These Are The Most Strictly Guarded Places On Earth

Criminals will go to any lengths to get their thieving paws on high-value assets. Powerful institutions, meanwhile, have secrets to guard and V.I.P.s to protect. Over the centuries, that’s created a kind of arms race between the bad guys and the security experts. Whether it’s Fort Knox, Buckingham Palace, or the White House, protective measures seem to get stricter by the year. Read on to see the lengths people go to in pursuit of perfect security.

The White House

We’ve come a long way since President James Madison ordered 100 volunteer militiamen to guard the White House from imminent attack by the invading British in 1812. In the event, the defenders retreated in the face of the advancing British forces. Today, the Secret Service provides the strict security that keeps President Biden and his family safe.

Hidden out of sight

Unsurprisingly, the Secret Service is tight-lipped about the precise complement of officers that guards the White House. But we know that armed emergency response teams patrol the grounds and snipers are stationed on the White House roof. Other security measures include the steel perimeter fence, an array of sensors to detect intruders and bulletproof windows. Sounds like the Secret Service is taking no chances.

R.A.F. Menwith Hill, U.K.

From a distance, the Royal Air Force Menwith Hill base in the northern English county of Yorkshire looks as if some giant golfers are about to tee off. In fact, the massive globe-shaped structures are radomes, outer skins protecting radar equipment. What do these structures, often likened to golf balls, actually do? In 2020 The Yorkshire Post newspaper quoted from official documentation stating that the base is a “communication intercept and intelligence support service for both the United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

24/7 patrol

In other words, it’s a massive spying facility. It was established back in 1954 at the height of the Cold War and it’s still going strong today. Given its purpose, the tight security around the base comes as no surprise. A formidable 10-foot-high razor-wire fence protects the perimeter of the 545-acre site. Inside Menwith Hill, armed military police are on 24-hour patrol, and cameras mounted on poles scan the perimeter. Visitors are definitely not welcome.

Lascaux Cave

The Lascaux Cave is a complex of underground caverns in southwestern France’s Dordogne region. But it’s not just any old subterranean labyrinth, it’s home to some of the most extraordinary cave art anywhere in the world. Stunning images of bison, ibexes and horse dating back as much as 20,000 years adorn the walls. So it’s no surprise that these priceless artworks, first discovered in 1940, are well protected.

Natural preservation

Steel doors stand at the cave entrance and the watchful lenses of security cameras keep guard. Unfortunately, these paintings, some of Homo sapiens’s earliest artworks, have been under threat from a microscopic plague – unwanted microbes causing mold formation. These were introduced to the cave in the time when as many as 2,000 visited each day. But the caves were closed to the public in 1963, and now human visits are strictly limited for conservation and academic purposes.

Fort Knox

Although it has something of the appearance of a massive mausoleum, Fort Knox in Kentucky contains not human remains but gold bullion. A lot of gold bullion. According to the MoneyWise website the value of all the 27½-pound gold bars stashed there is around $190 billion. That amount of loot calls for very careful guarding. Which explains why the main vault door weighs in at 20 tons.

No visitors allowed

Fort Knox’s walls are made from granite with a concrete inner layer and overall the building includes 1,420 tons of steel. Guard posts overlook the entrance gate to the vault grounds which, are surrounded by a steel fence, and the building itself has sentry points at each of its corners. When Fort Knox opened for business in 1936, the authorities imposed a strict rule, still in force today. In the terse words of the U.S. Mint’s website, “No visitors are permitted in the facility.”

Houses of Parliament, London, U.K.

The House of Lords and the House of Commons sit in separate chambers in the magnificent purpose-built Gothic pile completed in 1860. It’s set on the River Thames and is watched over from the landward side by a statue of Sir Winston Churchill. It has had its share of attacks over the years, although it was a different building that was nearly blown up in the Gunpowder Plot led by Guy Fawkes in 1605. He and his co-conspirators were apprehended and put to death.

Covered by cameras

Nowadays, the chances of anyone managing to smuggle explosives into Parliament’s basement as Fawkes did are pretty much nil. Tight security surrounds the building and although visitors are allowed they have to go through strict checks. If you visit, you’ll pass through a scanner to confirm that you’re weapons free. Once inside the building, you’ll be covered by cameras at all times. You’ll also notice armed police patrolling.

