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There are many intriguing corners of the world that the vast majority of
us will never have the opportunity to visit. Like Mount Weather is a
secret refuge for the US government. The FEMA Operations Center is
hidden underneath the mountain and is capable of running the country in
the event of a catastrophe and any resulting emergency situation.
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1 – Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center,
Virginia
Mount Weather is a secret refuge for the US government. The FEMA
Operations Center is hidden underneath the mountain and is capable of
running the country in the event of a catastrophe and any resulting
emergency situation. Some of the center’s structures are built above
ground, and these are administered and guarded by a separate branch of
the security and emergency services. Inside, the center is governed by
its own laws, and outsiders are strictly forbidden to enter. |
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2 – Svalbard Global Seed Vault, Norway
Within a mountainside on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, at a depth
of 120 meters, a tunnel has been built within which a constant
temperature of −18°С is maintained. The humidity is kept to a minimum,
and the tunnel’s microclimate is regulated by an automated system. It is
here that humanity’s last hope of reviving the natural world is
safeguarded in case of an unforeseen cataclysmic event. Containers of
seeds preserve the agricultural inheritance of all the world’s
countries, and it is for this reason that not a single person can be
allowed to enter for fear of damaging mankind’s chances of survival. |
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3 – Vale do Javari Reservation, Brazil
Indigenous tribes have inhabited the jungles of the Amazon for many
centuries. Aerial photographs prove the existence of those which still
remain untouched by the outside world. In the Vale do Javari Reservation
there are around 14 tribes that have no knowledge or experience of the
outside world and whose lifestyle revolves around agriculture.
Researchers have discovered an additional eight villages there, leading
them to estimate that the combined population of the indigenous peoples
may be as high as 2,000. For their safety and the preservation of their
way of life, authorities banned people from entering an area of the
Amazon rainforest equal to around 77,000 square kilometers. |
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4 – Club 33, New Orleans
In 1967, Walt Disney founded a club which gathered together famous
investors, eminent public figures, and politicians under one roof.
You’ll never be invited to visit “Club 33,” nor will anyone passing by
its mysterious door ever find any clues as to its name. The rumor is
that it’s not simply the number of members it has. For those who burn
with enough curiosity, you can visit the club if you wait 14 years and
pay a starting sum of $10,450 (for individuals) or $27,500 (for
companies). In addition, each year individual and corporate members of
the club have to pay $3,275 or $6,100 respectively to retain their
membership. |
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5 – The magnetic island of Es Vedrà
The rocky island of Es Vedrà is one of the Balearic Islands off the
coast of Spain, and it is said to have the third most powerful degree of
geomagnetic force on Earth (the first and second are the Bermuda
Triangle and the North Pole). Yet the island has no metal deposits
whatsoever, being formed entirely from volcanic rock. Here, technology
falters, and you can’t trust your compass to point in the true direction
— the arrow will swing chaotically in different directions. The
mysterious Es Vedrà is swathed in legends and harrowing stories. The
Spanish government has banned anyone from visiting the island, declaring
it to be a nature reserve. Some claim that the local Spaniards
occasionally organize illegal excursions to the island. All that you can
do legally is observe the shore of the island from the water.
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