What is Dark Tourism?
Dark Tourism is more to a visitation to the sites that are associated with death and tragedy. Have you ever been to or thought of visiting war museums, memorials building, abandoned places that listed in dark history? If your answer is yes or maybe, then you potentially could be a dark tourist even if you didn’t know it yet. There are many dark tourism sites in the world and almost all countries have their own dark tourism site but not all of them are popular. Some of them may even be quite off the beaten and little known. Know these top 7 dark tourism sites in the world.
1. Concentration Camp Auschwitz, Poland
During World War II, Auschwitz was one of the largest concentration camps in Germany. Many people were deported to this labor camp. Almost all of them were Jews and an estimated 1 to 5 million were murdered there. This camp is still the best dark tourism destination in the world even now. The most intense moments from the visitor experiences to this place are, when observing the masses of hair and nails of the victims.
2. Chernobyl
Chernobyl, Ukraine is also well-known as one of dark tourism destinations in the world. In 1986, one explosion tore through reactor 4 of the power plant and produced the worst nuclear accident in the history of mankind. The explosion created a restricted area of 30 kilometers around the plant, where tour firms organize trips. Around 36,000 visitors were recorded in 2016.
3. Volcano Creeks In Pompeii, Italy
In 79 AD, the volcano Vesuvius erupted in southern Italy where the whole ancient city of Pompeii was destroyed. This tragedy completely petrified the city. You can see many of fossilized bodies that was uncovered by archaeologists and the ruins.
4. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Japan
After the nuclear weapons test in Bikini Atoll, USA’s real target was Japan, which resulted in Hiroshima and Nagasaki being attacked in World War II. The result of the atomic bomb dropping causes from 120 to 226000 deaths in both cities. Among all the buildings, one building was hit but it still stands today and is known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial or the Atomic Bomb Dome.
5. 9/11 Memorial, New York
Since the terrorist attack on September 11 2011, New York became one of the famous dark tourism destinations. Many people don’t realize but it is fit to be a destination for dark tourism.
6. Killing fields, Cambodia
There are many famous places in Cambodia known as killing fields. About 300 places are where mass murders were committed. One of them is Choeung Ek. About 17 thousand were killed there in year 1975 to 1979. At the memorial, you can look at the showcase of more than 5000 skulls of some of the casualties.
7. Bikini Atoll, The Marshall Islands
The U.S.A did nuclear weapon tests in the areas after World War II in Bikini Atoll. The Bikini Atoll is an archipelago in the Pacific which belongs to Marshall Islands. The people had to leave their homeland and were relocated to an uninhabited island, assuming that they could return to their island later. However, the island was completely contaminated after the US made a test on it.
Every place has their own dark history and try to explore it all with sutra.my