City 40, Russia

During the era of the Soviet Union in 1946 an entirely new city arose in the Ural Mountains, some 900 miles to the east of Moscow. It was kept completely secret, marked on no maps and named simply City 40. So what was going on there at the time of the Cold War? The answer is: production of nuclear weapons. No wonder it was such a sensitive location for the Soviets.

A closed city

The people who lived and worked in City 40 enjoyed higher living standards than their compatriots in the Communist state. But there was a price. Movement was strictly curtailed. Residents were not allowed to talk about their lives to outsiders, including family. Even today, now that the city is known as Ozersk, restrictions still apply. Visitors need a permit from the Russian secret police – good luck with that. Filming is outlawed, and the city is surrounded by a double barbed-wire fence watched over by armed guards.

Bank Of England Gold Vault, London

Bank of England Gold Vault sits beneath the institution’s imposing headquarters on London’s Threadneedle Street, where it’s been since 1734. The current vaults were constructed in the 1930s, and today there are some 400,000 gold bars stored there. That’s about $280 billion worth of the glistening yellow metal. Which would surely be a tempting target for any bank robber?

Multiple security clearances

But the chances of any criminal making off with any of the Bank of England’s gold are vanishingly slim. Indeed, thanks to the rigorous security, no one has ever succeeded in stealing so much as a shaving of a gold bar. For a start, the vault’s walls are eight feet thick. The doors require keys that are a foot long and only open if voice-activated software recognizes your dulcet tones.

Granite Mountain Records Vault, Utah

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormon Church as it’s better known, has its main temple in Salt Lake City, Utah. It’s an impressively pinnacled building reminiscent of a European castle. But there’s another Mormon facility, much less well known and set in the mountains near Salt Lake. It’s the Granite Mountain Records Vault, opened in 1965. This vault is carved some 700 feet into the heart of a mountain, has 14-ton doors and is said to be nuclear-bombproof.

Eternal salvation awaits

But the Mormon secure vault doesn’t store anything as vulgar as worldly wealth. Instead, it houses the Church’s archives which include extensive genealogical records of the sect’s adherents. Altogether there are some 3.5 billion images recorded on microfilm which is in the process of being digitized. But why are family records stored in this high-security setting? It’s because Mormons want to trace ancestors who lived before the religion was established. They can then be baptized posthumously so that they will enjoy eternal salvation.

ADX Florence Prison, Colorado

The ADX Florence Prison in Colorado hosts some of the most dangerous criminals in the world. The Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, 9/11 plotter Zacarias Moussaoui and Mexican cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman are some of those passing their days in America’s highest security prison. Called by some “The Alcatraz of the Rockies” the forbidding institution includes 12 gun towers, which are supplemented by armed patrols on the ground.

Top-notch security

Once you’re locked up in ADX Florence, you’ll be spending up to 23 hours each day in a cell measuring 7 feet by 12 with solid concrete furnishings. When you leave your cell, you’ll be wearing leg irons and handcuffs with waist chains. The prison includes 1,400 electronically operated doors and is surrounded by a 12-foot razor-wire fence. Even for notorious prison escapee El Chapo, ADX Florence is the end of the line.

Buckingham Palace, London

Buckingham Palace, of course, is the principal residence of Queen Elizabeth II. It’s a magnet for tourists, attracted by the pageantry of the changing of the guard. But as a residence of the monarch, the palace is also one of the most closely guarded locations in the U.K. High walls topped by barbed wire and security cameras surround the palace grounds.

'Round-the-clock protection

Senior members of the royal family are protected round the clock by security personnel specially trained by the SAS. These guards take their jobs very seriously. According to a report from 2017 in British newspaper The Times this devotion to duty once nearly backfired. It seems that, unable to sleep, the Queen went for stroll in the Buckingham Palace gardens at 3:00 a.m. A guard challenged her, realized it was his monarch and cursed and blurted out, “Your Majesty, I nearly shot you.”

