Most of us find architecture fascinating. The built environment around us reflects the history and culture of a place that can shape our experiences and perceptions of an area. However, not all the buildings stand the test of time and many are left to decay. For some, they become unwanted ghosts of the past; for others, they are objects of mystery and awe.

“Abandoned Beauties” is a Facebook group dedicated to celebrating and sharing the beauty of old deserted places. With over 808 thousand members, this place is a treasure trove for all the lovers of urban exploration (urbex). We have gathered a collection of gorgeous images of forgotten structures. So continue scrolling through the uncharted wilds of urbex. Don’t forget to upvote your favorite images and share your thoughts in the comments!

For more breathtaking photos, we invite you to check out our previous articles by clicking here and here.  

#1 The Devil’s Bridge Kromlau Germany

Image credits: Mysterious

#2 Dunnottar Castle, Epic 15th Century Coastal Fortress

Image credits: ʀᴜᴍᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄᴏɴʜᴇᴄɪᴅᴏ

#3 Abandoned. France

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

We got in touch with Attila Deák, a 46-year-old Hungarian 3D artist, creative director, architect, photographer and the founder of The Urbex Club, to learn more about urbex photography and his experience exploring derelict urban structures.

The Urbex Club is an online platform (website, Facebook) dedicated to the team’s urbex travels. “We’ve visited more than 260 sites all over the world. Our site documents the highlights of the silent worlds. Over the past 22 years, we have been to hotels, castles, barracks, warehouses, villas, hospitals, and cultural venues, among others, scattered across 45 countries, and world-famous ruins such as 30+ ancient temples, Angkor in Cambodia, Chornobyl and Pripyat in Ukraine, the giant abandoned hotels of Croatia and the ‘haunted’ Ghost Hotel in Bali.

We are trying to focus on publishing consistent high-quality photos, and a detailed in-depth background story as well. This is perhaps the most interesting part of the project – constructing the narrative collectively. What was the building used for? Who owned it? Why did it become deserted? Often people who are closely linked to the site chime in with personal stories or observations.” Scroll down to read the whole interview!

#4 Devil’s Entrance In The Highest Point Of The Mountain

Image credits: Forgotten 24

#5 Abandoned 19th Century Greenhouse

Image credits: Viking Products

#6 Abandoned Building In The Forest

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

Attila Deák is a graduated architect, and he is leading the movie team at Brick Visual, making architectural visualization movies for the leading developers. The artist shared that as a hobby, he is a backpacker, traveling all over the world: “I really like to get off the path, take photos, and do travel vlogging, but my biggest hobby is urbex photography.”

The artist has been intrigued by deserted constructions since the age of 9 when in Hungary, the communist era ended, and the whole country was full of freshly abandoned buildings left there by the Russian troops. “We started to climb fences with my cousins to enter these factories, resorts, schools, offices, and barracks, but it was completely hidden from our parents, they thought that we were perfect kids. So it’s been 36 years that I’ve been an urbexer. Now taking it more and more seriously, as well as having 11000+ followers, gives me so much appreciation and positive feedback.

I started taking photos around 19 when I traveled a lot, and later I realized that people really like my photography style, and what I really like is to take artistic photos to show the strange mood of these sites. It makes me happy to present the unreachable decayed places to the viewers who probably would never be brave enough to enter any abandoned building.”

#7 An Incredible Irish Mansion In Ruins , Located In The Middle Of A Forest Park

Image credits: Abandoned World

#8 The Dreamy Pool At Château De Sannes, An 18th-Century Castle In The Luberon

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#9 The Perfect Witch House In Forbidden Forest , Poland …

Image credits: Stephanie Schuh Beauty

After exploring so many forgotten places, it might be hard to pick the one that has left the biggest impression. However, Attila shared that the “Arzt villa” in Germany was his favorite abandoned building he has ever discovered. “We had found hints of the location on Facebook among comments, but I had to wait 3 years to be able to pinpoint exactly where to find the mansion. This amazing building consists of many intriguing spaces and objects, like surgery with test tubes and various medical equipment, a library replete with books, a fully equipped kitchen from the seventies, etc. The most interesting piece is the grand piano which is worth a couple of thousand Euros, still in good condition. Owing to the spooky charm, haunted mood, and relatively intact fixtures of the villa, it later became a world-famous urbex location. Sadly, fame has taken its toll on the mansion – several objects such as formaldehyde bottles with animal remains have been stolen from the surgery.”

