35 People Share Photos Of The Most Breathtaking, Forgotten Places
Thank you, urban explorers. You give us the gift of awe.
Architecture has long captivated us. We take notice of the structures around us because they influence our experiences and convey cultural narratives.
However, to truly feel the essence of a city or place, you must get up close and personal. Most of us explore the locations we visit by strolling down the main streets and learning about history through famous tourist attractions.
Yet, this approach can be superficial and may not fully immerse you in the atmosphere of the place. Observing things that someone else has chosen to present to you, and only from a safe distance, is sometimes insufficient.
Today, we shine a spotlight on those who seek adventure and choose the less-trodden path. We are referring to urban exploration, or urbex, which attracts thrill-seekers and artists eager to document the gradual process of building decay.
As they navigate through wrecked and abandoned houses, they find excitement and inspiration in the stories these forsaken buildings have to tell. If you want to see stunning photos of deserted locations, the Facebook group "Abandoned Beauties" is the place to be.
We have assembled a gallery of magnificent images that perfectly capture the character of the strange and uncharted wilds that are rarely seen by average tourists.
1. "1400-Year-Old Yew Tree in Muckross Abbey, Ireland"
Abandoned Beauties2. "Polar Bears at an Abandoned Soviet Weather Station on Kolyuchin Island"
Abandoned Beauties3. "Abandoned Castle in Germany"
Abandoned Beauties
4. "Abandoned House in the Republic of Karelia, Russia"
Abandoned Beauties
5. "An Old Mansion Somewhere in Portugal"
Abandoned Beauties
6. "Dunalastair Castle, Scotland"
Abandoned Beauties
7. "A Decaying Neo-Gothic Turret Hidden Among the Hills - Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
8. "1941 Packard 90 Eight-Door Open Top Tour Bus"
Abandoned Beauties
9. "An Abandoned Victorian Home Dramatically Restored in Rarden, Ohio, USA"
"It was built in 1900 by Lafayette Taylor, who made his fortune mining sandstone and milling lumber in the Rarden area. Rarden has a population of just 159 people. Top taken in 1973, bottom taken in 2013."
Abandoned Beauties
10. "Abandoned Castle De Leuhan, France"
Abandoned Beauties
11. "Abandoned Library"
Abandoned Beauties
12. "Abandoned Castle in Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
13. "A 14th Century Abandoned Castle in Scotland"
Abandoned Beauties
14. "Abandoned Library Somewhere in Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
15. "Lennox Hospital, Glasgow"
Abandoned Beauties
16. "MD-160 'Lun' Class Soviet Ekranoplan"
Abandoned Beauties
17. "Abandoned Tree House in Redmond, Washington D.C."
Abandoned Beauties
18. "Abandoned Beautiful Greenhouse"
Abandoned Beauties
19. "Amazing 19th Century Staircase in an Abandoned Building"
Abandoned Beauties
20. "Entrance of an Abandoned Castle, France"
Abandoned Beauties
21. "McDermott's Castle, an Abandoned Fairytale Irish Castle in the Middle of a Lake, County Roscommon, Ireland"
Abandoned Beauties
22. "Old Abandoned House"
Abandoned Beauties
23. "Abandoned Villa with Sea View"
Abandoned Beauties
24. "Abandoned 19th Century Greenhouse, France"
Abandoned Beauties
25. "Abandoned Villa Zanelli, Built in 1907 in Savona, Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
26. "Abandoned Chapel in France"
Abandoned Beauties
27. "End of Line"
Abandoned Beauties
28. "Italian Villa"
Abandoned Beauties
29. "Raniji Ki Baori or 'Queen's Stepwell' Built in 1699 by Rani Nathavati Ji, the Younger Queen of the Ruling Rao Raja Anirudh Singh of Bundi in India"
Abandoned Beauties
30. "Navigator's Position on a Tu-104 OK-LDC in Petrovice, Czech Republic"
Abandoned Beauties
31. "Abandoned Mansion in Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
32. "Abandoned Bedroom, France"
Abandoned Beauties
33. "An Abandoned Railway in Taiwan"
Abandoned Beauties
34. "Abandoned House in South Tyrol, Italy"
Abandoned Beauties
35. "In Russia: The Factory is Located Next to a Marble Quarry, the Extraction of Stone from Which Began as Early as 1768"
Abandoned Beauties
These photos are amazing, and we have the opportunity to enjoy them thanks to urban explorers.
They search the globe for enigmatic and surreal locations in the hope of capturing beautiful photos and sharing them online for the benefit of all. So, do you want to be a tourist, or a traveler and an urban explorer?