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Some of the world’s most memorable sights are now gone for good. Join us as we look back at famous tourist attractions that were lost to time, disaster, vandalism and conflict. From ancient wonders to once-popular landmarks, our countdown includes Darwin’s Arch, the Azure Window, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, Palmyra and more. Which vanished destination do you miss most?
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00:00The palace burnt down November the 30th, 1936, so after that there wasn't very much traffic on the line.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're looking at famous tourist destinations throughout history that no longer exist.
00:13Fellow hunters, we're going to the Brown Derby.
00:19Number 30, the Basilica of St. John the Theologian, Seljuk, Turkey.
00:24Built in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus during the 6th century,
00:27this structure was supposedly the burial site of John the Apostle.
00:31The Roman emperor Justinian I, or Justinian the Great,
00:34oversaw the basilica's construction with assistance from Hypatius of Ephesus,
00:38removing an existing church to make way for a larger, grander one.
00:42What was this building?
00:44So, at the end of the 1st century, John died in Ephesus,
00:48and the Christians in the city buried him in a cemetery.
00:52Among the most prominent individuals to visit the basilica were St. Willibald,
00:56the Russian pilgrim Daniel the Traveler,
00:58and Byzantine emperor Constantine VI.
01:01Over the centuries, the basilica went through periods of deterioration and restoration.
01:05In the early 14th century, Ephesus was taken over,
01:09with the basilica being turned into a mosque.
01:11Ruins of the site remain, but St. John's tomb would be found empty.
01:15St. John was actually exiled from here,
01:18and later returned and died here.
01:21And these are the remains of the beautiful basilica that was built over his tomb.
01:25Number 29.
01:27Darwin's Arch, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
01:30This is the way it looked before,
01:32but then time and erosion eventually collapsed it,
01:35and boom, that's what happened.
01:37In the Galapagos Islands, just southeast of Darwin Island,
01:40you'll now find two stone pillars and a missing link.
01:43Up until 2021, you would have found the site known as Darwin's Arch.
01:47The aforementioned pillars once held an arch,
01:49stretching over 140 feet or 40 meters high,
01:53and around 230 feet or 70 meters across.
01:56Resembling a rocky plateau emerging from the Pacific Ocean,
01:59the site was also nicknamed The Theater.
02:01Just as theatergoers are not permitted to go on stage during a performance,
02:05tourists couldn't climb Darwin's Arch.
02:07It came as something of a shock when the arch collapsed from natural erosion
02:11nearly 200 years after Charles Darwin first visited the Galapagos Islands.
02:14As Darwin might say, that's natural selection for you.
02:18It is a popular spot for scuba divers.
02:20A spokesperson for the Galapagos Conservatory says,
02:23while the collapse was a bit of a shock,
02:25it is all part of the natural process.
02:29Number 28.
02:29The Tree of Tenerée.
02:31The Sahara Desert, Niger.
02:33For nearly three centuries,
02:34this acacia stood out from all others in Africa.
02:37If you trekked across Niger's Sahara Desert,
02:40perhaps you would have stumbled across the Tree of Tenerée.
02:42Yet you wouldn't find another tree standing for about 250 miles.
02:47Once said to have been the most isolated tree on the planet,
02:50those who randomly happened upon it might have assumed they were staring at a mirage.
02:53Despite developing something of a fabled reputation,
02:56many sought out the tree,
02:57which proved to be the highlight of any caravan trip.
03:00And in turn, those oven-like temperatures
03:02robbed the land of all its moisture.
03:06All in all, there could hardly be
03:07a more hostile environment for life on Earth.
03:11Thanks to a truck driver who was supposedly inebriated,
03:14the desert was officially down a tree in 1973.
03:17Into the tree he went, broke it clean off,
03:20and in that instant,
03:22the last tree of Tenerée was no more.
03:26In its place stands a medal tribute,
03:28while the tree's remains were moved to the Niger National Museum.
03:32Number 27.
03:33Discovery Island and River Country.
03:35Florida, USA.
03:36Today, water park enthusiasts flock to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
03:39and Blizzard Beach in Florida.
03:41Long before those parks were constructed,
03:43there was Discovery Island,
03:44not the area in Disney's Animal Kingdom.
03:46We mean the Bay Lake Island that Disney originally founded
03:49as Treasure Island in 1974.
03:51Later renamed Discovery Island,
03:53the area hosted a variety of animal species.
03:56Disney soon opened the neighboring River Country,
03:58the resort's first water park.
04:00You can slip, you can slide,
04:01you can dip, you can dive,
04:03in River Country everyone's a friend.
04:06By the turn of the century,
04:08Disney permanently closed Discovery Island,
04:10followed by River Country in 2001.