#10 Madame Sherri’s Castle In Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Image credits: Mysterious

#11 Abandoned Villa With A Beautiful View

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#12 Abandoned Railway Track In Paris

Image credits: Weirdo

Exploring abandoned places is not a walk in the clouds and one should be aware of potential hazards before venturing into such locations. According to Attila, this is an extreme hobby in a way because most of the properties he visits are difficult to find and access, and there are several serious dangers. “I never go alone, because these places can be really dangerous, the structure of the roof-less buildings can collapse anytime. Most often I explore the urbex sites with my wife, and The Urbex Club has got two more members who often come with us in Europe and Asia. Once I’m there, I follow a set of unwritten rules – the ethos of the urbex community is that you don’t share the whereabouts of the site with anyone, as that would attract vandals or thieves who would strip the building of its values. You don’t move or take any objects either, or arrange the scene for a photo – you are only a spectator who captures what is there to see, to archive it because it will disappear soon and probably forever.”

#13 Abandoned 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood Custom Limousine

Image credits: Dotnetal.com

#14 An Abandoned House Located In Armenia

Image credits: Mysterious

#15 Magnificent Floor Mosaic Of A Roman Villa Unearthed From The Rescue Excavations In The Ancient City Of Zeugma

Image credits: Mysterious

There might be different approaches to urbex photography. While some focus on the location’s historical and cultural value, others are interested in capturing the aesthetic appeal of the decay. As a lover of photography and ruin enthusiast, Attila ventures into secluded and empty buildings to experience the melancholic beauty of the abandoned. “I’m trying to capture the whole building with a wide lens, but I’m also using a long lens to portray the amazing details. The color scheme of the original photos are rather nondescript – I go a bit overboard when editing them to create a more exceptional image. I really like to enhance the color settings of the images with my own style to create a cross-balanced color grading composition that would attract more attention. This way when I post these works to the blog and social media, I get more engagement (likes, comments, shares) and visibility. The more people I reach, the better, because the stories that accompany the images are incomplete – I need the online community’s input to get more details about the history of the place, which is my overall goal besides chasing good feedback and likes.”

#16 Gorgeous Flowers Spilling Over Onto Abandoned Train Tracks, Paris

Image credits: Luke The Skywalker

#17 Moulin Rouge, Paris, 1914

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#18 Abandoned Hotel

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

Attila shared that the process of finding locations starts with extensive research before embarking on an expedition. “I’m spending long hours examining urbex forums, Facebook urbex groups and pages, Instagram feeds, Google satellite maps, and books to find leads for interesting locations almost every week. These are only bits of information, so I have to be observant of the background, surrounding environment, and clues that give away at least the country of the site. After I connect the dots and identify the place, finally I add it to my private urbex map on Google. Now I have thousands of locations everywhere rated on a four-star scale. Whenever I’m traveling the world, I use this as my guide and make stops along the way. Sometimes I’m refreshing the information, is it still there, or has it been demolished, or is it being reconstructed, or is the area protected, is it possible to go in, and how.”

#19 Tree House

Image credits: Abandoned

#20 Abandoned Castle

Image credits: Norma Aranda Smith

#21 Beautiful Picture Of Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire

Image credits: Carie Coulbourn Knebel

Lastly, Attila revealed that he always wanted to share his urbex adventures with friends who are also talented and experienced photographers but he couldn’t find anybody except two mates. So the artist is still open to accepting new members who are ready to discover abandoned places, document them to a high standard, and also do the research on the background story! So, if you’re interested in this type of adventure, this might be your chance to join the courageous and creative team!

#22 A Boot-Shaped House Hidden Deep In The UK Forest

Image credits: Abandoned places

#23 13th Century Tintagel Castle In North Cornwall, England

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#24 Amazing Witch House Deep Into The Forest … Ireland

Image credits: Luke The Skywalker

#25 Abandoned Building

Image credits: Everything around the WORLD

#26 Winter Garden Of An Art Nouveau Abandoned Mansion, Italy

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#27 Forgotten And Abandoned Italian Mansion

Image credits: Norma Aranda Smith

#28 Bran Castle

Image credits: Mysterious

#29 The Wyckoff Villa, Located On Carleton Island, NY Was Built In 1894 And Abandoned In The 1920s

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#30 Adam Schuster House Built In 1881 In St. Joseph, Mo

Image credits: Mysterious

#31 Llanberis, Wales – Abandoned Slate Miners’ Cottages From The 19th Century

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#32 Abandoned Factory

Image credits: Maria Dittrich

#33 Abandoned Masterpiece

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#34 Abandoned Marylands House Is A True Horror Hous

Image credits: Mysterious

#35 Abandoned Viking Tunnel

Image credits: Luke The Skywalker

#36 Abandoned Chateau – Location: South France

Image credits: Sagittarius Mumma

#37 Mossy Car In The Woods, Finland

Image credits: Dotnetal.com

#38 The Abandoned Wooden Rollercoaster Known As “The Lost Thrills”

Image credits: Indula Deshan

#39 Oh My This Is So Beautiful!

