Monday, October 27, 2014

Inside the Honecker nuclear bunker in Berlin

Codenamed 17/5001, this secret bunker was one of the communist world's most advanced bunkers, built to protect the leaders of the former East Germany from a nuclear attack but it was never actually used. 

The three-storey bunker was built in a forest 25km (16 miles) north-east of Berlin, near Wandlitz, where the the East German government was accommodated in a special colony. The bunker reaches a depth of 70m (230ft) below ground.  85,000 tonnes of concrete were used while a four metre thick 'blast cap' over the bunker was designed to protect from explosions above. Complex filters shielded the bunker's occupants from radioactive or biological agents.

Its submarine-like tunnels divided by heavy metal doors lead on to 170 rooms. It was fitted with a fountain, power generators, air conditioning and "springed" rooms able to cushion residents from detonations. Over 

Its construction began in secret in 1978 and finished in 1983, It was intended to house the East Germany leader Erich Honecker who ruled the German Democratic Republic (GDR) for almost two decades and 400 staff. It is rumoured that Honecker himself visited the bunker only once and wasn't happy with its environment.  

Although urban explorers had found a way to enter inside earlier, the bunker opened for the first time to the public and for only 3 months in 2008, with its walls now covered in mould and the decontamination chambers long-defunct.












Monday, October 20, 2014

10 abandoned London Underground stations

London Underground is the oldest and one of the largest transit systems in the world. During its 150 year history, some of the stations built had to close, mainly due to low passenger numbers. In this post, we take a look at 10 such "ghost stations".







1.  Aldwych tube station



Aldwych station opened in 1907 (as Strand Station) and closed in 1994 due to low passenger numbers. Since then, it has been used as the setting for scenes for various movies and TV programs including V for Vendetta and Atonement.

See also: Visiting the abandoned Aldwych Tube Station





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2. City Road Tube Station


City Road station was open from 1901 till 1922 when it shut down due to low usage. The station's building was demolished during the '60s but the lift shaft remains still in place. 






Monday, October 13, 2014

The Old Taylor distillery in Kentucky


The Old Taylor distillery is located just southeast of  Frankfort, Kentucky in Woodford County. It was built in 1887 by Col. E. H. Taylor Jr., a longtime Frankfort mayor and descendant of Presidents James Madison and Zachary Taylor. The distillery was known for being the first to produce one million cases of straight bourbon whiskey. The Old Taylor's 83-acre complex was not only a place that made good bourbon whiskey but also one of Kentucky's most popular tourist attractions and a place for gatherings and weddings. 

Col. Taylor died in 1922 at age 90. The distillery was sold in 1935 and was later consolidated with the adjacent Old Crow distillery. It shut down in 1972 when bourbon sales slumped. Whiskey barrels continued to be aged in Old Taylor's warehouses until the early 1990s.

Since 1972, when the distillery shut down, the property has been vandalized, neglected and reclaimed by nature. In May 2014 the new owner of the site announced plans to restore and reopen the Old Taylor distillery, putting it back to the Bourbon Trail. 









Monday, October 6, 2014

An abandoned Soviet era circus in Moldova

This abandoned circus is situated in the heart of Chisinau, the capital and and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. It was originally constructed back in 1981 when the country was known as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and it was a part of the USSR. In the Soviet era, circus was very popular and this is why this large and impressive building was built. In its auditorium there is space for 2,000 spectators. 

Times changed though and today Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. The circus closed in 2004 for repairs but it never opened again. The inside however remains almost intact, perhaps waiting for better days to come.


SEE ALSO: More abandoned theaters around the world // LIST OF ALL DESERTED PLACES 
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