Area 51

As far as those conspiracists who claim official cover-ups of alien visits to our planet are concerned, Area 51 is at the very heart of things. It’s the place, some contend, where the U.S. government hides evidence of visits by beings from other galaxies. In fact, the Area 51 location in Nevada, 75 miles north of Las Vegas, is a military base. It’s a kind of annex of Edwards Air Force Base in California.

What's really there?

The U.S.A.F. says the base is merely a test flight facility. The U-2 spy plane flew test flights from the base as did the F-117 Stealth fighter, which may explain why there have been so many alleged UFO sightings in the area. There’s no doubt that work at the base is highly confidential, and that’s why security is exceptionally tight. Fierce notices, armed guards and high-tech surveillance equipment keep the public at bay, and flying over the site is strictly forbidden. But does the base conceal alien and UFO remains? Probably not.

The Bunker, Kent, U.K.

The Bunker is set in the English county of Kent, about 75 miles southeast of London. It’s a secure data storage facility located in a hardened nuclear shelter formerly used by the Royal Air Force as a radar post. It was established during the Cold War as a safeguard against surprise nuclear attack. Now surplus to R.A.F. requirements, it’s been transformed into a secure hideaway for digital data.

Built to survive

The three-floor Bunker lies 100 feet below the surface of Kent, and it’s protected against biological and chemical attack as well as nuclear bombs. So if you store your data there, you can be sure it will survive even the most extreme attack. You will probably have been wiped from the face of the Earth, but you can take comfort in the knowledge that all your important data will still exist.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway

It’s easy enough to understand the impulse to protect gold bullion, important data and national leaders, but what about seeds? Well. It turns out that one of the world’s most secure locations is expressly designed to preserve seeds. The Global Seed Vault is on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, which lies about 650 miles from the North Pole. In essence, it’s a giant secure refrigerator filled with seeds.

Entirety of agricultural history

The Svalbard Vault contains some 930,000 varieties of crop seeds, stored at the end of a tunnel that runs for 430 feet into a mountain. Much of modern agriculture depends on a very few plant strains. So this massive seed bank is a kind of insurance policy against catastrophic crop failure. As one of the vault’s managers, Brian Lainoff, told Time magazine, “Inside this building is 13,000 years of agricultural history.”

The Kremlin, Moscow

The Kremlin, the Russian president’s official residence in central Moscow, is actually a whole estate with some 15 different buildings. The complex includes gardens, museums and churches. Overlooking the Russian capital’s Red Square, the Kremlin covers 68 acres and is surrounded by a 1.5-mile long wall. In some places this formidable barrier is as thick as 21 feet.

Heavily armored guards

A special unit of elite troops guards the Kremlin. An unusual qualification each of them must reportedly have is the ability to hear a whisper from a distance of 20 feet. There are said to be around 500 soldiers attached to the Kremlin’s dedicated guard unit. And if that’s not enough to repel any threat, special forces are on call nearby, not to mention tanks and armored vehicles.

Iron Mountain, Boyers, Pennsylvania

The large hole in Iron Mountain, which looms over Boyers, Pennsylvania, was originally an iron ore mine. In 1936 a man called Herman Knaust got his hands on the by now defunct mine which extended 220 feet below ground. He decided that it was the ideal place to start a mushroom farm, and did just that. His business was a success at first and earned Knaust the title of “Mushroom King.”

Quite the journey indeed

But sometime in the 1950s, the mushroom business began to wilt and Knaust needed to find another use for his ex-mine. That’s when he hit upon the idea of storing documents and valuable items such as historic photos in his secure hole in the mountain. Of course, now that we’ve moved into the era of digital data, the mine is being brought up to date with the installation of secure servers. From mushrooms to megabytes, it’s been quite a journey.

Chinese naval base, Djibouti

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy – quite a mouthful – completed its first overseas base in 2017. It’s located in Djibouti, a postage stamp of a nation at the southern end of the Gulf of Aden. Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia surround its landward borders. Forbes magazine reported that work on the base was continuing in 2020. And it seems that the Chinese navy is taking no chances when it comes to the defense of their new base.