04:12Despite being off-limits to the public,
04:14the sites became crown jewels for Disney urban explorers.
04:18Alas, River Country's remnants were largely demolished in 2019,
04:21while Titan's security has made it nearly impossible
04:24to set foot on Discovery Island.
04:26Yeah, I just can't believe that we build these amazing things
04:29and then we just forget about them.
04:31Is there a tourist attraction that now only lives in your memories?
04:34Head to Ms. Mojo's 24-7 live stream
04:36to revisit the past with us.
04:38Scan the QR code on screen
04:39to join us live for nostalgic exploration.
04:42River Country, big river country,
04:44come and join us for a visit to the old swimming home.
04:48Number 26, the Royal Opera House of Valletta,
04:51Valletta, Malta.
04:52Designed by Edward Middleton Berry,
04:54this opera house was among the most marvelous venues
04:56on the island country of Malta,
04:58able to accommodate over 1,000 guests.
05:00The structure itself was worth experiencing,
05:02even if a performance wasn't taking place.
05:05The Royal Opera House had a history of misfortune, however.
05:08In 1873, several years after opening,
05:11a fire destroyed its interior.
05:12With the exterior enduring,
05:14the opera house underwent renovations,
05:16raising its curtain again by 1877.
05:19In 1942, though, Luftwaffe bombers hit the opera house,
05:22with only a fraction of the structure unscathed.
05:25Over the decades, there were various attempts to rebuild,
05:28but it wasn't until 2013 that a new theater
05:31called Piazza Teatro Real was constructed as its successor.
05:34Number 25, the Aladdin, Nevada, USA.
05:37No winning streak lasts forever, especially in Las Vegas.
05:41A staple of the strip for almost 70 years,
05:44the sun set on the Stardust Resort and Casino in 2006.
05:47A Las Vegas spectacular.
05:50The Stardust Hotel and Casino!
05:54The Aladdin was another legacy resort that ran out of wishes.
05:59Originally called the Tally Ho Hotel upon opening in 1962,
06:02the resort and casino became the Aladdin four years later.
06:05The resort was known for its Arabian Nights theme,
06:08complete with a magic lamp.
06:18The genie went back in its bottle by 1997
06:21when the resort closed to make way for the new Aladdin.
06:24Within a year of operation,
06:26the new Aladdin faced Chapter 11 bankruptcy,
06:28being revamped as Planet Hollywood Las Vegas by 2007.
06:32They'll open at 10 a.m.
06:34Caesars Entertainment saying the hotel will be open for guests
06:37Thursday through Sunday.
06:38The gaming floor will be open seven days a week.
06:41Number 24, the Crystal Palace, London, United Kingdom.
06:45Technically, this palace was made from plate glass and cast iron.
06:48That didn't make it any less impressive.
06:50Crystal Palace doesn't really exist.
06:52It gains its name because of the palace that was once there.
06:54But it survived in such fantastic condition for so many years.
06:57It's part of a very important part of the heritage.
07:00The structure was initially constructed
07:02to host 1851's The Great Exhibition,
07:04which is considered the first official World's Fair.
07:07Numerous innovations could be found within,
07:09including public toilets.
07:10But the Crystal Palace itself
07:12was perhaps the most extraordinary wonder of all.
07:14When the Great Exhibition ended,
07:16the palace underwent reconstruction with an updated design,
07:19being relocated from Hyde Park to Penge Place.
07:21The chances are that the cover of that history
07:24will be adorned by a building that symbolized
07:27the very best of art, of culture,
07:30of science, industry, and engineering.
07:33By the early 20th century,
07:35the Crystal Palace had seen better days.
07:37Any hope of a comeback went up in flames in 1936.
07:40While the fire destroyed everything,
07:42save two since-demolished water towers,
07:44the surrounding Crystal Palace Park
07:46has kept its legacy alive.
07:48Listen to local people and follow their energy.
07:51You end up by discovering heritage
07:54and then bringing it out of the ground
07:57for people to enjoy.
07:58Number 23, The Brown Derby, California, USA.
08:02Who wants to eat in a hat?
08:04A derby hat, a brown derby hat.
08:07Along with the historic sign on Mount Lee
08:09and the Walk of Fame,
08:10few tourist attractions scream Hollywood
08:12like a restaurant resembling a giant brown derby.
08:15Wilson Meisner opened the Brown Derby restaurant
08:17in 1926 on Wilshire Boulevard.
08:19With Robert H. Cobb and Gloria Swanson's ex-husband,
08:22Herbert K. Somborne, coming on board,
08:23the Brown Derby became a prominent chain
08:25across Los Angeles.
