Urbexfotografie: verlaten huizen fotograferen

Wednesday 21 October 2020, 17:17 by Kim Schröder | 6,279 views | 17 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Maison Kirsch is one of the most beautiful abandoned houses in Luxembourg. It dates from 1790 and is still full of old belongings. The house has been abandoned since the 1980s. Today I'm taking you into another branch of urbex photography, abandoned houses.

The family that owned Maison Kirsch was once very wealthy and made its own cherry liqueur, hence this codename. The house was also connected to the farm, where the bottles and fruit in jars can still be found.

The preserved fruit was still in the cellar

The way there

After our initial research, we already knew that the neighbour in particular did not want urbexers on the property and was very watchful.

So we looked for a back entrance, once again through bushes and shrubs, falling into the bramble bushes... Only to find out that we were in the garden of the feared neighbour.

Shit, what now? The neighbour is standing by the patio doors, making a phone call, so we quickly decide to cross over and crawl towards the right house.

Me first. I take a run-up and after one big step... Bam! My foot gets caught behind some kind of tree stump and I fall forwards into the bramble bushes. I lie there frozen stiff, hoping the neighbour hasn't seen me.

Of course, this scene must have looked hilarious, because my friend could barely hold back his laughter behind me. Always nice, that sympathy. I get the signal from behind that I can carry on and that nobody saw me, so I make another attempt.

Success

Well, once inside, we couldn't believe our eyes. Time really had stood still here! So many old belongings, personal things, everything left behind.

You wonder why. The bed was still made in the bedroom, shoes next to the bed and clothes hanging in the wardrobe. As if someone could come home at any moment.

A beautiful antique bed, with the slippers next to it
The cellar was full of empty bottles, probably used for the liqueur, and shelves full of preserved fruit, both in the cellar and throughout the rest of the house.

It was difficult to get upstairs because parts of the floor had already sunk considerably. The master bedroom was still reasonably safe to enter, and it really was a gem.

The bed was still made, with the slippers next to it. Powder compact on the dressing table, comb on the bedside table.
All that lovely decay.

As if the residents could come home at any moment
We didn't dare enter the rest of the upper floor. The floor was in such a poor state that it wasn't safe to walk on, but I would have loved to know what was still in all those other rooms.

Fortunately, there are plenty of adventures from this gem online, and I was able to feast on photos from other urbexers who had visited the property.

The garden was quite a jungle, and the windows were covered in cobwebs and dust. So it was pitch-dark in the house. Unfortunately, our good torch had run out too.

My tripod was still in the car as well, which made taking photos difficult. With a small torch, we still managed to make something of it.

If I'm ever in the area again, I'll definitely visit this one another time. It was really worth it.

This is a pretty old fridge, isn't it? Do you remember them from the past?

Pay close attention

To emphasise it once again, urbex is usually not legal. The location above wasn't either. Like most people, I also do this partly for the thrill.

We don't destroy anything, take anything with us or leave things anywhere other than where we found them.

It isn't without danger. A house like this has been empty for so long that the decay is truly enormous. As I mentioned, it wasn't safe for us to enter the upper floor any further either.

So never go urbexing alone, and always let people know where you are.

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About the author

Kim is gek op Urbex fotografie, niet alleen voor de foto's maar ook voor de kick. Naast Urbex maakt ze graag portret en lifestyle foto's.

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17 comments

martinphili wrote on Thursday 22 October 2020 at 20:21 | reply
But so it's just breaking in?
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Friday 23 October 2020 at 00:03 | reply
@martinphili
It isn't breaking and entering because nothing is forced or broken open. It isn't completely legal either, of course.
But urbex is a passion and absolutely not vandalism.

I've also stood in front of a building where there was no way in. It's bad luck, but then you don't go inside.
Translated from Dutch.

guest wrote on Friday 23 October 2020 at 18:41 | reply
Okay, then it's unlawful entry. Six months in pretrial detention and if there are two of you a 33% extra.
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Friday 23 October 2020 at 19:16 | reply
That's why I also mention every time that it isn't without risks and isn't legal
Translated from Dutch.

Henk Elshout wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 10:43 | reply
Nice to read this story, I was at the same location in 2010, striking that everything still looks the same, many urbex locations deteriorate because loitering youths, copper thieves or graffiti sprayers or other people wreck or take things away.
Translated from Dutch.

