Urban Exploration - The Abandoned Paper Mill
We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.
The question I asked myself throughout the entire visit was: is there a caretaker? Indeed, numerous signs suggested this possibility—not least because a path encircling the factory was the only part kept perfectly clean, while everything else was littered with all kinds of industrial debris. Consequently, I chose to visit very early in the morning. I wanted to be ahead of whatever might happen, which, in the end, often aligns with my methods.
Once on-site, I noticed that massive dismantling had taken place, and some buildings had been reduced to rubble. Nevertheless, it was clear that the process was divided between two production sites: a cardboard mill and a warehouse for manufacturing glossy paper. The vast majority of the machinery had been removed, leaving behind only vast concrete cathedrals.
The only remaining equipment—and a formidable sight at that—is the machinery in the wood-grinding room (raperie). Giant shredders were designed to turn tree trunks into pulp. In fact, some wood still lies on the floor. This pulp was then used to produce the various layers necessary for cardboard manufacturing. Looking at old photos, one can only conclude that it was enormous and absolutely packed with machinery: cutting-edge technology for its time.
The site is immense, to say the least, but it can be visited quickly because all the machines were exported to Asia during the judicial liquidation. The paper mill closed in 2008. The future of the site involves total demolition to make way for a proper town center. Currently, the town lacks one, as everything is organized along a single street. The project should have been launched in 2015, meaning everything should have been purely and simply demolished nine years ago. For reasons unknown to us, this has not happened.
Although the complex is empty, the very serene nature of the place and the lack of vandalism make it a most pleasant factory to explore.