08:26He would discreetly move one of them away
08:30and put somebody else there
08:32or add that one if you were now dating
08:35so you'd come in and sit in the booth
08:36under your own caricatures.
08:38The original restaurant moved to a larger home in 1936,
08:42yet preserved its distinct hat shape.
08:44By the 1980s, the Brown Derby had died out,
08:47with locations being demolished and repurposed.
08:49Not even the initial landmark was spared this fate.
08:52Although, since people are always hungry for nostalgia,
08:55licensing agreements have allowed outsiders
08:57to try on the old hat.
08:58But the most popular reason is
09:00we'll make you feel like someone special.
09:02And no autographs, please.
09:05Number 22.
09:06The Arecibo Telescope.
09:08Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
09:09When one thinks of a giant telescope,
09:11this might not be the first thing that comes to mind.
09:13That said, there wasn't another site quite like the Arecibo Telescope,
09:17converting a natural sinkhole into a massive dish
09:20with cables holding a receiver and radar transmitters up above.
09:23Built in 1963,
09:24this radio telescope served various purposes,
09:26from studying astronomy to the pursuit of extraterrestrial life.
09:30Between multiple hurricanes and earthquakes,
09:32it became increasingly clear
09:34that the telescope was no longer structurally safe enough
09:37to remain in operation.
09:38The 430 megahertz line feed
09:40bounced radar beams off the ionosphere
09:43from its perch on a 900-ton platform,
09:46which hung 137 meters above the dish.
09:50Shortly after its decommissioning was ordered in 2020,
09:53more support cables broke,
09:55causing the telescope to collapse.
09:56Now, it's completely beyond repair.
09:59For England, James?
10:01No.
10:03For me.
10:04While you can still visit the Arecibo Observatory,
10:08its main attraction no longer exists.
10:10Number 21.
10:11The World Trade Center.
10:13New York City, USA.
10:14It goes without saying
10:15why we tragically can't visit the World Trade Center today.
10:18The events of September 11th, 2001
10:20will never be forgotten.
10:22No, all I want to do is hold them.
10:25I know.
10:26Before that infamous date, though,
10:27this economic center attracted nearly 70,000 visitors per day.
10:31While the idea of a single 110-story building was already astounding,
10:36building an almost identical adjacent tower
10:38made this complex one of a kind.
10:40Even after being surpassed as the tallest building on Earth,
10:43the World Trade Center remained a must-see destination
10:45for everyone who visited New York.
10:47Few observation decks captured the city better in all of its majesty.
10:51One World Trade Center now stands in its place,
10:54not only preserving the memory of the Twin Towers,
10:56but also those who lost their lives.
10:59People on the upper floor should be able to get out safely.
11:03This is a great tribute to our courage and perseverance
11:06and what we do as Americans.
11:09Number 20.
11:10The Duck Bill Rock.
11:11Oregon, USA.
11:12It will be three years already since this.
11:15The destruction of Duck Bill Rock
11:17at Cape Coanda in Tillamook County
11:20that was caught on camera.
11:21Situated at Camp Coanda in Oregon,
11:23this iconic sandstone formation
11:25was a beloved subject for photographers
11:27and social media influencers.
11:29Perched precariously on the coast,
11:31the rock resembled a duck's bill,
11:32creating a perfect natural frame
11:34against the stunning Pacific Ocean.
11:36Unfortunately, its viral fame became its ultimate undoing.
11:39In late 2016,
11:41a group of visitors pushed the formation
11:43until it shattered on the ground.
11:44When confronted,
11:45the vandals claimed they destroyed the landmark
11:48because a friend had supposedly broken their leg on it,
11:51framing their destruction as a mere safety measure.
11:53What nature took thousands of years to artfully sculpt
11:56was destroyed by humans in mere seconds.
11:59This is what Duck Bill Rock looked like
12:01before the act of destruction.
12:03The after pictures and the video sparked so much outrage,
12:08it seemed like it wouldn't be long
12:10before someone, somewhere, turned in the group.
12:13Number 19.
12:14The Sycamore Gap Tree.
12:15Northumberland, England.
12:17In the dead of night,
12:18with nobody around,
12:19the two vandals caught themselves in the act
12:22of bringing down the famous Sycamore Gap Tree.
12:26One filmed the other.
12:28Speaking of vandals destroying nature,
12:30let's talk about the poor Sycamore Gap Tree.
12:32Located along the historic Hadrian's Wall,
12:35the Sycamore Gap Tree
12:36was one of the most photographed landmarks in the UK.
12:39For over 200 years,
12:40this perfectly symmetrical tree
12:42stood in a dramatic dip in the landscape,
12:44gaining worldwide fame.
