Five Abandoned Places

Another installment in our series on abandoned places in the world.

1. Casa de la Gordejuela, Tenerife, Canary Islands

Designed by the military engineer José Galván Balaguer for the Hamilton & Co. firm, the former hydraulic pumping station was built in 1910. The first steam engine on the island, the 5-storey building pumped water from nearby springs into a reservoir 2km away. In 2000, the government of the Canary Islands proposed to restore the former pump station for public use, but such plans have laid dormant ever since.

2. Jussarö, Finland

Believed to be Finland’s only ghost town, Jussarö was a former centre for iron ore mining. Closed in 1967, the abandoned town was used by the military for war simulations until 2005.

3. Castello di Sammezzano (Non Plus Ultra), Reggello, Tuscany, Italy

Built in a Moorish style in 1605 by Ximenes d’Aragona, Castello di Sammezzano (also referred to as “Non Plus Ultra”) is located on a 185-hectare park. Following WW2, the castle was used as a luxury hotel, but was abandoned some time in 1999. Since then, the structure was bought by Palmerston Hotels & Resort and is currently under redevelopment.

4. Stadion Za Luzankami, Brno, Czech Republic

When Europeans aren’t engaged in racist chants or disorderly conduct during football matches, their stadiums occasionally fall into disarray. Abandoned for over a decade, the Luzankami stadium was once the largest arena in the Czech Republic.

5. Plymouth, Montserrat

After nearly a century of slumber, Montserrat’s Soufriere Hills volcano began to erupt in 1995. By 1997, the capital city of Plymouth was buried under several feet of lava, rock and ash. With two-thirds of the Caribbean island abandoned, an “exclusion zone” (from the south coast to the northern parts of the Belham Valley) has been imposed due to ongoing volcanic activity.

For previous entries, please click here.

(Images c/o 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

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