings and underground bunkers.
Wünsdorf had already played an important military role before the Soviet occupation. During World War II, the site was home to the Maybach and Zeppelin bunker complexes, which were used by the German Army High Command.
After 1945, a largely closed-off Soviet military town developed here, complete with its own schools, shops, sports facilities and cultural centres.
Ordinary GDR citizens were not allowed to enter the so-called “Forbidden City”.
Can You Visit the Forbidden City of Wünsdorf Today?
Yes. Parts of the former military town and its historic bunkers can now be explored on guided tours.
Particularly interesting are the Maybach complex, the Zeppelin bunker and the former Soviet military buildings surrounding the Lenin monument.
Bücher- und Bunkerstadt Wünsdorf continues to offer regular guided tours of the historic sites in 2026.
You’ll find the full history of the former military town, its connection to World War II and its Soviet past in our detailed Wünsdorf blog: The Forbidden City South of Berlin.
Why Lost Places Tell You More About Berlin Than Some Tourist Attractions
Lost Places reveal a side of Berlin you rarely find in traditional travel guides.
They tell stories of industrialisation, war, division and change.
Sometimes I think about that old factory near the Oberbaumbridge.
Back then, it was simply somewhere we used to hang out after school.
Today, I’d probably want to know what was once produced there, who owned the building and why it eventually stood empty.
Maybe the way we look at places like these changes as we get older.
Back then, it was the abandoned buildings themselves that fascinated me. Today, I’m increasingly interested in why they were abandoned in the first place.
And what happens to them afterwards.
By the way, you’ll also find our blogs about the RAW complex, Berghain, view, and the East Side Gallery here.
Berlin is not a tourist attraction. Berlin is a city.
See you in the real Berlin – or here in the next blog.
Take care 🖤
Most images in this article are sample images and were not taken at the places featured.
Check out our blogs on the history of Berlin.
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