Dwars wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 13:10 | reply
Very daring trip and indeed not without danger. Yes it’s not legal, but I understand the thrill. Perhaps they could make better use of these kinds of buildings by temporarily renting them out to photographers and such. Then that neighbor can earn something from it too haha.
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 13:28 | reply
@Henk
How nice to read! Still looking about the same after 10 years really says something in the Urbex world!
As for vandalism, it was actually not too bad here. The building itself, however, is starting to deteriorate and become dangerous. Some parts of the upper floor are already slowly coming down.

@Dwars What I find especially strange is that all this is just possible in Belgium, Luxembourg and the surrounding area...
It is just left there to decay, and when you see some of the buildings, it is most definittely still worth doing something with them.

and exploiting such buildings would certainly be an idea that photographers would probably really make use of
Translated from Dutch.

Robert wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 13:34 | reply
Hmmm....a step too far this time.
This wasn't really abandoned with all those personal belongings.
And as for the thrill, well. Says a bit more about you than the photos do.
Robert.
Translated from Dutch.

Day70 wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 14:30 | reply
I understand the thrill and passion for this, you occasionally see beautiful houses and locations go by, it's just difficult to know where to go, because the locations are often not shared with others (understandably, and this way it naturally remains a bit exclusive)
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 14:45 | reply
@Robert
The house has really been empty since the 80s... There is no family left, no owner...
Everything was left behind like that. So the personal belongings too..
The last owners have died, there is no heir.
In the Netherlands, such a house would go to the state, the bank or whoever. Abroad, it doesn't work like that and so it just remains like this with everything still inside...
It is difficult for us to imagine but it happens more often than you think.

Look at @Henk's comment
He was already there 10 years ago and it looked exactly the same then as it does now...

This is urbex now, and no not everyone likes this and that is everyone's right
Translated from Dutch.

Robert wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 15:18 | reply
I have colleagues Kim who also do this. And super beautiful too, and I can appreciate that too. But different.
The response from Henk, yeah um ...even then already a step too far.

Robert
Translated from Dutch.

jb wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 15:55 | reply
I also urbex regularly and in Belgium the police or security usually don't make a big deal if they see that you're only there to take photographs. If you naturally have a portable angle grinder, pliers or other burglary equipment with you to get inside, that's a different story. Same if you're caught while leaving and you're taking things with you. I've done it about 50x and was caught by the police 1x (1 km from my door). I just had to show my ID and they checked whether I was wanted, after that I had to leave the grounds.
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 16:37 | reply
@jb
That's right indeed, it's happened here once too. It also depends very much on your reaction, if you respond politely and indeed don't have any weird things with you and only take photos (as it should be)
Then they usually don't make such a fuss, no.
Translated from Dutch.

Henk Elshout wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 17:04 | reply
@Robert, I am aware that entering vacant buildings falls into a grey area. Yet it is generally tolerated, mainly because photographers do not break anything open, demolish anything or take anything with them. That is a given in Urbex photography. I know nature photographers who also go over barbed wire alongside a sign saying no entry, and take their photos, I don't have much of a problem with that, but it is essentially the same. And just to respond to the comment that it still looks inhabited, when you enter somewhere you can tell from the dust whether there are still residents, but also if you walk into cobwebs with your head that says something, mould on walls and floors, holes in the roof and so on. You don't always see this reflected in the photos.
Translated from Dutch.

Robert wrote on Tuesday 27 October 2020 at 18:38 | reply
Indeed, you don't often see that again. Agree with you.
A ' no go zone' is a no go for me. I think that's where the difference lies, Martin. A fence that you should stay away from is also clear to me. Just like feeding foxes for the thrill. Sorry click.
So just keep doing it if this is your passion.
By the way, how tidy it was in that bedroom.....after not having dusted for 30 years.....

Robert
Translated from Dutch.

jos schiffelers wrote on Saturday 7 November 2020 at 18:52 | reply
Nice Kim.
But the reactions that are coming loose are nice too.
You're doing a good job.
Translated from Dutch.

Tijdlooskim wrote on Sunday 8 November 2020 at 17:08 | reply
Thanks Jos.
Yes, it gets people talking haha
Translated from Dutch.

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