Urbex Locations 1 This KML lists contains some well-known urbex locations. I will be updating this file when I have the time. Check http://izerion.com for new versions. Last Update: 31 Aug. 2009 4.533031695295108 50.79952777777778 0 225338.6161404388 0 0.1309888415291924 relativeToGround normal #sn_poi0 highlight #sh_poi10 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness00 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness01 normal #sn_mechanic02 highlight #sh_mechanic000 normal #sn_mechanic20 highlight #sh_mechanic10 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness00 normal #sn_mechanic010 highlight #sh_mechanic5 normal #sn_mechanic11 highlight #sh_mechanic normal #sn_hospitals1 highlight #sh_hospitals1 normal #sn_campground1 highlight #sh_campground normal #sn_mechanic110 highlight #sh_mechanic00 normal #sn_mechanic6 highlight #sh_mechanic100 normal #sn_campground highlight #sh_campground1 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness000 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness10 normal #sn_hospitals0 highlight #sh_hospitals00 normal #sn_mechanic50 highlight #sh_mechanic4 normal #sn_campground0 highlight #sh_campground0 normal #sn_mechanic10 highlight #sh_mechanic3 normal #sn_mechanic1 highlight #sh_mechanic0 normal #sn_mechanic4 highlight #sh_mechanic02 normal #sn_mechanic0 highlight #sh_mechanic1 normal #sn_mechanic000 highlight #sh_mechanic01 normal #sn_poi2 highlight #sh_poi1 normal #sn_falling_rocks highlight #sh_falling_rocks0 normal #sn_poi highlight #sh_poi0 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness3 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness0 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness1 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness11 normal #sn_falling_rocks0 highlight #sh_falling_rocks normal #sn_homegardenbusiness2 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness normal #sn_mechanic01 highlight #sh_mechanic9 normal #sn_poi1 highlight #sh_poi normal #sn_mechanic3 highlight #sh_mechanic20 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness0 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness1 normal #sn_hospitals00 highlight #sh_hospitals2 normal #sn_hospitals2 highlight #sh_hospitals0 normal #sn_hospitals highlight #sh_hospitals normal #sn_mechanic5 highlight #sh_mechanic7 normal #sn_mechanic highlight #sh_mechanic2 normal #sn_poi00 highlight #sh_poi00 normal #sn_mechanic2 highlight #sh_mechanic6 normal #sn_mechanic00 highlight #sh_mechanic8 normal #sn_homegardenbusiness10 highlight #sh_homegardenbusiness000 Residence / Community Château de Noisy (Celles, Belgium) During the French Revolution, the family of the Count of Liedekerke-Beaufort left the feudal castle Château de Vêves and lived at a nearby farm. After the Revolution, this opulent residence was built as a summer home for the family in 1866 by the English architect Milner, although he died before seeing its completion. The Château de Mirinda, as it was called then, was owned and used by the family except when it was briefly occupied by the Nazis in World War II. In 1958, it was used by the SNCB (a Belgian national rail company) as a home for the railwaymen's children and became Château de Noisy. It was abandoned in 1991 and has been falling into ruins. The building has 550 windows and a clocktower that is 183 feet (56 meters) tall. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahvin_/sets/72157606311725485/ 4.990555954524538 50.22214157984125 0 435.4105568176128 0 -0.01342834129599048 relativeToGround #msn_homegardenbusiness 4.990087443794181,50.22210403756128,0 Kasteel Mesen (Lede, Belgium) 3.985892801073192 50.96814372391756 0 620.3091455854928 0 -0.1299594453618159 relativeToGround #msn_homegardenbusiness11 3.98531073289449,50.96771688986772,0 Otzenrath (Otzenrath, Germany) The mining site Garzweiler am Rhein, Germany started in 1950. It does not stop expanding now, eating nearby forests and... villages. Expropriation of almost 10,000 people. The world's largest open-air mine encroaches on the ground, following to the oldest mining sites extinction. 