Armed to the teeth

A fence surrounds the establishment, then there’s a second inner fence, and that’s placed outside high defensive walls. Massive sandbags held in place by wire mesh form these walls. If you were trying to break in, after penetrating those three barriers, you would at last reach the main wall. It’s concrete and features battlements and guard towers at its corners. Within is a detachment of Chinese marines equipped with everything from assault artillery to anti-tank armaments.

Communications Security Establishment Canada H.Q.

Communications Security Establishment Canada H.Q. – the very name has a somewhat opaquely sinister ring to it. So what is it? Basically, it’s where some 2,000 of Canada’s military spy guys hang out. The futuristic building is in Ottawa and it’s been dogged by controversy. In particular, campaigners strongly objected to its $1.2 billion cost at a time when government was cutting spending elsewhere.

A very special kind of glass

Security features include special glass – the building has a lot of glazing – which has unspecified abilities to prevent spying eyes, or devices, from seeing in. But the building is not all about the daily grind of espionage. The complex reportedly includes relaxing gardens, nature walks and even a couple of duck ponds. After all, even spies engaged in critical secret work need to let their hair down sometimes.

Cheyenne Mountain Complex

When it all goes belly-up and all that’s left of America is a pile of smoking ruins, surviving citizens will be able to take comfort from one fact. An entire military surveillance unit will be safe and sound in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex at Colorado Springs. They’ll be stowed away in a nuclear-bomb-proof bunker gouged into the 9,565-foot mountain, protected by 2,500 feet of solid granite.

Mountain fortress

The bunker is protected by two 25-ton doors separated by a chamber. And sign at the entrance informs visitors that guards may use deadly force. To keep those sheltering beneath the mountain alive if Armageddon hits, six million gallons of water are stored in rock pools. But life will hardly be luxurious. Food will be in the shape of military rations: “meals ready to eat.” Much worse than that, soldiers will be isolated from their families, likely not knowing if they are dead or alive. Let’s hope it never happens.

Federal Social Readaptation Center Number 1, Mexico

You might have to think twice to realize that the obscurely named Federal Social Readaptation Center No. 1 is simply a jail. But Altiplano, as it’s also known, is not just a run-of-the-mill prison. It’s one of Mexico’s highest-security lockups, some say the most secure. Opened in 1991, it’s designed to be completely escape-proof.

Escape-proof... almost

Security measures for the highest-risk prisoners include specially trained dogs, constant human surveillance and frequent cell moves. There’s also a no-fly zone above the jail, and cell phone signals are blocked. This regime resulted in no escapes. Or it did until July 12, 2005. That was when notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzman – “El Chapo” – disappeared into the night via a mile-long tunnel.

Federal Reserve Bank of New York Gold Vault

Fort Knox may be the best-known U.S. gold stash but the vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York actually contains more of the yellow metal. The loot is stored deep beneath the Federal Reserve Bank’s downtown New York headquarters at 33, Liberty Street. The vault lies some 30 feet below the city’s subway system. Think about that next time you ride the rails beneath New York’s Financial District.

In fact, not all of the 6,190 tons of gold stored at Liberty Street belong to the U.S. government. Much of it belongs to foreign powers and international organizations, which obviously believe New York is a safe place for their bullion. According to the Fed’s own website, the vault entrance is protected by “a 90-ton steel cylinder… set within a 140-ton steel-and-concrete frame.” Motion sensors, armed guards and cameras monitored round the clock complete the security picture.

Dulce Base, U.S.A.

A restricted underground military base occupies the space below Mount Archuleta, situated on the border of Colorado and New Mexico. In fact, the facility is as shrouded in secrecy as Area 51 and prohibited to the public. Former staff, however, have turned whistleblower on this highly classified premises, with stories emerging from surrounding neighborhoods of extraterrestrial activity.

For instance, Philip Schneider, a former geological engineer, described a stand-off with gray aliens while excavating the facility’s network of tunnels. He allegedly lost parts of his fingers and leg to lasers blasting out of the extraterrestrials’ chests. Schneider also claimed to have witnessed alien beings perform experiments on human subjects. Conjecture abounds as to whether this activity is real or merely government deception.

