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)

Adrian Reyes, representing Canada, prepares backstage before competing in the Miss International Queen pageant on June 24, 2023 in Pattaya, Thailand. Thailand hosts Miss International Queen, the largest and most prestigious international transgender beauty pageant. The pageant, held annually in Pattaya, Thailand is held takes place during Pride month. Throughout Thailand, Thai LGBTQ activists have held Pride events calling for equality and pressuring the incoming government to move forward with legislation that would allow marriage for all. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is greeted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during a welcome ceremony on day one of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia on June 13, 2024 in Fasano, Italy. The G7 summit in Puglia, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the seventh held in Italy, gathers leaders from the seven member states, the EU Council, and the EU Commission. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Elvis Presley tribute artist Bruce Stewart (L) of Georgian Bay, Ontario passes Lorenz Francke of Scarborough, Ontario during the four-day Collingwood Elvis Festival in Collingwood, Ontario July 25, 2015. Featuring over 120 Elvis tribute artists, it is the world's largest Elvis festival and last year hosted 30,000 visitors. (Photo by Chris Helgren/Reuters)

A man wearing an armor attends a reenactment of the Battle of Agincourt, in Agincourt, northern France, Saturday, July 25, 2015. The French are hosting a reenactment of the clash with England this weekend. More than 800 people in Medieval garb are gathering at the site to commemorate the battle, which was a turning point in the Hundred Years' War. (Photo by Thibault Camus/AP Photo)

“The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin. The 1940 Games had been scheduled for Tokyo, and then Helsinki; the 1944 Games had been provisionally planned for London. This was the second occasion that London had hosted the Olympic Games, the city had previously been the venue in 1908”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The Olympic torch passes through Windsor on its way to Wembley, for the start of the Summer Olympics, 29th July 1948. (Photo by Ron Burton/Keystone/Getty Images)

This artist's rendering illustrates the evaporation of HD 189733b's atmosphere in response to a powerful eruption from its host star. NASA's Hubble Space Telescope detected the escaping gases and NASA's Swift satellite caught the stellar flare. (Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center)

A Polish MiG-29 flies beneath dark skies at the annual RNAS Yeovilton Air Day on July 9, 2011 in Yeovil, England. The annual air day at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, attracts over 35,000 people to what is one of the biggest air shows in the region and gives visitors the chance to see a host of aircraft as well as a number of historic and classic cars. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)