The Red Earth Ruins

I have been trying and failing to acquire a driver's license for a couple of months now. Not only is this very frustrating but proof that I have terrible hand eye coordination in spite of 25 years of solid videogame playing. All that time playing Halo and GTA was truly wasted. It also means I have been landlocked in Luxembourg for some time now. Luxembourg is a lovely city, I highly recommend it, but I'm pretty bored of it by now. I think I've almost seen all there is to see here. I've also seen a lot of the country, especially the nice "nature" areas in the west and north. Yet there is the south, especially the south west.

South west of the capital lies the country's second largest city, Esch sur L'alzette. Its pretty small but has a fine tradition of heavy industry. Which of course means that, in this post-industrial age, there are lots of derelict places to see. This was my plan for some time, to set forth and explore the ruins of the old European Coal and Steel Community. Furthermore this area has the foreboding name of "Terres Rouges", the Red Earth. Any place with such a name must have something worth seeing.

This time I would not go alone. Enter my brother in arms Mr S. Mr S is currently unemployed and enjoying the the life of leisure in Luxembourg so I figured he'd be up for an adventure. Over a beer I told him about the plan and he thought it was grand. Unlike this one he actually has a driver's license which makes getting to the location a much more relaxed endeavor.

 On the day I packed my bag with the usual supplies: headtorch, swiss army knife, etc... And Mr S. came by with his car.

"So ah, do you know exactly where we are going"

"No idea, I just think that there might be something cool in Esch. Lets just drive and see what we find"

"Cool..."

I had no idea, I just casually knew about there being old factories and what not in the area but had done no recon or research to find a good location. This was partly because of laziness partly because its fun to just go somewhere and see what you can find. At first it seemed like the approach might work. We drove to Esch and on our approach saw a mammoth of a factory towering towards the sky. It was so big its ridiculous. We approached it, leaving the car behind but found countless trucks driving in and out. Non, stop. The place was still in use, whatever happened to de-industrialization in the west?

We had to keep going. Soon another promising location appeared but yet again it was in use. We kept driving but found nothing and ended in a suburban neighborhood with no signs of old industry of dereliction. This is when technology came to the rescue. I took out my smartphone and started looked at the satellite view of the area. Soon I identified a promising area near the border with France and as a good co-pilot I indicated Mr S the direction he had to take. The thing was bound the be actually useful sooner or later.

As we got close to our destination it became clear that we were onto something good. We parked took the cameras and on we went.

Let it be noted that many of the photographs to follow were taken by Mr S himself. I do not take credit for his work. 

We took some steps and walked through some bushes to find this.

There is something odd about the site. It looks like a proper abandoned wasteland but there was quite a lot of people hanging about and lots of parked cars. We figure that maybe the locals use this a some kind of public park. We look around this first building and soon found a way in.

This window is large enough. Notice the all seeing eye of God painted above it.

And we are in. This is the what we see outside, another derelict building and the parked cars. Some kids are also wandering around the place breaking things.

Further into the building it becomes clear that this was some kind of data center. Rows of ancient computers cover the main hall. In this lane we find a hobo's bed. There is also plenty of rubbish and empty bottles of beer and liquor everywhere. Ah, the good life.

There is more left on the computer frames than I would have thought. Lying on the ground there is some punch tape. These machines must have been old, like 60s or 70s old.

Meet Mr S. Being mightily impressed with our discovery. 

Here there be smackheads

After an impressive first incursion we move on. Beyond the vegetation is this beast of a building. We hear the group of kids, they have gone inside and appear to be throwing stuff form a considerable height making a lot of noise. We will proceed to explore this large facility, it calls to us. But first we have to finish with the current area.

Across from the data center isthis building. It certainly looks interesting.

It is also surprisingly long.

Most of the windows are broken but none is large enough to climb through. Here is Mr S again.

We take some pictures through the broken panes. This hangar looks interesting. We locate an entry point promptly.

And so we are inside. *Success*

Blackened windows from the inside. Notice the police tape.

The hangar is nicely lit. 

We stroll around looking at all the details. It is a very evocative place.

Mr S took this photo setting his camera on the ground. Looks cool.

The decay is quite impressive

I try pressing the buttons on this. Does not work *shock*

We take the stairs

A ladder has been placed to go on to the roof. Without hesitation...

...we go up

... and we are out ...

... on the rooftop!

Pictures have to be taken.

Many pictures. We notice that on the other side, across a road is another set of massive industrial complexes begging to be explored. We realise we will not have enough time to see the whole area in one day. There is simply too much to see. 

More rooftop.

And this is me taking one of the previous photographs.

Feeling awesome after being on the rooftop we continue out expedition.

I love the light and texture in these two photographs. So grim.

Exploring further.

Mr S takes a shot of the view from the second floor.

We reach what must have been the "office" area of the factory. This is where all the big shots and managers would have worked. 

Someone had gone on a spree of destruction here, tearing through walls and ceiling tiles. And what the hell are those coils?

On the floor a footballer smiles at us. He looks untrustworthy in this environment.

We go deeper.

And find a toilet.

With urinals.

