Unknown Europe: abandoned castles and cities. The most amazing abandoned castles (13 photos)

No less beautiful and captivating castles will appear before you. Unfortunately, they did not become so popular, and their demise is not far off. But still they deserve to be an object of admiration.

1. Podgoretsky Castle, Ukraine

One of the best architectural monuments in Europe in the Renaissance style with bastion fortifications. Once an important defense point and the estate of the Crown Hetman Koniecpolski, today it is a medieval ruin, which they are trying with all their might to revive.

The fall of the fortress began at the beginning of the twentieth century with the advent of the First World War. Then the castle was used as a refuge for the Austro-Hungarian army. Then for a short time there was a museum of paintings here. But soon, at the height of World War II, Soviet troops set up a hospital here, where they treated patients with tuberculosis. Then there was a fire, when the last remains of its former greatness burned interior decoration castle

Today the castle belongs to the Lviv Art Gallery, which takes care of itshim. On this moment closed for repair and restoration work. Does the castle itself remind you of anything? Of course! D'Artagnan was filmed there.

2. Miranda Castle, Celle, Belgium

The rather young castle was built in 1866 to order for the noble Ledekerke-Bofot family by an English architect. Perhaps that is why it resembles the appearance of a private English school in the suburbs or a fashionable junior college.

Five generations of the owner's family lived here until the Second World War. Then the estate was seized by the Belgian railway company. Since 1956 it has housed Kid `s camp. Then the castle was called Chateau de Noisy, Castle of Noise and Balagan. But it has been empty since 1991. One of the last descendants of the family, already an old man, lives somewhere in France and is categorically against the sale of property. Maybe he’s right, but the castle is already falling apart: it has become a den of homeless people and refugees.

3. Halcyon Hall, Millbrook, New York, USA.

“Halcyon Hall” is, first of all, a hotel that was built in 1890, but after 11 years in 1901 it was closed because it was not profitable. But six years later, Halcyon Hall welcomed guests again. May Bennett, the founder of a college for girls, had been looking for a suitable place for her students for a long time. And finally finding this nice place, she settled here for 70 long years. In 1978 the college was dissolved due to a shortage Money, and “Halcyon Hall” has been empty, it seems, forever...

4. Lillesden Mansion, UK

Lillesden Castle has almost the same fate: it is also empty...

But first it was built as the mansion of one of the rich and successful bankers of the mid-19th century, Edward Lloyd. More than fifty years later it became a building for a public school for girls, but after a while it also went bankrupt. Therefore, Lillesden has been abandoned since 1999.

5. Bannerman Castle, New York, USA

From the looks of this castle, you would never guess where it is! It seems to be a typical building for old England, old Europe. But no! In fact, Bannerman Castle is located just 50 km from New York on a small island.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, a Scottish immigrant named Bannerman came to these parts. He bought an island, built a fortress, where he hid a lot of ammunition, which was his capital in business. From this moment the turbulent history of the castle began. The fact is that the ammunition began to explode with the death of its owner, destroying parts of the castle. Today all that remains of the building is the back part.

6. Estate in Muromtsevo, Russia

This mansion is a very rare example of the French style in Russia. Few landowners dared to take such courage - to move away from traditional construction. This was Colonel Khrapovitsky. In general, a wise and intelligent leader of the nobility.

It is worth noting his foresight: with the advent of Soviet power, he voluntarily transferred his mansion to the new state with a complete inventory of property. He did this so that his child would avoid the devastating consequences of the nationalization of property. In general, Khrapovitsky judged correctly, because the castle was not mutilated, abandoned or destroyed, and was constantly in the field of view of local authorities.

Today, activists have achieved special status for the castle in Muromtsevo.

7. Prince Said Hasim Palace, Cairo, Egypt

A completely atypical performance style for the Egyptian region. We expect to see something similar ancient pyramid, with windows, towers and statues. And in front of us it looks like an ordinary five-story “Stalin” building!

Once a family mansion, after a while - a private school for boys, and now also an empty hundred-year-old castle.

And then, in Luxembourg, I managed to visit another castle - Vianden, which has stood in ruins since the 19th century, but thanks to restoration work begun in the 1970s, is quite impressive.

Only it turns out that these castles are lucky. For there are quite a large number of “countial ruins” that no one is repairing, in which no one has lived for a long time, but are still beautiful. (Of course, we are not talking about completely dead ruins, uninhabited a long time ago.)
And you think to yourself, oh, how people used to build, if even in this state these castles still have a soul and even in desolation they retain nobility and grace.

