Coal Loading Tower, Esztergom, Hungary /// 2020.10.24. @Ati @Berni @Levi  RATING:✪✪✪ DIFFICULTY: easy SIZE: 1 building

Attila Deák

8:50 18th February 2023 Published by Attila Deák

The Story
Videos
Location

Recently, our urbex group had the opportunity to visit the abandoned coal loading tower, also known as the Szénrakodó torony, near Esztergom in Hungary. This is a monument, built in 1927, standing tall on the shores of the Danube river, and offers a unique and picturesque backdrop for photography.

Although we were unable to enter the building itself, the tower still provided a fantastic opportunity for us to explore and capture the beauty of urban decay. The tower’s crumbling concrete structure and rusted metal accents added a sense of nostalgia and history to our photographs.

One of the most striking features of the tower is its location, standing on the banks of the Danube river. The combination of the tower’s industrial architecture and the natural beauty of the river created a contrast that was both eerie and mesmerizing. The tower’s proximity to the water also allowed for a variety of different perspectives and angles for photography.

Despite not being able to enter the tower, our visit was still a success. The Szénrakodó torony offers a unique and visually striking location for urban exploration and photography. It’s a reminder of Hungary’s industrial past and the power of nature to reclaim what was once man-made. We highly recommend this location to other urban exploration enthusiasts and photographers.

Coal Loading Tower, Esztergom, Hungary /// 2020.10.24. @Ati @Berni @Levi  RATING:✪✪✪ DIFFICULTY: easy SIZE: 1 building

Attila Deák

8:50 18th February 2023 Published by Attila Deák

The Story
Videos
Location

Recently, our urbex group had the opportunity to visit the abandoned coal loading tower, also known as the Szénrakodó torony, near Esztergom in Hungary. This is a monument, built in 1927, standing tall on the shores of the Danube river, and offers a unique and picturesque backdrop for photography.

Although we were unable to enter the building itself, the tower still provided a fantastic opportunity for us to explore and capture the beauty of urban decay. The tower’s crumbling concrete structure and rusted metal accents added a sense of nostalgia and history to our photographs.

One of the most striking features of the tower is its location, standing on the banks of the Danube river. The combination of the tower’s industrial architecture and the natural beauty of the river created a contrast that was both eerie and mesmerizing. The tower’s proximity to the water also allowed for a variety of different perspectives and angles for photography.

Despite not being able to enter the tower, our visit was still a success. The Szénrakodó torony offers a unique and visually striking location for urban exploration and photography. It’s a reminder of Hungary’s industrial past and the power of nature to reclaim what was once man-made. We highly recommend this location to other urban exploration enthusiasts and photographers.

LOCATION

Finding and locating Urbex sites is a time-consuming task or we can call it a hobby.

First, try Google Search Google Maps, a good search can do miracles 😉

But with the help of Google maps and Bing maps, google search urbex-related webpages, and delving into the comments of open/closed Facebook groups with abandoned topics, you can find almost every location if you really want it. That’s how we’ve made a Google Urbex World Map digging deep into the Internet, so now we have thousands of amazing new places to discover, only time and money limit us. If you are also an Urbex photographer, or if you have an Urbex Vlog/Blog please contact us, we are ready to share or change locations if we are sure you are a trusted Urbexer/Friend, not a metal dealer/thief or a destructive barbarian vandal.

We strictly condemn all forms of destruction of deserted places and damaging abandoned sites. We take nothing away, we do not move anything, don’t break locks, don’t break windows. Take photos, leave just footprints.

Please support us on Patreon, so with this support, we can visit better and better-abandoned places all over the world. You will be able to get the newest blog posts and pictures weeks before they will be published here and on our Facebook page. Also, we are doing live chat sessions with our supporters, so you can hear really interesting stories about how we find a hidden location, hor how is it possible to enter a place or how can we survive when we are cathed by security. This behind the scene information is only for the supporting Patreon users. Also, you will be the first to be able to buy a cheaper price for our future printed Urbex photo albums, so early heads up on any new print products just for you.

