Deer Spring #01
In absence of mankind, the new world is a different one. Nature is recovering, but our legacy will be forgotten. What is life like after people? On our recent adventure in summer 2020 we wanted to find out! During a two-week road trip to Italy, we traveled from North to South and not only experienced a variety of landscapes, but also a wide range of abandoned places - from ancient ruins to defunct power plants forgotten long ago, as well as ghost towns where we felt like the last people on earth. Join us as we time-travel through Italy's past and explore history as it was, and as it is today.
Deer Spring #02
Surrounded by peaceful nature and a great mountain panorama, we kick off our second Italy road trip adventure in the Dolomites – maybe the most stunning part of the Alps. It was a short night. It took us a day to get to this remote valley in Northern Italy. 24 hours ago, we were still in Germany, where we started our 800-kilometer ride to the first destination of our two-week journey. For the night we camped on the premises of a health spa building complex that is crumbling today.
Deer Spring #06
There is a legend going back centuries which made this place famous. It is said that a wounded deer took a bath in this spring and was completely cured after. The hunter who had shot the animal three times before saw what happened and spread the word. Soon the legend was sung in a poem, and the healing powers of the spring were known everywhere. From then on, sick people came here to get cured of their diseases.
Deer Spring #03
However, if you are more interested in facts, we also have the historically proven account of this place. As early as 1490, people came here to find healing in the springs, and in that particular year, the first bathhouse was built. In the following centuries the place was expanded, and more and more guests from the region and beyond could be accommodated. Baths and treatments were administered for various ailments, such as circulatory problems, rheumatic diseases, anemia, and chronic constipation. Like many other spas in South Tyrol, this place flourished at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
Deer Spring by tobi_urbex 2017 #08
We already mentioned the humble church. It is in a better condition than the other buildings, and yet, it is almost 400 years old. Take a look inside and see that this is a real time capsule! But unfortunately, it is locked at the moment. That is why we think somebody must be conserving the building. In this part of Europe, people are very religious and take good care of their churches.
Deer Spring #09
For many centuries, the spa has been a popular place, and thousands of guests stayed here every year. But one hundred years ago, things began to change. During both world wars, wounded soldiers were brought here, and the compound was used temporarily as a military hospital. By then, more modern spas and similar institutions could be found everywhere in the region. This particular one could not compete anymore. It was falling into disrepair, and around 1950 the main building was abandoned. The neighboring buildings on the premises followed. A guesthouse here remained active until the 90s. But the ravages of time are now taking their toll.
Deer Spring #29
Today, the future of this place is unknown. The current owner wants to sell this spacious property. It extends more than 100 hectares. But whoever is buying it, probably needs to tear down all the old and derelict structures first. They will need to start from scratch. And that is something only a well-financed investor could do.
Deer Spring #27
When we started our road trip, we were not sure how the coronavirus would affect the adventure - especially since Italy was hit hard by the pandemic. As urbexers, we are not normally in contact with that many people anyway. But for this trip, we were targeting particularly remote places. If you want to see the first video report from that adventure, you can watch it on YouTube now:
