With the advent of technology, you can log onto your travel app and choose any destination that you want to explore. However, the world has some fascinated places which will never make it on the
With the advent of technology, you can log onto your travel app and choose any destination that you want to explore. However, the world has some fascinated places which will never make it on the tourist brochure. These secluded areas are prohibited for a good reason as it includes dangers. For years, security forces are trying hard to keep people away from these dangerous places for their own safety. Below are 7 famous and cool places which you are NOT allowed to visit.
1. Lascaux Caves, France
This UNESCO World Heritage Site which is located in Northwestern France is a complex series of caves. It contains famous historical examples of Paleolithic cave paintings. This cave is home to more than 17,000-year-old paintings of humans and animals. This site was opened after the World war 2, however, it has completely been closed for the public in 2008. It is believed that the presence of visitors and their light had created a number of problems like the growth of crystals, microbes, and fungi which are affecting the thousand years old paintings.
2. North Sentinel Island, Andaman Islands, India
North Sentinel Island is found in the Bay of Bengal. This island is completely encircled by a coral reef which makes it difficult to access by boat. The main obstacle of that island are the Sentinelese people who are dangerous inhabitants of the island. These people reject any kind of contact with civilization. They are among the last communities around the world which have not been affected by modern civilization. It was reported that in 2008, two fishermen ventured too close to the island which ultimately led to their death. In 2004, after the Indian Ocean earthquake which resulted in a tsunami, research helicopters were attacked by these people while they were assessing damages around the island. They were attacked by arrows and stones.
3. Poveglia, Italy
This island is located between Venice and Lido within the Venetian Lagoon in Northern Italy. At first, it used to be a fort then it turned into a shipping checkpoint. When Bubonic Plague was prevailing, it was turned into a quarantine station. Since the last century, it was known to be an asylum. In 1968, the hospital closed down and the island was abandoned as Poveglia was famous for being one of the most haunted places around the world. It was reported that ghosts of plague victims, war victims, and a murderous doctor were being continuously spotted.
4. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
This Shrine is found in the town of Uji-tachi in Japan and is dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-omikami. It consists of two main shrines and about 125 secondary shrines. Access to this shrine is restricted only to a priest or priestess who has to be a member of Japanese Imperial family as it is believed that one of the main shrines hides the “Sacred Mirror” which is of great value for the Imperial Regalia of Japan. However, devotees are allowed to go to the gate to offer their prayers.
5. Area 51, Nevada
Area 51 is located in Southern Nevada. It is a remote detachment of the -United States Air Force facility Edwards Air Force Base. It is one of the prohibited places in the world as it is believed to be an experimental place where aircraft and weapons are tested. For others, they believe that the US government captured a crashed spacecraft in the prohibited area which landed in Rowell, New Mexico in 1947. No one apart from intelligence and military personnel knows what goes on in that area.
6. Snake Island, Brazil
Ilha da Queimada Grande or Snake Island is located along the Brazilian coastline from the Sao Paulo shore. The Brazilian government has prohibited any visitor from accessing the island as it is home to the world’s deadliest species of snake, the Golden Lancehead Viper, whose venom can eat through the flesh. A local guy reported that there were more than 4,000 of those snakes which were one snake for every five meters of the island. Only scientists have a permit to set foot there to study the snakes.
7. Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City, Italy
Behind the walls of Vatican city hides the Vatican Secret Archives which holds the rich history of the Holy See, along with historical documents, state papers and account books which date to the eighth century. The items hidden include letters from Michelangelo, the Queen of Scots which she wrote before her execution and a marriage annulment request from King Henry VIII. The archives comes under the responsibility of the current Pope. There is a very small staff who takes care of the archives and keeps them safe from the public. Access is strictly prohibited to qualified scholars from research institutions who have to undergo a rigorous application process before being granted entry.