People in traditional dance before competing in the 53rd Verdiales music contest in Malaga, southern Spain December 28, 2014. Verdiales is a form of traditional Flamenco music, which is common in the province of Malaga. Members of singing groups, known as “pandas”, wear traditional costumes decked with flowers and other accessories as they perform in the contest, which is held annually on December 28. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)

Young women sit at a doorway during the annual San Antonio Abad (Saint Anton Abbott) festival in Trigueros, southwest Spain January 25, 2015. Thousands of people arrived in Trigueros to participate in this annual catching of food and presents, part of a traditional three-day religious festival. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.

Photographer Niki Feijen for his new book, “Frozen”, photographed several abandoned buildings across Europe. Capturing their haunting beauty from years of decay. Here: Paperflow – Room inside a former monastery. (Photo by Niki Feijen)

Back in 2010, French photographer Antoine Bruy began hitchhiking around Europe without any fixed route. Along his travels, he met people who had entirely abandoned city life in favour of an isolated country existence they found more fulfilling. Bruy began seeking out people who lived off-the-grid. After three years on the road, staying in makeshift houses and on community farms, he has released Scrublands, a documentation of the lifestyle. While each living situation is different, Bruy found that all the people he met shared a common desire to escape the rat race and achieve a quieter life in harmony with nature. (Photo by Antoine Bruy)

When it opened in 1955, the Grande Hotel in the Indian Ocean city of Beira was one of the most luxurious in Africa. Photojournalist Fellipe Abreu documents the lives of the 3,500 people who now fill this long-closed hotel to capacity. (Photo by Fellipe Abreu/The Guardian)

Pilgrims wearing traditional dresses take part during the Queen of Angeles pilgrimage in Alajar, southern Spain, September 8, 2015. Every year, devotees converge at the Arias Montano crag to pay homage to the Queen of Angeles during an annual pilgrimage which combines religious fervour and festive colour. (Photo by Marcelo del Pozo/Reuters)

Models walk the runway at the Maria Escote show during Madrid Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015/16 at Ifema on February 10, 2015 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)