10 Mysterious Places That You Can See Only On Google Maps

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Travel/Destinations/10 mysterious places that you can see only on Google Maps10 mysterious places that you can see only on Google Maps

Samonway DuttaguptaSamonway Duttagupta/Times Travel Editor/SIGHTSEEING, WORLD/ Updated : Aug 21, 2017, 13:59 IST

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10 mysterious places that you can see only on Google Maps

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A lot of us who are always bitten by the travel bug can relate to the dream of travelling to the deepest corners of Earth. We can literally keep dreaming of visiting each and every place in the world, and if given a chance, will s … Read more

A lot of us who are always bitten by the travel bug can relate to the dream of travelling to the deepest corners of Earth. We can literally keep dreaming of visiting each and every place in the world, and if given a chance, will surely try to live that dream. Read less

A lot of us who are always bitten by the travel bug can relate to the dream of travelling to the deepest corners of Earth. We can literally keep dreaming of visiting each and every place in the world, and if given a chance, will surely try to live that dream. However, it will be a disappointment for many to know that there are places in this world where you can never reach, or should we say you are not allowed. While some of these places are home to residents who have banned the entry of visitors, the others are either marked restricted by the government or are simply impossible to reach. However, there is a way in which you can ensure that your wanderlust does not go unsatiated. It is none other than Google Maps which can actually ensure that a traveller keen to explore every corner of the world can still visit these places at least once in their lifetime. Here is a list of such destinations curated for travellers like you. Svalbard Global Seed Vault

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More News This place will probably give you major throwbacks of the famous Hollywood film, 2012, which showed mankind surviving the end of the world by boarding a set of ships made to survive the destruction. But did you know that there is actually a place on Earth that can help you survive in the face of an apocalypse? Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which is located in the North Sea, on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, houses more than 250 million crop seeds that have been kept here by gene banks belonging to different parts of the world. In a nutshell, it is the place where you can find samples of most of the important floral species in the world. Built to make these plants survive in case of a mass destruction on Earth, this vault has the ability to withstand any natural calamity or any type of explosion. But then, you won’t be allowed to visit this place unless you are a designated researcher or plant breeder with a valid permit to go in. In case you feel too much of an urge to check out the place, simply take the help of Google Maps! Area 51 Area 51 has been claimed to exist in plenty of Hollywood movies including the blockbuster flick Independence Day. It is supposed to be a restricted and secret military base of the US forces. If legends are anything to go by, the Area 51 exists 83 miles north of Nevada. Apparently, the area is said to have a moonlike surface as well. Speculations are rife that this place is used for the development and testing of aircrafts and weapon systems by the US military―claim that the US Government always denied. The place is referred to by many other names including Homey Airport, Groom Lake, Dreamland, Paradise Ranch, Home Base and Watertown and is scrutinised minutely at all times to prohibit any kind of foreign intrusion. Mezhgorye As different as the name of this place is, Mezhgorye will make you believe that what happens in Russia stays in Russia. This place is actually a town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, which has always restricted the entry of visitors. Forget travellers, not even the Russian citizens from other parts of the country can enter this place. As far as the rumours suggest, the residents of this town are working on a highly classified project around Mount Yamantaw. Legends suggest that this particular mountain is the possible location of a number of Russian secrets, including treasures, a nuclear program, even a bunker which can be used during war, or a huge warehouse of coal. Let Russia keep their secrets, but the bad news for travellers is that it is a beautiful place and that is quite evident from the satellite images of Google Maps as well. North Sentinel Island Legends from this place can remind people of the famous literary novel titled, Heart of Darkness. The North Sentinel Island on the Bay of Bengal, close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is the place which is believed to be the home of the most dangerous tribe in the world. The island is believed to be as big as the Manhattan town and is believed to have a tribal population between 50 to 400. The Sentinelese are dead against any kind of foreign invasion and is believed to be the only living population on Earth that did not let modern civilisation touch them in any way. Anyone who has ever tried to go anywhere near to this place has faced arrows and stones. In fact, in 2006, two fishermen were killed when their boat drifted near the island. It has been dubbed as one of the hardest places to visit in the world. Surtsey Although a beautiful place to look at from a distance, the sad part is that you will never be given access to the Surtsey island. Said to have been formed as a result of a volcanic eruption in 1963, the only people who have ever set foot on this island are a handful of scientists. Located in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southern coast of Iceland, the island is believed to be a place used as a living laboratory where scientists study the course of ecological succession. If explained in other words, it is a place where scientists run numerous experiments and thus observe the interaction between animals and plants without any sort of human intervention. Lascaux Caves Those who have had the opportunity to live a couple of decades before us must be laughing at us watching us getting excited looking at cave paintings in Dragonstone (reference: Game of Thrones). This is because the Lascaux Caves was earlier open to the public as it was famous all over the world for its Palaeolithic cave paintings. Located in the south west of France, these caves are home to paintings that were made more than 17,500 years ago. The place was unfortunately closed down to preserve the originality of these ancient paintings. Snake Island Located at a distance of about 90 miles from the city of Sao Paulo in Brazil is the Ilha de Queimada Grande, which is popularly known as the Snake Island. Although the place looks beautiful from the bird’s eye view or even the satellite images on Google Maps, the place has been made forbidden by the Brazilian navy. The answer to this remains in the common name of this island (Snake Island), which is due to the presence of around 4,000 snakes that roam this island. With so many snakes on a 110 ac. island, one would find a snake every six yards literally. Besides, this island is home to the golden lancehead, which is considered to be one of the most venomous vipers in the world. This particular species of snake is said to possess a venom so strong that it can melt human flesh. Sounds scary already, doesn’t it? Bohemian Grove The name of this place itself sounds fishy, doesn’t it? Well, the place is actually no less. The stories about this place will actually make you believe that there are secret hives of the wealthy, in real life as life. The Bohemian Grove is a private estate in California, a western US state, which is spread across an area of 2,700 ac. and is owned by a private club based out of San Francisco, called the Bohemian Club. The catch is that every year during the summer season, the place organises weekend camps for a two-week stretch on its wooded zone, where only the most powerful men in the world are allowed access. Although shrouded in a lot of mysteries, no one can set foot within this highly guarded place. Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion Yes, it is a place of worship but then, there is no way you can make a way inside this church. Located in Ethiopia, Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion does not allow visitors because it is believed that this church houses some of the most important biblical objects, including the original Ark of the Covenant. If the legends revolving this church are to be believed, the Ark was brought to this place by Menelik I after he visited his father King Solomon. The original structure is believed to have been built way back in the 4th century when the place was ruled by Ezana, the first Christian ruler of the Kingdom of Axum or the present-day Ethiopia. Vatican Secret Archives Travelling to the Vatican City can really be a pleasant experience for many but then, no matter how much curious you are, you can never visit the Vatican Secret Archives. The reason behind this is there in the name of the library itself. After all, it’s just not any library, it is the Vatican Library, and it is known to house some of the most ancient books that have belonged to the many popes for generations. Only a handful of man who are considered sacred are allowed access within the extravagantly brightened corridors and beautiful structures of this place. Many believe that this place has books that disapprove the existence of Jesus Christ, while others believe it has proofs of alien existence.

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10 mysterious places that you can see only on Google Maps

A lot of us who are always bitten by the travel bug can relate to the dream of travelling to the deepest corners of Earth. We can literally keep dreaming of visiting each and every place in the world,...

•