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:

Russian Bunkers in Masala
Is that a green mushroom, or is somebody trying to exit a forgotten and blown-up bunker? Jarmo and Eino joined today for a walk through Masala, in an effort to again find bunkers left from the Russian occupation of Kirkkonummi. We found three bunkers, one of which was very interesting. Even if dangerous.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

October 2017, Masalan bunkkeri 1, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Masalan varastorakennus, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Masalan bunkkeri 2, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made); Hiking

Uber Exploration
... or was it urban exploration? Today's evening exercise was to find an abandoned bunker in Sweden. And when I got inside, there was shooting outside. Fortunately, it turned out to be a shooting range.
Full story
(TGR version)
(Suomenkielinen versio)

October 2017, Skogbergafortet, Täby, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Sonnimäki and Kalasberget Bunkers
Another weekend, another set of bunkers. Today me, Jarmo, and Velma went to explore further bunkers in the Sonnimäki and Kalasberget area. We found two interesting bunkers.
Full story

October 2017, Bunkkeri 2, Sonnimäki, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Bunkkeri 1, Kalasberget, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Bunkkeri 1, Sonnimäki, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Bunker on the Tulikukka Alley
I used the "Parenteesi Suunnistuskartalle" database from Lynx and coming home from work, stopped at bunker location in Sarvvik.
Full story

October 2017, Tulikukkakujan bunkkeri, Sarvvik, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Degerby ZIF-25
Googling for more information about the Kirkkonummi bunkers, I found out more bunkers, obviously. But also a tidbit that there maybe 250-300 bunkers in the Kirkkonummi area.
Full story

October 2017, Degerbyn bunkkeri, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Gribbylundsfortet
The darkness falls early, before 4pm. Exit from the office then at 15:10, while having a conference call as you ride an Uber again; fortunately, the call ends by the time I am at the bunker.
Full story

October 2017, Gribbylundsfortet, Täby, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

2nd Majvik Bunker
And now, with batteries in my flashlight... I stopped at another bunker in Majvik on the way home from the office.
Full story

October 2017, Majvikin bunkkeri 2, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Arningefortet
On the way back to the airport and home, I stopped at the yet another place on the Korvlinjen, this time in Arninge, a village in Täby. There was supposed to be two fortresses or bunkers here. I found one fortress, but could not get in, and did not find the other one.
Full story

October 2017, Västra Arningefortet, Täby, Sweden; Östra Arningefortet, Täby, Sweden
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

The Sonnimäki Soviet Bunkers
Bunkers... where we were supposed to find a bunker was what seemed the remains of two regular houses, one with a basement. But a hundred meters away we found an almost intact Soviet bunker.
Full story

October 2017, Rauniotalo, Sonnimäki, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Rauniotalo ja kellari, Sonnimäki, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Bunkkeri 1, Sonnimäki, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers, Ruins, Vehicles); Caving (Man-Made)

Killinmäki Bunker
There's just a little bit of warning tape, but most of it is gone. And one danger sign in a tree, visible from one direction only. The bunker is gone though, or hiding underground, with no easy way to enter. Just some holes in the ground that one needs to be careful of not stepping into.
Full story

October 2017, Killinmäen bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Majvik Bunker
It is getting dark very early in Finland, so today I stopped to see a possible bunker in Majvik on the way to the office. I found a bunker with clear entrances go inside, as well as a small roof cave on a cliff near the bunker.
Full story

October 2017, Majvikin bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Majvikin pieni lippaluola, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made); Caving (Rock, Rock-Granite, Basic, Surveying)

Blasted Big Bunker
Guest writer article from Jarmo: There was snow and rain, kids did not want to join and I had a schedule mismatch with Jari so I decided to stay at home. But after a while I figured that it would be nice to do some Sunday walk in the forest anyway. From local orienteering club Lynx map I had checked a bunker with an interesting description, "blasted big bunker".
Full story

October 2017, Kärinberget quarry, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Quarries)

Silo 468
One of the large, round oil silos in Helsinki's Laajasalo has been decommissioned, and turned into a light show. Nice!
Full story

October 2017, Öljysäiliö 468, Helsinki, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Silos, Industrial); Art

Jorvas Bunkers
How can one work somewhere for 25 years, and NEVER visit a lake just a few hundred meters away? I really don't know, but in my defence I went there today. And found trenches and flooded bunkers.
Full story
(TGR version)

October 2017, Jorvas bunkkeri 1, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas bunkkeritie, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas juoksuhauta, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas potero 1, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas potero 2, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas potero 3, Kirkkonummi, Finland; Jorvas potero 4, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers, Trenches); Caving (Man-Made); Hiking

Elfvik Quarries
I've been sick, and with painful feet problems for a long time. I wanted to get out today, to test if I can move around. Or breathe outside air. I chose to visit the Elfvik Quarries in Espoo, near Villa Elfvik.
Full story

September 2017, Elfvikin louhos 1, Espoo, Finland; Elfvikin louhos 2 ja 3, Espoo, Finland; Elfvikin louhos 4, Espoo, Finland; Elfvikin louhos 5, Espoo, Finland; Elfvikin louhos 6, Espoo, Finland; Elfvikin louhos 7, Espoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Quarries)

The Stockmann Ruins
Today's newspaper had a story about the difficulties of the Stockmann department stories. Will they make it? However, in 1920 an even greater tragedy hit the Stockmann family and left the family house in ruins. The ruins are nearby in Kauniainen, so the day felt like a good day to visit them again.
Full story
(Suomenkielinen versio)

September 2017, Stockmannin rauniot, Kauniainen, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Buildings, Ruins)

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