Surtsey Island, Iceland

A three-and-a-half-year eruption in the volcanic waters around Iceland was dramatic enough to form a whole new island when it ended 1967. Located roughly 20 miles off country’s south coast, scientists took an early interest in the igneous' appearance, even as the mass had barely cooled. They knew early on this wouldn’t become a tourist destination.

Researchers commandeered the island in 1964. Their aim was to study how animals and plants set up home on newly-formed land. The 348-acre rock eventually attracted more than 330 species of invertebrates and various other bird, fungi and lichen species. To preserve the study area, then, the island is accessible to only a handful of scientists and was given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008.

Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, U.S.A.

The apocalypse has been written about and prophesied for more than 2,000 years. Indeed, some of the wealthiest doomsday types are preparing for that exact situation in lavish underground bunkers. But perhaps the safest of bolt holes for the end of the world – however it may occur – is the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center in Virginia.

Mount Weather is located not far from Washington D.C. The high-security bunker was originally built during the Cold War to withstand a full-on nuclear assault, and was all but consigned to history a few decades later. However, recent world events inspired extensive renovation of the location meant to safeguard the nation’s leaders and treasures in a crisis. All of which means you won't get in without top-level security clearance.

Tomb of the Qin Shi Huang, China

In 1974, farmers in China’s Shaanxi region unearthed a sizeable army of terracotta sculptures representing the military personnel of the country’s first serving emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Numbering in their thousands, the detailed figurines date back to around 200B.C. The find, which filled the ruler’s subterranean burial network, is considered among the most significant in history.

The grounds where the terracotta soldiers stand are among the most notable tourist attractions in China. However, the actual tomb is shrouded in secrecy. There are rumors of extreme security measures protecting the crypt from interlopers, and deadly levels of mercury have been recorded in the compound. Some 2,000 of the incredible sculptures are visible to visitors. But several thousand more, along with other valuables, could still be concealed in the burial chamber.

Robins Island, U.S.A.

The Hamptons in New York are well-known as an affluent area. However, it doesn’t get much more exclusive than Robins Island. The privately-owned idyll is located just off the New Suffolk coast, and, at $11 million, was a steal when bought by its current owner, Louis Moore Bacon, in 1993. Nevertheless, its past is somewhat sketchy.

The deeds to Robins Island, in fact, have changed hands multiple times, with Bacon himself embroiled in unrelated legal disputes. Even so, the billionaire invested heavily in the island, creating a nature reserve and sanctuary for a sizeable population of turtles. To preserve the ecosystem, though, the businessman banned the public from the 435-acre property.

Menwith Hill Royal Air Force Station, U.K.

On 550 acres of farmland outside Harrogate in the U.K. stand more than 30 curious-looking golf ball-style structures. Menwith Hill Royal Air Force Station was initiated on the down-low in 1952 by President Truman. Its purpose, at first, was to gather intelligence through the interception of electronic communications. However, as its role grew throughout the Cold War, so did the base.

Indeed, avid conspiracy theorists often indulge in speculation over Menwith Hill’s real purpose. It’s presumed that it enables the National Security Agency to gather details on all telecommunications sent worldwide. But we may never know, as it’s highly confidential. “You often wonder what goes on there,” an unfazed local told military newspaper Stars And Stripes in August 2013. “If they want to listen to my conversations, it would be a bit boring for them.”

Pluto’s Gate, Turkey

Now, Pamukkale, which translates from Turkish as “cotton castle,” may sound like a slice of heaven on Earth. The city’s tourism industry was founded on its thermal spas thousands of years ago, and today relies on its impressive collection of Roman ruins. But there’s a deadly enigma nestled among the ancient relics, and it’s known as the “Pluto’s Gate.”

Also known as the Gate to Hell, archaeologists first discovered Pluto’s Gate in 2013, when they followed the path of a thermal spring. However, clouds of natural gases that emanate from the site have rendered the historic spot unsafe for people to visit. You see, the same volcanic activity that formed the hot springs is also responsible for levels of carbon dioxide deadly enough to suffocate a human in under 30 minutes.