Castle de Noisy, originally - Miranda Castle. It was built in 1866 near the town of Zell in the province of Namur, Belgium, by the English architect Milner for the rich and noble Liedekerke-Beaufort family, who lost their old family castle during the French Revolution and built a new one on the site of a small farm. The family owned the castle until the Second World War, during which it was given to an orphanage for the children of Belgian railway employees, but in 1980, apparently after a fire, it was returned to the previous owners. However, since then the Chateau de Noisy has remained empty. No one lives in the castle, the owners do not renovate it, but stubbornly refuse to sell it to the authorities of Zell, who are interested in restoring a beautiful local landmark. They say that Count Liedekerke-Beaufort is interested in negotiations only with the mention of an amount of 20 million euros, and this is on the terms of a “long lease” of the castle. The castle has a touch of Gothic mystery and mysticism: they say that the architect died just after finishing construction. Although the facade looks well preserved, being in the castle is fraught with dangers: ceilings, steps and walls can collapse at any moment, and the flooring has long been missing.

On YouTube you can also find videos filmed in the castle, for example this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlAR74CcAfE

Hotel Rouge, also known as Chateau Rouge and Chateau Bambi (Hotel Rouge, Chateau Rouge, Chateau Bambi) in the municipality of Wanze in the province of Liege, Belgium. Once upon a time, a small monastery, built around 1100, supposedly stood on its site. In the eighteenth century, the estate changed hands several times, gradually the castle deteriorated and became completely unfit for habitation, and in 1885 it was finally demolished. A new structure was erected in the Flemish Renaissance style, using some of the walls and fireplaces from the old castle. After the Second World War, it became a luxury hotel (according to another version, a nursing home), and since 2009 it has been empty, it is stated “due to poor management.” Apparently it got its name because of the red brick used in the construction.

But the interiors and exteriors are still luxurious, albeit with a touch of mold!

Lock Mesen (Kasteel van Mesen) , Lede, Belgium. Now this huge castle, with stables and greenhouses, is in the center of a vast public park, and is almost destroyed. The building was erected in 1749 by the Italian architect Giovanni Nicolo Servandoni for the Bette family (according to other sources - for the royal family, but this theory is a little doubtful for me. Please remind me who owned this part of modern Belgium in 1749? France? The Royal Family of Belgium appeared only in the 19th century...) Apparently, after the French Revolution, the owners lost the estate, and the castle began to be used for the needs of local industry - alcohol distillation, sugar refining, tobacco production. In 1897, the castle was sold to a religious order, which erected an impressive neo-Gothic chapel there. After the First World War, the castle was turned into an elite girls' school, which existed from 1914 to 1970, where the daughters of the impoverished aristocracy and military studied. The castle came into the possession of the Belgian Ministry of Defense. In the end, neglect of the state of the huge old building led to its desolation. The fate of the castle has been hanging in the balance ever since. Too much money is required to restore it or at least maintain it current state. Judging by the most recent blogs that mention Mesen Castle, they plan to demolish it to build a residential complex on this site...

This part of the castle has almost been demolished...

Castle de Cinges(Chateau de Singes), France. The name translates as "Castle of the Monkeys".
I have not found the exact location of the castle, built in the seventeenth century, there is only a mention that it is located in the utter wilderness of the countryside and represents a kind of rare pearl for those who are passionate about tourism associated with visiting abandoned historical monuments. The last owner could no longer maintain the building in good condition, but did not sell it, but lived there until his death in a single room, without central heating. Horses were once bred on the estate. The castle has been abandoned since 1976.

The name of the castle, apparently, is somehow connected with the frescoes that miraculously survived in some of the castle’s halls, which depict funny monkeys.

Here you can watch a video about the journey to the castle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSFXmEILksQ, filmed by some of the few tourists who visited the Château de Cinges.

And in conclusion, I will say that there are a LOT, a LOT of such castles...maybe because there are not many rich people capable and willing to take over " kind hands"Such treasures. Absolutely without irony - the cost of such castles amounts to millions of euros, and very often it is necessary to spend no less on repairs. The state, be it France or Belgium, is also always in no hurry to act as a philanthropist.
I also found links to absolutely stunning, no less beautiful and also abandoned castles in Russia and Ukraine. If only some Abramovich would warm them up, huh?...

Through the centuries...

1. Dunnottar Castle, located on a headland jutting out into the North Sea. Dunnottar is famous as the place where the crown and the rest of Scotland's jewels were hidden during the English Revolution and the subsequent reign of Oliver Cromwell.

2. Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland. Dunluce was built on a basalt outcrop on far north Ireland in the 13th century, but today it is only ruins. In the 18th century, the northern wall of the castle collapsed into the sea, but the rest of the outer walls remained intact.

