Sombre Aussie site tops global list of most unusual abandoned places
<p>Each year, thousands of people travel to famous abandoned buildings and hotspots to explore what were once important landmarks. </p>
<p>Some deserted sites are more popular than others, as these ten sites received tens of thousands of visitors each year. </p>
<p><strong>Buzludzha, Bulgaria</strong></p>
<p>The Buzludzha Monument in central Bulgaria has been dubbed the tenth most famous abandoned place in the world, each year welcoming over 18,000 people. </p>
<p>The site was constructed in 1981 and used by the Bulgarian communist government, and was in use until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989.</p>
<p><strong>Ohio State Reformatory, USA</strong></p>
<p>After first opening in 1898, the goal of the Ohio State Reformatory was to truly "reform" and rehabilitate its inmates.</p>
<p>The facility was closed in 1990, and each year attracts more than 21,000 visitors.</p>
<p><strong>Gereja Ayam, Indonesia</strong></p>
<p>The uniquely shaped house of prayer in Central Java continues to be a popular tourist attraction in Indonesia, welcoming more than 50,000 travellers each year. </p>
<p>Construction on the church was never completed after work was halted in 2000.</p>
<p><strong>Lago di Resia Bell Tower, Italy</strong></p>
<p>The 14-century sunken bell tower can be found near the border of Switzerland, emerging from the water from a sunken village where travellers claim they can hear bells tolling, even though there are no bells in the tower. </p>
<p>The lonely (and probably haunted) tower receives more than 54,000 tourists each year. </p>
<p><strong>Canfranc, Spain</strong></p>
<p>The abandoned railway station is located in the Spanish municipality of Canfranc, close to the French border and once was a major hub for cross-border railway traffic.</p>
<p>It first opened in 1928, but closed its doors by 1970 before it was reimagined as a hotel. </p>
<p><strong>Beelitz Military Hospital, Germany</strong></p>
<p>The large hospital complex was first built in 1898 as a sanatorium, but was transformed into a hospital at the beginning of WWI and has been abandoned since 1990. </p>
<p>It's understood Hitler was treated here after being wounded in the Battle of Somme, which could be the reason more than 64,000 travellers flock there each year. </p>
<p><strong>Eastern State Penitentiary, USA</strong></p>
<p>The prison in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is described as one of the country's most historic prisons and has housed some famous prisoners such as Al Capone.</p>
<p>The prison was closed in 1971 and is tagged on social media by more than 79,000 every year. </p>
<p><strong>Croix-Rouge, Paris</strong></p>
<p>Also known as the Red Cross, this Paris train station has been abandoned since 1939 after France entered WWII.</p>
<p>The station was only functional for 16 years, and welcomes more than 95,000 curious travellers each year. </p>
<p><strong>Teufelsberg, Germany</strong></p>
<p>Teufelsberg was one of the largest listening towers in the world during the Cold war.</p>
<p>The site was closed in 1972, but still receives around 128,000 every year. </p>
<p><strong>Port Arthur, Australia</strong></p>
<p>More than a quarter of a million visitors travel to Port Arthur in Tasmania each year.</p>
<p>The site itself was first opened as a timber station in 1830 and is known as a symbol of the country's convict past.</p>
<p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>