Maintaining a site like this, with a Facebook page with daily posts needs a lot of time and effort. We created this Club to share our adventures and photos with the world, to keep the memory of these abandoned buildings which might even disappear in the near future forever. Our hope is that visitors enjoy their time here and think about the past, and the stories behind the pictures, and maybe we will encourage someone to buy and restore a site.

If you don’t have enough money to support us on Patreon, there is another way: follow us on FacebookLike and Comment frequently – we love interacting with people who like the topic, tell your friends/family/colleagues about our pages, share a link to our website with them so they can take a look, or share re-tweet our social media posts so that other interested people you know might see something they like!

We appreciate your feedback!

Thanks in advance!

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Location suggestions are welcomed!

The Urbex Club’s Map

Approximate location:

THE STORY

The background story of the  Coal Loading Tower:

The Szénrakodó torony, also known as the coal loading tower, is a prominent and historically significant monument located in the city of Esztergom, Hungary. Built in 1927, the tower stands tall on the shores of the Danube river, offering a unique and picturesque backdrop for both urban exploration and photography.

The tower, which was used for loading coal onto boats, was a crucial part of Hungary’s industrial past. During its prime, the tower played a vital role in the country’s economy, as it facilitated the transportation of coal from the mines to the power plants and factories. However, as the country’s economy shifted away from coal, the tower fell into disuse and was eventually abandoned.

The coal loading tower started operating in 1927, its function was to transfer the coal dust extracted by the Dorog coal mines to river barges. The transport was stopped in 1963, when the cable car and the building’s equipment were dismantled. The building, which is a monument of industrial history, has been empty since 1970.

The Szénrakodó torony’s industrial architecture is both striking and thought-provoking. The tower’s crumbling concrete structure and rusted metal accents speak to the passage of time and the power of nature to reclaim what was once man-made. The tower’s proximity to the Danube river adds an extra layer of intrigue, as the contrast between the industrial tower and the natural beauty of the river creates a unique and eerie atmosphere.

what we are looking for can be found at river kilometer 1721.5 of the Danube, next to the ferry port connecting Esztergom with Párkány. Although it now stands abandoned in the riverbed, half a century ago, barges were still anchored next to it.

Despite the tower’s state of disrepair, it still holds a special place in the hearts of many locals. The tower serves as a reminder of Esztergom’s industrial past and the important role the city played in the country’s economic development.

The Szénrakodó torony is a popular destination for urban exploration and photography enthusiasts, who come from all over the world to capture the tower’s unique beauty. However, it’s important to note that the tower is not open to the public and can only be viewed from the outside.

In conclusion, The Szénrakodó torony is a monument of historical significance, standing as a testament to Hungary’s industrial past. The tower’s unique location and industrial architecture make it a popular destination for urban exploration and photography enthusiasts. Despite its state of disrepair, the tower continues to hold a special place in the hearts of locals and serves as a reminder of the city’s rich history.

According to the calculations of the foundation that owns the building, the preservation of the condition of the coal loader would cost HUF 50-60 million. After the shutdown in 1970, the loneliness of the Danube loading dock was broken in 1994, in this year visual artists saw the opportunity in the building with special features. As a member, the Dorogi Szénbányák company participated in the creation of a foundation, thus this organization became the owner of the coal dump. The members of the Budapest-based Váltótér Foundation dreamed of an artist colony to be built over a river in the building of the coal loading dock, located nearly twenty meters high. In the past 14 years, the foundation has tried to implement its ideas in several tenders, exhibitions, and presentations, and the Danube loader, which is also unique at the European level, has become, if not physically, but spiritually a model for the works and projects of a creative community, and what’s more, a muse and inspiration for artists. Becoming a model of a coal loader gave me the opportunity to introduce myself not only at the national level but also at the international level. Among the projects coordinated by Jenő Lévay, the creative camp held for intermedia students of the University of Fine Arts in 1997 stands out. The public could view the works created here in the Danube Museum, the central theme of the works was of course the coal loader.

Archive photos:

Source: Honvéd család fotógyűjtemény, Hoták Zoltán, Magyar Nemzeti Levéltár, Dorogimedence.hu

Interesting articles about the Coal Loading Tower (in Hungarian language):

VIDEOS

Videos from the Coal Loading Tower:

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