Bezrucova Hospital, Bratislava – Slovakia

In the heart of Bratislava lies a massive abandoned hospital, originally built in 1937. The building was first occupied by an insurance company before later being converted into a medical facility, which remained in use until its closure in 2008. As we circled the perimeter looking for a way in, we quickly noticed that passersby were staring at the building just as much as we were—intrigued, as if it had recently been at the center of a major news story.

After finding no initial entry points, we spotted two people looking intently at a basement window before quickly walking away. When it was our turn to investigate, I noticed a ladder leading down. Once inside, the challenge of capturing a decent photo in such a place became clear. The level of vandalism was so extreme it looked like a nuclear test site. We were walking over debris, trash, and filth; one slip could have been disastrous.

On the first floor, I was struggling to line up a shot when Marie hissed at me—she had spotted a man lying down. Feeling increasingly uneasy, we decided not to push our luck; the place was clearly occupied by squatters, and it wasn’t worth the risk. Just as we reached the ladder to exit, a man outside tossed a shopping cart down and began his own descent. He didn’t see us; we ducked behind a door, hoping he wouldn’t head our way.

Luck was on our side, and he passed by, allowing us to scramble out. We took one last lap around the hospital and noticed squatters on the upper floors staring down at people on the street—it was quite the atmosphere. From the basement and ground floor, we could still hear the sound of vandals smashing what little was left of the hospital, though at this point, there was practically nothing left to break.

UPDATE : Since our visit, the site has been renovated.