You are only good as long as you are alive. Dead? And worms feed on you. Similarly, nature has a funny way of reclaiming what was once taken from it. You clear up lands and forests to build great halls and monuments. But they only stand tall and handsome as long as they are carefully maintained and closely looked after. When deserted and overlooked, monuments fall down and once cleared out plantation recapture the great halls. And the cycle goes on.
Here, we have put together a list of abandoned haunting places encompassing a tale of their former glory. Have a look and share your views.
SEE ALSO: Take a Look At The Most Surreal Places You Need To Visit Before You Die
Contents
Abandoned Mill, Italy
This mill was built around the 10th century, in a small town of southern Italy, Sorrento then distinguished as “The Valley of Mills”. The mill produced flour for years until it was abandoned in 1866.
Image: Flickr, FraserASmith
Image: Flickr, masaiwarrior offline
Image: Flickr, Atilla2008
Image: Flickr, Branalog
Church in the Snow, Canada
The church of Saint Mary located on Notch Hill Rd, Sorrento, British Columbia was left to decay in eerily beautiful landscapes.
Image: Kevin McElheran
Image: Kevin McElheran
Image: Kevin McElheran
Image: Kevin McElheran
City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA
City Hall Station was built in 1904 underneath the NYC City Hall. The station was closed in 1945 due to its failure in attracting adequate traffic as only 600 people on average used to travel through it only daily basis. Secondly, its arched design made it dangerous for newer and longer trains. These days, the station generally remain closed except for occasional exclusive tours.
Image: John-Paul Palescandolo & Eric Kazmirek
Image: John-Paul Palescandolo & Eric Kazmirek
Image: John-Paul Palescandolo & Eric Kazmirek
Image: John-Paul Palescandolo & Eric Kazmirek
Floating Forest, Sydney
The World War II stalwart, SS Ayrfield is now a beautiful and haunting floating forest.
Image: Flickr, Bruce_Hood
Image: Flickr, evangelique
Image: Flickr, Steve Dorman
Hashima Island, Japan
Also known as Battleship Island/Ghost Island, Hashima Island once accommodated a population of some 5000 miners due to its access to undersea coal mines. When Japan shifted its interests from coal to petroleum, the settlement was left abandoned.
Image: Flickr, Nguyen Ngoc Chinh
Image: Flickr, 2wid
Image: hashima-island.com
House of the Bulgarian Communist Party, Bulgaria
Soon after the fall of Soviet Union the flying saucer shaped building then served as the headquarters of Bulgarian Communist Party was abandoned.
Image: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog
Image: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog
Image: Darmon Richter — The Bohemian Blog
I.M. Cooling Tower, Belgium
This cooling tower is part of an abandoned power plant station in Monceau, Belgium.
Image: Flickr, Nikon Morris aka Oldskool
Image: Flickr, UE Critical Mass
Image: Flickr, Nikon Morris aka Oldskool
Kolmanskop, Namibia
Kolmanskop, a small town in Namibia was once a diamond-rich area. During the early 1900s this site attracted many Germans who moved in search of fortune. However, after the 1st World War the diamond reserves of the area began to shrink and by the year 1950 the town was left completely abandoned.
Image: Flickr, Sergio Pessolano
Image: Flickr, VoY_TeC
Image: Flickr, VoY_TeC
Last House on Holland Island, USA
Chesapeake Bay on Holland Island in USA once housed a fairly large colony before it completely collapsed in 2010 due gradual and rapid land erosion.
Image: amusingplanet.com
Image: amusingplanet.com
Image: amusingplanet.com
Maunsell Sea Forts, England
The Maunsell Sea Forts were established during the WWII near the Thames and Mersey rivers in Britain to retaliate possible German air and naval attacks. The forts retired in 1950.
