Disasters on Earth marked devastating, traumatic tales to the ancient history of the world. Since the damage inflicted on the affected area are too major to ignore, these catastrophes left traces of their pasts to remind the future generations of the terror and sufferings the people in the olden days have endured living in the name of survival, although there are many others who could not make it in time. These memorable yet fatal incidents are a talk of the town even to this day, a topic of discussion whether it was the law of nature itself or the meddling from the hands of mankind themselves who triggered such calamities, taking away many lives without visible warning.
It is the 20th-century and the remains of what used to be bygones are rediscovered as tourist spots for the newer descendants to witness the different wonders-turned-tragedies that not even modern fire damage restoration can surely bring their glory back into its usual self. Even if it is possible, it would never be the same as when they were initially built at its utmost magnificence.
Here is the list of popular disaster-turned-tourism sites you might love to visit for your next family vacation:
Pompeii, Italy
Ancient Rome has its own unique reputation, famous for its beautifully constructed buildings such as The Colosseum for its gladiatorial contests, the church of Pantheon, and the then tallest in Rome, Castel Sant’Angelo fortress. Albeit the fame these buildings have reputed throughout the years passed since its reign, they can never compare to what Pompeii, the mother of all disaster sites, has been through. Mount Vesuvius is a somma-stratovolcano who is the perpetrator of the burial of the ancient Rome city under the mounds of ash and pumice. Everything concluded with an unfortunate end in which, not only the streets to its frescoes were preserved, but over 300 skeletons were found near the beach attempting to flee the eruption for dear life. Today’s Pompeii is one of Italy’s most popular tourist spots as a part of the Vesuvius National Park for people of the future to admire the history and the structure of the sophisticated Roman city.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Japan
Time is harsh to humanity — wars seem unavoidable until they end, food shortages leave children wailing with empty stomachs, houses are wrecked by bullets and bombs, and many more agonizing mortals are forced to endure beneath the chaos, whether innocent or not. However, few people survived the calamitous event, only to be immortalized as a memorial in world history. It is common knowledge both the old and new generations that World War II is an absolute dark time and an undesirable kind of conflict we wish to never relive again. What scarred Japan to its today’s unhealed pain is the merciless atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, resulting in over a hundred thousand fatalities and a plague of radiation issues. What was left standing tall and strong is the Genbaku Dome, Hiroshima’s most powerful trademark which is the closest to ground zero. Despite its hollowness, the grievous past bears more weight than what it looks like by appearance. To soothe the physical and emotional damage from the city’s remnants, origami cranes are made to honor as a symbol of all the innocent lives lost during World War II.
Chernobyl, Ukraine
You might have heard this word all over the internet – ranging from movies to video games manifested into cloud-like shape or structure. Be it by pixel or special effects, it will never divert from the true history of it all: The world’s worst nuclear accident. The city, now a ghost town with barely present residents living in the outskirts, caused an overwhelming amount of radiation killing an estimated 4000 people. The exploded nuclear power plant incident reduced the town’s population since, abandoning everything into an overgrown, apocalyptic site with a doomsday ambiance that can surely send chills down your spine.
Ground Zero, New York
For the United States of America to have a public perspective as having quite a reputation in the world, the land of liberty is no exception to a lamentable past. The 9/11 attack remains a sensitive memory for the Americans, affecting them politically and instilled fear. It has left them vulnerable since the death of nearly 3000 American lives in their own homeland. The fate of the United States changed forever on that dreadful day when the twin buildings fell. Hence lay a memorial ground on the very place the twin towers formerly located, a fountain of names who lost their lives as well as an entire museum about the dreadful incident. Though it may be a tourist spot for those who wish to learn more about the attack, it is no doubt an emotional site to honor the victims.