12:46But in September 2023,
12:47the world was shocked
12:49when the tree was discovered felled overnight
12:51in a senseless act of vandalism.
12:53Cut cleanly at the base with a chainsaw,
12:56the giant fell across the ancient Roman wall,
12:58a poetic symbol of fallen grace if ever there was one.
13:01While experts hope the remaining stump
13:03might eventually coppice and regrow,
13:05the iconic silhouette that once defined
13:07the English landscape is gone.
13:09Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers chopped it down.
13:12Mates on a moronic mission,
13:14the prosecution said.
13:16At their sentencing this afternoon,
13:19each got four years and three months in prison.
13:22The judge said they were motivated by sheer bravado.
13:25Number 18.
13:26The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing,
13:28Nanjing, China.
13:29Constructed in the 15th century,
13:31this pagoda was often listed
13:32as one of the great wonders of the medieval world.
13:35Standing nearly 260 feet tall,
13:38the tower was built with white porcelain bricks
13:40that were said to glitter in the sunlight,
13:42while lamps illuminated the structure at night.
13:45It was a masterpiece of architectural beauty
13:47that attracted travelers, pilgrims,
13:49and dignitaries for hundreds of years.
13:51Tragically, the tower was destroyed
13:53during the violent Taiping Rebellion of the 1850s,
13:56reduced to ruins by rebel forces
13:58fearing its use as a military watchtower.
14:00Although a modern reconstruction
14:02was built recently in a technology park,
14:04it's just not the same.
14:06Number 17.
14:07The Old Man of the Mountain,
14:08New Hampshire, USA.
14:09It now appears New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain
14:12tumbled from his perch Friday night.
14:14That's when two campers are saying
14:16they heard a loud rock slide.
14:18It might well have been the demise of the Old Man.
14:20New Hampshire's official state emblem
14:22was once a massive set of granite ledges
14:24that looked like a jagged human face.
14:26For centuries, the great stone face
14:28watched over Franconia Notch,
14:30becoming a beloved cultural icon
14:32and a major tourist magnet for the region.
14:34State workers spent decades fighting gravity,
14:36famously using turnbuckles and epoxy
14:38to keep the elderly formation together.
14:40But in May 2003,
14:42the natural freezing and thawing cycles
14:44finally won the battle.
14:45The face collapsed overnight,
14:47leaving only a nondescript pile of rubble.
14:50While plaza tributes and viewfinders remain
14:52to show visitors what used to be there,
14:54the Old Man himself is gone forever,
14:57defeated by old Mother Nature.
14:58Apparently no plans to take the old man's image
15:00off license plates or travel brochures,
15:02but what to do with that famous shoulder
15:04of Profile Mountain behind me
15:05is a question everyone is asking,
15:07along with just paying their respect.
15:09Number 16, The Lighthouse of Alexandria,
15:11Alexandria, Egypt.
15:13As one of the seven wonders of the ancient world,
15:15the Lighthouse of Alexandria
15:17was a true masterpiece of engineering.
15:19Built around 280 BCE,
15:21it stood over 300 feet tall,
15:23guiding ships into the busy harbor
15:25with a massive fire and mirrors visible for miles.
15:28It was the Burj Khalifa of the ancient world,
15:30the embodiment of humanity's desire
15:32to build really tall things.
15:34However, Mother Nature,
15:35the vandal of all vandals,
15:37struck once again.
15:38A series of devastating earthquakes
15:40between the 10th and 14th centuries
15:42shattered the tower,
15:43sending its massive blocks
15:44tumbling into the Mediterranean.
15:46But the Lighthouse didn't let Mother Nature
15:48steal its thunder entirely,
15:49as its ruins are still a popular attraction for divers.
15:53Number 15, The Tomb of Jerusalem.
15:55Mosul, Iraq.
15:56Years to build, but one minute to destroy.
16:01It was terrible, of course.
16:03Terrible for people, terrible for antiquities.
16:06This site in Mosul was unique
16:07for being a place of reverence
16:09for both Muslims and Christians,
16:10believed to be the burial place of the Prophet Jonah.
16:13Built atop a mound
16:14containing the ancient city of Nineveh,
16:16the mosque was a significant pilgrimage site
16:18and a historical landmark
16:19representing centuries of shared heritage.
16:22However, the region's volatile conflicts
16:24brought about a violent end.
16:26In July 2014, militants from ISIS
16:28blew the site with explosives,
16:30completely destroying the building
16:32in a public display of destruction.
16:34The loss was a devastating blow
16:36to the cultural history of the region,
16:38wiping out a rare symbol of interfaith connection
16:40that had stood tall for generations.
16:42This was to demonstrate their power over the landscape
16:46and also their effort to rewrite history.