3. Altenstein Castle, Bavaria. Altenstein has been the residence of a local wealthy family since the beginning of the 13th century. By 1300, eight families lived in the castle under a system of joint inheritance. When the heirs of the ancient family moved to the new palace in 1703, Altenstein turned into ruins.

4. Chateau de Saint-Ulrich, Haut-Rhin, France. The 528-metre tall Château de Saint-Ulrich is one of three castles overlooking the town of Ribeauville in eastern France. Built in the 11th century and expanded in subsequent centuries, the castle was home to the Ribopierre family until the 16th century.

5. Kinkasloch, County Donegal in Ireland. Kinkasloch was a fort on the north coast of Ireland built by the British during the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15).

6. Chateau Gaillard, a fortress in Normandy, France. Chateau Gaillard was built between 1196 and 1198 by order of Richard the Lionheart. The castle was planned to be invulnerable and impregnable. However, during a long siege in 1204, the French gained access, lowered the drawbridge and captured the castle. By the end of the 16th century, the castle completely fell into disrepair.

7. Olsztyn, Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. Situated in the limestone cliffs of the Jura Mountains in Poland, Olsztyn Castle was built on the orders of King Casimir the Great to protect western Poland from the Czechs. In 1655 it was captured by the Swedes.

8. Golconda, Hyderabad city, India. The present citadel and fortress was built in the 16th century by the Qutub Shahi dynasty. Fortifications existed on this site in earlier centuries, but thanks to Sultan Qutb Shahi, the fortress was expanded and turned into a massive structure.

9. Minard Castle in Ireland, County Kerry. Built at the end of the 16th century, Minard Castle was destroyed by troops during Civil War in England (1642-51). Due to the explosions, the upper floors and some of the outer walls of the castle collapsed.

10. Ballycarbury Castle in Ireland, County Kerry. Built in the 16th century, Ballycarbury was attacked by Oliver Cromwell's troops and fired upon during the War of the Three Kingdoms in 1652. Today its walls are covered with ivy, and the first floor of the castle is overgrown with grass.

11. Krak des Chevaliers, a fortress and castle of the Hospitallers, located in Syria. The castle was built in the 1140s, and destroyed in 1271 after a 36-day siege by the Mamluks of Sultan Baibars.

12. Rocca Calascio Castle in Italy. The highest fortress in the Apennines, Rocca Calascio was designed as watch tower with four round citadels. The fortress was destroyed by an earthquake in 1461.

13. Kryztopor Castle, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in Poland. Built in 1644, Kryzhtopor was plundered and severely damaged by the Swedes. In 1770, the castle was again plundered by the Russians, and after 1787 it was abandoned and soon fell into disrepair.

14. Fort "Emperor Alexander I", St. Petersburg. Located on artificial island, the fort was built in 1845 to protect the city, but never took part in military operations. By the end of the 19th century it was used as an infectious diseases laboratory.

15. Govone Fortress, Savona, Liguria, Italy. Fortress and then royal residence, Govone was built at the end of the 12th century. In 1490 it was added defensive tower. The Spaniards took possession of the castle in 1602, and the Genoese in 1714, after which it was blown up.

16. Carey Castle, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Built around 1270 on the site of earlier fortifications, Carey Castle was added to during Tudor rule and renovated during the English Civil War (1642-51). By the end of the 17th century, Karey lost its importance and was abandoned.

17. Loarre Castle, Aragon, Spain. The Romanesque style castle was built in the 11th and 12th centuries after the area was conquered by Christians. In the 13th and 14th centuries, a curtain wall and additional towers were added to the castle.

18. Fort de Malamot was built in 1889 at an altitude of 2850 m by the Italians to monitor alpine pass Mont Quenice leading to France. When the area was ceded to France under the terms of the Paris Peace Accords of 1947, the fort was no longer used.

Majestic castles, even those that have fallen into disrepair and turned into dilapidated abode of dust and insects, continue to amaze with their scale and charm. We bring to your attention seven of the most impressive abandoned palaces and castles located in different corners planets:

Bannerman Castle
Bannerman Island, New York, USA

The island on the Hudson was purchased in 1900 by Scottish immigrant Francis Bannerman, who built a castle on it to store a huge collection of weapons (he made money by selling them). In 1918, 2 years after the death of the Scot, the ammunition available on the castle territory exploded and destroyed part of the structure. Almost half a century later, in 1969, there was a fire, as a result of which the roof and part of the floors burned down. The island itself has been considered uninhabited since 1950, when the ferry that served it sank during a storm. In 2009, the remaining part of Bannerman's castle collapsed.

