Hotel Wagner — Abandoned Hotel in Austria

What an adventure it was to get inside this abandoned hotel. Located in a small tourist town in Austria, we spent a solid hour circling the property, only to be thwarted by one dead-end entrance after another. It was raining that day, which offered the distinct advantage of deserted streets—meaning we didn’t look suspicious to any onlookers. To reach the main entrance, one would have to climb a staircase blocked by barricades and “No Entry” signs; for the sake of caution and discretion, we decided against trying that route.

Our intuition guided us toward the back-left of the building. With no neighboring houses overlooking us, we could investigate without fear. A large ladder fixed to the wall led us to a sort of storage room. I ducked inside with my flashlight and found an open window—jackpot. Once inside, Marie and I passed through several guest rooms until we reached the kitchen. Only one door stood between us and the rest of the building, where the majestic lounge and the most interesting rooms awaited. The problem? The door wasn’t locked, but it was so swollen from the humidity that it was completely jammed. It was infuriating; through the keyhole, I could see the piano taunting me. Using a broom found in the room, I tried to pry the door open, but to no avail. Oh, the rage! Oh, the despair! I could have pulled a Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and kicked the door down while dislocating my shoulder, but we aren’t here to damage locations just to get our shots.

We headed back outside, struggling to stomach the defeat. After trying the back-left of the building, we decided to test the right side—without much hope. We hiked up a trail and hopped a fence to reach the hotel roof. A window was open, but with the rain, it was slippery, and one could easily fall into the five-story-deep pit below. Once inside, we kept our joy in check until we realized we were finally in the heart of the hotel, which had once served as a thermal spa. The guest rooms weren’t of much interest; what is truly admirable here is the grand lounge with its piano, chandelier, mirror, and half-stripped floorboards. The place is magnificent and well-preserved—a true pleasure to explore.

An amusing detail: from the top floor, we were able to photograph the hotel directly across the street, which is also abandoned and which we have already explored. You can find that report at this address: https://urbexsession.com/hotel-udo-proksch. This town is a gold mine. The site was originally a castle built at the end of the 18th century, and its decline was caused by a major downturn in local tourism.