See inside an abandoned French fairy tale house

July 2024 · 2 minute read

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This storybook cottage has had a less-than-happy ending. 

While wandering the French countryside, a traveler came upon a quaint dwelling once worthy of a Disney princess’s origin story, but has since gone to rot.

“Inside the house, it was very creepy,” 21-year-old Yannik, an urban explorer of three years, said of the little abode he found with a friend, Jam Press reported. Looking around the dwelling, Yannik — who hails from Germany — discovered “so many dolls,” several of which were eerily standing up in one room, as well as various documents about the home’s history.

“I found out that a couple lived inside this place 12 years ago,” he said. “They probably both died and had no children that could take care of the house after their death. I found all the pictures of the couple and a 2011 calendar.”

Despite the structure’s decay and his assumption of its former owners’ death, Yannik added that he found the space, in a dark sense, inspiring. 

“It’s amazing to see how nature takes everything back,” he said. “The garden had a bit of the feeling of a fairy tale house.”

Although badly overgrown, he and his companion noted that many of the property’s original ornamentations were intact, only now threaded with moss and ivy. Peeling green paint still adorned the kitchen’s walls, watercolor paintings and fine plates still occupied the dining room, and a double bed still sat in a bedroom — only now they were all joined by an immense growth of weeds, the residence transformed into something of an indoor garden. 

The bedroom is in a dramatic state of decay. Jam Press/@urbexguide
The dining room still retains certain features of its pre-abandoned self. Jam Press/@urbexguide
A collection of eerie dolls. Jam Press/@urbexguide
The home is now a garden, inside and out. Jam Press/@urbexguide
The lush kitchen. Jam Press/@urbexguide

After documenting the property, Yannik uploaded a video showing his explorations of it, much to the delight of many TikTok users.

“I feel like this place is somewhat magical,” wrote one viewer. 

“Nature makes things so much more beautiful,” noted another.

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