Tskaltubo, Georgia

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tskaltubo, once a luxurious spa town, fell into disarray. The luxurious retreat used to attract Communist Party elites (including Stalin himself), with its bath houses (or sanitoriums), and hotels. Since the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict of 1992, the abandoned wellness destination has been used as a shelter for displaced Abkhazians, as well as a destination for urban explorers.

Hashima Island, Japan

A coal deposit directly under Nagasaki Island made people interested in the island; now it is entirely empty. Hashima Island was once the world’s most populated island, but it is now completely empty. As time progressed, it was built with densely packed apartment complexes for miners and laborers, setting the island’s density record. As soon as coal ran out, the residents left as quickly as they came, leaving behind a rock and concrete ghost town at the bottom of the sea.