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)

Ahmad Sayed Rahman, a five-year-old Afghan boy who lost his right leg when he was hit by a bullet in the crossfire of a battle, dances with his prosthetic leg at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) hospital for war victims and the disabled, in Kabul on May 7, 2019. (Photo by Wakil Kohsar/AFP Photo)

Lebanese students dance during “The Big Dance” event in downtown Beirut, near the parliament May 9, 2015. About 1000 students from all over Lebanon gather and take part in a joint dance with the aim of encouraging people to get into dance and increase fitness levels. This initiative is part of the British Council's project, Connecting Classrooms which aims at building links between schools in the UK and Lebanon. (Photo by Aziz Taher/Reuters)

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army march with their weapons during a training session for a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, at a military base in Beijing, China, August 22, 2015. Troops from at least 10 countries including Russia and Kazakhstan will join an unprecedented military parade in Beijing next month to commemorate China's victory over Japan during World War Two, Chinese officials said. The parade on September 3 will involve about 12,000 Chinese troops and 200 aircraft, Qi Rui, deputy director of the government office organizing the parade, told reporters in Beijing on Friday. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Afghan boys ride on donkey cart transporting plastic bottles for recycling, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, on 16 September 2020. Nearly 19 years after the fall of the Taliban regime and the United States invasion, the Afghan government and insurgents on 12 September, began peace negotiations in Doha. (Photo by Hedayatullah Amid/EPA/EFE)

Rope access technicians carry out maintenance service on wind turbines including repairs, blade inspections and cleaning in Izmir, Turkey on February 19, 2021. In Turkey, where investments in renewable energy has increased, there are wind tribunes over 3,500. (Photo by Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Dancers wearing traditional attires take part in the 7th Annual Ingoma Dance Competition organised by The Natal Playhouse theatre in Durban on March 21, 2017. The Ingoma Dance is considered one of the most purist forms of traditional Zulu dance. (Photo by Rajesh Jantilal/AFP Photo)

A Palestinian man takes a selfie picture next to a camel at a livestock market in the West Bank city of Hebron on August 9, 2019, as muslims prepare for the Eid al-Adha celebrations. Known as the “big” festival, Eid Al-Adha is celebrated each year by Muslims sacrificing various animals according to religious traditions, including cows, camels, goats and sheep. (Photo by Hazem Bader/AFP Photo)