The Door to Hell - Turkmenistan
The Door to Hell was originally a gas field set alight by Soviet scientists that has been burning continuously for over 40 years. Inexplicably, spiders seem to love this place and swarm there by the thousands, thus confirming (to me, anyway) that the name just might be on to something.
The Hill of Crosses - Lithuania
Originally Kryziu Kalnas was a ceremonial site where Lithuanians would mourn the dead lost at war. The Soviet Union (again?) twice bulldozed this area, only for locals to build it bigger. Today, over 100,000 crosses stand on the hill.
Muynak - Uzbekistan
Muynak was once a busy port city on the Aral Sea. That was, until the Soviets (seriously!) unintentionally drained the sea for irrigation. Today, rusted-out boats litter the now-desert floor.
Cincinnati’s Subway System - Ohio
Cincinnati attempted to build a subway system in the early 1900s, only to run out of funding. The empty tunnels still run along beneath the city, half finished and fully creepy. I suspect the Soviets might have had something to do with it, if the previous examples are to be believed.
Akodessewa Fetish Market - Togo
Since over half of the population of Togo continues to practice indigenous beliefs, fetish markets are in high demand. Just imagine: shrunken heads and skulls as far as the eye can see.
The Catacombs - Paris
The Parisian Catacombs function as a gigantic ossuary and cemetery for approximately 6 million bodies. Beyond just bones, there is also the non-tourist section of the Catacombs, where a mostly illegal and unpoliced second city extends for miles beneath Paris.
Varosha - Cyprus
Varosha is a completely uninhabited resort city on Cyprus’ coast. After the Turkish invasion (not the Soviets this time), Varosha was quickly evacuated. Today, Varosha stands deserted displaying exactly how life was in 1974.
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