25 Truly Stunning Shots of Abandoned Places

There are places out there in the world which human beings abandoned long ago, leaving nature to reclaim them in their entirety. They often make for a sight that is both frightening and fascinating. They allow us to glimpse a landscape of the future - when humanity has left or ceased to be. The Instagram user itsabandoned offers many such images that help us to think about the future of our world.

We here at Bright Side don't want to ignore the seriousness of this problem, but above all, we want to share with you the sheer mysterious beauty of these places. Take a look – we think you'll agree. Just stunning!

The ruins of an old castle in Sintra, Portugal

An abandoned church in Detroit, USA

Crystal Mill, Colorado, USA

A forgotten railway tunnel in Paris, France

Sintra Well, Portugal

A ghost town destroyed during the Spanish Civil War, Belchite, Spain

A house in the countryside, Norway

The skeleton of a stranded ship in County Louth, Ireland

A lonely abandoned church, France

Another abandoned chapel

The yellow brick road in a deserted 'Land of Oz' theme park, North Carolina, USA

The once popular 'Stairway to Heaven', Oahu, Hawaii

An abandoned ship near Fuerteventura, Canary Islands

A crumbling castle in Kopice, Poland

A deserted fishing village on the Yangtze River, China

Another deserted castle

The Hotel del Salto, Colombia

What remains of an old palace, Belgium

An abandoned country house

A nightclub ravaged by fire, Austria

The wreck of a merchant ship, the Red Sea

A once beautiful conservatory in a winter garden

The Orient Express, Belgium