🏚️ Top 10 abandoned places in the world for adventurers
Now it's so easy to plan a trip to suit every taste. You can lie on the seashore in the sun, go on a fun sightseeing excursion, or paraglide over the surrounding area. But what if you want alternative options? Then put the popular excursion brochures aside. Abandoned buildings, where time seems to have stopped, are ready to share their history.
Lincoln Heights Jail, Los Angeles, USA
The complex of buildings, built in the art deco style in 1927, was designed for 625 convicts. And in the early 1950s it was expanded to 2,800 beds. In 1965, after all prisoners were transferred to the nearby prison, Lincoln Heights was closed. In 1993, it was recognized as a historical and cultural monument of Los Angeles.
From 1979 to 2014, the building housed an arts foundation. During this period, the prison premises were used for filming some scenes in the films “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984), “American History X” (1998) and even “Iron Man 2” (2010).
The prison became the setting for a video by Lady Gaga (Telephone), the groups Blink-182 (Feeling this) and 5 Seconds of Summer (Good Girls). Anyone could agree to film a student short film within the building, but then access to it was restricted. Toxic contaminants were found in the paint peeling off the walls.
The Los Angeles City government's initiative to restore and redevelop Lincoln Heights has fallen on deaf ears. Over time, the complex fell into disrepair, the basements became moldy, and graffiti appeared on the walls. However, you can still get into the prison if you are not afraid of the terrible stories that it has acquired over the years of its existence.
Castle in Lapalice, Poland
An amazing structure in a Polish village near Gdansk resembles a medieval fortress. Although its construction began only in 1979. Piotr Kazimierczak, a Polish artist, planned to make the estate his studio.
According to the plan, a swimming pool, a ballroom, bastions and 12 towers representing the apostles could appear here. But due to lack of funding and problems with documentation, construction work was curtailed.
Today, entry into the territory is officially prohibited due to the emergency condition of the building, but this does not reduce the number of people who want to wander around the fake castle.
Belitz-Heilstetten Hospital, Belitz, Germany
A partially abandoned complex of more than 60 buildings, which was intended as a sanatorium for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. Construction began in 1889 and continued until 1930. Over the years, the sanatorium has turned into a small autonomous town with its own heating and water supply systems. It even had its own post office, kindergarten, stables, bakery and butcher shop.
During the wars, the hospital was used for military purposes. Until 1994, the complex was controlled by Soviet troops. After their departure, most of the buildings fell into disrepair. In 2000, most of the buildings closed for good. Only the neurological rehabilitation center and the Parkinson's disease research center are still operating.
The hospital building became a film set for the films “The Pianist” (2002), “Operation Valkyrie” (2008) and “A Cure for Health” (2016), as well as for the Rammstein group’s video “Mein Herz brennt”.
The complex buildings are closed to visitors. Most of them are guarded, but despite this, illegal parties often take place here.
Mining town, Hashima, Japan
In 1810, coal was found on one of the islands, 15 kilometers from Nagasaki. People called it Gunkanjima (cruiser island) for its resemblance to a huge ship. The island quickly became inhabited. A factory operated here and a mining town appeared with shops, swimming pools, hospitals, a school and a cemetery.
At one time, Gunkanjima was the most densely populated place on the planet – there were more than five thousand people in an area of 6.3 hectares. In 1974, coal reserves were depleted, the mines stopped working, and people left the island.
Until 2009, tourists were not allowed on the island – violation of the ban was punishable by deportation from Japan. Now you can get there only with organized excursions, the route of which is strictly approved for safety reasons.
In 2015, the island was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Bannerman Castle, USA
In 1901, construction began on a luxurious neo-Gothic castle on the small island of Pollepel on the Hudson River in New York State. The purpose of the building may surprise you. Businessman Francis Bannerman wanted to create a warehouse with weapons and ammunition away from residential areas, and then turn it into a museum. Construction stopped immediately after Bannerman's death in 1918.
In 1920, a powerful explosion occurred on the island, which significantly damaged the building. And in 1969, a fire worsened the situation. The island was closed to visitors until 2004. Now the Bannerman Castle Trust, a company founded specifically to preserve the heritage, conducts regular tours. It also helps organize various events on the island. Information about tours is on the official website.
Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA
This is one of the darkest places in the heart of Philadelphia. The prison was built in 1829. It was the first correctional facility to use complete isolation of prisoners for rehabilitation and re-education.
Single cells were located along the long corridors. Each of them has its own exit to the courtyard for solo walks. Prisoners could only communicate with their warden. And there are many rumors about prison staff exceeding their powers and torturing convicts. In 1971, the institution was closed. Now there is a museum there. By the way, episodes of the films “12 Monkeys” (1995) and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009) were filmed within the walls of the former penal colony.
Craco, Italy
An ancient city in the province of Matera, Basilicata was founded in the 7th century BC by Greek colonists. Thanks to the development of agriculture by local monks in the 10th century, the economy of Craco rose to a fairly high level. Due to its strategic location on a steep hill, the city became an important military center.
In 1276, its own university appeared here. But in 1656, plague came to Craco and the population plummeted. Then, due to attacks by robbers and constant struggle for power, the development of the city began to decline. Conditions for farming worsened and most of the residents left these places.
After landslides in 1963, the remaining townspeople were evacuated to the valley. A flood in 1972 and an earthquake in 1980 left the city completely abandoned. Now it's a ghost town. Its magnificent medieval ruins have been used as film sets more than once. “The Passion of the Christ” (2004), “Quantum of Solace” (2008), “Basilicata: Coast to Coast” (2010) and “Murder in the Dark” (2013) were filmed here.
Body, USA
The Gold Rush of 1859 brought William Bodie to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. In 1876, a city appeared on this site. It was named, of course, in honor of the discoverer of precious metal deposits. Four years later, 10 thousand people already lived here.
Classic Wild West – saloons, the smell of gunpowder and the sound of the railroad. When world gold prices fell, residents began to leave the city. Already in 1990, the number of souls had dropped to a thousand. In a fire in 1932, the city center burned down. Gold mining stopped. And in 1962, a historical park was created here.
City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA
The most beautiful station in the New York subway, City Hall, opened in 1904. The vaulted ceiling with stained glass windows and majestic copper chandeliers in the Romanesque style immersed in the then fashionable art deco. The station was designed as the terminus for the Manhattan Main Line.
Its main difference is the rounded shape of the tunnel and the curved platform. This loop allowed trains to immediately turn around and go in the opposite direction. When the New York subway fleet was renovated, the station no longer met safety standards. Gaps have formed between the platform and the doors of the new cars. In addition, station traffic was low. All this led to its closure at the end of 1945.
You can now get to the station with a guided tour. The schedule is on the New York Transit Museum website.
Sammezzano Castle, Italy
In 780, in the vicinity of the Italian town of Lechio, 30 km from Florence, a strikingly beautiful castle was built. The mansion had many owners, but it was Ferdinando Panciatichi who breathed new life into it in 1853. He rebuilt the building in a Moorish style atypical for Italy.
The castle has 365 halls – the number of halls is equal to the number of days in a year. There are many small rooms and secret niches that open into spacious galleries. The luxurious stucco molding and arches, numerous vaults and columns going right under the dome amaze the imagination.
The mansion is surrounded by a park with rare exotic plants and majestic sequoias, which were planted by the same Panciatici. The park is decorated with compositions in the Moorish style – statues, bridges, vases, fountains. You can walk along it freely.
After the war, the castle was rebuilt into a luxury hotel with a restaurant, but by the early 2000s it was empty. Now it is very difficult to get there. You must pre-register for a tour on the website. But excursions to the castle are rare and irregular, and places are snapped up in seconds.
Fort Central, Col de Tende
In the Alpine mountains between Italy and France there is a complex of abandoned Italian forts. They were built between 1877 and 1880 to protect the Tenda Pass border crossing.
This place cannot be found in guidebooks, there is little information about it, and tourists are also rare. Only locals know about it, who come here for picnics and to ride ATVs. At the very top of the hill stands the main Fort Central. From the French side there is a beautiful zigzag serpentine road leading to it – there are about 50 sharp turns in 800 meters.
The buildings themselves arouse curiosity with their underground passages and defensive points. You can get inside if you can find the entrance – the loopholes are too narrow, and the bridge at the only gate is destroyed. But even the very sight of the majestic ruins and fresh mountain air is already an excellent reason to get to this place.