# Sanatorium du Basil, Borgoûmont, Belgium, April 2018



## HughieD (Apr 10, 2018)

*1. The History*
Located above the hamlet of Borgoûmont in a clearing in the middle of the woods at an altitude of 420 meters, this imposing building of approximately 150 meters in length faces south. Construction of the imposing sanatorium commenced in 1900 at the initiative of Ernest Malvoz, the then director of the bacteriological laboratory of the province of Liège. It was built of sandstone rubble and half-timbering with cut stone in angles. Its concave architecture was thought to increase the absorption of heat, air and light which was essential for TB therapy.

There was also a small tower erected in the middle of the building. The sanatorium welcomed its first patients two years later in 1903. When it closed as sanatorium it then served as centre for asylum seekers between 2010 and 2013 and then briefly operated as a nursing home before being abandoned. 

*2. The Explore*
Been on my list after seeing pictures of it crop up on various forums. It’s deep in the reaches of the Wallonia region of Belgium and hence a bit off the beaten track. However its effectively a walk-up once you are there. So with a family hol not far away it was a no-brainer to swing past here. It is very popular with many Euro-urbexers so was very much far from alone. The place is already stripped but is now starting to get smashed up and graffed too which is a shame given it is such a stunning building. So plain on the inside but a sight to behold on the outside. What the future holds for this place is uncertain. Hopefully it won’t go the same way as a certain Welsh asylum. It would make a great hotel or resort but the money needed to invest in the place may be prohibitive given the location of the place.

*3. The Pictures*

Think we’re in the right place…


img5994 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Oh yes!


img5995 by HughieDW, on Flickr


St Basil 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nice tower…


img5996 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Digging the orange blinds..


img5997 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Solidly built:


img5999 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6037 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6001 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Loving the curvature:


img6003 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6033 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And in its full glory:


St Basil 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The inside doesn’t quite live up to the externals:


img5998 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Lots of corridors and broken glass:

img6039bw by HughieDW, on Flickr

And orange doors!


img6038 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6019 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And some fairly crap graff:


img6022 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6018 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Round the back:


img6008 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And the boiler room is slightly more interesting:


img6015 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6013 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img6012 by HughieDW, on Flickr

But really it’s all about this…


img6006 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## adian (Apr 10, 2018)

Wow that place has everything. Nice pics!


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 11, 2018)

Nice one Hughie. Shame that the 20th C addition has ruined that striking facade. This is one of a number of typical layouts put forward by Medics in the pre antibiotic days. Apart from removing patients from the filth and grime of the inner Cities, it did nothing to cure them, just slowed the inevitable down. The British layout was rows of wooden huts in the countryside. Terrible disease TB, in my childhood every town had its 'Chest Clinic', complete with X-ray machine. In my home town of Doncaster, such was the urgency to get a grip on this illness, that the clinic was situated in the front room of a converted terraced house near Christ Church and the town centre. The Clinic and the 'Jelly Test' - two dabs of jelly medication placed between the shoulder blades were important tools in the fight against TB. If your X-rays were clear, but the skin under the jelly changed colour, then you had been in contact with the TB 'germ' but had grown an immunity and not been affected. Yes; after a long summer illness spent bedridden as an 11 year old, I tested positive but all my X rays were clear. Some of my school mates from less fortunate families were not so lucky!


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## HughieD (Apr 11, 2018)

adian said:


> Wow that place has everything. Nice pics!



Cheers man...


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## Sam Haltin (Apr 11, 2018)

That's quite an awesome building. I see that Wiets has made his/her presence known. It's a pity you didn't venture further into the building as it gets interesting.


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## UrbanX (Apr 11, 2018)

Wow what a place! 
Awesome pics as usual! 
Thanks for sharing


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## wolfism (Apr 15, 2018)

Externally that's very impressive, shame it's getting smashed up despite its remote location though.


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