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)

The 30th anniversary of the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear plant that caused large amounts of radioactive particles to be released into the air will be commemorated on April 26, 2016. Photojournalist Sean Gallup returned to the area to document the lasting effects of the world's worst nuclear power plant accident. Pictured, children's beds are seen in an abandoned kindergarten in Kopachi village located inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone, September 29, 2015, near Chernobyl, Ukraine. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Vets of Animals Asia Foundation's Vietnam Bear Rescue Center hold a paw of a sun bear as they check its health while it is rescued from a Vietnamese family in Nam Dinh province, south of Hanoi, Vietnam August 18, 2016. A man in northern Vietnam has voluntarily handed over a bear his family had caged for seven years to an animal rights organization, which will take it to a nearby sanctuary. (Photo by Reuters/Kham)

A member of the Qinghai Acrobatic Troupe checks her hair with a smartphone during a media preview for the world premiere of cabaret show “Shanghai Mimi” as part of Sydney Festival in Chinatown, central Sydney, Australia, 08 January 2019. Sydney Festival 2019 runs from 09 to 27 January and will feature theatre, dance, circus, music, visual arts and talks from international and local artists. (Photo by Steven Saphore/EPA/EFE)

Paramedics wearing protective suits amid fears of coronavirus outbreak check on a man who collapsed outside a clinic in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, March 26, 2020. It's not immediately clear what caused the man to collapse. The U.S. Embassy in Indonesia has ordered the departure of employees' family members under the age of 21 from its missions in the country where new COVID-19 patients have surged in the past week with high fatality. (Photo by Muchlis Akbar/AP Photo)

A security officer looks at a scanning screen for checking passengers' temperature at the Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 9, 2020. Technology and innovation will top the precautions of Turkey's biggest airport Istanbul Airport against the COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era, according to the management of the airport. The management on June 9 presented their final preparations and measures taken against coronavirus while Turkish airline companies are preparing to resume their international operations the next day. (Photo by Yasin Akgul/Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images)

A Filipino teacher checks a picture of a student shown on a tablet that is attached to robot during a graduation ceremony at a school in Taguig City, Philippines, 22 May 2020. At least 179 high school students received their diploma during an online graduation ceremony that was beamed live on Facebook as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease. (Photo by Francis R. Malasig/EPA/EFE)

Fraser Davidson gobbles a plane at The Hangar at Manchester Airport on June 26, 2024. An airport pub serves drinks just 15 metres from the runway–- and drinkers can watch planes coming into land over a pint. The Hangar, Manchester, is 50 feet away from the airport, and people don't need to be checked in to drink there. It boasts a “unique perspective” for customers, who can enjoy a pint right next to planes taking off and landing. (Photo by South West News Service)