Halcyon Hall
Millbrook, New York, USA


Built in 1890 as a luxury hotel, it was already closed in 1901. A few years later, the mansion was turned into Bennett College for Women, but in 1978 educational institution for female students from wealthy families went bankrupt due to the popularization of coeducational education. The building has been empty since then.

Palace of Said Halim Pasha
Cairo, Egypt






The palace was designed by the Italian architect Antonio Latsias in 1899. During the First World War, the British confiscated the palace of Said Halim, who sided with the Turks. Later, the majestic building was transformed into high school for boys Al-Nassiriyah, considered one of the best in Cairo. The palace has been empty since 2004.

Podgoretsky Castle
Podgortsy village, Lviv region, Ukraine




Construction of the castle lasted from 1635 to 1640. The castle's once luxurious interior was destroyed by soldiers during the First World War. In 1936, Roman Sangushko, into whose ownership the Podgoretsky Castle became, took several valuable pieces of furniture to Brazil, and after World War II the Renaissance palace was used as a tuberculosis sanatorium. In 1956, the castle caught fire and burned for 3 weeks. As a result of the fire, all the interior decoration was destroyed. Attempts to restore the building are currently being carried out by the Lviv Art Gallery.

Lillesden Mansion
Hawkhurst, Kent, England




The building was built in 1853-85 by order of banker Edward Lloyd on his own estate. After the First World War the estate was sold and the mansion was turned into Bedgebury Public Girls School. The institution closed in 1999 due to a significant reduction in students, as well as due to the popularization of co-education, so the mansion fell into disrepair and has not been used since then.

Miranda Castle
Sel, province of Namur, Belgium




Built in 1866 by the English architect Milner, commissioned by the noble Lidkerk-Boufort family, during the Second World War the mansion was seized by the Belgian national railway company and converted into an orphanage, which operated until 1980. The local municipality offered to take over the management, but the owners refused, so the castle has been empty since 1991.

Khrapovitsky estate in Muromtsevo
village of Muromtsevo, Vladimir region, Russia




Noble estate in french style built by architect P.S. Boytsov, commissioned by the large Russian timber merchant V.S. Khrapovitsky. Construction of the estate lasted from 1884 to 1906.

These eerie images of abandoned places on our planet give you an idea of ​​what this world would look like if people left it.

A tree grows in an abandoned piano

Click on the pictures to enlarge the image.

UFO houses in Sanzhi, Taiwan

Also known as the Sanzhi Saucer Houses, a futuristic complex of 60 UFO-shaped houses made from durable fiberglass is located in Sanzhi County, Xinbei, Taiwan. An unrealized project of a group of companies under the patronage of the state of a complex of ultra-modern houses for the capital's rich.

Overgrown Palace, Poland

In 1910, this palace was built as a home for the Polish nobility. Under the communist regime, the palace became an agricultural college and then a mental hospital. After the 90s the building has been empty.

Jet Star amusement park coaster, New Jersey, USA

These slides remained in Atlantic Ocean after Storm Sandy in 2013. They rusted for six months until they were dismantled.

Abandoned house in the forest

Church in Saint-Etienne, France

Abandoned church with mannequins of parishioners, Netherlands

Doll factory, Spain

A tree growing through a bicycle

Wrecks on a sandbank, Bermuda Triangle

Floating forest, Sydney, Australia

Cinema in Detroit, Michigan, USA

As Detroit deteriorates, many of its historical buildings were abandoned.

Shipyard in Vallejo, California, USA

Mare Island Naval Shipyard served as a submarine port during both World Wars. In the 1990s, the building was abandoned and flooded.

House between two trees, Florida, USA

Titanic

The Titanic set sail on its first and last flight in April 1912. 73 years later big ship at the beginning of the 20th century it was found at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Circular railway, Paris, France

Railway Petite Ceinture was built in 1852 and ran between the main train stations of Paris within the city walls. During its operation, it connected five city highways. Since 1934 Railway, as well as some of its stations are partially abandoned.

Spreepark, Berlin, Germany

In 1969, an amusement park with rides, cafes and green lawns was built on the banks of the Spree in the southeast of the city. After the unification of the two Berlins, the park lost its relevance and closed due to insufficient funding.

Library, Russia

House on the Row, Finland

Turquoise Canal, Venice, Italy

Like any other city, Venice has abandoned places. But there they look even more picturesque.

Stairway to Nowhere, Pismo Beach, California, USA

Nara Dreamland Park, Japan

Nara Dreamland was built in 1961 as Japan's answer to Disneyland and even included its own version of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Closed in 2006 due to low visitor numbers.

