Know Before You Go
The easiest way to visit Zakłady Włókien Chemicznych is by car (or bike if you're close) since it is outside of the city. Be aware that if you choose to enter, you do so at your own risk.
Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland
Zakłady Włókien Chemicznych
Dubbed "Wistom" by locals, this abandoned factory is an urban explorer's dream.
Known to the locals as “Wistom,” this once-grand chemical fiber factory was used during Poland’s communist era to create insulation panels for Soviet submarines. It now sits dilapidated, abandoned, and ready to be explored.
Poland was under Soviet control from the end of World War II (1945) until 1989. Soon after the fall of communism, Wistom was shut down and it has lain dormant ever since.
Since falling into abandonment, this factory has slowly been taken over by nature. You can see trees taking root in all areas of the complex. As nature begins to take hold, the buildings are slowly being broken down and returned to the earth.
Local graffiti artists use it as a testbed for their latest works. If you’re here in summer, you’ll often find live music and parties hosted within its dark, dreary walls. Each multilevel structure is home to a new surprise, amazing graffiti, old machinery, or trees growing from within a building.
Wistom is truly a sight to behold. If you’re in the area and interested in urban exploration then this is for you.
Contributed by
Cultured Kiwi
