The 15 most beautiful prisons and mental hospitals in the world

It's probably a little strange to see the epithets "beautiful" and "luxurious" next to the word "prison", but there are several places of detention on earth that can be considered masterpieces of architectural thought. These prisons can also include some hospitals for the mentally ill. Many of these objects are the main places of action in various legends of urban folklore and life stories, while others have long been places of attraction for tourists.

Bastoy is a low—security prison on one of the Norwegian islands. The island is full of green trees, and the surrounding water makes this place look like a resort. It's hard to call it a prison. Bastoy is also known for the lax regime of detention of prisoners, which is more like a free settlement.

Alcatraz is another island prison almost two miles off the coast of San Francisco. This is one of the most famous prisons in history. This place can be called beautiful because it is located on an island and has a characteristic architecture, but Alcatraz was a high-security prison, and it is unlikely that prisoners served their time here in comfort, as in Norway. Now it is a very popular tourist attraction.

This Italian villa is not a prison, but a hospital for the mentally ill, which, however, does not negate the fact that the inhabitants who inhabited it were often held there against their own will. This majestic building of a psychiatric institution, built in the XIX century, is located in Pistoia. For a while it was used as a prison, but in the end the hospital returned here anyway. Unfortunately, now the building is in decline, but there are still traces of its former beauty.

Although this institution has been closed for a long time, the hospital building is a unique example of architecture and interior decoration. Despite the beautiful appearance, not at all beautiful things happened here and terrible experiments were carried out on patients. This hospital became most famous due to the introduction of the practice of lobotomy. It is now home to the Kennedy Museum of Art.

This prison is located on the island of Fire on Novozero, and some call it Alcatraz among prisons, so the conditions of detention in it are terrible. Ancient buildings and the water surrounding the prison make this place mysteriously beautiful. This is a high-security prison, and the prisoners who visited it either came out completely broken, or did not come out at all, because they were killed there.

This is a very impressive structure — a men's prison north of San Francisco. The shape, colors and location by the water make it beautiful from the point of view of architecture. The prison, founded in 1852, is considered the oldest in California.

This colony consists of a complex of buildings in which regimes of varying severity of the detention of prisoners are established. The structure of the building is very modern compared to other prisons.

This is one of the most beautiful prisons in China. But don't let the green trees and beautiful architecture mislead you: this is the highest-security prison possible. It was built in 1958 for war criminals during the revolution in the best traditions of Chinese architecture. The environment may seem peaceful, but the most notorious state criminals are sitting here.

This prison opened in 1988 and was once the campus of Yankton College. Then the student dormitories turned into a men's colony of a lax regime. It is worth paying attention to the unusual architecture of the building for prisons. According to legend, this is one of the most comfortable prisons.

This colony is also intended for male criminals. There is a strict regime of detention of prisoners, the institution belongs to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. There is not only a beautiful and strict building, but also a statue of an eagle. The campus has very well-groomed lawns, statues are kept clean and tidy.

Looking at this building, it's hard to believe that there is a prison in it. Nevertheless, there is not only a prison, but also a court. This place is known as one of the most comfortable places of imprisonment in the world. The interior and exterior resemble a four- or five-star hotel. Each prisoner sits in a separate cell. Probably, criminals here really have a chance to follow the path of correction, and not go crazy with grief and mistreatment.

This is another Austrian prison, and it is located in the building of the former abbey. It is beautiful not only outside, but also inside. It used to be a monastery of the Order of St. Benedict, and the interior decoration is similar to the church. According to some sources, the abbey is known as one of the most beautiful examples of Baroque architecture in Austria.

Now this hospital no longer works as a psychiatric hospital, but at one time it was one of the most beautiful architectural structures in the Gothic style. It was built in the 1870s. Now it's a residential complex, but, according to rumors, there are ghosts here.

The exterior of this building has seen better days, but it's still a very nice prison with a lax regime and green spaces. Around the campus there is a very well—groomed lawn, flowers and small trees that successfully emphasize the architecture of the building. There are about 900 prisoners here.

Now there are no prisoners in this wonderful castle, but in the XVI century, during the religious wars, there was a prison here. Now it is a popular tourist attraction with medieval walls and other examples of architectural heritage. The castle offers amazing views of Lake Geneva and the mountains.