Guests taking photos in a prison cell
Guest rooms at Karosta Prison
The "Warden" of Karosta Prison
Guests experiencing being "bound" into a "cell"
According to recent foreign media reports, theme hotels are likely familiar to everyone. However, have you ever heard of a prison-themed hotel? In the city of Liepaja, Latvia, there is just such a prison-themed hotel! Guests must sleep in cells, eat prison food, be verbally abused by soldiers, and even face punishment if they do not follow the rules. However, staying at such a hotel is not an easy task; guests must not only book their stay in advance but also sign an agreement to voluntarily accept prisoner treatment in order to experience "real" prisoner life. It is reported that this is the world's first place where tourists can experience the life of a prisoner.
Once used by Nazi and Soviet troops
According to reports, this prison-themed hotel is located in the coastal city of Liepaja in western Latvia and was converted from the real Karosta Prison. Karosta Prison was first built in 1900 and was used by both Nazi and Soviet troops in the early 20th century.
It is reported that during World War II, after the Nazis finished trying Latvian deserters here, they were taken directly to the courtyard to be executed by firing squad. Hundreds of prisoners became souls under the guns, many of whom were shot directly in the head, killing them instantly.
Earlier, this Karosta Prison, which was like a soul of hell, was converted into a prison-themed hotel, allowing tourists and guests to feel and experience the inhumane life of prisoners at that time. Unexpectedly, the hotel was welcomed by tourists from all over the world, and this theme prison hotel has become one of the more distinctive tourist attractions in Latvia.
Signing an agreement to voluntarily accept prisoner treatment
Tourists coming to the Karosta Prison-themed hotel can tour the prison building, learn about the shocking history of this dark place, and visit the prison museum. If tourists feel that the experience is not real enough, they can even spend a night in the "cells" of this theme hotel to experience real prisoner life.
However, it is not an easy task for tourists to spend a night in this prison-themed hotel converted from nightmare-like facilities. In fact, to ensure that there are no disputes between the hotel and the guests, before checking in, guests must sign an agreement stating that they voluntarily accept being treated like prisoners by staff specially trained as wardens. Of course, these experiences are not something that ordinary guests can accept—sleeping on the wooden floor or old mattresses in the cells, eating prison food passed through the bars of the cell door, being verbally abused by the warden, and following prison rules. If guests cannot strictly comply, they will be punished by the warden—by doing physical exercise or cleaning the prison.
The world's first place to experience prisoner life
To give guests a real prisoner experience, the words "izeja no elles" are written in blurry letters on the door of the single cell, which means "exit from hell" in Latvian.
It is reported that although the Karosta Prison-themed hotel is not the only hotel in the world converted from a prison, it is the only place where tourists can experience the life of a prisoner. To stay at this prison hotel, tourists must book in advance. The Karosta Prison-themed hotel opens on May 1st each year and closes on October 30th. During this period, tourists can only seize these few months to stay; if they miss it, they have to wait another year to stay.
