20 Places In The World That Are Off-Limits!

20 Forbidden Places You Can Never Visit – Travel Caribou
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Destinations
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Offbeat
20 Forbidden Places You Can Never Visit
By
Paul G
/ Offbeat
What is it about something that’s not allowed, that makes us want to do it? That forbidden fruit that is oh-so tempting, even though we know it’s against the rules? In normal, everyday life, the most forbidden thing we might happen across is the freshly baked pie we’re banned from touching until dinnertime. But around the world, there are places that are so secret, protected or remote that most humans are not allowed to visit them, or in some cases, get anywhere near.
From sacred shrines and entire islands dedicated to scientific research. To the hidden depths of the ocean that’s only ever had two human visitors and the recipe vault holding the secret recipe for Coca Cola. These are places that for many wide and varied reasons, we’re simply not invited to.
So join us on our mystery tour of these 20 forbidden places you can never visit and lose yourself in the wonder of how amazing it would feel to get access to these fascinating places. And if you do ever happen to get access to any of them, make sure you let us know what it was like!
1. U.N. Buffer Zone, Cyprus
Behind barbed wire fences a watchtower looks down over an eerie scene. An airport stands, thick with dust, old aircraft decaying on the landing strips, nearby abandoned homes, businesses, cars and buildings lay idle as they have done for decades.
This is the UN Buffer Zone which cuts through Cyprus, dividing the independent Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island. In 1974, Turkish troops invaded Cyprus, escalating the civil war between the Greeks and the Turks. The U.N. then took control of this ‘buffer zone’ in the capital Nicosia after the ceasefire was declared.
In an attempt to prevent future clashes between the populations of the two halves of the island, peacekeepers from the United Nations have patrolled the buffer zone for years. As a result this area has remained frozen in time, and no one is allowed into this zone and if you even tried you probably wouldn’t make it out alive.
2. Spy Museum, China
China’s Spy Museum is a fascinating place, dedicated to all things espionage, with guns disguised as lipsticks and hollowed-out coins, designed to conceal top-secret documents, amongst the interesting items on exhibit in Nanjing.
There’s just one catch here. So sensitive are China’s rulers about spies, secret agents and the perceived threats that real-life James Bond-types pose, foreign visitors are not encouraged to visit.
Opened to Chinese citizens in 2009, with overseas visitors told to stay away, the rules have been relaxed somewhat in recent times, although a warm welcome shouldn’t be expected. Inside is a showcase of curated propaganda about foreign spies, with the purpose as much to mobilise the Chinese public to join the state’s fight against international espionage as it is to inform, educate and entertain. There’s even a report-a-spy hotline, with numerous signs here urging visitors to be alert and to inform the authorities immediately should anything suspicious be sighted.
3. Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean
Just two humans have ever descended into the Mariana Trench’s deepest depths — aka Challenger Deep — and no-one has been there since 1960. Danger lurks in the perpetual darkness, a place where the immense pressure is crushing, and so great are the risks involved, it has become a no-go zone for even the most courageous. But how vast is it down there, in the deepest natural trench on Earth? 1,500 miles long and 43 miles wide, Challenger Deep is almost seven miles from the surface.
To put it into perspective, imagine dropping Mount Everest into the gaping chasm. To do so would be to leave its peak still more than a mile under water. It’s hostile and unwelcoming, home to mysterious creatures that lurk in unseen places and it couldn’t be more difficult to reach.
4. Coca-Cola Recipe Vault, United States
Nothing beats an ice cold Coca-Cola on a hot day, and millions around the world agree. The recipe for our favourite fizzy drink is one of the most closely guarded secrets in the world. There are claims that only two people know it at any given time and they can never travel on the same plane in case it crashes.
As a back up plan, just in case disaster did strike, the legendary mystery formula is secured in a vault in Atlanta. And you’d need more than a lock and key to get into it. The protected secret recipe is kept in a solid metal box inside a metal vault which is in a room protected by a security barrier. The area has high tech surveillance cameras throughout with 24 hour armed guards, and the door can only be opened via a hand scanner and secret code.
Whilst we may all love to know what makes Coca Cola taste so darn good we can be pretty certain it no longer contains the ingredient that everyone couldn’t get enough of pre 1903. Yes that’s right, before then each bottle of Coca-Cola would contain a hefty dose of cocaine! No wonder it perked you up.
5. Pravcicka Brana, Czech Republic
Towering over the stunning landscape in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains, Pravcicka Brana is a sight to behold. If it looks like something from a film set, it might be because it has featured in countless movies, not least The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but Europe’s largest natural stone bridge is very real and no special effects are required here.
Located three kilometres from Hrensko in the Czech Republic, not far from the German border, visitors are drawn here to see Pravcicka Brana for themselves, but the arch itself — spanning an impressive 26.5 metres — is strictly off limits.
Having suffered heavy erosion due to growing visitor numbers, tourists have been forbidden from setting foot on the arch since 1982. You might be tempted to attempt a crossing, but trust us on this, it is not a good idea. With the crumbling cliffs prone to erosion and the drop significant, the rules are there for a reason.
6. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
Japan is the homeland of shrines. With more than 80,000 national shrines you could say they are a very important part of Japanese culture. But one shrine tops them all; the Ise Grand Shrine, an ornate temple that is also the most expensive in Japan due to its intricate architecture.
And with that level of detail comes some pretty hefty maintenance too. Every 20 years the shrine is rebuilt at a cool million dollar price tag, in order to appease the Shinto tradition of death and renewal.
With all of this hard work you may fancy taking a look at this beautiful icon of Japanese culture yourself, but let us stop you there, unless of course you are a member of the Japanese imperial family. They are the only people on Earth who are granted special permission to this grand shrine. Visitors aren’t allowed to enter or take photographs. You may only sneak a peek of the shrine’s rooftops over tall wooden fences making this spiritual place even more mysterious and majestic.
.7. Surtsey Island, Iceland
Surtsey Island is a small volcanic island off the coast of Iceland, and a natural haven for various flora and fauna which makes it a destination favoured by scientists who gather information on plant and animal life.
Pre 1960’s the rules about visiting the island of Surtsey were a little more lax than they are now. All of that changed because of a tomato. Yes, a tomato. One scientist who visited the island answered a call of nature upon a lava rock, weeks later a tomato plant began sprouting on that very spot leaving fellow scientists completely baffled.
After much thought they finally realised what must have been the origin of the mysterious tomato plant and it was immediately destroyed as it would have disturbed their scientific research. We are pretty sure the scientist in question wasn’t allowed back either. As a result visitors are now strictly limited in their numbers…

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