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:

Tivoliberget Forts
I had a long day at my Kista office today, but on the way back to the airport I managed to scout ruins of fortifications and bunkers at Tivoliberget in Bergshamra, Solna, near Stockholm.
Full story

April 2018, Bunker, Bergshamra, Solna, Sweden; Ruins, Bergshamra, Solna, Sweden; Fortifications, Bergshamra, Solna, Sweden
Caving (Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Bunkers, Ruins)

Petite Ceinture
I'm feeling a bit alone here. The tunnel ends are too far to see even that pinhole of light. I'm in a long railway tunnel on the Petite Ceinture, the "little belt", an abandoned (I think) rail system under Paris.
Full story
(Suomenkielinen versio)

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

Juusjärvi Rock Paintings
Last year I bought a book on ancient rock paintings in Finland. There's a painting nearby that is very hard to reach, but with the recent low temperatures, Jarmo and I figure we could cross the lake to go see it.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

March 2018, Juusjärven kalliomaalaukset, Kirkkonummi, Finland
History; Hiking; Urban-Exploration (Historic-Sites)

Skiing in Romania
The winter is running out, and even the HR department though that I had too little vacation. So I decided to take some last-minute cheap flights to Romania to ski in my #57th country.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

March 2018, Sinaia, Romania
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Urban-Exploration (Ruins)

Unmarked bunker in Stubböle found!
Another guest blog article from Jarmo: He found a previously unmarked and unmapped bunker from Stubböle area.
Full story

March 2018, Stubbölen peltobunkkeri, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers)

Search for an Island Bunker
Another guest blog entry from Jarmo: Perfect winter finally arrived and sea and lakes are frozen. Time to go skiing at the sea and at the same time check for some potential bunker locations at the islands.
Full story

March 2018, Södra Svartö bunkkeri 1, Inkoo, Finland; Södra Svartö bunkkeri 2, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers)

When you have to make a call
When you have to make a call... you will find the way.
Full story

March 2018, Sinaia, Romania
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Urban-Exploration (Ruins)

Stubböle Big Bunker
Another guest blog entry from Jarmo: When I visited Stubböle a few months ago with Jari and Olli we met some local people. They pointed us to a bunker that is not shown in any maps. At that time we did not have time to check it. When Eino wanted to join me on a Sunday adventure in a perfect sunny weather we decided to go and check this bunker.
Full story

March 2018, Stubbölen iso bunkkeri, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers)

LA Caving
Cave of Munits is a wonderful cave and a sacred site on Simi Hills in San Fernando Valley, half an hour from Los Angeles downtown.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

March 2018, Cave of Munits, Los Angeles, California, USA; Bronson Caves, Los Angeles, California, USA
Caving (Rock, Rock-Sandstone, Morphology-Other, Basic); Caving (Man-Made); Urban-Exploration (Tunnels, Quarries)

Will a bunker eventually turn into a cave?
I wonder what happens to human-made underground structures, when enough time passes by? Will they turn into caves. or cave-like environments, eventually?
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

February 2018, Solbackan bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Cosy Bunker
For sale: cosy apartment with flower decorations, strongly built, safe and in the middle of nature. In good condition. Also largely underground and abandoned 100 years ago.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

January 2018, Lugnetfortet trenches, Arninge, Stockholm, Sweden; Lugnetfortet, Arninge, Stockholm, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Siuntio Östersolberg
Another guest blog entry from Jarmo: I have done some Bunker hunting with kids during the last few weeks. In December I did a walk in the forest with Eino. First we visited a natural cairn that was in a list of prehistoric sites maintained by National Board of Antiquities (Museovirasto).
Full story

January 2018, Dalkullan kivikasa, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Lödängen bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Knapantien mahdollinen bunkkeri, Östersolberg, Siuntio, Finland; Knapantien suljettu bunkkeri, Östersolberg, Siuntio, Finland; Knapantien ilmeisesti tuhottu bunkkeri, Östersolberg, Siuntio, Finland; Knapantien suuri bunkkeri, Östersolberg, Siuntio, Finland; Sarfvikin liittymän bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers, Memorial)

Östersolberg II
While I was travelling for work and fun for the last couple of weeks, Jarmo had scouted several bunker sites. His visit to an incredibly large bunker in Siuntio's Östersolberg provoked our interest as well, and last Saturday Janne, Olli, and me went there as well.
Full story
(TGR version)

January 2018, Knapantien suuri bunkkeri, Östersolberg, Siuntio, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Stubböle's Kasabergen Bunkers
Jarmo, Olli and me explored the Stubböle area on Sunday, and played around with drones. This area is in Siuntio, on the Soviet occupation area of Porkkala, and they seem to have had bunkers on every little hill around the fields.
Full story
(TGR version)

January 2018, Säiliön raunio, Stubböle, Inkoo, Finland; Pohjoinen bunkkeri, Kasabergen, Stubböle, Inkoo, Finland; Eteläinen bunkkeri, Kasabergen, Stubböle, Inkoo, Finland; Kellari, Sunnankärrsbergen, Stubböle, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Gotthard Base Tunnel Museum
The Swiss Museum of Transport in Luzern had also nice displays about the building of the Gotthard Base Tunnel. And the tunnel boring machine's sharp end!
Full story

January 2018, Swiss Museum of Transport, Luzern, Switzerland
History; Urban-Exploration (Tunnels)

Näsbacken Bunker
This is a difficult bunker to get to. Not because being covered by dirt or blown up. But the whole area is guarded by, well, people who do not like other people to visit their part of the country. I have seen plenty of blocked roads, but the Sarvvik people have managed to block more than ten square kilometres of land.
Full story

December 2017, Näsbacken bunker, Sarvvik, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

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