THE URBAN EXPLORER

Welcome to The Urban Explorer blog! We have stories about urban exploration from around the world, from interesting public places to hidden, exploded bunkers with rebar pointing all the wrong ways.

More urban exploration-related articles:

Brunkebergstunneln
This week I'm working in Stockholm, and did not manage to get my usual cheap hotel near the office. Staying at the city center, I noticed a tunnel that I had not seen before: Brunkebergstunneln. A nice walkway from 1880s, 231 meters long.
Full story

November 2018, Brunkebergstunneln, Stockholm, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Tunnels); Caving (Man-Made)

Underground Art Exhibition
I'm in Paris for a meeting, and on the way to the airport we visited the abandoned underground railroad line. What did we find? An art show and sculptures deep inside the tunnels! And also wonderful graffiti!
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

November 2018, Old Charonne Station, Paris, France
Urban-Exploration (Tunnels); Caving (Man-Made)

Rådhuset metro station
What a wonderful metro station in Stockholm. Even if these are fake, they are nice...
Full story

October 2018, Rådhuset metro station, Stockholm, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Tunnels)

Mustavuori photo tour
Today I went to Mustavuori to get a small hike and too see the tunnels and canyons.
Full story

October 2018, Linnoitustunneli 1, Mustavuori, Helsinki, Finland; Linnoitustunneli 2, Mustavuori, Helsinki, Finland
Caving (Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Bunkers, Tunnels)

The Inkoo Superbunker
There's a big contrast between warm summer evening in the countryside, and what you find a few meters under your feet: a massive, blown up Soviet-era bunker. Damp darkness, rebar that is difficult to crawl through. And we're here to practice photography!
Full story
(TGR version)

September 2018, Inkoon jättibunkkeri, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Something in the darkness...
Saw something in the darkness on the walk back... is it a bouncy castle or a space station? Nah, turned to be just another data center. #Kista
Full story

September 2018, Kista Space Station, Kista, Stockholm, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Industrial)

Vienna Flak Tower
Is it an aquarium or a construct of the evil nazi regime? Well, both...
Full story
(TGR version)

August 2018, Haus des Meeres, Esterhazypark, Vienna, Austria
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Recycled Hamburg flak towers
During World War II, the Nazis built so called Flak Towers -- fortified air defence bunkers -- in three cities, Berlin, Vienna, and Hamburg. I had previously been in the Thumboldthain tower in Berlin. Now I was able to visit two similar bunkers in Hamburg.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

August 2018, Heiligengeistfeld Flaktürme, Heiligengeistfeld, Hamburg, Germany; Energy Bunker, Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg, Germany
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

The Secret Keyhole
What a find! A secret garden, but with a keyhole that reveals the most beautiful view onto it, with St. Peter's Basilica exactly in the centre of the view.
Full story

August 2018, Priory of the Knights of Malta, Rome, Italy
History; Urban-Exploration (Historic-Sites)

Cestius Pyramid
I did not realise there was a pyramid in Rome. Not huge, but still impressive Cestius Pyramid! Modelled after Egyptian or other pyramids, perhaps
Full story

August 2018, Cestius Pyramid, Rome, Italy
History; Urban-Exploration (Historic-Sites)

Napoli Catacombs
Catacombe di San Gennaro is one of the underground burial sites in Naples. Janne and visited this on a tour, and were surprised.
Full story

July 2018, Catacombe di San Gennaro, Naples, Italy
History; Caving (Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Catacombs)

Pihlajasaari Bunker
Helsinki's recreation islands are interesting, also from the point of view abandoned military structures and ruins. Today's excursion was to Sirpalesaari.
Full story

June 2018, Pihlajasaaren öljysäiliön rauniot, Helsinki, Finland; Pihlajasaaren bunkkeri, Helsinki, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Ruins, Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Stasi Bunker
While on my way to a conference, I wanted to do a small detour to visit a bunker that I had read about. A Stasi bunker.
Full story

June 2018, Stasi bunker, Machern, Germany
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

What's This?
Mystery metal hut. I was looking for an entrance to a tunnel I saw in Rotebro, but was in the end unable to find a way in. I did, however, find an odd, round metal hut at the top of the cliffs.
Full story

May 2018, Metal hut, Rotebro, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Buildings); Sauna (Normal)

Karby Batteri
More after-work bunker scouting. I thought I had already explored all the underground structures in the northern Korvlinjen, but apparently not. This "batteri" as they called it is a set of defence structures for guns, with small tunnels going from one structure to the next.
Full story

May 2018, Karby batteri 1, Täby, Sweden; Karby batteri 2, Täby, Sweden; Karby batteri 3, Täby, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Deadly bunker trap
Well, that was dangerous. We're very careful when we visit blown-up bunkers. But, we did not expect intentional traps, at least not recent ones. Next to a bunker in Siuntio, Jarmo almost fell into a 5-meter deep well that was covered with fresh tree branches. Would he have hurt himself if he fell in, or even if not, would he have been able to get out if he was alone? Who does this sort of thing?!
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

April 2018, Ansabunkkeri, Siuntio, Finland; Kallionreunan bunkkeri, Siuntio, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made); Hiking

This is the 6th set of articles. The previous sets were set 1, set 2, set 3, set 4, and set 5. The next sets are set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, and set 11.

The Urban Explorer articles appeared originally in the Blogspot Planetskier series, at TGR posts, or at the Relaa website. See also the articles about skiing, climbing, cycling, caving, flying, swimming, and saunas.