Trespassing Into History

The Hotel Gutsmann was opened in 1958 in the town of Bad Bramstedt in northern Germany and quickly developed into one of the most renowned hotels in the region. As a modern spa and conference hotel with 141 rooms, a spacious wellness area and a fitness studio on four floors, it attracted numerous guests, including prominent personalities such as the Spanish King Juan Carlos in 1971.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, the hotel was a social hub in the town. It not only served spa guests, but was also a popular venue for events such as weddings, anniversaries and birthday parties. The hotel's own restaurant “Schwemme” was known for its upscale home cooking and convivial atmosphere. ... (more)

This abandoned children's home was built in 1910 by a lawyer from Hamburg as a spacious guest house. The estate was idyllically situated in the forest on a plot of around 4 hectares with several buildings. It was initially a private rest home that served wealthier guests as a summer retreat.

In 1927, the Workers' Welfare Association (AWO) took over the institution. The organization developed the grounds into a boarding school for girls. The aim was to provide young women from socially disadvantaged families with schooling and domestic training. ...(more)

On the way back from our tour in May 2020, we took a short trip to a low mountain range before heading to a dear friend's house to end our vacation there. An abandoned hunting lodge, which was built at the end of the 17th century and has had a very varied history over the centuries, stands on a ridge in said mountain range. This hunting lodge was the destination of our short excursion that day.

After taking a road with (I think) 36 hairpin bends to get up the mountain, we reached the small side road to the old castle. As we were coming from the north, we didn't drive past the buildings in use opposite and remained unseen.

To avoid being seen from the main road...(more)