Harastølen Sanatorium in Luster.

On a hillside somewhere in Norway, overlooking a beautiful fjord, lays this abandoned building. A majestic sanatorium built to heal and cure people with tuberculosis. The air and climate in the area was supposedly good for the patients. Together with good access to water power this sanatorium opened in 1902 with 96 beds. After several renovations the maximum number of patients that could be treated was 150 in 1950.

Tuberculosis is an often deadly infectious disease that usually attacks the lungs. It spreads through the air so the idea of placing the hospital far away from civilization was probably a good idea. It even has its own cable cars going up and down the hill. They are still visible today. The 7 km long road is still quite a challenge to drive on with its 13 sharp bends clinging to the hillside.

One of the treatment methods for tuberculosis was the constant exposure of fresh air. Even during the wintertime the patients laid in their beds outside underneath a shelter. Another method was collapsing of the sick infected lung so the wounds could heal.

After ‘World War 2’ effective medicines against tuberculosis were invented, people were vaccinated and the sanatorium shut down. Between 1950 and 1990 it was used as a psychiatric hospital and then the place was used as a reception center for refugees from the Balkan war. In 1994 it was abandoned completely.

A few more edited shots are seen here on flickr.

The Overlook Sanatorium exterior

Another exterior shot. The barricades on ground level are mainly to prevent sheep from getting into the building.

Another exterior shot

Part of the healing shelters they put tuberculosis patients in. Now used for cars.

The view from the roof

One of the many corridors

A green room with closet. There were lots of these empty rooms in quite good shape.

“Jasmins room”. With lots of pictures of cut-out Norwegians from magazines.

Shower room.

One of the nearby buildings.

Used to help somebody with their walking.

The abandoned kitchen.

Dark room with closets and doctor outfits.

Stairway

Facit typewriter from one of the doctor offices.

Medical equipment and other stuff.

The dentist chair in the basement. Strange how every abandoned sanatorium or hospital has one.

Old medicines or something. Wise not to touch…

Nice old decayed staircase in the basement area.

Basement

One of many Max Manus machines. And as you can see.. the power is still on.

Lots of intact plates.

Large room with a lot of chairs.

The cable car that brought people from the village below to the mountain sanatorium. The station at the bottom has a yellow wagon.

The cable car control room.