16:49Number 14, The Pink and White Terraces,
16:51Lake Rotomahana, New Zealand.
16:53What Danzee was witnessing
16:55was the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Tarawena.
16:59The world would later learn
17:01that about 120 people died that terrible night
17:04and the eighth wonder of the world,
17:06the pink and white terraces, had vanished.
17:08In the mid-19th century,
17:10these cascading silica pools
17:12were arguably the most famous tourist attraction
17:14in the Southern Hemisphere,
17:15often called the eighth wonder of the world.
17:18Tourists traveled from Europe
17:19to bathe in the crystal blue waters
17:21that flowed down the center formations.
17:23The terraces were a geological marvel,
17:25but they were also situated dangerously close
17:27to the volcanic Mount Tarawena.
17:29And in 1886, the mountain erupted,
17:32splitting the lake floor
17:33and burying the terraces
17:34under millions of tons of mud and ash.
17:36While researchers have recently found evidence
17:39that parts of the terraces
17:40might still survive deep underwater,
17:42the accessible natural wonder
17:43that once defined New Zealand tourism
17:45is now just legends and paintings.
17:47Today, more than 100 years on,
17:49the fate of the pink and white terraces
17:51is still debated.
17:52There persists a myth
17:54that beneath the volcanic rubble,
17:55the terraces have somehow survived.
17:58For the young New Zealand colony,
18:00the terraces were an enormous drawcard
18:02that brought thousands of tourists
18:03from all over the world.
18:04Number 13, Guaira Falls,
18:07the border of Brazil and Paraguay.
18:09Before 1982,
18:11the Guaira Falls on the Paraná River
18:12were likely the most powerful waterfalls on Earth,
18:15eclipsing even the mighty Niagara.
18:17Located on the border of Brazil and Paraguay,
18:20the deafening cascade of 18 separate cataracts
18:22was a natural beast
18:23that drew awestruck tourists from around the world.
18:26However, the growing demand
18:28for hydroelectric power sealed its fate,
18:30and the falls were forever doomed
18:32by the construction of the massive Itaipu Dam.
18:34To ensure safe navigation for the new reservoir,
18:37the rock face was dynamited by the military,
18:40and the falls were submerged.
18:42Today, the mighty roar of Guaira is silent,
18:45drowned beneath a man-made lake,
18:47sacrificed to create one of the largest
18:49renewable energy generators in the world.
18:51Number 12,
18:52The Colossus of Rhodes, Rhodes, Greece.
18:55Then, in time,
18:58like everything else,
18:59it will dissolve away
19:01that the ruins of ancient Rome,
19:04the Colossus of Rhodes,
19:06all things tend towards their ruin.
19:09Standing over 100 feet tall,
19:11the Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze titan
19:13dedicated to the sun god Helios.
19:15Built around 280 BC,
19:17this wonder of the ancient world
19:19struck awe in those who visited.
19:20However, a massive earthquake in 226 BC
19:23snapped the statue at the knees,
19:25and he toppled to the ground,
19:27having lived just 54 years.
19:29But, like the Lighthouse of Alexandria,
19:31its destruction didn't end its fame,
19:33and for over 800 years,
19:35the rubble of the fallen giant
19:36remained a massive tourist attraction.
19:39Ancient writers like Pliny
19:40marveled that few men
19:41could even wrap their arms around its thumb,
19:43but even that vanished for good in 653,
19:46when invaders finally sold the bronze for scrap,
19:48an undignified end for a titan.
19:50The Colossus of Rhodes was swallowed by the sea,
19:53the lighthouse at Alexandria toppled by earthquakes.
19:57Not one of them built to last.
19:59Number 11.
20:00The Original Penn Station,
20:02New York City, USA.
20:03There were throngs of people in the station that day.
20:07It was as if someone took them
20:09to ancient Rome and ancient Greece.
20:10I mean, they'd never seen anything like that.
20:12The Original Pennsylvania Station
20:15was a Beaux-Arts masterpiece
20:16that defined the grandeur of New York.
20:18With its soaring ceilings,
20:20pink granite,
20:21and massive columns
20:21modeled after the baths of Caracalla,
20:23it was an architectural jewel.
20:25But in the 1960s,
20:27the station was sold and demolished
20:28to make way for Madison Square Garden
20:30and an office complex.
20:32The destruction of such a magnificent building
20:34outraged the public
20:35and directly sparked
20:36the modern historical preservation movement in America.
20:39While the trains still run today,
20:40the glorious gateway
20:42that once welcomed travelers
20:43with light and space
20:44has been replaced by fluorescent lights,
20:46cramped corridors,
20:47and claustrophobic ceilings.
20:49The scale of this was pharaonic.
