An urban explorer recently ventured into an expansive 11,000-acre settlement that rapidly emerged during the Cold War era, expressing awe at its immense scale. Colin Hodson, known for his adventures on the Bearded Explorer YouTube channel, shared his astonishment at the vastness of the Rheindahlen settlement in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. Despite having visited before, he had not fully grasped its monumental size.
The complex once housed around 12,000 British military personnel and their families but has been deserted since 2013. Colin was surprised to discover the entire place abandoned, highlighting the sheer magnitude of the site’s abandonment. Rheindahlen served as a key base for British forces in Germany and the NATO Northern Army Group during the Cold War, starting in 1954 and operating until 2013.
During his exploration, Colin stumbled upon a reinforced underground shelter containing a detailed map of the entire site, dubbing it a “map room.” Using this map as a guide, he located various landmarks within the town, including the shopping district, church, and a cinema targeted in a bombing attempt in 1973.
The town offered a wide array of amenities for both military and civilian residents, such as accommodation, sports facilities, a swimming pool, cinema, and more. At its peak, Rheindahlen accommodated 12,000 British military personnel and their families, serving as a significant base for the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force throughout the Cold War and beyond.
Despite plans to repurpose the site into a leisure park in 2015 and later proposals to house asylum-seekers, the town remains deserted, reclaimed by nature. Colin marveled at the town’s abandoned open-air swimming pool, now overgrown with algae and devoid of swimmers.
Exploring the Globe Cinema, Colin found remnants of promotional materials for films from 2006, indicating the cinema’s final operational period. English-language materials and safety instructions suggested the predominant language spoken by the town’s former residents.
Within the dilapidated police station, Colin uncovered a large detention cell now inhabited only by a deceased rodent, symbolizing the desolate state of this once-thriving community.
