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