20 Surreal Photos Of Abandoned Places That Show There’s Beauty Even In The Obsolete

A now desolate canvas full of old memories, and a mere shadow of what once was, there is so much more to abandonment than what meets the eye. An imprint of emotions if you will, regardless of who or what it was that was abandoned. But a house or a town that lies in rubble now is much like a heartache left in the wake of a turmoil, and each person’s experience and perspective to this image are unique, perhaps even profound. There is beauty in abandonment and it’s only a matter of perspective. And, what better way to share perspective than photographs that let you see these places through someone else’s eyes.

So here are stunning photographs of 15 abandoned places around the world that show you their true beauty.

1. El Hotel Del Salto, Columbia

Opened in 1928, the Hotel Del Salto was to welcome wealthy travelers visiting the Tequendama Falls area in Columbia. After closing doors in the ’90s, the hotel now stands alone in the mist fostering stories of hauntings by troubled souls.

2. The Tunnel of Love, Ukraine

The 1.8 mile long abandoned rail track near the town of Kleven in Ukraine is now one of the most popular hangout spots for couples, and for good reason. Hence, the name ‘The Tunnel of Love.’

3. Nara Dreamland, Japan

Built in 1961, the Nara Dreamland theme park near Nara in Japan was shut down in August, 2006, due to low visitor count. Once a promising initiative to being the source of happy memories, the park has been left abandoned ever since its closing. Untouched, rusty and cloaked with undergrowth; who’s saying you can’t still have fun there?

4. North Brother Island, New York

New York’s North Brother Island housed a number of hospitals – the most memorable of which was the Riverside Hospital shown below – and establishments. Now a bird sanctuary, it was during the Second World War that the island had been abandoned and set off-limits to the general public. Today, it’s a ghost island where only few dare to go.

5. Lawndale Theatre, Chicago

Built in 1926, the Lawndale theatre was a 4000 block structure in Chicago that featured hundreds of plays and shows. After its abandonment, the theatre still stands as a picturesque monolith, with tattered seats and broken stage.

6. House of The Bulgarian Communist Party

The Buzludzha Monument or the House of The Bulgarian Communist Party was opened in 1981 secretly, to form an organised socialist movement with the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. Today, it stands as a desolate monument that still looks like it is from another world.

7. Russian Military Rocket Factory

One of the NPO Energomash factories outside of Moscow, this military rocket production house was discarded and cordoned off by the Russian government. Trespassing is strictly prohibited, but that doesn’t stop the brave ones from breaking the law.

8. Craco, Italy

Residing in the Province of Matera, Craco is a ghost town that was abandoned by its citizens due to natural disasters. Today, it lies abandoned and is also a tourist attraction.

9. Hafodunos Hall, North Wales

Hafodunos Hall is a house located near the village of Llangernyw in north Wales built between 1861 and 1866. By 2004, after having owned by various landlords, the house was eventually abandoned for unknown reasons. In 2010, the house was bought again by a private owner.

10. Częstochowa Train Depot, Poland

Built in the late 18th century, the railway line in Częstochowa was successful in part due to the opening of the Warsaw-Vienna Railway in 1846. But after the break out of the First World War, the train depot in the town was left abandoned.

11. Pripyat, Ukraine

After the devastating nuclear power plant explosion at Chernobyl in 1986, Pripyat was evacuated within hours of the catastrophe due to the radiation poisoning scare. Today, the ghost town invites only the ones who dare and harbours stories of mutant beings.

12. Wonderland Amusement Park, China

Wonderland is an abandoned amusement park project that was never completed and is located in Chenzhuang village in China. Meant to be a rival to Disneyland, the amusement park had to be abandoned mid-way for economic reasons, and is a carnival for adventurers.

13. Christ of the Abyss, Italy

The Christ of the Abyss statue is a submerged bronze statue of Jesus Christ located in the Mediterranean Sea, off San Fruttuoso. A popular attraction for divers, the abandonment is not as much the curious case as is this monument’s remote location.

14. Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the Namib desert in southern Namibia, once a thriving town that was the pin up for gold trade. It was eventually the First World War that caused the decline in the town’s economy and left it abandoned in 1954. Although, today it looks nothing less than a work of art.

15. Abandoned Blade Mill in France

There is little to no information on this blade mill in France, whose photographs were discovered on the Internet. We can only speculate its history, although its beauty is a different subject.

16. 1984 Winter Olympics Bobsleigh track, Sarajevo

Built for the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic games, the bobsleigh track is one of the most famous desolate monuments in history. With the undergrowth and graffiti, very little remains as a reminder that this was once a circuit for the Olympic games.

17. Bodiam Castle, England

The Bodiam Castle is a 14th-century moated castle near Robertsbridge in East Sussex, England. It was built in 1385, and hopped from one family’s ownership to another. All up to the point that it was left to abandonment and a wake of curious tourists.

18. Maunsell Sea Port, UK

Britain’s secret water military port, Maunsell’s original role during the Second World War was suspect to discretion and criticism. What was meant to be UK’s water front to a war was abandoned as quickly as it was built.

19. Keelung, Taiwan

Meant to be Taiwan’s foremost progressive town, Keelung’s infrastructure was to be their quintessential display of advancement. However, the government had to abandon the project completely, and leave behind just a shell of shattered dreams.

20. Jesuit Ruins, Paraguay

While in the process of being built, the Jesuits were expelled from Río de la Plata Province in South America, and what they had to leave behind is the personification of their hopes in the form of the church of Reducción de Jesús.