10 amazing abandoned corners of our planet where you can go
In all cities of the world there are corners about which the townsfolk know absolutely nothing - forgotten places, abandoned tunnels, hidden infrastructures. We offer you a selection of ten of the most interesting.
(Total 10 photos)
1. Museum of the Paris Sewers
There is a wonderful and easy way to see one of the most significant engineering achievements of the 19th century. It is enough to go underground and walk next to the active part of the Paris sewer. The entrance to the old sewer will be found if you walk from the Eiffel Tower towards the Seine. It will be close to the Musee d'Orsay and Pont Alma.
2. Bunker-42, Moscow
If someone had told you in 1983 that in 30 years you would be able to visit a Soviet bomb shelter, you would have thought that this person was out of his mind. However, today at a depth of 65 m near Moscow you can see exactly the bomb shelter. The entrance there is located at the address 5th Kotelnichesky lane, house 11.
3. Tokyo flood control collector
If you have ever seen an advertisement, TV show or movie featuring a giant underground hall with columns several meters high, it was most likely filmed in the Tokyo Flood Control Sewer (Japan) located on the outskirts of Tokyo. Guided tours are held twice a day, from Tuesday to Friday, but only in Japanese.
4. Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London
The building was built in 1570, and maybe even earlier. This is the oldest factory in the British Isles, and possibly the oldest in Europe. The factory still makes bells using the same casting process as 400 years ago. It was here that Big Ben and the Liberty Bell were cast. Tours are held only on Saturdays, and it is better to book a place a few weeks in advance.
5. Canals of Antwerp
Initially, the canals served as moats, used in the Middle Ages to protect the city, as well as an inland port and water supply system. Many centuries later, the canals were walled up and turned into sewers. In the 1990s, the sewer system was reorganized and today you can walk through these hundreds of years old tunnels. Guided tours are available in Dutch, French and English, but must be booked in advance. You go underground at Suikerrui 21, not far from the city center.
6. Crypt of the Capuchins, Rome
If you go down to the crypt under the church of Santa Maria della Concezione, you will surely wonder how anyone could come up with the idea to decorate six chapels with human remains. Even lamps are made of bones. This is a place for those who are interested in everything creepy and scary that happened in the Middle Ages. The crypt was visited in 1775 by the Marquis de Sade himself. The crypt is located on Via Vittorio Veneto 27.
7. Basilica Cistern, Istanbul
Near Istanbul there are hundreds of ancient water cisterns - the remains of the era of Constantinople. Most of the cisterns are abandoned and forgotten, but there are three cisterns open to the public. The most accessible is the Basilica Cistern near Hagia Sophia, Yerebatan Caddesi 13.
8. Tunnel under Atlantic Avenue, New York
Opened in 1845, the Atlantic Avenue Railroad Tunnel in Brooklyn is often referred to as the world's first subway. It served its purpose for a short time - shortly after its opening, railroad locomotives were banned in Brooklyn, and the tunnel was sealed, and its existence was forgotten. More than a hundred years later, in 1981, the tunnel was again found by Brooklyn teenager Bob Diamond. He led tours until 2010, when the Ministry of Transport banned these tours. It is hoped that there is still a way to make the tunnel accessible to visitors again.
9. Cape Town Tunnel, South Africa
Built by Dutch settlers in 1652, Cape Town was originally known as "Little Amsterdam". Today you can visit one of his private channels. You need to enter through a cast-iron hatch at the foot of Table Mountain, and exit at the Castle of Good Hope. The tour must be pre-booked and will be canceled in the event of heavy rain.
10. Puente Avellaneda, Buenos Aires
This is an old-fashioned bridge leading from the outskirts of Buenos Aires, La Boca, to the suburb of Avellaneda. There are only a few of these around the world. The bridge in Buenos Aires is abandoned but still standing. Next to the rusted bridge, a new bridge for cars and pedestrians has been built, which offers a beautiful view of La Boca. Be careful - this is not the most prosperous area of the city, and tourists can be robbed here.