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Abandoned Places Totally Worthy Of Landing On Your 2014 Bucket List (PHOTOS)

Must-See Abandoned Places For 2014

The year's almost at and end and that means there are plenty of bucket lists floating around, featuring interesting places like castles and theme parks.

Well, here's one more list to add to your collection. It too, features castles and theme parks but also promises next to no line-ups or crowds to get in. That's partially because most of these abandoned destinations haven't seen a single living soul in ages.

Some, like this abandoned nursing school in Ronse, Belgium, once responsible for holding kids, now holds a treasure trove of Batman-inspired graffiti, just waiting to be explored by curious Redditors.

Other destinations have long outlived their purpose and now sit forgotten, like the Mirny diamond mine in Siberia. Then there are others, like North Korea's "Hotel of Doom", which has yet to open, despite decades of delays and construction.

The origin stories behind these abandoned destinations vary place to place, but they all share the same fascinating eerie beauty unique only to a place forgotten by time. So, if you're looking to start your new year with a trip somewhere odd and special, perhaps one of the 12 abandoned destinations belongs on your bucket list.

The Abandoned Flats In Keelung, Taiwan
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Little is known about these abandoned flats in Keelung, Taiwan. Even less is written about them in English. According to The Liberty Times, a local newspaper in Taiwan, these flats were built in the '90s in anticipation of a housing boom. But the boom never came, the project ran out of money and now the buildings sit forgotten.
Abandoned Train Depot In Czestochowa, Poland
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The town of Czestochowa, Poland isn't well-known to many train-enthusiasts. It's actually better known for religious pilgrimages thanks to the Jasna Gora Monastery and the icon of the Black Madonna. Still that hasn't stopped travellers from stumbling across the town's forgotten tracks.
Château Miranda In Celles, Belgium
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It looks like a perfect setting for a horror movie, but the Château Miranda actually used to be home to families and later, dozens of orphans in Belgium prior to 1991. Since then it's been shut down, forgotten by the family who owns it.
Dadipark In Dadizele, Belgium
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Hard to believe this use to be a playground for kids, huh? The park was started by a Belgian pastor during the '50s and later evolved into a theme park. It was later plagued by a series of accidents involving visitors, eventually closed for renovations and never managed to open back up again, according to Abandoned Playgrounds.
House Of The Bulgarian Communist Party In Mount Buzludzha, Bulgaria
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As the Soviet Union fell into disarray, so did the House of the Bulgarian Communist Party. On the outside, the building looks like a futuristic stone saucer perched above ground. Inside, the building's structure crumbles against years of exposure to the elements. According to the Daily Mail, Bulgaria's government doesn't have the 20 million dollars needed for repairs. Until it does, the building will remain abandoned.
Mirny Diamond Mine In Siberia, Russia.
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Located in the cold wastelands of Siberia, Russia, this diamond mine once produced 20 per cent of the world's diamonds and could churn out 10 million carats of diamond per year. With the fall of the Soviet Union, the mine changed ownership until it finally shut down in 2004, according to Amusing Planet.
The Ryugyong Hotel In Pyongyang, North Korea
The Associated Press
No one's sure why the Ryugyong Hotel earned the nickname the "Hotel of Doom" but it might be because of its menacing appearance (it could pass an an evil villain's fortress) or because the hotel's goals were so grand, the project was doomed to fail. Construction began in 1987 and nearly three decades later, the hotel still hasn't opened. Work has been on a start-stop schedule thanks to global tensions with North Korea and it doesn't look like the hotel will open any time soon.
Spree Park In Berlin, Germany
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Prior to shutting down in 2001, Spree Park's claim to fame was its giant, 45-metre wide Ferris wheel. The first signs of trouble showed up in 1989 when the park saw a decline in visitors, according to Abandoned Berlin. Escalating prices and lack of parking sealed the deal and the park shut down to the public.
Villa Epecuén In Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
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Rubble is all that remains of Villa Epecuén, a tourist town in Buenos Aires Province. The project did enjoy some success until a seiche (a standing wave) in the the salt-water lake of Lago Epecuén broke the dam and the dike protecting the town. Eventually the waters, reaching as high as 10 metres, destroyed the town and it was never rebuilt.
An Abandoned Nursing School In Ronse, Belgium
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On the outside, this abandoned school in Ronse, Belgium looks like no's one paid a visit for decades. However, venture inside and you'll find the walls decorated in Batman-inspired grafitti, thanks to street artist Pete One.

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