Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Reportedly the largest religious monument in the world, Ankor Wat is a Buddhist temple located in northern Cambodia and was built early in the 12th century.
It is massive in size, spanning over 400 acres, and the translated name of Angkor Wat is “City of Temples” which fits this wonder well.
Now a popular tourist attraction that is responsible for more than 50% of tourist visits each year the entire Angkor ruins stretch an astounding 154 square miles.
Pripyat: Abandoned City in Chernobyl
This city isn’t just a “ghost town” it is also radioactive. Pripyat was establish in 1970 and was a popular living spot amongst the workers that worked at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant that infamously melted down in 1986.
Today you can only visit the city under guided tours, but do so at your own risk as the site is still very much contaminated.
Bodiam Castle, England
Built in 1385 by Sir Edward Dalyngrigge to help defend the area against invasion during the hundred years war, the Bodiam Castle is now one of England’s most iconic castles. It attracts more than 150,000 tourists per year and was shown in the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.
Hashima Island, Japan
Once the most densely populated Island in the world (over 5,000 people at its peak) Hashima Island (also called Battleship Island) in Japan was abandoned in 1974 after the collapse of the coal industry in Japan.
Gereja Ayam (“Chicken Church”), Magelang, Indonesia
Truly a very unique structure the Gereja Ayam (Also known as the “Chicken Church”) resides in the jungles of Java in Indonesia.
Originally the architect was building this to be a place of worship for all religions and the intention was for it to look more like a dove than a chicken. Woops!
High construction costs ultimately fried this chicken and the structure is now a popular tourist spot due to its uniqueness and views of the surrounding area.
Opening in 1910 as a hospital for tuberculosis patients Waverly Hills Sanatorium sits atop a hill in Louisville, Kentucky that is accessed by a creepy winding road. Tuberculosis was known as the “white death” and Louisville had the highest death rate for this illness in the country.
Thousands of people perished during its operational period and the hospital eventually closed up in 1961. Following a series failed uses the building sat abandoned for many years and is now proclaimed as one of the most haunted places on earth. You can visit Waverly for tours and even overnight stays if you are daring enough.
Teufelsberg, Berlin, Germany
Teufelsberg is German for “Devil’s Mountain” which is a quite apt name considering this structures history. Hitler envisioned a bustling university for German military technology, but that vision never materialized and efforts were destroyed during WWII.
Following WWII American forces built these radar domes and outfitted them with listening devices and large dishes as a means of intercepting communications during the cold war. Once the cold war ended the complex was abandoned. Today you can visit the area through various guided tours.
Bannerman Castle, Beacon, New York
Francis Bannerman was the visionary behind the construction of Bannerman Castle. He built the structure to run his business of selling army surplus goods, but a series of bad luck struck and the castle experienced a ferry boat crash, three day fire, and even a gunpowder explosion.
The castle is in rough shape, but is still partially standing and you can take guided tours while wearing hard hats.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Buildings that have astronomical alignments and breathtaking views are part of the allure of Machu Picchu. It was built in the 15th century and was later abandoned with the reason being speculative and still a mystery. In 2007 it became one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
Chateau Miranda, Celles, Belgium
Built in 1866, this fairytale like castle was renamed to Chateau de Noisy in 1950 due to being purchased by the National Railway Company of Belgium which converted it to an orphanage and camp for sick children. It was abandoned in 1991 and unfortunately was demolished in 2017 due to the heavy damage from a fire and costs of maintenance.
Beelitz-Heilstatten is a massive abandoned military hospital complex that is known as the hospital that treated Adolf Hitler for injuries sustained during war. It was built to serve as a sanatorium for those suffering from tuberculosis and lung disease and was later occupied by the Soviet Army until the 1990’s.
In 2015, an almost 70ft tall elevator platform was built to make the hospital more accessible to tourists whom can also go on guided tours.
cool post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog post. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!