The resort was conceived by a German entrepreneur in the mid-1990s, with the aim of attracting European tourists, at a time when Russian tourism was still almost non-existent. The resort opened its doors in 1991 and covered an area of 140,000 square metres, from the shoreline to a mountain slope, all connected by a 100-metre bridge. According to some reports, 1,000 workers were engaged in daily activities.
Inside the abandoned area of Naturland
The hotel had its farm and a mini-zoo. There were several multi-ethnic kitchens, several cafés (including the ‘celestial café’ at the top of the hill with a 270-degree view), swimming pools (also indoor), a water park, a children’s railway, a funicular railway, discos and much more. The entire scene is populated by extraordinary figures of animals and plants. One encounters enormous caterpillars, a deer head as tall as a three-storey building, life-size gorillas hanging from trees, plastic cowboys and a funicular railway with a cabin in the shape of a clown’s head. And it doesn’t end there: there is also a kind of ‘Noah’s Ark’, with pairs of animals, caves, underground passages and other wonders designed to keep children happy.
But why was Naturaland completely abandoned in 2014? Here are some legends.
Financial difficulties
The most popular version claims that the hotel owner accumulated too many debts, which he was unable to repay following the failure of the initial business plan. Moreover, during the construction phase, the surrounding area was developed and new facilities emerged, the costs of which then became unsustainable. According to unconfirmed reports, the construction of the Eco Dream Club Sea Resort cost about USD 3 billion.
Inheritance
Another version attributes the situation to the owner’s children, who could not agree on the division of the inheritance. It is said that, when their father died, the sons could not decide who should take over the hotel.
Love
It is said that the owner, after falling in love with a rather mysterious woman, presented her with the hotel and left for the town of Zonguldak on the Black Sea coast. It seems that this mysterious person did not take care of the hotel and, as a result, the business went bankrupt.
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