You might have all the fortune in the world to travel to the moon and back, but there are certain places on Earth you just cannot go to even if you have shit loads of money. Here are 15 such places. Go through this list and feel bad. Feel really bad.
1. Poveglia Island (Italy)
Used primarily as a quarantine colony, this completely uninhabited island is believed to be haunted by the ghosts of plague victims, an eccentric doctor and the patients he slaughtered.
2. Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (Ethiopia)
This church houses the most sacred biblical object, the original Ark of the Covenant (a chest containing the stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments were etched). Only a specially chosen monk has the privilege to enter this church .
3. The Vatican Secret Archives (The Vatican City)
Barring the Pope and a few extremely learned scholars, nobody else can enter the archive housing confidential (and possibly controversial) documents of the Catholic Church.
4. The Queen’s Bedroom (Buckingham Palace)
We obviously couldn’t get a picture of the Queen’s bedroom so you’ll have to do with a click of the dining room. Apparently, it’s the Scotland Yard that protects this royal palace.
5. Niihau Island (Hawaii)
In a bid to preserve its culture and wildlife, this island has been made off-limits to all except relatives of the island’s owners, US Navy personnel, government officials and invited guests.
6. Lascaux Caves (France)
These caves containing Paleolithic cave paintings that are 17,300 years old have shut its doors on humans since 1963. Scientists say that human presence deteriorates these paintings.
7. Ise Grand Shrine (Japan)
This is the holiest Shinto shrine in Japan and only the priest or priestess can enter it. Hedged on four sides with tall fences, the world can do nothing more than feasting its eyes on the thatched roof.
8. The Jiangsu National Security Education Museum (China)
The Chinese are so secretive about their cloak-and-dagger ways of yore that no foreigner is allowed to enter this espionage museum that exhibits actual spy gadgets used by the Chinese.
9. Mount Weather Emergency Operations Centre (USA)
This is the place where the world’s most influential people would be flown to in case of an apocalypse. And you thought it just existed in the movies.
Technically, you are allowed in this place if you’re influential. And if there is an apocalypse.
10. Pine Gap (Australia)
Jointly operated by Australia and the USA, Pine Gap is a satellite tracking station that controls America’s spy satellites hovering above China, parts of Russia and the oil fields of the Middle East.
11. The Negev Nuclear Research Centre (Israel)
Not only can you not enter this heavily guarded fortress located in the Negev desert but you can’t even fly over it either. They even have a highly classified underground facility.
12. Metro-2 (Russia)
It is speculated that Metro-2 is a secret underground metro system that connects all the places of national importance in Russia. Its presence is neither confirmed nor denied by the Federal Security Service of Russia.
13. North Sentinel Island ( Andaman Islands )
The inhabitants of this island, the Sentinels, are among the last of the groups that have resisted all forms of contact with the outside world.
14. Woomera Prohibited Area ( Australia )
Having an area larger than England, the Woomera Prohibited Area is the largest land weapon-testing range in the world and is strictly out of bounds for people.
15. Area 51 (USA)
This is a military base where experimental aircrafts and weapons are developed by the Americans. This place is shrouded in so much secrecy that the USA barely acknowledges its existence.