Image credits: Decayingmidwest

#40 Abandoned House In Swain County

Image credits: ʀᴜᴍᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄᴏɴʜᴇᴄɪᴅᴏ

#41 I Bought This Abandoned Building In West Texas And I’m In The Process Of Cleaning It, Before I Remodel It To Serve As A Center For A Veterans

Image credits: Anthony Martinez

#42 Vintage Addams Family Styled Victorian Pooper

Image credits: Be cool bro

#43 Abandoned Staircase

Image credits: Alex Vendor

#44 Electric Car Company Lot Left To Rot After Bankruptcy

Image credits: Creepy Places

#45 The House Where Michelangelo Was Born In Caprese, Italy, 1475

Image credits: Abdulrahman Haffar

#46 Abandoned 17th Century Mansion In Italy

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#47 A Lovely Bridge In Japan

Image credits: Mysterious

#48 Shengsi Islands , China

Image credits: Mysterious

#49 Old Abandoned Express Train Taken By Nature

Image credits: Luke The Skywalker

#50 Beauty In Italy

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#51 Abandoned Bumper Cars

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#52 Burg Grimmenstein, Austria

Image credits: Mysterious

#53 Abandoned House In Pulaski, Va

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#54 Somewhere In USA

Image credits: Morris Michel

#55 Abandoned Swimming Pool, Berlin

Image credits: Jacquelyn Smith

#56 Love This!

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#57 Oh My

Image credits: Scidok

#58 Gypsy Owned Horse Drawn Caravan From The 1800’s

Image credits: Be cool bro

#59 Abandoned

Image credits: Jacquelyn Smith

#60 Underwater Museum In Cyprus

Image credits: ʀᴜᴍᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄᴏɴʜᴇᴄɪᴅᴏ

#61 I Thought You Guys Might Appreciate This

Image credits: Abandoned places of the world

#62 Breathtaking Forgotten Place

Image credits: Abandoned Things

#63 An Abandoned Theater Waiting For Another Show USA

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#64 A Gorgeous Abandoned House In Louisiana, Missouri

Image credits: Norma Aranda Smith

#65 Casa Tradicional Africana, Etiópia

Image credits: ʀᴜᴍᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄᴏɴʜᴇᴄɪᴅᴏ

#66 The Dark Hedges, Ireland

Image credits: Luke The Skywalker

#67 A Stunning Abandoned Mansion

Image credits: Xwome Abandoned

#68 Interesting Stone House, England

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#69 Inside An Old Abandoned House

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#70 Enchanting… This Door Is Over 275 Years Old! Cotswolds, England

Image credits: Scidok

#71 Abandoned Church

Image credits: Abandoned Beauties

#72 After A Fire

Image credits: Viktória Bellai

#73 Abandoned Lake House In Ontario, Canada

Image credits: Norma Aranda Smith

#74 Abandoned

Image credits: Lost In Time

#75 Abandoned Jungle Skatepark Malaysia

Image credits: The skateboarding Crucible

#76 Creepy Trail In Vác, Hungary

Image credits: Lindita Odjoska

#77 Medieval Novogord Architecture, Russia

Image credits: Amny Fhmy

#78 Eastern Nc

Image credits: Ronald Parks

#79 Eastern Nc

Image credits: Ronald Parks

#80 Beautiful Abandoned House In Ohio

Image credits: Norma Aranda Smith

#81 Amazing Heirloom

Image credits: ʀᴜᴍᴏ ᴀᴏ ᴅᴇsᴄᴏɴʜᴇᴄɪᴅᴏ

#82 This Building Was A Famous Motocross Grandstand

Image credits: The Urbex Club

#83 Built In The 18th Century , This Is One Of The Oldest Buildings In Hattfjelldal Municipality In Norland, Norway

#84 This Building Was Built In 1655

Image credits: KA R Lakshan

#85 Beautiful Abandoned Home

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#86 So So Pretty

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#87 Theatre In Belgium

Image credits: Marco Slingerland

#88 Abandoned ????????? ?????

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#89 The Witches Hat House In Ohio

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#90 Abandoned Motel

Image credits: Donna Tallent

#91 An Abandoned School In Indiana!

Image credits: Ryan Jake Jakubowski

#92 House In Germany

Image credits: Marco Slingerland

#93 Abandoned Farm House

Image credits: Abandoned World

#94 Church Of Nicholas The Wonderworker In Rantsevo, Selizharovsky District

Image credits: Ольга Владимировна

#95 Abandoned Ferris Wheel

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#96 Forest Cave

Image credits: Sagittarius Mumma

#97 Eastern Nc

Image credits: Ronald Parks

#98 Eastern Nc

Image credits: Ronald Parks

#99 Abandoned Train

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#100 Fonte Pinterest

Image credits: Maria Solange

#101 The Juvablue

Image credits: Jey_Urbex

#102 Abandoned House In The Forest

Image credits: Lydia Huddleston

#103 Eastern Nc

Image credits: Ronald Parks

#104 Abandoned Village Overtaken By Nature

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

#105 Abandoned Red House

Image credits: Ancient Histories & Mystery In The World

Source: boredpanda.com