8 Popular Tourist Locations the World Has Lost Over the Years

Just a few days ago a massive fire took over the pearl of gothic architecture, Notre-Dame de Paris. The images of the cathedral on fire spread in just a few moments, making the whole world shutter and whisper the words of solidarity with France. Notre-Dame has lived through many historical events, but we couldn’t keep it safe in the 21st century. It’s sad, but we keep losing the gorgeous places we love, even though we have everything it takes to protect them.

1. Notre-Dame de Paris, Paris, France

The fire at Notre-Dame de Paris shocked the whole world and became almost a personal tragedy for every French citizen. A masterpiece of French gothic architecture suffered from a massive fire on April, 15, 2019. According to police investigators, the fire started at the center of the cathedral’s roof. The causes of the tragedy are still being investigated. One of the theories suggests that the fire may be connected with the construction work that was taking place at the cathedral at the moment of the disaster.

Over the 8 centuries of its history, Notre-Dame served as a religious, cultural, and educational center for France and the whole world and inspired the most prominent artists.

2. Legzira Beach, Sidi Ifni, Morocco

A pair of beautiful archways on Legzira Beach have been a landmark and one of the symbols of Morocco, until one of them collapsed in September of 2016. A pile of rubble on the coast was the only thing that was left of the natural wonder that attracted thousands of tourists to the beach. Some people blamed the local authorities for the arch collapse.

A few months before the tragedy people noticed cracks and small rocks falling from the arch, so it was predicted that it was going to fall sooner or later. Local residents believe that the authorities could have shored the arch to protect it.

3. Mosterts Mill, Cape Town, South Africa.

This mill has a historic and cherished past and is a symbol of resilience for the Mowbray, South Africa’s community, and has been attracting visitors and history enthusiasts. However, a wildfire originating from Table Mountain tragically caused extensive damage to Mostert’s Mill in 2021.

4. Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA

Joshua Tree national park is a wonderful place that boasts of unique desert ecosystems with surreal geological features and a great variety of the most unusual plants. The ranger supervision was considerably reduced during these days, and the park suffered from terrible vandalism.

People cut down the tress, started fires, damaged the trails, and left graffiti on these amazing spots. One of the park’s former superintendents said, that the park might take 200 to 300 years to recover from the damage it got over just a couple of weeks.

5. The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen, Denmark

The sculpture was made by Edvard Eriksen in 1909, and we have actually “lost” this monument many times during its comparatively short history. The gorgeous mermaid was decapitated twice, she lost her arm, and has been covered with paint and graffiti innumerable times.

6. Lake Mackenzie, Tasmania, Australia

In January and February of 2016 Tasmania suffered from severe bush fires which affected one of the most picturesque lakes of the region, Lake Mackenzie. The bushfires also destroyed unique plants, some of which, like the ancient pencil pines, have no chances to regenerate.

All in all, the fire scorched 20,000 hectares of Tasmanian wilderness. Even though now, years after the disaster, plants are starting to show signs of recovery, it will take a long time before we can see this place green and alive again.

7. Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire, England

It’s not a secret that tourism ruins landmarks, but it still sounds unbelievable when people destroy 320 million years of history in just a few seconds. In June of 2018, kids toppled one of the balancing rocks in Brimham Rocks, and the stone broke into pieces.

These weirdly shaped balancing rocks have been formed by wind and ice over millions of years, but for some reason people found it appropriate to ruin this beauty and piece of history. Apart from physically ruining the natural treasure, they also carve their names on these stones that appeared even before the first dinosaurs walked the earth.

8. Boracay island, Philippines

Boracay Island, Philippines once renowned for its pristine white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, sadly fell victim to pollution and unsustainable development. Over the years, unregulated tourism activities and inadequate waste management systems gradually took their toll on the island’s natural beauty.

The once vibrant marine ecosystem suffered from pollution caused by sewage and improper disposal of solid waste. To address these pressing issues and restore Boracay’s allure, the government took the difficult but necessary step of temporarily closing the island for six months in 2018 in order to implement rigorous environmental rehabilitation efforts.

Our world is constantly transforming, and these 20 photos show the dramatic changes that have happened over the past 100 years.