Two years ago, my trip to Berlin was marked by a memorable visit to Spreepark…

As an urban decay enthusiast, I had heard of this amusement park in east Berlin but had no idea how to access it or what would happen once inside.

After a quick search on a map, I grabbed my camera and headed toward Treptower Park, where the famous Spreepark appeared to be situated. I guessed from the high fence that the park wasn’t far from the small footpath; then I noticed the large waterfall behind some trees. A waterfall without water, of course, because the park had been abandoned since 2002.

On a side note, this abandoned amusement park once belonged to Norbert Witte who, because of the park’s lack of profitability, decided to go to Lima and took some of the attractions with him. Then in 2004, while Spreepark was falling into disrepair, our dear Norbert was sentenced to seven years in prison for attempted smuggling: police had found 76 pounds of cocaine, worth about $14 million, shipped from Peru to Germany in the masts of his “Flying Carpet” attraction….

So there I was along the fence, which had obviously been scaled a few times already, taking advantage of a quiet moment in between joggers in order to sneak under.

Once in the park: toppled dinosaurs, graffiti tags, the ghosts of cars and trains, waterfalls, abandoned warehouses… in short, bliss. Certain aspects make it a little scary sometimes, like when I climbed into the Ferris wheel to take photos and the wind began to turn it. The horrible grinding sound that accompanied this eerie rotation was enough to send shivers down my spine…

I was in derelict bliss until I noticed a patrol car prowling around. I convinced myself that I’d been spotted, so I took care to remain unidentified. A few minutes later, I heard a small horn honking behind me. It was a small train of visitors. The park was completely accessible for a price and you couldn’t get off the train, which only covered a small area of the park.

I continued my explorations, glad to be able to roam in the middle of this beautiful playground, but after a few more photos and the insistence of that same patrol car, I decided to end my visit fraudulent.

Here’s the rest of the story in photos:

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Photo report for Shutter Clothing