Nestled within the picturesque mountains of Albania, SPAÇ Prison stands as a chilling reminder of the country’s tumultuous past. Once a site of political imprisonment and human suffering, this haunting location has become a dark tourism destination, attracting visitors prepared … Read More
As far as dark tourist destinations are concerned, there’s few more harrowing than Hartheim Castle. During WWII it was a Euthanasia Centre, a secret Nazi killing facility, and part of the Aktion T4 program. Here, German citizens tagged as mentally … Read More
For dark tourists in Yerevan, a trip to Tsitsernakaberd is a must. The Memorial and Armenian Genocide Museum provide a powerful insight into the country and its culture and of the darkest period in the nations’ relatively recent history. The … Read More
Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands has a dark and significant history. During the many years of British rule, prisoners were forced into exile in this remote location. Known as the Kala Pani (Black Water in Hindi), Indian freedom fighters … Read More
“Masada shall not fall again.” The oath that soldiers take when inducted into the Israeli Defence Forces ends with this line. It is connected to a siege that took place almost 2000 years ago. The 1st-century fortress at Masada was … Read More
In the center of the Estonian city of Tartu stands an unassuming building that once held a dark secret. During the first Soviet occupation of the country between 1940 and 1954, the basement was home to the KGB. Operating covertly … Read More
North Brother Island, located on the East River between the Bronx and Riker’s Island in New York, is a place with a dark history. Not only is the island home to the worst loss of life in New York’s history … Read More
At the turn of the 20th century, Ruddock in Louisiana was a bustling community, located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, the town was connected by the railroads with a train coming through daily. At the height … Read More
Just over 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle and 40 hours by train from Moscow, sits the once-bustling coal-mining city of Vorkuta, Russia. Built by gulag inmates during Stalin’s big purge in the 1930s, this desolate region on the … Read More
During World War One, Fleury-devant-douaumont became known as one of the villages that died for France. Caught in the midst of The Battle of Verdun, (one of the longest and fiercest artillery battles of the Great War), French and German … Read More
Reggane and In Ekker were once nuclear test sites in Algeria. It was here that the French experimented with their atomic arsenal in the 1960s. Thirteen underground nuclear detonations were carried out at the In Ekker site. The reckless nature … Read More
Kadykchan is located at the eastern extremity of Russia in the Kolyma region of Siberia, an area renowned for the harshness of the climate. This part of Siberia is known for something else too, the devastating brutality of its Gulags. … Read More
St. Elmo, is currently the best-preserved ghost town in Colorado. This former gold mining camp in Chaffee County lies in the heart of the Sawatch Range. The entire district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, … Read More
Despite its remote location in the Pacific, Tinian is slowly becoming more popular with tourists, especially dark ones that are interested in Pacific WWII History. There are a number of reasons why. Not only did the island become one of … Read More
Villa Epecuén was once a bustling tourist town along the shore of Lago Epecuen. The salt lake, some 600 kilometers away from Buenos Aires was a popular holiday spot for many decades in the 20th century. People would flock from … Read More
Nauru has had a troubled history, passed from one empire to the next. As one of the three big “phosphate rocks” of the Pacific, (Banaba in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia being the other two), the island was a … Read More
On June 10, 1889, New Zealand’s deadliest volcanic eruption devastated the surrounding landscape and killed over 120 people. The villagers around Mount Tarawera on the on North Island did not stand a chance as boiling mud and hot springs tore … Read More
Port Royal, Jamaica was once known as “the most wicked and sinful city in the world”. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, the enclave positioned on the mouth of what is now called Kingston Harbour, was the center of shipping … Read More
Bunker Valentin was the largest fortified U-boat facility in Germany during WWII. Built to produce submarines on a grand scale for the Nazi war effort, more than 10,000 forced laborers were used in the construction of this gigantic bunker, support … Read More
During the Cold War, the Soviets couldn’t get enough of blowing up nuclear weapons in northeastern Kazakhstan. The tests were not always with the intent to one day nuke the USA, however. Conducted by the military under the banner of … Read More