6.463757990258769 51.06953199678418 0 242.5428092997131 0 4.718091269328576e-09 relativeToGround #msn_homegardenbusiness1 6.463768395110421,51.06948333333334,0 Industry / Manufacturing 1 Hasard Cheratte (Cheratte, Belgium) This coal mine, located in the heart of the town of Cheratte, dates back to the 1860's, and was one of the numerous mines in the Liège coal basin. The main buildings consists of a tall, castle-like winding tower over shaft #1, which is connected to two similar looking wings, which held washrooms and other related facilities. A low laying building in the center of the facility served as a lamp room and charging area. The remains of a tower can be seen on the hill behind the mine, which sits over the shaft "Puits Hognée," and was used to transport waste materials. The imposing concrete winding tower sits over shaft #3, which is the deepest shaft at this facility (480 meters). The mine has been closed since 1977, and has remained undisturbed for the most part. It has been designated as a Belgian protected landmark, which equates to fencing, signs, and nothing else. 5.66966467346242 50.68091533691562 0 351.7750211660975 0 1.124810117160556 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic6 5.669860813139423,50.68091134192497,0 Brepols (Turnhout, Belgium) http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahvin_/sets/72157608318229667/ 4.951344240428925 51.32331897601541 0 556.1065955352683 0 0.001205187856410439 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic0 4.951991822903395,51.3236512038325,0 Forges de Clabecq (Clabecq, Belgium) 4.226297536743487 50.67538853161286 0 1842.303419086836 0 0.003481308353899319 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic01 4.227005741366085,50.67514747124083,0 SAFEA (La Louvière, Belgium) Ammonium sulphate plant. Closed down in 1978 http://www.flickr.com/photos/rahvin_/sets/72157608317969545/ 4.17443701058265 50.49078872530229 0 1290.321004099602 0 -0.0104433609345218 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic02 4.175949795876846,50.49075990136917,0 Charbonnages de Beringen (Beringen, Belgium) Under André Dumont’s guidance, the first coal-bearing drill cores were obtained in Campine in 1901, leading to several coalmines being established in the region. The first production in Koersel dates from 1919. The golden age of coal production started right after World War II and lasted until the late 1950s, when cheaper energy sources were made available elsewhere. The last coal mine in Beringen closed its doors on October 28, 1989. The remaining slag heaps and mining buildings are still very obvious around the city. 5.225010440737378 51.06733799071037 0 2243.474911721505 0 0.0005245624621798013 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic5 5.223987123285355,51.06875471856738,0 Abandoned Pumping Station (Zolder, Belgium) This pumping station belongs to the Zolder coalmine. 5.351130408688307 51.01758377372339 0 394.1851403947912 0 0.02952668672837089 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic 5.35096187717096,51.01776953069951,0 Coalmine Zolder (Zolder, Belgium) Campine coal mine, built in 1930. 5.370556683527326 51.02600596232541 0 801.7858046070036 0 0.04462773208696046 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic1 5.372820186478393,51.02544458121446,0 Henkel (Herent, Belgium) Henkel is a company operating in Laundry & Home Care, Cosmetics/Toiletries and Consumer & Craftsmen Adhesives. Henkel was founded in 1876 by Fritz Henkel in Aachen (Germany). Persil was first produced in 1907. The factory in Henkel was opened in 1935 to produce the washing powder Persil because of the increasing market. Since the late 90's the washingpowders were mostly took over by the liquid soaps. Herent wasn't prepared for the liquid and concentrated washing detergents. It closed in 2002 and 214 people lost their job. 4.668860721314161 50.90374665220752 0 243.6663216523447 0 -0.004140004251546632 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic4 4.669006625536042,50.90377075731686,0 Carolo Beton (Chatelet, Belgium) 4.498435089751794 50.39797068176063 0 246.5424664251828 0 0.0137522704871854 relativeToGround #msn_mechanic7 4.498328672429253,50.3975847639984,0 Hospital / Psychiatric 1 Institut Joseph Lemaire (Tombeek, Belgium) Sanatorium Joseph Lemaire, Tombeek, Belgium. Superb "Art Déco" building from Maxime Brunfaut, inaugurated on 21 September 1937 by the "Prévoyance Sociale" insurance company, abandonned in 1987. Miners with pulmonary diseases were treated at the Lemaire sanatorium untill the end of coal mines exploitation in the late eighties. Today in ruins, the sanatorium still creates a vital impression and has been visited by various urban explorers who have given it an honoured place on their website. 