20:51It was huge.
20:52It was the biggest civil engineering project of its time.
20:56Number 10.
20:56The Wawona Tree,
20:57Yosemite, California.
20:59In 1881,
21:00two brothers were paid $75
21:02to enlarge a fire scar
21:04in a giant sequoia tree,
21:05turning it into a massive living tunnel.
21:07Yosemite National Park
21:09began promoting the tunnel in the 1910s
21:11as automobile tourism
21:12began to increase in popularity.
21:14Driving through the Wawona Tunnel Tree
21:16became a popular photo op
21:17for tourists coming to Yosemite,
21:19celebrating the enormous trees
21:20native to the area.
21:22In 1969,
21:23the 2,300-year-old tree fell
21:25due to heavy snow,
21:26destroying the famous tunnel.
21:28The tree still remains
21:29where it fell today.
21:31But of course,
21:31it is no longer possible
21:32to drive through it.
21:34Number 9.
21:34Spree Park,
21:35Berlin, Germany.
21:36Opened in 1969,
21:38Spree Park was notably
21:39the only prominent amusement park
21:41in the entirety
21:41of Soviet East Germany.
21:43Back then,
21:44it was the VEB Kultepark Plantewald,
21:47and up to 1.5 million
21:49East Germans
21:50came here each year.
21:52The park remained
21:52immensely popular
21:53even after the reunification
21:55of Germany,
21:56attracting millions of visitors.
21:57Open-air concerts
21:59and impressive renovations
22:00kept visitors returning
22:01well into the 90s.
22:02However,
22:03after new owners
22:04took control of the park,
22:05poor decisions led
22:06to a decrease in visitors
22:07and a concerning increase
22:09in debt.
22:10When something is abandoned,
22:13something didn't work out.
22:14Something happened.
22:15And I guess for me,
22:17I'm very interested
22:18in knowing what happened
22:19exactly,
22:20what went wrong.
22:21The once-popular park
22:22finally closed in 2002.
22:24Guided tours once offered
22:26the public a look
22:27at the abandoned grounds,
22:28but the land is currently
22:29being renovated
22:30into a new public green space,
22:31with many attractions
22:33being removed entirely.
22:34The Spree Park
22:35is very dear to people
22:37here in Berlin
22:38and in Germany
22:39and it holds a lot of memories.
22:41So, you've got
22:42a big responsibility.
22:44It feels kind of heavy
22:45to be honest.
22:46I mean, as you say,
22:47it's really in the mindset,
22:50especially of people
22:51from the GDR,
22:52this is a very,
22:52very important place.
22:54Number 8.
22:54Palmyra,
22:55Homs, Syria.
22:56Thousands of years ago,
22:57this ancient city
22:58was a bustling hub
22:59for trade and culture
23:00that linked the Roman Empire
23:01to valuable trade destinations
23:03like Persia,
23:04India, and China.
23:05One of the most difficult challenges
23:07for camel-drawn caravan merchants
23:09trading along the Silk Road
23:11was the journey
23:12across the vast Syrian desert.
23:14In the middle of it
23:15was an oasis city
23:16known as Palmyra,
23:18the city of date palm trees.
23:20Its location
23:21and trade importance
23:22led to the creation
23:23of monuments
23:23that combined Greco-Roman,
23:25Persian,
23:25and Arabian architectural styles.
23:27These impressive ruins
23:28attracted tourists
23:29to Palmyra for centuries
23:31and the city was declared
23:32a UNESCO World Heritage Site
23:34in 1980.
23:35Provided everything
23:36that caravan merchants
23:37could want.
23:39There were shops
23:39for the merchants
23:40selling food,
23:41clothes,
23:42travel items,
23:43and even souvenirs.
23:44Tragically,
23:45during the Syrian Civil War
23:46in 2015,
23:47Palmyra was seized by ISIS
23:49and several ancient monuments
23:51were destroyed.
23:52Archaeologists
23:52and antiquities experts
23:54hope to someday restore
23:55these important ruins,
23:56but the damage
23:57is currently quite extensive.
23:58A first glimpse
23:59of the ancient city
24:00of Palmyra
24:01after it was retaken
24:02from the so-called
24:03Islamic State.
24:04This footage
24:05has come as a relief
24:07to many.
24:08It shows a lot
24:09of the 2,000-year-old
24:10Roman ruins
24:11still standing.
24:12Number 7.
24:13The Chacaltaya Glacier,
24:15La Paz, Bolivia.
24:16Once known as
24:16the world's highest ski resort,
24:18this glacial ski run
24:19attracted many visitors
24:20year-round.
24:21Rising 5,300 meters
24:23above the sea level,
24:25the peak was a popular
24:26family weekend retreat
24:27near the capital,
24:29La Paz.