Looks like someone's been doing their washing.

Hipsters.

The journey must continue, we take some final pictures and go.

On the way back we notice that one of the modules in the building, one that was properly closed off has a security camera. We have been definitely filmed... 

Our target is the big brown building beyond, but on the way we come across this.

We try to find a way up the tower but there is none, it is blocked. We can go inside some of the rooms though.

And we find an old desk.

And a newspaper form 2010.

Still no way up the tower.

But there is a graffiti of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

At last we reach the final building, the jewel in the crown, the pinnacle of out journey. Its scale is breathtaking and we know we can get it. What wonders may we find within?

Massive facade. So brutalist.

You may appreciate the scale here in comparison to this humble writer.

Someone helpfully marked the entrance "Entree" for us. Also "coca cola company is a MURDER!!!"

And we enter...

..into the unknown

It is dark within, and there are stairs. We can ascend, but we choose to first explore the entire first floor.

On the other side of the level.

We move on to a new wing, here it is bright and there are pipes.

Mr S appears like a ghost.

.

We ascend...

... and find some art...

... and machines ...

... many battered machines.

A wider view of the level.

We have entered another wing of the facility. Did they keep their unethical experiment subjects in cages here?

I think they did.

Back on the previous area there are more machines.

We find a small warehouse where they must have kept their spare parts. It is dark and full of terrors. We must use the flashlight. There are still bit and pieces left.

Replacement parts for dead machines. They will never fulfill their purpose. Instead they will sit here and decay in the darkness. A bitter end of a piece of engineering.

Wires, coils and tape...

We then ascend further and find the control room. It looks like the remains of a cold war military facility.

There is a photo of a guy that looks eerily familiar...

From above the view on the middle section of the facility is more impressive. Keep in mind that this is what is inside of the middle section of the building, there are two wings on either side. One is bigger and we haven't been yet.

We keep going up...

To find ourselves outside again, but on top of another roof. The sensation on exploring a place like this is quite exhilarating, its hard to describe. You never know whats going to be in the next room and when you reach cool spots like this you feel quite privileged. At least this is how it is for me. 

Posers...

A ladder, must see where it leads.

Follow up...

Mr S does his thing by a painting of a marijuana leaf. Mr S is a highly educated individual.

We have left the roof top because there is still a lot of verticality to this thing. We think we can access an even higher rooftop with a killer view.

We go to the largest part of the building. The machines are even larger and more impressive. Here we come across two guys that are hanging out in the building too. Not sure what they were up to but they had been making a  lot of noise. We cross paths barely acknowledging each other. In such post apocalyptic surroundings one feel wary of strangers, a glimpse into what it will feel like when society breaks down. 

Posing by a broken window.

Climbing a ladder again. Up here we found two backpacks, probably belonging to those other guys. We figured it was best not to search inside them. 

The building here looks like a slumbering colossus. We take the steps and enter the machine...

The beast is large and we go on up, into the darkness...

We are ever getting closer to the top, but the further we go the more steps appear out of nowhere.

We are getting close.

Here the floor panes and walls are rusting. It begins to feel dangerous. But we have come this far and must go on until the very end.

A final set of steps where the floor is a its feeblest point. We take a gamble and proceed...

We have reached the top of the world. Ventured through the belly of the beast and come out alive. It had been worth it.

The rooftop is amazing, it feel exhilarating.

The motto of Luxembourg " We wish to remain what we are". Below it they write something along the lines of "a single homogeneous mass". I don't speak Luxembourguish so the translation is very loose. The implication is meant to be taken as a negative.

We feel like we should have brought some camping chairs and a six-pack to sit back and relax in this outstanding location.

hipsters

Here the view spans the whole of Esch sur L'Alzette. Second city of Luxembourg.

Below are some panoramic shots taken with the telephone, the quality is low but you can scroll sideways to get a full appreciation of the view.

Reaching this point has taken us almost three hours. We have explore every corner of the facility and have been rewarded with the coolest spot in Luxembourg. Don't much want to leave but its getting late.

So we begin our decent...

Steps...

We notice a nest. No eggs to eat though...

My camera had run out of batteries a while back, so I wait while Mr S. takes his photographs. This results in this particularly excellent photograph.

The machine God.

And back to the exit.

ON the way back we notice another entrance. I cannot resit and must take a look.

Inside are plenty of documents.

Including this tome on machines.



And that is it. Exhausted from a hard day in the field we return to the capital and eat a pizza. The next day I proceed to fail my driving exam for the second time and am humiliated before all my peers. A few days later I sit by my computer and write this blog post for the world to see.

 It has been a long post, with many pictures. I appreciate your patience and dedication reading on to this point. I do not expect that the photographs convey the scale and decrepit beauty of this place well enough, one has to be there. The sensation is surreal. Moving form one outlandish room to another and end up on a the rooftop of an ancient factory over sixty meters tall. We will return here, there is still a lot to see.

And so I leave you with two pictures of the valiant explorers of the dilapidated lands.

Mr S himslef:

And yours truly; lord of these lands, king of the castle and humble writer of this blog:

Peace be unto you.