Heard Island, Australia

That Heard Island is among the most isolated places on Earth isn’t the only reason visitors aren’t allowed there. Although a territory of Australia, it actually lies somewhere in the Indian Ocean, between Antarctica and Madagascar. Moreover, the ice-covered terrain belies the isle’s dangerous origins, since it’s actually formed by two active volcanoes.

While the threat of eruptions renders Heard Island forbidden to humans, that hasn’t stopped other forms of life taking up residency there. The land mass is now home to various birds, seals and several species of penguin. And although this particular location is strictly off limits to man, the neighboring McDonald Islands occasionally accepts visitors with “compelling scientific reasons.”

Granite Mountain, U.S.A.

The Mormon Church’s secret vault is so closely guarded that access is strictly forbidden to the public. It’s housed in Granite Mountain – a peak that’s actually made of quartz – located in the Utah town of Little Cottonwood Canyon, not too far from Salt Lake City. The store was created in 1965 to preserve records relating to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The huge, ironclad archive preserves more than 3.5 billion vital images kept in digital form and on microfilm. Many of the vault’s records are available only to relevant custodians. They are, though, expected to be made available to view on ancestry website FamilySearch.org. However, the store itself is off limits to visitors.

Niihau, U.S.A.

Hawaii is made up of multiple islands, each with inviting names, where visitors can lose themselves. Indeed, some tourists opt to hop from the likes of Maui (the “Valley Isle”) to Oahu (the “Gathering Place”), Kauai (the “Garden Island”) and beyond. But even if they think they’ve taken in all the country’s highlights, they’ll never see its “Forbidden Island,” Niihau.

The historic Niihau lies 17 miles from Kauai’s coastline, and is only visible when the epic sunsets seen from Kekaha Beach intensifies the Forbidden Island’s silhouette. The 70-square-mile idyll has been privately owned since 1864, and is prohibited for anyone outside of the inhabitants’ direct descendants. You see, it was the Hawaiian king’s wish to preserve the place as he had known it.

North Brother Island, U.S.A.

Another island off the coast of New York is the stunning yet devastating North Brother Island. It’s situated on the East River, adjacent to the prison compound on Riker’s Island and the Bronx. During the 1800s, this now-disused land mass once housed Riverside Hospital, a quarantine unit for patients suffering with small pox, tuberculosis and yellow fever.

During the 20th century, the hospital was used to shelter World War II veterans and, later, as a rehabilitation center for heroin addicts. The institution ceased operations early in the 1960s and has since been reclaimed by nature. And although North Brother Island is off limits to visitors, it provides a vital breeding spot for black-crowned night herons.

Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City

In March 2020, historians were granted rare access to files stored in the Vatican secret archives. German researchers there found documents dating to World War II indicating that the Catholic Church was aware of the Holocaust some time before they acknowledged it. The damning papers suggesting a cover-up are among centuries of closely-guarded records including letters, state papers and accounts kept in the vault.

Some say the archives contain proof of aliens and demons. It’s also alleged that documents show the Church was involved in fascist activities in the mid-1900s. However, only the most learned of educators and scholars are granted access to the Vatican’s files after a rigorous vetting process. Casual visitors will never know what secrets live there.

Poveglia, Italy

Islands have apparently been used as a repository for the undesirable across the world for centuries. In addition to the aforementioned North Brother Island, Italy’s Poveglia Island once served as a dumping ground for dead bodies. At first it was used to quarantine those infected by the Bubonic Plague in the 1300s, then to house the mentally ill in the 1800s.

Locals believe that, during the 19th century, a barbaric doctor carried out experiments on mentally ill patients on the island. Which may add fuel to the idea that today, it’s only rinhabitants are the ghostly remains of the tormented former residents. The land mass remains off limits to anyone wishing to visit. But given its status as Italy’s most haunted place, who would want to?

Ilha da Queimada Grande, Brazil

A small, secluded island featuring every terrain, from verdant rainforests to bare rock, might seem like the perfect destination for an idyllic getaway. Indeed, the 110-acre Ilha da Queimada Grande fits the bill, and lies off the shores of São Paulo in Brazil. But despite it’s heavenly-sounding location, the place is sometimes also called Snake Island.

