Misty hills. Lonely forest roads. Plenty of vines, moss, and unkempt trees. And the cherry on top—a gorgeous abandoned building that radiates eeriness and grandeur in equal measure. That’s our dream home right there. Especially if the place looks haunted.

The ‘Abandoned World’ Facebook page captures this particular mood very well. The social media project celebrates beautiful abandoned buildings in all their decaying glory, and it shows us just how different everything looks when there’s not a soul (well, all right, not singlehuman being) around. Check out the best pics, remember to upvote your fave ones, and let us know in the comments which of these buildings you’d love to live in the most.

Before we dive deep into all the beautiful photos, let’s get one thing clear, Pandas. Going into abandoned buildings can be illegal. But above everything else: it can be incredibly dangerous. Prioritize your health and safety, always be prepared, never ever go alone, and don’t take any dumb risks. Adventuring is cool; getting stuck under rubble isn’t.

#1 Polar Bears At An Abandoned Soviet Weather Station On Kolyuchin Island, Dmitry Kokh

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#2 Abandoned Dunalastair Castle, Scotland

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#3 Wreck Of The Ten Sails. Shipwreck Event Occurred Off The East End Of Grand Cayman On 8 February 1794

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The ‘Abandoned World’ project has 336k followers, and it’s clear why they’re so popular: the photos they share are absolutely stunning. Whether or not you’re a huge fan of the whole Dark Academia aesthetic like we are, you can’t deny that the pictures practically ooze a spooky atmosphere.

For a moment, they transport us someplace else. A place where we’re seriously considering whether we could fix the place up and live in our dream home. Are the ghosts included in the price or do we have to pay extra for ‘em?

#4 Marton Mogyorosy Lake Iseo, Italy!

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#5 Island In Ireland

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#6 Castello Di Sammezzano, Italy

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Besides that burning desire to move in right away, we’re also confronted by a huge urge to explore these places. They look fantastic from the outside, but our curiosity wants us to take a step inside and see what secrets we might uncover.

Playing Dungeons & Dragons satisfies most of our adventuring needs, but there also comes a time when you just really want to explore a castle like a real-life hero. That’s where urban exploration comes into play. Also known as urbex or UE, the name pretty much says it all: you explore abandoned urban places. It can be super illegal (depending on the country and the particular building) and very dangerous, so you’ve got to be aware of a few things.

#7 A 14th Century Abandoned Castle In Scotland

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#8 Palmenti Of Pietragalla, Small Caves In Italy Which Were Used For Processing And Fermentation Of Grapes

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#9 Abandoned Through The Years

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Look, the fact of the matter is that you have to respect the law. You might be trespassing on someone else’s property, even if that property might be overgrown, crumbling, and nobody’s taken care of it for decades and decades. Be aware that you might have to deal with law enforcement. Stay polite. Be respectful. Apologize. Understand that they’re worried about your safety as well.

#10 The Entrance Gate To An Abandoned Mansion In Poland

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#11 Abandoned Castle

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#12 Nature Taking Over

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‘Jetset Times’ suggests getting the right gear. Start off by getting some proper footwear. You’ll encounter a lot of dirty, filthy, mucky places, so get yourself some sturdy, waterproof shoes. Abandoned places are, obviously, abandoned, so you’ll need light as well. Bring a spare flashlight and some extra batteries just in case.

#13 An Abandoned House In Chicago Was Built In 1888

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#14 The Incline, Manitou Springs, Colorado!

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#15 The Bridge To Roslin Castle. Midlothian, Scotland

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Meanwhile, be sure that you’re never exploring these spots alone. Have at least one person go on the adventure with you. That way, you can help each other or call for help if one of you gets injured. What’s more, when you’ve got someone else besides you, they can help you avoid any potentially risky areas. Two sets of eyes really are better than just one.

#16 The Beautiful Tree Transforming This Abandoned Place Into A Secret Garden, Ireland

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#17 The Real Dracula's Castle Abandoned, Romania Photo Taken In 1920s

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#18 This Is What 2022 Is Starting To Look Like

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You can expect a lot of creaky, rotten floors, as well as unstable walls, and broken windows inside, as you’re walking, crawling, and squeezing through tight fits during your exploration. It’s worth repeating: your safety is paramount. Don’t take silly risks when don’t need to. Look for alternative paths. When in doubt, take the safest route. You’re one bad step away from turning your urban adventure into an urban nightmare, so stay focused.

#19 An Abandoned Village In Scotland!

