Grand banqueting halls, opulent lobbies and vast ballrooms; you could easily be forgiven for thinking this was a collection of photographs was documenting some of Europe’s grandest hotels. However, a closer look will reveal the majestic rooms to be engulfed in swathes of dust and moss; hotels that once hosted royals and high society abandoned to the elements. This is the latest result of urban exploration photography, going beyond “no entry” signs to capture images of dilapidated buildings across Europe. IT worker Thomas Windisch, from Graz in Austria, indulged his passion for photography by traveling across the continent, visiting over 100 abandoned hotels along the way. Here: inside a hotel in Austria. (Photo by Thomas Windisch/Caters News)

Miss Zero, whose real name is Sasha Frolova, of Russia celebrates winning the Alternative Miss World contest at Shakespeare's Globe theatre in London, October 18, 2014. The competition, which is open to entrants of any gender or nationality, was started by artist Andrew Logan in 1972. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

A boy looks back while he and another boy play on a Syrian military tank, destroyed during fighting with the Rebels, in the Syrian town of Azaz, on the outskirts of Aleppo, Sunday, September 2, 2012. (Photo by Muhammed Muheisen/AP Photo)

Miss Brazil Julia Gama reacts after her team won the tug of war event during the Miss World sports competition at the Lee Valley sports complex in north London, November 26, 2014. Contestants from 126 countries are in London to compete in the 2014 Miss World competition. (Photo by Andrew Winning/Reuters)

A musician plays his violin next to a depiction of La Santa Muerte (Saint Death) at a shrine during Day of the Dead celebrations in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, November 2, 2015. (Photo by Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters)

A woman carrying cabbage leaves on her head buys tomato at a market in Ahmedabad, India, November 9, 2015. India's villages face a sharp spike in food prices in 2016, as a second year of drought drives up the cost of ingredients such as sugar and milk, and poor transport infrastructure stops falling global prices from reaching rural areas. (Photo by Amit Dave/Reuters)

Stunning images show the rolling splendor of the "iceberg capital of the world" under auroras. The photographer even includes himself in many of the shots – a signature of his that offers a fresh take on the conventional selfie, as well as providing a sense of scale to his works. Ziskas shot the photographs over a 10-day visit to western Greenland in September. Here: the photographer even includes himself in many of the shots – a signature of his that offers a fresh take on the conventional selfie, as well as providing a sense of scale to his works. (Photo by Paul Zizkas/Caters News)

Carlos Martinez (L), a representative of the Guinness World Records, examines the cooking process of a chocolate coin during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest chocolate coin in Caracas, Venezuela, October 1, 2015. More than 80 people will work with 100% Venezuelan cacao to create the coin that is estimated to weigh 1,000 kg, according to local media. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)