Sanatorium In the Forest, Lithuania

This abandoned Sanatorium In the Forest is a large medical and educational facility in rural Lithuania. The facility was open for about a half-decade before closing several years ago. I explored this location during the 2019 Baltics Tour.

History of the Sanatorium In the Forest

The sanatorium opened in the 1960s to treat children with tuberculosis. It is located in a remote area of the Lithuanian forest, surrounded by beautiful pine trees and clean air. It was claimed that the unique properties of the pine-laided air aided in recovery. In the pre-antibiotic era, this was the only method of curing the lung disease. In any case, the combination of clean air and a relaxing forest environment promotes recovery alongside the more modern medicinal and therapeutic treatments used here.

Tuberculosis treatment and recovery period is typically four to six months. The youngsters would stay at the Sanatorium In The Forest for the duration of this period. More specifically, in the dormitories of the residential wing. In addition, there was a school for the kids so that they wouldn’t have to fall too far behind in their studies while they were staying here. A huge sports hall with basketball hoops and a library are also located in the education block.

The various buildings are joined by long corridors, decorated with fascinating murals. In total there are over 100m of wall murals, which depict Lithuania folktales and dream-like scenes.

In the midst of the 2010s, the Sanatorium in the Forest shut down. After careful consideration, it was decided that maintaining the facility would be too costly. In addition, the children who were cared for here frequently experienced feelings of stigma because they were typically separated from their family and friends. The patients were transferred to more urban hospitals, with less severe cases receiving outpatient care. Currently, both the sanatorium and the school sit empty as they await redevelopment into a privately operated establishment.

A mysterious white room filled with sand?

I was exploring the medical and therapeutic section when I stumbled across an unexpected room. Firstly, the floor is covered with sand! It’s several inches deep and snow white in colour. Nevertheless, that wasn’t the end of it; the same sand also coats the walls and ceiling. Photos of mountains and lakes, backlit by the sunlight outside, cover the large window . A window is located on the right wall, presumably for staff monitoring during the sandy sensory therapy session. The entire scene is most surreal, like something out of a dystopian sci-fi movie!