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#20 The Abandoned Swinger’s Tiki Palace In Chattanooga, Tennessee

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#21 Found In India, 5000 Years Old, Made From A Single Rock

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Meanwhile, the ‘Killer Urbex’ site urges new explorers to start off by doing their research about the building. Find out when it was abandoned, what the general layout and state of the place is like. The better prepared you are in advance, the more dangers you can avoid. Part of your research will undoubtedly be to take a good long read through your local area’s trespassing laws.

#22 Castle Sinclair Girnigoe Located On The East Coast Of Caithness, Scotland

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#23 Dean Village, Edinburgh, Scotland

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#24 Abandoned Castle In Belgium!

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Though many of us might be raring to run off and explore pretty much every forlorn and God-forsaken place we can get our gloved hands on (remember to pack a pair of really thick gloves, Pandas), beginners really ought to take it slow and steady.

#25 Stairway To Heaven, The Ancient Inca Trail That Leads To Machu Picchu In Peru

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#26 Abandoned Chateau

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#27 Abandoned Hashima Island, Japan

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Start your urbex journey by going to some (perhaps haunted) residences or warehouses, instead of (most definitely haunted) mines and sewers. Build up your experience bit by bit. Don’t try to run before you can even crawl. And even then—safety first!

Aside from your gloves, boots, flashlights, and batteries, you should also bring some water, a first-aid kit, a fully-charged cellphone, as well as a respirator (to keep the asbestos, mold, and dust out of your lungs).

#28 Carleton Island Villa Is An Abandoned Mansion Located On Carleton Island, In Upstate New York

It was built by architect William Miller in 1894 for William O. Wyckoff, who made his fortune helping the Remington Arms Company develop a typewriter

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#29 Abandoned Viking Tunnel, Höfn Iceland

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#30 Abandoned Castle

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Let someone you trust know where you (and your friend!) will be going… and learn to trust your gut. If you feel like something’s way too risky or doesn’t look right, take a step back, regroup, and consider cutting the outing short. Heck, even if you don’t go inside, you can snap some truly gorgeous photos of the exterior. Photos definitely worth sharing!

#31 Scotland

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#32 Framed With Trees, The Door Of This Medieval Sanctuary Looks Like A Portal To A Mythical Realm. St Edward's Church, Stow-On-The-Wold (England)

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#33 Ballymarkahan Castle In County Clare, Ireland

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#34 Abandoned

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#35 Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

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#36 Solomon Islands

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#37 Abandoned Tree House Redmond Washington D.c

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#38 The Medieval Eltz Castle Located In Wierschem, Germany, Has Been Owned And Occupied By The Same Family For Over 850 Years

33 generations to be exact

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#39 The Most Isolated Lighthouse In The World, Þrídrangaviti Lighthouse, Perched Atop A Rock Pillar In The Westman Islands, Off The Coast Of Iceland

Sits about forty meters above the raging Atlantic Ocean, was built in 1939

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#40 An 800-Year-Old Church In Borgund, Norway, Made Entirely From Wood Without A Single Nail

Borgund Stave Church was built sometime between 1180 and 1250 AD with later additions and restorations. Its walls are formed by vertical wooden boards, or staves, hence the name "stave church" The church is part of the Borgund parish in the Indre Sogn deanery in the Diocese of Bjørgvin. No longer regularly used for church functions, it is now a museum run by the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments

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#41 Castle Kranichfeld

The palace complex originated from a medieval castle to protect trade routes through the Ilm Valley. Today, it still reflects the division into outer and main courtyards. Surrounded by a ring wall, which is still partially preserved, it still contains a palace and the ruins of a fortress. Their residential building is of Romanesque origin and was rebuilt in the 16th century. The 27 m high fortress, also known as the "Fat Tower", has been available as an observation tower since 2002

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#42 A Forgotten Masterpiece In An Abandoned Mansion

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#43 A Mossy Reflecting Pool On An Abandoned Estate In Florida

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#44 Abandoned Mine In San Juan Mountains, Colorado

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#45 An Abandoned House Located In France

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#46 Monastery Sumela, Turkey

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#47 Rocca Calascio, L'aquila, Italy

Rocca Calascio is one of the most beautiful fortresses in the world according to the prestigious international magazine National Geographic. The fortress of Rocca Calascio, located at 1460 meters above sea level, is among the highest fortifications in Italy and dominates the Tirino valley and the Navelli plain from this height. Its system was exclusively for military use and is characterized by the ability with which it manages to merge with the impervious surrounding area, from which it is not conditioned at all; it is evident that his is an absolutely favorable position from a defensive point of view. The structure, in very white stone, has a square plan: at the corners it has four cylindrical towers considerably sloping and a square keep in the center, which constitutes the innermost military defense body of the castle.