24:29In the 1990s,
24:30scientists studying
24:32Chacaltaya predicted
24:33the glacier would fully
24:34melt by 2015.
24:35In 2009,
24:37six years earlier
24:38than predicted,
24:39Chacaltaya was gone.
24:40Today,
24:41only the chalet remains
24:42to mark the resort
24:43that once was.
24:44Bolivia has lost
24:45around half of its glaciers
24:46in the last 50 years.
24:48An expert say,
24:50things will continue
24:51to get worse
24:52as global warming
24:53continues.
24:54More than just
24:55a loss of tourism,
24:56the snow melt
24:57from Chacaltaya
24:57was an important
24:58water source
24:59for nearby La Paz.
25:00The loss of Chacaltaya
25:01is a shocking reminder
25:02of the consequences
25:03of climate change
25:04that will affect us all,
25:05likely sooner than we think.
25:07We must stop
25:07being ambitious right now
25:08and let the earth
25:09last longer,
25:10because I'd rather
25:11have water
25:11than a lot of money,
25:13really.
25:14That's what the future
25:15is all about now.
25:16We won't have enough water.
25:17Number 6.
25:18Wall Arch,
25:19Arches National Park,
25:20Utah.
25:21Thousands of beautiful
25:22natural sandstone arches
25:23in this national park
25:24attract millions of tourists
25:26every year,
25:27but they won't last forever.
25:28Known as Wall Arch,
25:30the 12th largest arch
25:31was an impressive
25:3171 feet wide
25:33and 33 and a half feet high,
25:34first reported in 1948
25:36by Louis T. McKinney.
25:3860 years later in 2008,
25:40the arch collapsed
25:41unexpectedly overnight.
25:42No witnesses observed
25:44the collapse,
25:45which begs the question,
25:46if a historic sandstone arch
25:48falls in a national park
25:49and no one's around to hear it.
25:51Does it make a sound?
25:52Number 5.
25:53Love Locks Bridge,
25:54Paris, France.
25:55A popular tradition
25:56for traveling couples
25:57around the world,
25:58a padlock with each partner's name
26:00is placed in a notable spot
26:01to symbolize the permanence
26:02of their relationship.
26:03It was a nice idea once.
26:05Back in 2008,
26:06the first couple
26:07locked up their love
26:08on the bridge
26:09and then tossed their key
26:10into the Seine
26:11as a sign of their
26:12undying devotion.
26:14Unsurprisingly,
26:15the city of love
26:16is one of the most popular
26:17destinations
26:18for love-locking hopefuls.
26:19As the trend grew,
26:21the Pont des Arts bridge
26:22became so burdened
26:23by heavy padlocks
26:24that the integrity
26:24of the bridge
26:25was at stake.
26:26The locks became so heavy
26:28that the grill work
26:30would collapse routinely.
26:32Every day,
26:33there was in some state
26:33of collapse
26:34and it was a true
26:35safety hazard.
26:36As a result,
26:37the locks were removed
26:38and replaced
26:39by panels of glass
26:40that would make it impossible
26:41to attach a lock
26:42to the bridge.
26:43The plan is
26:43to replace
26:44all of the metal grids
26:45with padlock-proof barriers.
26:47After a long,
26:49loving relationship
26:50with the River Seine,
26:51officials say
26:52it's now time
26:53for the Pont des Arts
26:54to move on.
26:55Despite these efforts,
26:57tourists still find ways
26:58to leave their mark
26:59on Paris
26:59in this romantic,
27:01albeit slightly
27:01destructive, tradition.
27:03Number 4.
27:04Six Flags, New Orleans
27:05New Orleans, Louisiana
27:06First opened
27:07under the name
27:08Jazzland in 2000,
27:10Six Flags invested millions
27:11into the amusement park
27:12before its 2003 reopening.
27:14Six Flags, New Orleans.
27:16It's playtime.
27:17The park featured areas
27:18themed after Louisiana culture,
27:20including Cajun country
27:21and a Mardi Gras section.
27:23Just two years
27:24after extensive renovations,
27:26the park was tragically hit
27:27by the devastating
27:28Hurricane Katrina.
27:29The land was flooded
27:30for over a month
27:31after the hurricane,
27:32destroying many
27:33of the attractions
27:33beyond repair.
27:34Hurricane Katrina
27:35left many scars
27:37on New Orleans
27:38nearly two decades ago,
27:39but one of the most visible
27:40is the old Six Flags Park
27:42in New Orleans East.
27:43The cost of rebuilding
27:44would have been
27:44incredibly steep,
27:46especially after the investment
27:47Six Flags had made
27:48before the hurricane.