Image: Flickr, Beamtwenty3
Image: Flickr, Matthew Sheret
Image: Flickr, Matthew Sheret
Michigan Central Station, Detroit, USA
Constructed through 1912 and 1913, Central Station served as the passenger rail depot for Detroit and was the tallest train station in the world. However, several planning shortcomings led to its closure in 1988.
Image: Flickr, Chris Luckhardt
Image: Flickr, The New No. 2
Image: Flickr, Thomas Hawk
Military Hospital, Beelitz, Germany
Beelitz-Heilstätten hospital was constructed in the late 1800s under the military command.
Image: dailymail.co.uk
Image: dailymail.co.uk
Image: dailymail.co.uk
Mysterious Dome Houses, Southwest Florida
These mysterious dome shaped structures were built in 1981 on Cape Romano off the coast of Florida in the U.S. These served as the holiday home of oil producer Bob Lee.
Image: Gunboats, flickr.com
Image: messynessychic.com
Image: Mila Bridger, messynessychic.com
Nara Dreamland, Japan
It was a Disneyland inspired theme park built in 1961. After remaining in service for 45 years, it finally closed down in 2006.
Image: Florian Seidel via Abandoned Kansai
Image: Kyle Merriman via Speigel Online
Image: Ralph Mirebs
Orpheum Theatre, Massachusetts, USA
This Auditorium was inaugurated on the same day the Titanic sank, April 15th, 1912. The theatre was built with the purpose of providing entertainment to the masses of Massachusetts. After being closed down in 1959, it stored tobacco and is currently housing a super market.
Image: Flickr, Frank C. Grace (Trig Photography)
Image: Flickr, Frank C. Grace (Trig Photography)
Image: Flickr, Johnny Flash
Pripyat, Ukraine
Pripyat, a city of nearly 50,000 was evacuated after the nearby Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Since evacuation, it remains a radioactive ghost town.
Image: Flickr, Barry Mangham
Image: Flickr, Barry Mangham
Image: Flickr, Matt. Create.
Salto Hotel, Colombia
Salto Hotel opened in 1928 to accommodate the tourists coming to visit 157 meter-tall Tequendema Water Falls. It closed down in early 90s, once the number of tourists shrunk considerably. In 2012, the site was turned into a museum.
Image: Flickr, CORDEIRO IMOVEIS CRECI 86.806
Image: Flickr, mrafael
Image: Flickr, Milagros Mata-Gil
Sanzhi, Taiwan
The saucer shaped homes were initially built to serve as a vacation spot for U.S military back in 1978. Loss of investments and unfortunate car accidents forced this site to close down in 1980.
Image: Flickr, _gem_
Image: Flickr, Peggie Scott
Image: Flickr, _gem_
Submarine Base, Balaklava, Ukraine
This Ukrainian submarine base known for its ability to endure a direct nuclear strike was decommissioned in 1993. Today, it is a national naval museum.
Image: Darmon Richter, The Bohemian Blog
Image: Darmon Richter, The Bohemian Blog
Image: Darmon Richter, The Bohemian Blog
Subway Tunnel, Kiev, Ukraine
The tunnels of Ukrainian metro system built underneath Kiev are now partially flooded.
Image: englishrussia.com
Image: englishrussia.com
Image: englishrussia.com
Train Station, Abkhazia, Georgia
The train station was abandoned during a war in 1992 and remains isolated due to the regional dispute between Georgia and Russia.
Image: Flickr, Ilya Varlamov
Image: Flickr, Ilya Varlamov
Image: Flickr, Ilya Varlamov
Underwater City, Shicheng, China
In 1959, the construction of Xin’an River Hydropower Station caused the flooding of entire Shicheng city located in Zhejiang province in eastern China. The city was founded 1,300 years ago. The entire city is largely intact in good condition underwater.
Image: dailymail.co.uk
Image: huffingtonpost.co.uk
Image: huffingtonpost.co.uk
Wooden Houses, Russia
These hauntingly beautiful structures can be found in an isolated forest in Russia.
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