Dominican Hill Retreat House, Historic ruins in Baguio, Philippines
Dominican Hill Retreat House is a three-story concrete structure with crumbling walls on a hill overlooking Baguio. The site shows remnants of arches, staircases and open passages, while the facade today is only a frame of gray columns and vacant masonry.
Architect Roque Ruaño designed the building in 1915 as a retreat for priests and religious members. It was later converted into a hotel before being closed in the mid-1980s and left to decay since then.
The name refers to the Dominican Order, which used the building as a place for meditation and prayer. Today visitors walk through empty rooms and corridors where inscriptions on the walls still recall the original purpose.
The site sits on a hill above the city and is reached by winding paths suitable for walking. Since many areas are open and there is little roofing left, a visit on dry days with sturdy shoes is advisable.
Several indoor fountains and basins still stand where plants now grow through cracks in the concrete. These water features were once built for ornamental gardens and now show how nature reclaims the masonry.
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