27:49The park was left abandoned,
27:51though it was occasionally
27:52used as a filming location.
27:54In 2024,
27:55it was announced
27:56that what remained
27:57of the park
27:57would be demolished.
27:58The redevelopment plan,
28:00named Bayou Phoenix,
28:01aims to bring sports fields,
28:03lodging, shopping,
28:04and other attractions
28:05to the land
28:05that's now filled
28:06with husks of buildings.
28:08Number three,
28:09the Azure Window,
28:10Gozo, Malta.
28:11This strikingly beautiful
28:12natural rock formation
28:14was developed over time
28:15by constant erosion
28:16from the Mediterranean Sea.
28:18The contrast of the limestone rock
28:32against the blue waters
28:33of the sea
28:33made the Azure Window
28:34a popular site for tourists.
28:36The rock feature
28:37was even used
28:38as a backdrop
28:38in Game of Thrones
28:39and Clash of the Titans.
28:47Sadly,
28:48after decades
28:49of partial collapses
28:50widening and weakening
28:51the arch,
28:51the Azure Window collapsed
28:53in 2017
28:54after heavy storms.
28:55The remains of the arch
28:56are now fully underwater,
28:58enjoyed today
28:59only by scuba divers.
29:10These enormous 6th century Buddha figures
29:13were an important stop
29:14for Buddhist pilgrims
29:15traveling on the Silk Road,
29:16but they're impressive-sized,
29:17odd visitors
29:18from all religious backgrounds
29:19for centuries.
29:20In 2001,
29:21six months
29:22before 9-11,
29:24the Taliban declared
29:25the statues
29:25an affront to Islam
29:27and drew a line
29:28in the sand
29:29for the whole world
29:30to see.
29:31The two statues
29:32measured 125
29:33and 180 feet tall,
29:35carved into sandstone cliffs.
29:37In 2001,
29:38the Taliban destroyed
29:39the historic monuments,
29:41allegedly to comply
29:42with Islamic law.
29:43This shocking move
29:44outraged
29:44the international community,
29:46leading to protests
29:47and the UNESCO
29:48director-general
29:48calling the destruction
29:49a, quote,
29:50crime against culture.
29:51The statues
29:52of the Buddha
29:52that once stood
29:53at this site
29:54in Bamiyan
29:55were an estimated
29:5515 centuries old,
29:57and they weren't just
29:58a part of Afghanistan's history,
30:00they were a part
30:00of human history.
30:01The site is now
30:02on UNESCO's list
30:03of world heritage
30:04in danger,
30:05and efforts are being made
30:06to preserve and restore
30:07what remains of the Buddhas.
30:09UNESCO today
30:10continues to work
30:11to preserve
30:11Afghanistan's
30:12cultural heritage
30:13in general,
30:14and the Bamiyan site
30:15in particular.
30:22Before we continue,
30:24check out this single
30:25from Sound Mojo's
30:26Adia,
30:26Songs from Iran,
30:27reimagining Persian melodies
30:29as modern rock,
30:30metal,
30:31and pop songs.
30:32Check out the full track
30:33and album below.
30:34So nature bring dawn
30:37to this darkness
30:46spring has come,
30:49flowers bloom.
30:52Number 1.
30:53The Hippie Trail
30:54Less of a tourist attraction
30:55and more of an epic pilgrimage,
30:57this route wove through Europe,
30:58West Asia,
30:59and South Asia,
31:00and was followed
31:01by beatniks and hippies
31:02from the 1950s to 70s.
31:04Why are you here?
31:07I wish I knew, really.
31:09And I feel I've come here
31:11to do something now.
31:12And I feel I've come here
31:14for some reason,
31:14and I've got to find some reason
31:16before I can go back again.
31:17Traveling as frugally as possible
31:19helped extend the length
31:20of one's journey,
31:21which typically took travelers
31:22from Western European cities
31:24like London and Paris
31:25all the way to Kathmandu.
31:26The Hippie Trail
31:27can be adventurous and romantic,
31:29but it can be ugly and destructive.
31:32It can end in disease,
31:34repatriation,
31:34and even death.
31:36Travel along the Hippie Trail
31:37declined sharply in the 1970s,
31:39when conflicts in Iran and Afghanistan
31:41made passage too dangerous
31:42for tourists.
31:43Though it is possible
31:44to follow the trail today.
31:46Enduring tensions in the Middle East
31:48make the route far less safe
31:49and hospitable
31:50than it was in the past.
31:51To them,
31:51the trail is a pursuit
31:53in search of awareness
31:54and self-knowledge.
31:55Which tourist attraction
31:57do you miss
31:57or regret never getting to visit?
31:59Let us know in the comments.