Aniva Island and its stately lighthouse were involved in a custody battle between Japan and Russia for around a century. The island flip-flopped many times between Russian ownership, Japanese ownership, and even a shared ownership. The Soviets finally took full … Read More
Europe
Sarajevo Olympic Village – Bosnia and Herzegovina
When Sarajevo hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 1984, it was highly regarded for its natural beauty and skiing facilities. Then the Balkan war hit the city, and the Olympic Village became a graveyard of creaky chair lifts, weedy trails, and hotel ruins. Although … Read More
Varosha Beach Resort – Famagusta – Cyprus
Once a popular beach destination for stars like Brigitte Bardot, the resort town of Varosha was abandoned during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. Inhabitants never returned to the beach-side resort, which stands just two miles away from the … Read More
Teufelsberg – Berlin – Germany
Adjacent to bustling Berlin, Germany lies Teufelsberg, a now-abandoned Cold War listening station. The station sits on top of a 262-foot artificial hill called Devil’s Mountain—basically a pile of WWII rubble covering up a Nazi military college. NSA built the station on … Read More
Nicosia International Airport – Cyprus
Nicosia International Airport was a busy, successful airport from the time it opened in the 1930 until it was abandoned in 1974, due to—you guessed it—the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In the past 40+ years, planes have turned to rust … Read More
Power Plant IM – Charleroi – Belgium
Originally built in 1921, the Power Plant IM used to be one of the largest coal burning power plants in Belgium—its massive cooling tower (pictured) was able to cool down 480,000 gallons of water per minute in its heyday. But … Read More
Haludovo Palace Hotel – Krk – Croatia
Haludovo Palace Hotel is clearly not of our time, but it’s hard to tell exactly when it is from. The design and modular shapes feel futuristic, but the state of decay places it firmly in the past. In reality, the hotel complex … Read More
Beelitz-Heilstätten Hospital – Germany
If this old German hospital looks disturbing, well, it is. Just check out its chilling resume: Between 1898 and 1930, the Beelitz-Heilstätten complex served as a tuberculosis sanatorium. It also housed mustard gas and machine gun victims during World War I, including … Read More
Łapalice Castle – Poland
Imposing and ornate, Łapalice Castle resembles many of Eastern Europe’s legendary spooky castles. Only Łapalice Castle was built in 1979—and it’s not even technically a castle. The grand building was originally built as a studio for artist Piotr Kazimierczak, which … Read More
The Maunsell Sea Forts – England – United Kingdom
Although they look like props from an H.G. Wells film adaptation, these giant metal towers in the Thames estuary were actually constructed to protect England from German air raids during WWII. The forts were decommissioned in the 1950s, and the … Read More
English