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#48 Creepy Or Cool?

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#49 What E Creepy House

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#50 Abandoned

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#51 A Part Of Italy

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#52 Abandoned Stagecoach Found In Colorado Mountains Outside Boulder

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#53 Berlin, Germany

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#54 Estonia, Former Rummu Prison

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#55 The Airlie Monument Stands 65 Feet Tall On Tulloch Hill In Angus, Scotland

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#56 A Roman Mosaic Floor Has Been Discovered Under A Vineyard In Northern Italy After Decades Of Searching

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#57 In England It Is Called The Church Of Stones

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#58 Would U Like To See Inside ?

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#59 This Is The Walker Family Cabin In The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Walker family lived here before there was a national park. These are the last two Walker sisters who actually lived here. The last sister died in 1966. The black and white picture was taken about 1960, when the cabin looked the same as 150 years ago. The cabin is now a tourist destination that includes some of the original furniture and tools

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#60 Most Breathtaking Forgotten Place

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#61 Abandoned Mill In The Valley Of The Mills In Sorrento, Italy

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#62 Castle In Poland

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#63 He Minister's Tree House Also Known As The World's Largest Tree House Located In Crossville, Tennessee

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#64 Abandoned Hotel - 2019

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#65 The Road To Hell In The Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico!

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#66 Stone House In Portugal

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#67 Abandoned Beach House In North Carolina

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#68 Abandoned House In USA

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#69 The Oldest House In France. It's Found In Aveyron, It's 700 Years Old, It Was Built In The 13th Century

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#70 Drain Pipe In The Castle Of Pierrefonds In France

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#71 Machu Picchu Inca Path, Death Stairs, Peru

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#72 Volkswagen Graveyard

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#73 Burg Grimmenstein, Austria

The castle is located in the Pittental on the south-eastern slope of the Kulmriegels in the market town of Grimmenstein at an altitude of 660 m above sea level. A. and about 100 meters below the Kulmriegel summit on a rock. It is one of the three previous dam systems on the Kulmriegel, overlooking the Pittental. Like the other two barrier systems, it was left to lapse due to the roof tax and largely removed as building material. In the 1960s there was a repair and partial reconstruction in the neo-romantic style using the walls that still existed as ruins

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#74 Look At These Gigantic Steps. Who Were They Built For?

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#75 Big Tub Harbour, Tobermory, Ontario. Towed Here Damaged And Later Sank In 1885

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#76 Abandoned Appartment During The Outbreak Of World War II In Paris, France

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#77 Abandoned

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#78 Simply Stunning!!!

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#79 Abandoned Village In Korea

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#80 Abandoned Power Plant In New Orleans, Louisiana

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#81 Valderrobres - Aragon, Spain

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#82 Abandoned Telephone Cabin

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#83 Sintra

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#84 Deserted Boat In Asia

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#85 Abandoned House In USA

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#86 Beautiful Abandoned Miners' Cottages In A Disused Slate Quarry In Snowdonia, North Wales

The quarry closed in 1969 due to industry decline and because 170-years of working the site resulted in waste tips sliding into the main pit workings

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#87 A 900-Year-Old Church Still Standing In Ireland

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#88 Railroad Leading To Heaven

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#89 A Man Left His Bike Chained To A Tree When He Left For Wwi In 1914 And He Never Came Back For It

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#90 One's Own Abandoned Island

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#91 Abandoned Philadelphia

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#92 Beautiful Bedroom In An Abandoned Mansion

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#93 This Medieval House, Located In The French Village Of Argentan, Built In 1509

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#94 Carleton Island Villa Is An Abandoned Mansion Located On Carleton Island, In Upstate New York

It was built by architect William Miller in 1894 for William O. Wyckoff, who made his fortune helping the Remington Arms Company develop a typewriter

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#95 Abandoned Virginia Plantation Estate

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#96 Savoie Castle, France

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#97 Abandoned Chateau. Location: South France

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#98 A Throne Carved Into A Tree Trunk In Kendal, England

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#99 Abandoned Stairs

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#100 Gatlinburg, Tennessee Near The Smokey Mountains

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#101 Abandoned In North Carolina

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#102 The Stunning Clock Castle Located In Italy,abandoned For More Than 20 Years

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#103 Abandoned

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#104 Would You Go Inside?

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