Buzz
While deserted structures often carry an air of mystery, forsaken prisons evoke a far more chilling sensation.
Even for those who don’t believe in the supernatural, stepping into these locations can be deeply unsettling, especially when considering the grim events that likely transpired within their walls. Tales of inhumane conditions, brutal punishments, and untimely deaths add to their spine-tingling aura.
Discover 10 of the most hauntingly abandoned prisons scattered throughout Europe.
10. The Isle of Procida Prison
Perched high on a cliff on the island of Procida, this Italian prison offers some of the most stunning views of the Bay of Naples. While such a location might seem ideal for a retreat, it was far from it for the inmates. During its operational years, up to 40 men were crammed into a single cell, sharing not only their living space but also a single bucket that served as their daily toilet. With around 600 prisoners and nearly 500 guards, the conditions were nothing short of horrific.
Operating from 1830 to 1988, this facility functioned as a prison, often likened to a Russian gulag with milder weather. Originally a king’s palace, it later housed some of the most notorious mafia figures and fascists during Mussolini’s regime. In the 1970s and 1980s, it became a holding ground for Camorra crime syndicate members, including Raffael “The Professor” Cutolo, Frank Mannino, and Gigino “The King” Giuliano. Despite being incarcerated, Giuliano managed to recruit fellow inmates to carry out his operations post-release.
Since its closure in 1988, the prison has fallen into disrepair, with its once-grand Bourbon palace now reduced to hollow, desolate corridors. Tours are available, but advance arrangements are required. Visitors can almost feel the anguish of the prisoners who were confined in tiny cells, gazing out at the vibrant blue sky through a solitary window—so near, yet impossibly distant.
9. Spac Prison
Spac Prison stands as one of Europe’s oldest and most architecturally striking abandoned prisons. Serving as a political detention center in Albania during the Soviet era, it has been deserted for nearly three decades. The walls still bear haunting reminders of its past, etched with the names, drawings, and messages left by former inmates.
The decaying structure was initially intended to be transformed into a museum, but no official steps have been taken by the government to designate it as such. As a result, it continues to face the threat of further decay. In 2015, the New York-based World Monument Fund listed the prison as one of the 50 most endangered sites globally, a move that could potentially attract funding and attention for its restoration.
Travelers visiting Spac should exercise caution, as the prison is situated in a mountainous area with unsafe roads after sunset. Sturdy footwear is also recommended to handle the steep and rugged terrain.
8. Goli Otok
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain, this prison was abandoned and left to decay. The rocky island of Goli Otok now hosts a series of derelict structures. Often referred to as the “Croatian Alcatraz,” it shares similarities with its American counterpart, including its isolated island location and stringent security measures.
During World War I, Russian prisoners of war from the Eastern Front were transported to Goli Otok. Upon arrival, they found the island completely barren and were compelled to construct their own shelters and settlements. In 1949, the People’s Federal Republic of Yugoslavia officially established the island as a high-security, top-secret prison and labor camp, alongside the nearby Sveti Grgur island, which served as a women’s prison. The facility remained operational until 1989.
Inmates were subjected to grueling labor in extreme weather, with temperatures soaring to 104°F (40°C) in summer and plummeting to freezing levels in winter. The prison was managed by the prisoners themselves, creating a brutal hierarchy built on violence and degradation. Over 16,000 political prisoners were incarcerated here, with an estimated 400 to 600 losing their lives on the island.
After its closure in 1989, the site fell into disrepair, and shepherds from Rab began using the island to graze their sheep. In recent years, it has gained popularity as a destination for tourists.
7. Patarei Prison
Situated in Tallinn, Estonia, Patarei Prison exudes an eerie and enigmatic atmosphere. Though it ceased operations over a decade ago, its cells have been repurposed by artists and former staff for art installations and exhibitions. The walls are adorned with graffiti, adding to its fittingly haunting vibe. However, exploring this spooky site alone can be an unnerving experience.
Patarei’s notorious reputation is further cemented by its history of housing death row inmates and serving as a site for executions.
Originally constructed as a sea fortress in the 19th century to safeguard the Russian empire’s maritime routes, the site was transformed into a prison in 1919, housing approximately 500 inmates. During the 1940s, many prisoners were purged due to overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Designed for 1,200 inmates, the prison held 2,600 by October 1941 and surged to 3,620 by March 1945. Post-war, the Soviets relocated the prisoners to gulags in the east, leaving the facility empty.
