▲

It's hard to imagine that there are a lot of places around the world that people are prohibited from visiting. Unless you're a researcher, scientist, or military officer, some of these places are strictly forbidden for the general public, which adds another layer of mystery to them. There are historical sites that are so fragile they can be easily damaged by humans, and also some seriously dangerous places many of us would be terrified to visit.

From an island infested with snakes to a vault holding special secrets, check out these extremely fascinating and forbidden places. Click on!

▲

Formerly known as the Vatican Secret Archive, it serves as a storage space for numerous documents relating to the Catholic Church. With some documents dating back to the 8th century, most of it is located underground, including 53 miles (85 km) of shelves.

▲

One of the most remote territories in the world, they're considered an Australian territory, even though they're located between Madagascar and Antarctica. Home to a wide range of animals, the location is too remote to be safe. Researchers also found lava flow coming from a massive volcano called Mawson's Peak.

▲

The Lascaux caves feature invaluable cave art that dates back to about 17,000 years ago. Entrance has been banned since 1963 because it was discovered that the cave art was threatened by fungal invasions due to numerous visitors.

▲

Located on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen in Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault stores 100 million seeds from all over the world in case something terrible happens to our planet's vegetation.

▲

Built to last 200 years, it's deep enough underground and high enough above sea level to withstand earthquakes, ocean rise, and nuclear attacks.

▲

Famously off-limits to the public, Area 51 is also one of the most mysterious locations in the US. The government refused to acknowledge its existence until 2013, when they finally admitted there was indeed a flight testing facility in the Nevada desert.

▲

Created in the late 1970s, Room 39 is apparently a secret department located in the Worker's Party building in Pyongyang. But instead of military secrets, it's said to hide things like black market Viagra!

▲

According to some defectors, it houses foreign cash for the elites. Other illegal activities coming out of Room 39 are said to include counterfeiting, insurance scams, and drug production.

▲

The World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, is the site of a multi-million dollar vault that’s said to guard Coca-Cola’s secret formula. It can be seen from the outside, but entering it is strictly forbidden.

▲

Located somewhere in the Southern Ural Mountains, Mezhgorye is a closed-off town, filled with secrets. To keep out anyone who wants to enter, the town is circled by two battalions. Some reports believe it's a nuclear missile site, but since government officials don't comment on it, it's still uncertain what Mezhgorye really is.

▲

Better known as Snake Island, it's home to a rare and incredibly deadly species of snake called the golden lancehead. So it's logical why the Brazilian government closed the island to visitors. Only qualified researchers can gain enter, but they have to be accompanied by a doctor.

▲

An important place for the Shinto religion, it was built to honor Amaterasu, a goddess of the sun and the universe. To keep the place holy, only priests and members of the imperial family of Japan can enter.

▲

Located just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, Diego García is an important strategic asset for the US Navy, housing a major military base. Between 1968 and 1973, the inhabitants were forcibly expelled by the British government, and the island has since been rented out to the US Navy.

▲

Deserted island today, it’s been said that over 160,000 people have lived and died there. The Venetian island became a quarantine station in 1793, and for two decades it was a place for potential victims of the bubonic plague.

▲

But Poveglia’s dark history didn’t end there. In 1920, a mental hospital opened at the site. And it quickly became known for its inhumane treatment of patients. Closed in 1968, the island has been vacant ever since.

▲

Home to nearly half of the US gold reserve, Fort Knox in Kentucky is one of the most heavily guarded places in the world. One can't even imagine the security measures.

▲

Interestingly enough, not even staff members can access the vault. To gain access to it, they need to know several combinations, but each staff member knows only one of them. So to enter, they need each other's help. On top of that, the building is made of concrete-lined granite and reinforced with steel.

▲

Part of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the name suggests the reef is shaped like a heart. And while it might be tempting to snap a pic, you can't actually see the landmark up close. To protect it from damage, divers have been banned from the spot. You can only see it if you pay for a helicopter ride.

▲

Surtsey, one of the youngest islands in the world, appeared due to a volcanic eruption that lasted from 1963 to 1967.

▲

Today, the island is only used for scientific purposes. Any visitors, except for research groups, are forbidden. This is because scientists want to understand how ecosystems form without any human influence.

▲

Technically, the Bhangarh Fort isn't completely banned to access. Tourists can visit it during daylight hours, but from sunset to sunrise there's a strict ban on entering it. This is because it's regarded as one of the most haunted places in India, filled with legends about ghosts and curses.

▲

Europe's largest natural sandstone arch, Pravčická brána is a popular attraction in the Czech Republic. But to reduce its erosion process, it became forbidden in 1982 to walk on it.

▲

While you can visit the Chichen Itza archaeological site, you can't climb the temple of Kukulcán. The ban was issued after a woman tumbled off the pyramid on her descent in 2006.

▲

Located in the Bay of Bengal, its indigenous population, known as the Sentinelese, rejects any contact with the outside world. They are one of the few peoples who remain untouched by modern society. For this reason, it's impossible to enter the island.

▲

Nicknamed the Monkey Island, a colony of approximately 4,000 rhesus monkeys lives there. However, they're not native to the island. In 1979, they relocated there from Puerto Rico due to the spreading of herpes virus B. Before this, the island was uninhabited. Only researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases can go there.

▲

When the Caribbean island's Soufrière Hills volcano awoke in 1995, the nearby town of Plymouth was evacuated. It was eventually abandoned altogether as eruptions continued. Half the island is now a designated exclusion zone, as the volcano can erupt again.

▲

Also known as the Forbidden Isle, it's a privately-owned island in Hawaii that in 1952 faced a polio epidemic. As an attempt to avoid the spreading of the disease, a ban to leave or enter the island was issued. Home now to 170 people, one needs to get special permission to enter.

▲

Although the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was discovered upon unearthing the Terracotta Army in 1974, it hasn't been excavated yet. According to people against the excavation, modern technologies can't prevent its destruction. For this reason, the Chinese government has forbidden access to the tomb.

▲

Formerly known as Ayers Rock, climbers had been scaling the iconic rock formation for decades. But in 2019 Uluru closed to the public, because it is a sacred place to indigenous groups. Now it can only be admired from a distance.

Sources: (Mental Floss) (TheTravel)