Hello, I'm an urban explorer from Lithuania. For over 10 years, I've been exploring abandoned buildings across Europe. One of my favorite types of places to explore has always been abandoned sacred sites - churches, monasteries, and crypts - because of their unique religious atmosphere.
Today, I'd like to present to you 30 of the most beautiful abandoned sacred places I've visited in Europe. If you enjoy my work, feel free to follow me on Instagram.
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#1 Round-Shaped Chapel, Czech Republic
This chapel was part of a large three-wing Baroque castle, which has been abandoned for many years. It is distinguished by its round shape and beautiful ceiling, decorated with religious paintings.
#2 Blue Church, Italy
This abandoned church belonged to a nearby monastery. Now both the church and the monastery are abandoned and only visited by urban explorers.
#3 Chapel With Sculptures, France
Located in a small village, this abandoned chapel once belonged to a former seminary. The most beautiful feature of this place is the magnificent sculptures that overlook the chapel from above.
#4 Abandoned Church In Italy
This church in Italy was left abandoned after the town became uninhabited following a massive earthquake. The town is now slowly being renovated, but the church remains abandoned.
#5 Abandoned Modern Church In Italy
This abandoned church, built in the mid-20th century, once belonged to the adjacent seminary. The seminary is now also abandoned, with only part of it housing a youth center.
#6 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
There are many abandoned churches in the Czech Republic. Construction of this church began in the early 20th century and continued until just before the First World War. The inscription above the altar reads, "O Lord, hear my prayer."
#7 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
This church in the Czech Republic has been abandoned for a long time due to structural damage. Since the residents lack the funds to repair it, the church remains closed and inaccessible to the public.
#8 Abandoned Church In Poland With Unique Wooden Interior
This abandoned church in Poland is renowned for its wooden interior architecture. According to rumors, planned reconstruction work was eventually canceled, and the building is once again up for sale.
#9 Abandoned University Church In France
This church near Paris was once part of a nearby university, which is now also abandoned. Despite its popularity among urban explorers, the church remains in surprisingly good condition.
#10 Abandoned Chapel, Italy
This abandoned chapel once belonged to a now-derelict monastery. With the doors left wide open, the interior is slowly being ravaged by vandals.
#11 Abandoned Synagogue, Romania
This large synagogue was built in 1897 in a city that once had a significant Jewish population. Today, the Jewish community is virtually gone, and the synagogue is being maintained and gradually renovated by local volunteers.
#12 Abandoned Church - Concert Hall In Ukraine
This abandoned church was repurposed during the Soviet era to serve a nearby bus factory, functioning as both a library and a concert hall. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the church fell into disuse and was ultimately abandoned.
#13 Abandoned Monastery In Lithuania
This abandoned monastery in Lithuania is renowned for the paintings that adorn its walls. Since it is very difficult to access, only a few urban explorers have managed to visit it. It remains one of the last well-preserved abandoned sacred sites in Lithuania.
#14 Abandoned Neo-Gothic Church In Belgium
It's encouraging that reconstruction work is already underway at this abandoned neo-Gothic church in Belgium.
#15 Church - Bar In Belgium
This church in Belgium was once repurposed as a bar and nightclub. Now, it stands empty, with pigeons beeing it's only occupants.
#16 Crypt In An Abandoned Palace, Poland
This fascinating abandoned crypt is located in a palace in northern Poland that is no longer in use. Although the palace is abandoned, the neighbors make an effort to maintain it and seal off the passages whenever they appear.
#17 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
This abandoned church was built in the first half of the 18th century by the owners of the nearby estate. During the communist era, the church was neglected and gradually destroyed by moisture from groundwater. Since the 1990s, legal disputes have arisen over the church, and they are still ongoing today.
#18 Abandoned Cathedral In France
This massive abandoned cathedral, located in a small French town, can no longer be maintained by the local residents. As a result, its windows are boarded up with wooden panels, and its only visitors now are the pigeons that nest there.
#19 Abandoned Church In A Small German Town
This abandoned church was once a favorite destination for urban explorers. An inscription above the altar reads, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
#20 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
Paintings of saints and wilted flowers—this abandoned church in the Czech Republic, unused for many years, is cared for by a neighbor who lives next door.
#21 Abandoned German Church In The Czech Republic
This church in the Czech Republic features inscriptions in German, as the town once had a large German-speaking community.
#22 Abandoned Church In An Italian Town
This church, located in a small Italian town, is very difficult to access, even for urban explorers—you have to squeeze through a very narrow opening.
#23 Secluded Abandoned Church In The Romanian Mountains
Romania is home to many abandoned churches, but this one stands out due to its remote location—literally in the middle of nowhere, with no houses or roads nearby. To reach it, visitors must first navigate several kilometers of a nearly impassable road and then continue on foot through the forest.
#24 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
Although no longer in use, this abandoned church in the Czech Republic is maintained by locals. It is well-secured, which is why few people are able to visit it.
#25 Abandoned Church In The Czech Republic
This abandoned church has preserved not only its pews but also the paintings on the walls and a magnificent altar. It has remained closed and neglected for many years due to lack of funds.
#26 Abandoned Church In Portugal
This church, located in a small village in Portugal, is slowly fading away. Its grounds are now used as a cattle pasture, and the doors to the church stand wide open.
#27 Abandoned Chapel In France
This chapel once belonged to a manor house next door, which has been abandoned for many years and is now undergoing reconstruction. Hopefully, reconstruction will begin here as well.
#28 Collapsing Monastery In Italy
Part of this monastery in Italy now houses a museum, but the rest is sadly neglected and slowly decaying. The ceiling is collapsing, making it unsafe to enter.
#29 Abandoned Palace Chapel, Hungary
This small chapel once belonged to an abandoned palace in Hungary that was once a hotel. Now, the hotel is deserted, and anyone can walk through it.
#30 Abandoned Modern Church In Belgium
This church belongs to a small community that lacks the funds to maintain it. As a result, it now stands completely abandoned.