6. Rummu Prison
Constructed in the late 1930s within a limestone quarry, Rummu Prison was abandoned after the Soviet Union’s collapse. Over time, the area flooded, submerging parts of the prison and leaving behind a haunting island of deteriorating brick structures.
Following the Soviet withdrawal from Estonia in 1991, the country’s Soviet-era institutions, including Rummu’s labor prison, were shut down. With the cessation of pumping, the prison was left to decay, and the quarry gradually filled with groundwater.
Today, visitors can explore the submerged prison by boat or diving expeditions, offering a glimpse of the underwater walls, machinery, and buildings. This creates an otherworldly and surreal experience. However, access is challenging and hazardous. Tourists often leap into the lake from the prison’s ruins, despite warning signs highlighting underwater dangers like metal debris, barbed wire, and crumbling concrete. Tragically, a teenage girl injured her back jumping from the ruins in August 2014, and a man drowned in the lake in July 2016.
5. Liban Quarry
Hidden in the historic district of Podgorze, Krakow, the Liban Quarry is one of the city’s lesser-known treasures. This site served as the primary quarry during World War II and has since been repurposed for various uses.
Under Nazi occupation, the Liban Quarry was transformed into a detention facility, functioning as a forced labor camp for hundreds of Polish and Jewish individuals. Between 1942 and 1944, over 800 people were held here, with 21 losing their lives. A monument honoring the victims was established in 1948.
After the war, the quarry continued operations until its closure in 1986. The site gained cinematic fame when Steven Spielberg rented it for filming scenes in Schindler’s List, a movie adaptation of the book by the same name. The quarry was used to recreate the Plaszow concentration camp.
4. Doftana Prison
Doftana Prison was one of Romania’s most feared institutions in the early 1900s, notorious for its brutal treatment of political detainees. Prisoners endured beatings, starvation, and freezing isolation cells. Originally constructed to support nearby salt mines, the prison was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1940, injuring many inmates. Even those released were denied the chance to relocate.
Known as “the Romanian Bastille” due to its severe punishments, the prison began as a housing complex for mine workers before being converted into a communist detention center by the Romanian king in 1921.
As of June 2022, the prison has been sold and is slated for demolition to pave the way for a new hotel development.
3. Lukiškės Prison
Following the establishment of the USSR, this prison served as a temporary holding facility for political prisoners destined for eastern gulags. It gained infamy during the Nazi occupation of Lithuania, where the Gestapo and Saugumas detained thousands of Jewish and Polish individuals. Most were transported to the outskirts of Vilnius and executed at Ponary.
The final execution in Lithuania occurred on these grounds in 1995. By 2007, the facility housed approximately 1,000 inmates and 250 guards. In 2009, multiple prisoners reported abusive treatment by staff and described the living conditions as “deplorable” in a statement to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
The prison ceased operations on July 2, 2019, and has since been repurposed as a cultural hub open to the public. In 2020, it served as a filming location for the fourth season of Stranger Things. A Vilnius-based tourism agency plans to create a Stranger Things-themed cell within the prison, available for rent on Airbnb.
2. Yermakovo Prison Camp
Constructed in 1949, the Yermakovo prison camp in Siberia is a sprawling complex of abandoned Soviet detention facilities, many of which were destroyed during the Cold War. Today, it stands as a haunting testament to the atrocities of the Soviet prison system.
Thousands of prisoners were dispatched to this gulag, primarily to construct a railroad connecting northern nickel mines to western Soviet factories. The railroad project was eventually abandoned, and the camp gradually became engulfed by the surrounding forest over the years.
An estimated 18 million individuals were subjected to life in forced labor camps. Although the gulag system was dismantled after Joseph Stalin’s death, camps for political and criminal prisoners persisted.
1. Elgan Gulag
The Elgan Gulag, once a Soviet-era labor camp, now stands as an abandoned military site. Prisoners were sent here to provide inexpensive labor, often working on extensive projects in the Far North and Siberia. Their daily tasks included logging, excavating frozen soil, and copper mining.
Established in the early 20th century during a time of social oppression in the Soviet Union, the gulag system comprised hundreds of camps, each housing thousands of inmates. Most were “corrective labor colonies,” where prisoners endured brutal working conditions, starvation, and the constant threat of execution. These dire circumstances resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands annually.