Abandoned Mining Road, Taiwan

Abandoned pier

Bare footprints in an abandoned nuclear reactor

Indoor water park

Boathouse, Lake Obersee, Germany

Abandoned administrative building in Italy

Methodist Church in Indiana, USA

Gary, Indiana was founded in 1905 during the US steel boom. In the 1950s, more than 200,000 people lived and worked in this city. After the fall of the dispute on steel, almost half of the city was empty.

Church in the snow, Canada

Blue spiral staircase in a European castle

Soviet naval testing station in Makhachkala, Russia

Bell tower of a church in a frozen lake, Reschen, Italy

Lake Reschen is a reservoir in which several villages and a 14th-century church were flooded.

Glenwood Power Plant, New York, USA

This power plant, built in 1906, has long since become obsolete. After closing in 1968, it was used as a location for filming thrillers and zombie films.

Flooded shopping center

Train station in Canfranc, Spain

Canfranc is small town, located near the border with France. In 1928, the largest and most beautiful at that time railroad station in the world, which was called "sparkling gem modern."

It was destroyed in 1970 railroad bridge on the road to Canfranc and the station was closed. The bridge was not restored, and the former “pearl of Art Nouveau” began to fall into disrepair.

Abandoned theater

Automobile cemetery, Ardennes, Belgium

Many American soldiers on the Western Front during World War II purchased cars for personal use. When the war ended, it turned out that sending them home was very expensive and many of the cars remained here.

Attraction in Chernobyl, Ukraine

Abandoned hospital. Chernobyl, Ukraine

The city of Pripyat was deserted after the disaster in 1986 at the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It has been empty since then and will remain empty for thousands of years.

City Hall Subway Station, New York, USA

City Hall Station opened in 1904 and closed in 1945. Only 600 people a day used it when it was operational.

Abandoned house in Virginia, USA

Poveglia Island, Italy

Poveglia is an island in the Venetian lagoon that, during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte, became an isolation ward for plague victims and later an asylum for the mentally ill.

Gulliver's Travels Park, Kawagushi, Japan

The park opened in 1997. Lasted only 10 years and was abandoned due to financial problems

Lighthouse on Aniva rock, Sakhalin, Russia

The Aniva lighthouse was installed in 1939 by the Japanese (at that time this part of Sakhalin belonged to them) on the small Sivuchya rock, near the inaccessible rocky Cape Aniva. This area is replete with currents, frequent fogs, and underwater rocky banks. The height of the tower is 31 meters, the height of the light is 40 meters above sea level.

Eilean Donan Castle, Scotland

A castle located on a rocky island lying in the Loch Duich fjord in Scotland. One of Scotland's most romantic castles, it is famous for its heather honey and interesting story. Filming took place in the castle: “The Phantom Goes West” (1935), “The Master of Ballantrae” (1953), “Highlander” (1986), “Mio, My Mio” (1987), “The World Is Not Enough” (1999) , Friend of the Bride (2008).

Abandoned mill, Ontario, Canada

Underwater city Shicheng, China

Hidden beneath the waters of the Lake of a Thousand Islands in China underwater city Shicheng City. The architecture of the city has remained virtually untouched, for which archaeologists have nicknamed it a “time capsule.” Shicheng, or as it is also called “Lion City”, was founded more than 1339 years ago. During the construction of a hydroelectric power station in 1959, it was decided to flood the city.

Munsell Sea Forts, UK

In shallow water North Sea off the coast of Great Britain there are abandoned sea ​​forts air defense systems. Their main tasks were to protect large industrial centers England from air attacks from the most vulnerable direction - from the sea - from the mouths of the Thames and Mersey rivers and protection of approaches from the sea to London and Liverpool, respectively.

Christ from the Abyss, San Fruttoso, Italy

The statue of Jesus Christ, located at the bottom of the sea, in the bay of San Fruttuoso, near Genoa. The statue, about 2.5 meters high, was installed on August 22, 1954 at a depth of 17 meters. In addition, in different parts of the world there are several similar statues (both copies of the original and variations on its theme), also bearing the name “Christ from the Abyss”.

Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

Now it is the largest and tallest building in Pyongyang and the DPRK in general. The hotel was expected to open in June 1989, but construction problems and material shortages delayed the opening. The Japanese press estimated the amount spent on construction at $750 million - 2% of North Korean GDP. In 1992, due to lack of funding and general economic crisis Construction in the country was stopped.

The main part of the tower was built, but windows, communications and equipment were not installed. The top of the building is poorly made and may fall off. The current structure of the building cannot be used. The North Korean government is trying to attract $300 million in foreign investment to develop and build a new hotel design, but in the meantime it has removed the long-term construction from maps and postage stamps.