Check out these old and abandoned military bases that are stationed all across the globe. Some of these bases are as old as the 19th century and some are a part of the modern era.
These bases range from military hospitals to submarine bases to air defense strongholds. Either way, all of these abandoned bases don’t serve the same purposes that they were originally intended for. Some can even be visited today since they are now military tourist attractions.
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The Royal Air Force Station was used during World War II and is a former aircraft station accessible to both the Air Force and the Royal Air Force. It is located seven miles from Norwich Norfolk England. While you can still see it through aerial photos but since 1966, the expansive 55-acre area was taken over by Lotus Dragon Racing Co.
Balaklava was a top-secret military facility located in Crimea. It is an underground submarine base that was used during the Cold War conflict. It is a narrow winding inland that only measures 300 meters. Its seclusion harbors it from harsh weather and lurking enemies. The entire base is invisible to the human eye. It took four years to construct. It was operational from 1961-1993 and was left unguarded until 2000 when it was passed to the naval forces of the Ukraine. The new purpose is a naval museum complex that is open to the public.
Take a look at the top 7 abandoned military bases.
The Zeljava Airbase is located between Croatia and Bosnia and was the largest underground military airport and remains one of the largest in Europe to this day. It took 20 years to construct and cost $6 billion. It was used a great day in 1991 during the Yugoslavian wars but upon withdrawal the armies destroyed it with explosives that nearby towns claimed cause smoke in the air for six months after.
The Flak Towers consist of eight large complexes to be above ground anti-aircraft gun block house towers were constructed in Hamburg, Vienna, and Berlin, beginning in 1940. They served as defense to allied forces during WWII. Their secondary purpose was to provide air raid shelter to civilians. The Nazi castles, which they are referred to as, have gone to become many things, like nightclubs, movie theaters, and shops.
Before WWII, the St. Nazaire Submarine Base was one of the largest harbors in the Atlantic Ocean. During the Battle of France, this was converted to withstand airstrikes from England. In 1944, a fortified loch was added to the facility to protect submarines. Today, the submarine base is open for visitation.
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The RAF Stenigot were constructed for extremely long-range radar during WWII. The sites were completely decommissioned in the 1980s but most of the structures remained in place for about another ten years. They went through demolition in 1996.
Finally, the Beelitz Heilstatten Military Hospital is a massive 60 building complex in the wilderness just outside of Berlin. It was a very busy hospital during WWII. It was initially a sanitorium in the late 1800s. This quite creepy complex was converted into a military hospital that even treated Adolph Hitler during WWI. After the wars, the need for such a large complex dwindled but it was still used to some capacity. It was officially shut down in 2000. While some of the complex has been restored, much of it is still used by ghost hunters.