So the island has a few snakes, how much of a big deal can it be? Well, the Ilha da Queimada Grande’s alternative epithet becomes clear from studying its slithery residents. Scientists found that every ten square feet of terrain contained up to five snakes. What’s more, they include the highly poisonous golden lancehead, whose venom can disintegrate the flesh surrounding a bite.

U.N. Buffer Zone, Cyprus

Hostilities between Greece and Turkey have existed since the former won independence from Ottoman Empire rule in 1830. One particularly contentious issue between the warring factions was the island of Cyprus. Located off the southern coast of Turkey, its population was 82 per cent Greek, ruled under the British flag.

After a Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, a ceasefire resulted in the United Nations overseeing a “Buffer Zone” between the island’s two communities. Today, the area looks like a crumbling time capsule. Deserted homes, offices, shops and an airport occupy this 112-mile no-man’s land running the length of the territory. It’s off limits to everyone, including the population of Cyprus.

Pravcicka Brana, Czech Republic

Bohemian Switzerland is a stunning area of the Czech Republic, sitting on the northwest border with Germany. It stretches across the Elbe River, from the Elbe Sandstone Mountains in the north to the Lusatian Mountains in the east and Ore Mountains in the west. And the protected area contains a feature unlike anything else on the planet: a huge, naturally-formed rock configurations.

Among the area’s stunning natural sculptures is the Pravcicka Gate, an impressive 52-foot tall bridge spanning 85 feet. The monolith has attracted visitors for hundreds of years, sometimes as a source of artistic inspiration. Although tourists are welcome to the area, the bridge itself has been inaccessible since 1982. You see, the rock has been subjected to so much erosion over the years that it’s close to collapse.

Diego Garcia Island, Indian Ocean

The island of Diego Garcia was first put on the map by Portuguese explorers in the 1500s. A dependent of Mauritius until 1965, the British then re-purposed the land as part of its Indian Ocean Territory. But soon after that, in order to make way for U.S. military operations, the inhabitants were displaced.

Today Diego Garcia is populated by up to 5,000 U.S. military personnel. In fact, part of the island resembles a typical American town, featuring burger joints and a bowling alley. Outsiders, including soldiers’ partners, however, are not welcome there, due its classified status. The base coordinated operations during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and rumors abound that it also houses a secret military prison.

Ise Grand Shrine, Japan

Japan is a nation with a rich culture of temples and shrines. Indeed, it is thought there are more than 80,000 of the latter alone sprinkled across its islands. Perhaps most notable, however, is the Ise Grand Shrine. It’s a complex building, believed to be the most expensive in the country due to its intricate architecture.

The Ise Grand Shrine is renovated every two decades – an undertaking that costs around one million dollars. The process represents death and rebirth, a pillar of the Shinto religion. However, only members of Japan’s imperial family are allowed to enter this sacred building. Tourists may only admire its beauty from afar.

Morgan Island, U.S.A.

Along the Atlantic coast of the southern states lie the Sea Islands. Among them is Morgan Island, situated in the seas of Beaufort County, South Carolina. Although the territory has always remained uninhabited due to its position relative to the mainland, visitors have been strictly prohibited since 1979. You see, its nickname is Monkey Island.

Morgan Island is home to around 3,500 wild Rhesus monkeys. The primates were moved to the 2,000 acre plot from Puerto Rico when an outbreak of herpes B among the troop started to infect the locals. Visitors, then, must observe them from the surrounding waters. However, inhabitants are occasionally removed from the island for research purposes, never to return.

Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway

We know that the nation’s leaders will be safe during the apocalypse. Maybe they even have a plan to repopulate the Earth if necessary. But have you ever thought what might happen if a catastrophic event wiped out the world’s food supply? Well, someone did, and it led to the establishment of the Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a storage facility carved 400 feet into a mountain. The repository contains 840,000 specimens of 4,000 of the world’s seed varieties and operates in a similar fashion to a bank’s safety deposit box. Indeed governments secure plant samples there in the event of catastrophic incident that destroys food supplies. Designated “depositors” are the only people allowed to enter the location known as “the final back up.”