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Abandoned France: Magnificent images of France's crumbling and forgotten heritage

Join French photographer Sylvain Margaine as he explores a number of abandoned buildings across his home country.

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All images courtesy of the photographer and Jonglez Publishing

All images courtesy of the photographer and Jonglez Publishing

Expect to see inside the abandoned Gandrange steelworks or the decommissioned Uckange blast furnaces in Lorraine, a spectacular marine graveyard in Brittany's Crozon peninsula, a forgotten chateau on the outskirts of Paris, a derelict sanatorium in the Alps, the remains of a magnificent Art Deco concert hall in the north, a disused hospital in the south-west, a military fort in the Pyrenees, now off-limits, and a former wine storage cellar in Normandy.

Through his incredible series, Abandoned France, Sylvain reveals a forgotten and forbidden side to the European country across the Channel. He loves to draw attention to the sometimes dramatic fate of the country's heritage, the preservation of which has become a matter of serious reflection. It's an exceptional photographic report and one that has been brought together in a new book with words by David Margaine. Soon to be available from Jonglez Publishing.

"I started young. As a kid, my father brought me to abandoned factories," explains Sylvain. "The passion remained. But the motivation has been boosted by the taste for photography and the success of this website. So, why such a hobby? We think that abandoned and futureless places are part of our cultural heritage. So before everything gets rotten or disappear, let's explore and photograph them!"

Deteriorated hallway with peeling walls, debris-strewn floor, dark wooden doors and a decorative shell-shaped architectural detail above a distant arched doorway
Industrial machinery and equipment inside the vast, abandoned Gandrange steelworks in Lorraine, with large windows flooding the space with natural light
Rusted industrial machinery and equipment inside an abandoned steelworks or factory building, showing deteriorated metal components and structural decay.
A grand piano sits in a dilapidated room with ornate iron staircase railings and exposed wooden beams, adjacent to doorways leading to further abandoned spaces
Dilapidated interior of an abandoned French chateau with peeling wallpaper, exposed ceiling beams, scattered furniture and debris, and large windows letting in natural light
Decaying interior of an abandoned French château with peeling wallpaper, deteriorating plasterwork, an upholstered chair and small table amid debris and dust
Weathered wooden doors with ornate panels and oval mirrors open into a sunlit room in an abandoned French building
Crumbling ornate room with peeling walls and classical doorways, featuring a deteriorating billiard table with turquoise felt
Weathered stone building with ornate metal staircase and deteriorating glass roof structure, surrounded by overgrown vegetation in black and white
Crumbling stone mansion with mansard roof and ornate iron pergola, surrounded by overgrown vegetation and trees
Decaying neoclassical building facade with weathered stone walls, shuttered windows, ornate iron railings and a grand curved staircase leading to a central door, overgrown with moss and vines
Weathered industrial machinery with circular dial, metal levers and worn brass plaque at the Gandrange steelworks in Lorraine, France
Derelict industrial interior with rusted metal walls, circular holes, metal railing and skylights allowing natural light into the abandoned space
Interior of an abandoned industrial control room with rows of defunct electrical switchboards and gauges mounted on cream-coloured walls beneath a deteriorating brick ceiling with skylights
Abandoned multi-storey building interior with bright ceiling lights, multiple concrete levels with rectangular openings, and a debris-scattered floor below
Deteriorated classroom with peeling walls, a rusted metal bed frame with red graffiti, and windows in an abandoned French building
Dilapidated corridor with peeling walls and bright red painted archways, leading to a skylight above in an abandoned French building
Overhead view of an abandoned blast furnace at Uckange, with industrial metal structures and walkways surrounding a deep pit filled with water and debris
Rusted industrial water tower surrounded by murky water at the abandoned Uckange blast furnaces in Lorraine, with derelict buildings visible across the overgrown site
Stone archway with rusted metal door frame and faded text reading "INTU PORTALEF" opening into an overgrown courtyard with moss-covered walls
A dimly lit underground tunnel with weathered concrete walls and a metal handrail, with bright light flooding through an opening at the far end revealing stone structures outside
Decaying grand hallway with peeling yellow-painted doors and columns in an abandoned French building, lit by natural light from windows
Decaying interior of an abandoned Art Deco building in France, viewed through open wooden doors, revealing a grand hall with ornate metalwork ceiling and crumbling classical columns
Ornate stone facade with boarded wooden doors, ivy-covered walls and decorative wrought iron gate at centre of abandoned building in France
Decommissioned Uckange blast furnaces in Lorraine, France, with crumbling industrial buildings reflected in a puddle beneath a blue sky
Dilapidated industrial tower with observation cabin and large slide attached to a weathered brick building below, covered in rust and decay, from Sylvain Margaine's Abandoned France series
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