15 Restricted Areas in the World That You are Not Allowed to Visit
Despite globalization, technology, and transportation advancements, there are still certain locations on the planet that you simply cannot visit. While some of us are focused on space travel and populating Mars, the fact is that some portions of our world remain mostly unexplored or forgotten.
Other regions are home to military outposts, intelligence secrets, or have even been declared “legally haunted” and hence off-limits to the public. Below is a list of extraordinary sites that you are not allowed to visit.
15. Room 39, North Korea
Room 39 is reported to be located inside the Workers’ Party building in Pyongyang, and took its name from the office it held at the party headquarters in its early days, according to some reports.
Because of the room’s privacy, there isn’t much official information about it. It’s thought that it earns money through commercial enterprises, both legal and illegal, ranging from counterfeiting to the selling of gold, drugs, or weaponry.
14. Lascaux Caves, France
For archaeologists all across the world, the Lascaux Cave is a gold mine. Prehistoric artwork dating back 17,300 years can be found in the cave complex.
Unfortunately, the cave has been closed to the public since 1963. Archaeologists fear that the old piece of art may be ruined by human presence.
13. The Coca-Cola vault in Atlanta, United States
Coca Cola’s recipe is considered one of the best-kept secrets in the world, and the company keeps it hidden in a massive security vault.
This recipe has been closely guarded since it was invented in Atlanta in 1886 by John Pemberton, and only a select few have been able to get it.
In 2011, the company chose to relocate the iconic Coca-Cola recipe to an Atlanta museum, with only a few select individuals granted access to the vault.
12. North Sentinel Island, India
The Andaman chain’s North Sentinel Island, which is home to the Sentinelese people, is one of the world’s most banned islands.
To protect their independence, the folks who live on the island frequently engage in violence.
For over 50,000 years, the Sentinelese tribe has resided on the island under the protection of the Indian government.
This territory is off-limits to all tourists and is one of the most dangerous and banned places on the planet.
11. Snake Island, Brazil
This snake island, located approximately 100 kilometers off the coast of So Paulo, may appear to be the ideal exotic location in which to forget oneself, but the fact is that it has been abandoned for decades due to being fully overrun by poisonous snakes.
The Brazilian government has made it clear that visiting the island is prohibited.
10. Surtsey Island, Iceland
Surtsey is a small island off Iceland’s southern coast that is part of an archipelago. It is now only accessible to a select group of scientists and geologists.
Tourists are not allowed on this banned island because it is considered that human interference will disturb the island’s biological succession.
09. Diego García, British Overseas Territories
Diego Garca is a strategic asset for the US Navy, which maintains a large military installation there. It is located between East Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
According to The Guardian, this location might possibly be home to some of the CIA’s most critical floating black sites.
08. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
Because of its architectural splendor, Ise Grand Shrine is one of Japan’s most costly temples. This temple is rebuilt every 20 years to keep Shinto customs alive that date back to the eighth century.
You are not permitted to visit the sacred halls of this old Japanese palace unless you are a member of the royal family.
07. The White’s Club, UK
There are still several venues in the globe where women are denied entry, the most well-known of which are arguably gentlemen’s clubs, which are highly famous in British society.
Political figures, leading bankers, and even successors to the British monarchy are among the members of The White’s Club, which was founded in 1693 and is located at 37 St. James’ Street in Picadilly.
06. North Brother Island, USA
North Brother Island, located in New York City, is one of the most popular abandoned locations in the United States.
It was the Typhoid Mary’s residence when it was built as a quarantine hospital. She was the first person in the United States to have typhoid disease.
Later, this location was converted into a drug rehabilitation center. North Brother Island is now a bird sanctuary and is closed to the general public.
05. Surtsey Island, Iceland
Surtsey, an island off the coast of Iceland, was produced 55 years ago by a volcanic eruption, providing scientists with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study the formation and growth of an ecosystem from the ground up.
This amazing incident is precisely what prevents the rest of the world from seeing it. According to Unesco, the region is currently home to around 89 bird species and 335 invertebrates.
Only researchers are permitted to visit the island in order to avoid disrupting this process.
04. Dulce Base, USA
Dulce is a small community in New Mexico near the Colorado border. This village, which has a population of 2,600 Native Americans, is home to an underground laboratory where incredible experiments are conducted.
This base is well guarded and is considered one of the most forbidden places in the world and the United States.
03. Doomsday Vault, Norway
The Doomsday Vault is a seed bank located in the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic. This is a safe place where you may keep a variety of plant seeds.
It’s an attempt to keep the seeds secure in the event of a worldwide disaster or apocalypse.
Pallets of seeds are sent to the Doomsday Vault for long-term storage from all corners of the planet. The vault is exclusively available to special guests only.
02. Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China
For more than 2,000 years, the Mausoleum of China’s first Emperor Qin Shi Huang has been buried deep beneath a pyramid.
It is one of the greatest discoveries of all time, yet historians and archaeologists are mystified.
The Chinese government has banned excavation of the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang as a mark of respect for the historic tomb, making it one of the most forbidden sites on the planet.
01. Area 51, USA
Area 51 in Southern Nevada is constantly shrouded in rumors. It is a US military installation with a reputation for being a weapons and aircraft testing ground. However, there is a lot of opinion regarding it.
Officials are said to be hiding extraterrestrial proof at the site, according to conspiracy theorists. It is completely off-limits to the general public, and even the United States scarcely recognizes its existence.
The Top 10 Mysteries in Area 51
15 Restricted Areas in the World That You are Totally Forbidden to visit
01. Area 51, USA
02. Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China
03. Doomsday Vault, Norway
04. Dulce Base, USA
05. Surtsey Island, Iceland
06. North Brother Island, USA
07. The White’s Club, UK
08. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
09. Diego García, British Overseas Territories
10. Surtsey Island, Iceland
11. Snake Island, Brazil
12. North Sentinel Island, India
13. The Coca-Cola vault in Atlanta, United States
14. Lascaux Caves, France
15. Room 39, North Korea