Fortresses

One of the only Florida forts to remain in the hands of the Union all through the Civil War still stands as a historic stronghold.

The western-most fortress on the Great Wall of China has gone from a strategic stronghold to a kitschy tourist carnival.

From Austrians to Nazis to Soviets, this historic Budapest fortress has a history as complex as the city itself.

This Croatian fairytale castle is slowly falling apart thanks to years of neglect.

The remnants of the fortress that saved Georgia from the Spanish still stand guard on their swampy island.

This historic island prison holds one of the dungeons from the Count of Monte Cristo even though it is a work of fiction.

The crumbling ruins of this southern American fort have survived storms, war, and cults.

Pirates had to be ousted from the land where this now ruined Louisiana fortress was built.

Thanks to its heroic service during WWII this Soviet castle has been turned into a monument towered over by a brutalist titan.

The yawning remains of a complex naval fortress still haunt this Australian shore.

This Nazi ruin was the site where Hitler was almost blown up by a suitcase bomb.

Anyone wanting to know what a dwarven mine sounds like need only visit the tunnels of this New Zealand artillery compound.

This sprawling Belgian fort was once thought of as impenetrable but now it is simply an abandoned relic.

The deepest underground city in Turkey was designed to protect 20,000 people behind massive stone doors.

This ancient subterranean megalopolis is known for the hot oil traps that were installed above each of its entrances.

The remains of this ancient fortress atop a manmade hill look as though they were built into a volcano.

This historical Netherlands fortress still bears the marks of its single siege.

This mysterious abandoned fort looks like something pulled right from Arabian legend.