As humans, we like to think of ourselves as building things that are permanent in this world. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about your own home or a major city, it seems as if everything will last forever. The reality of it is, however, that we can only build things that are temporary and once we stop maintaining them, they quickly dissipate back into the environment.
In the world around us, it is common for nature to reclaim bits and pieces of what we claim for ourselves. That is why you see things such as grass growing up through the driveway or perhaps an old road, that has been abandoned and left to go back to nature again.
In the gallery below, you will see some of the most beautiful areas of the world that are shaped by nature. At first, they may have been an extreme accomplishment for man but now, nature makes them beautiful!
1. El Hotel Del Salto
This hotel was built in the 1920s in Columbia, but after the Great Depression came around, it was abandoned. Decades after the depression is over, nature has reclaimed the hotel. It is now a museum dedicated to biodiversity.
2. Kaufdorf Vehicle Graveyard
This pile of cars, located in Switzerland, got its start as a chop shop in 1933. Shortly after it got its start, the automobile parts and chassis were allowed to return to the land. It continued to be that way until 2008, when the government sold off many of the remaining parts.
3. Ardtully House
This castle was built in Ireland in the 1840s by a local Knight. During the Irish war of Independence, much of the structure burned and before long, tree started to overtake the structure through the courtyard.
4. Ta Prohm
Deep in the jungle of Cambodia is an ancient temple that was built approximately 900 years ago. Mahayana Buddhists used it as a place of worship.
Since it was abandoned at some point, if began to grow back into the surrounding forest.
5. Holland Island
In Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay, a small fishing village was established in the 17th century. Early in the 20th century, it was eroding into the bay and many of the islanders moved to solid ground. The only thing that remains today is one dilapidated house.
6. The S.S. Ayrfield
Many of the boats that served Australia during World War II were scuttled in the area of Homebush Bay, located near Sydney. It formed a shipwreck reef that sustains marine life.
It also supports life above ground, as many trees have begun growing in these old structures.
7. The Tunnel of Love
A private railway cuts through the forest in the Ukraine. Although the tracks are still in use today, nature is allowed to run its course and it formed this unique tunnel. It is also quite popular with young romantics in the area.
8. Pepoli Castle
Located in the mountains of Sicily, this ancient cliff stronghold dates back thousands of years. It served a purpose during that day but today, it is disappearing back into the forest.
9. Kalavantin Durg
This mountain fortress, located in India, was built during wartime and primarily was used as a watchtower for the surrounding valley. It was abandoned after the war because of its height and a lack of sufficient water. Over the course of time, it has become covered in vegetation and is almost indistinguishable from the mountain.
10. Kolmanskop
It is not only the forest that can reclaim the land, it is the desert as well. That becomes evident when you see this old town, that was quite wealthy during the time that diamond-mining was possible in the area. Now that the gemstones have run out, the town is going back to the desert again.
11. Chemin De Fer De Petite Ceinture
This old railroad was, at one time, used to connect different parts of Paris. Now that many sections are no longer in use, it has become somewhat of a small garden that blooms with flowers in the spring.
12. Pripyat Amusement Park
This amusement park, which one time was full of laughing children, is now abandoned forever. It was served by the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl and after the nuclear disaster, it was abandoned along with the rest of the city.
13. North Brother Island
At one time, this building, located in Bronx, New York City was a smallpox hospital. The hospital eventually relocated and the structure was taken over by the wildlife around it. It now serves as a bird sanctuary.
14. Stari Bar
In a small country named Montenegro, a village is slowly working its way back into the environment around it. There are still approximately 2000 people that live in the outside areas but the majority of the town is abandoned. This took place after an aqueduct broke in the 1970s.
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