There are corners of our planet to which most of us are forbidden to go. But the network opens an alternative path for us. How many have you ‘visited’?
Some are mysterious and spooky places, others are prohibited from entering tourists because they are restricted by the government; others are physically impossible to reach… what all these locations have in common is that they are out of our reach but nonetheless less interesting and intriguing. Here is a collection of those forbidden places that you can only see through the Internet:
Surtsey Island (Iceland)
Surtsey Island is not allowed to visit because it is a full-fledged geological treasure . The island is located about 32 kilometers from the southern coast of Iceland and has an area of 140 hectares. It was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions between 1963 and 1967 and is protected from human interference by being a completely pure natural laboratory.According to UNESCO, since scientists began studying the island in 1964, they have observed the arrival of seeds carried by ocean currents, the appearance of molds, bacteria and fungi, followed by many plant species. Eighty-nine species of birds and 335 species of invertebrates have been recorded, providing valuable long-term information on the process of colonization of new lands by both plant and animal life.
Mezhgorye (Russia)
Another of those places that despite globalization you will never be able to visit is Mezhgorye, in Baskorkostan, Russia. It is located in the Ural Mountains in the southern part near Mount Yamantau. It is a closed city (even the airspace is restricted) where visits without prior authorization are not allowed. Mezhgorye is believed to have been established during the Soviet era, possibly in the 1970s or 1980s, and has remained a secret location ever since. The city is heavily guarded and access is strictly restricted, making it one of the most mysterious places in Russia. It is not even known how many people live there. It has a high level of security and surveillance.
Vault at the End of the World (Norway)
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, is also restricted from access but for scientific reasons. This seed bank houses more than 250 million crop seeds from all over the planet and was carefully built underground and just 1,300 kilometers from the North Pole to ensure that everything inside survives in the event of an apocalypse. The enclosure can resist any natural phenomenon, explosion or temperature. That is why only certain researchers are the only ones who are allowed access to this treasure in the form of a vault. It is a seed Noah’s ark of about 1,000 square meters with hardly any light and reinforced steel to guarantee that we can survive in the event of a catastrophe.
Vatican secret archives
For history and sociology buffs, while Vatican City, the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, is a popular destination for tourists, the Vatican Secret Archives is one of those off-the-beaten-path places. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world, housing books so ancient that they have been there for many generations and only an elitist group of religious men can access these books. The library, at least, can be seen through Google Maps .
Moon
Although not technically on Earth, the Moon is one of the most fascinating places in our solar system that, at least for now, you can’t visit except through the Internet. Only a handful of people have ever visited the Moon in person, but thanks to NASA ‘s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter , you can explore the Moon virtually through high-resolution imaging of the Moon’s surface , allowing you to see its craters, mountains, and other features in incredible detail.
