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:

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

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.
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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.
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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.
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October 2017, Tulikukkakujan bunkkeri, Sarvvik, Kirkkonummi, Finland
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.
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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)

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

Mera Korv!
Mera korv, more sausage? Once again I'm in Kista, but wanted a quick outing in the evening after a long day. The answer was once again Uber to another bunker on the Korvlinjen.
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October 2017, Prästgårdsfortet, Täby, Sweden
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.
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October 2017, Degerbyn bunkkeri, Inkoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

Sundsberg Bunker
I've been resting my feet last couple of days, after some treatment by doctors. But today I felt the urge for at least a small visit, somewhere. Maybe an abandoned bunker from the Russian occupation times?
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October 2017, Sundsberg bunkkeri, Kirkkonummi, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Bunkers); Caving (Man-Made)

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

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

Ruins of the Dalsvik Mansion Gazebo
Today we visited the ruins of a gazebo in Laaksolahti (Dalsvik). The gazebo, or pavilion belonged to the Dalsvik Mansion. If all this sounds funny, in Finnish place was called "Laaksolahden kartanon huvimaja".
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September 2017, Laaksolahden kartanon huvimajan rauniot, Espoo, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Ruins)

Can't find the Österbacken Quarry
There's supposed to be an old quarry in Juvanmalmi. But I kept going up and down near the coordinates, but found nothing. Wrong coordinates? As the darkness came, I did manage however to put my painful foot to a hole in the ground, have it get twisted, and stuck.
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September 2017, Österbackenin päälouhos, Vantaa, Finland; Österbackenin mahdollinen historiallinen louhos, Vantaa, 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.
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September 2017, Stockmannin rauniot, Kauniainen, Finland
Urban-Exploration (Buildings, Ruins)

This is the 10th set of articles. The previous sets were set 1, set 2, set 3, set 4, set 5, set 6, set 7, set 8, and set 9. The next sets are set 11, and set 12.

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.