Lost Places: These once important stations are no longer served by trains

An oppressive silence hangs over the abandoned train stations, which have become a new pilgrimage site for fans of lost places. They can be found all over the world – in Germany, Spain , the USA , even Bolivia. Behind the ruins lie exciting stories that often tell of a vibrant past.

In many places, only wild plants remain today, giving the ruins at least some life. The travel reporter guides you to the ghost stations that shouldn't be missed on your Lost Places tour.

In Berlin alone, hunters of lost places will find plenty of destinations, even in the heart of the capital. Siemensstadt station opened in the Spandau district in 1929 and was intended to serve the approximately 90,000 Siemens employees. The end of World War II resulted in the tracks being donated to the Soviet Union as reparations.

Even its reopening as an S-Bahn station in 1955 couldn't save it from decay. The Reichsbahn strike of 1980 sealed its demise. All that remains are graffiti-covered brick walls and crumbling facades. However, there are plans to reactivate the station in the fall of 2029 to increase capacity on the Berlin S-Bahn network.

While other ghost stations in Hamburg , Leipzig , Munich , and Potsdam have long since ceased operations, Hanover even offers guided tours of an underground lost place. The construction of the so-called D-Tunnel fueled debates among city politicians for decades. Excessive costs are often cited as the main reason against the completion of the fourth inner-city tunnel.

The consequence of the never-completed expansion: Visitors find a ghost station beneath the main station, near Raschplatz. The shell of the building lies 20 meters below ground, and can be viewed by those interested with " Stattreisen Hannover ."

You can find other abandoned train stations in these German cities, among others:

• Detmold-Remmighausen
• Düsseldorf-Kalkum: Kalkum station (demolition work began there in 2024)
• Cologne Deutz/Messe Cologne Arena (underground station)
• Nuremberg-Langwasser: Nuremberg-Märzfeld station
• Saarbrücken Messebahnhof
• Old Solingen Main Station
• Munich Olympic Stadium Station

Next time, you can shine with your nerd knowledge in the Lost Places community. Because in Germany, the term "ghost station" has a historical origin that takes you back to divided Berlin.

Subway and tunnel stations in Berlin-Mitte were passed only at reduced speed and without stopping, as the trains crossed both the eastern and western parts of the district. The stations' eerie atmosphere was due to the eerie atmosphere: dimly lit and monitored by East German border guards.

To ensure that this is not forgotten, visitors to Berlin can regularly take part in guided tours of the locations .

If you haven't had enough of the eerily beautiful ruins, the list of abandoned or never-used train stations is virtually endless.

A place to start your hunt for lost places outside of Germany could be the train stations in the Spanish Pyrenees or the world's largest railway graveyard in Bolivia.

Looking for more inspiration? You can find tips for all the top travel destinations at reisereporter .

travel reporter