4.573998809643484 50.74931794245474 0 800.5211666088913 0 0.005425051450617444 relativeToGround #msn_hospitals0 4.573214722014882,50.74856673825387,0 Le Valdor (Liège, Belgium) The Valdor hospital was built in 1889 as it can be read on the façade (see below) and was used during almost one century: the last archives we found in the caves of the hospital are dated back to 1987. The architectural unity of the site is superb, even though in a very bad state. Astounding to see how much 20 years of neglect can hurt! The plundering over there is also incredible: most of the wooden floors have been methodically stolen. Same for the nice colorful tiled floors, the fireplaces, the woodworks... Everything very professionally, great job. Taggers also enjoyed the place a little bit too much: sad to see tags on the frescos of the old chapel. The Valdor has been renovated from 2005 to 2007. Only the main façade remains as a souvenir from the past and hides a modern hospital. 5.589460476808596 50.63426588068954 0 272.6847642455649 0 0.3016140552811302 relativeToGround #msn_hospitals1 5.589263882852293,50.63430449549295,0 Mariaziekenhuis (Neerpelt, Belgium) In 1930 some nuns started this hospital in a big house in the centre of the city. The small hospital had only 9 beds and churgeons from surrounding cities came there to help the patients. The first sergeon of the hopital was hired in 1945 and very soon the house was already to small. In 1950 the hospital moved to a new building with a capacity of 130 beds. the hospital was expanded 13 years later with a new wing with a childrens department of 40 beds and 13 private rooms. The hospital closed in 2005 after a merger with another local hospital. 5.436341879146974 51.22258119721911 0 240.4848057780456 0 0.8307591155524179 relativeToGround #msn_hospitals2 5.436341879146974,51.22258119721911,0 Military / Government 1 Fort de la Chartreuse (Liège, Belgium) 5.597082872162418 50.63202618583218 0 1083.161039263196 0 0.3075839738178113 relativeToGround #msn_poi10 5.59852745100558,50.6310072951392,0 Fort Walem (Walem, Belgium) The fort of Walem is part of the old fortifications around Antwerp that was built from 1859 until 1914. Because the first line around the city was not enough to protect it, another four fortifications were built: Walem, Lier and later Schoten and Steendorp. The Walem fort was built in 1878. 4.460879650522443 51.06129233053762 0 207.7047839102409 0 -0.01337301156949383 relativeToGround #msn_poi1 4.46230697509391,51.06114960875097,0 Railway Fort Duffel (Duffel, Belgium) Railway fort Duffel. It was part of the Antwerp defense line and guarded the railway between Antwerp and Brussels in 1914. In september that you it took heavy damage by German shells. 4.492779636732493 51.07510371508319 0 795.1445555634857 0 0.01148145774524978 relativeToGround #msn_poi2 4.492051005244676,51.07491068527984,0 Fort Steendorp (Steendorp, Belgium) Built between 1882 and 1892 this is the last brick fortification from Belgium. Fort van Rupelmonde was its first name, later, in 1909 renamed fort van Steendorp. Although the fort was there during both World Wars, the building didn’t have an important military function. It was build as protection for Antwerpen, but was used as a factory for war gasses. Later after the both wars, the army used the fort to train soldiers. Later the fort lost its military function and became a nature reservoir in 1995. Now its home for bats, almost 1200 bats live in the old fort nowadays. 4.257366355153962 51.12702304259004 0 763.6019835805538 0 -0.008202834446712408 relativeToGround #msn_poi 4.256197992642655,51.12678306851692,0 Recreation / Entertainment 1 Napoleonstrand (Overpelt, Belgium) (Demolished) 5.362602448687085 51.1923404560111 0 2439.889009023058 0 0.03812606803626038 #msn_campground 5.362602448687085,51.1923404560111,0 Amusement Park / Theme Park Underground Caestert Underground Quarries (Maastricht, Netherlands) Close to Maastricht, these huge quarries are located at the belgian border between Belgium and Netherlands. They are said to date from Roman times. Freestone and limestone were extracted there. Nowadays a large industrial open-cast quarry is still working a little further at the same place, but apparently the quarries are protected and the huge galleries will remain intact. 5.68718766050199 50.81202538956116 0 2940.900780999881 0 0.3770535633090549 relativeToGround #msn_falling_rocks0 5.689071659263276,50.81323937288698,0 Groeve 't Rooth (Het Rooth, Netherlands) 5.789053039494633 50.8387289795885 0 1403.822402005503 0 -0.0145046220456569 relativeToGround #msn_falling_rocks 5.785389206488419,50.84014844562368,0