FAQ - Frequent Questions

Urban exploration (also abbreviated to urbex or UE) consists of the exploration of man-made structures, often abandoned ruins or barely visible elements swallowed up by vegetation.Tucked away factories, buried hospitals and dilapidated villas become architectural realities with mysterious charm. They are places where time seems to have stopped; the rediscovery of these locations is, however, capable of bringing to light all that decay and time have managed to hide, swallowing it up for years. 
Urban exploration also means documentation and sharing: the social media accounts that today deal with urbex are numerous indeed, and in addition to deriving a certain personal satisfaction from it, urbexers are mainly concerned with spreading and informing (often through the use of photography) a public, which we now discover to be quite numerous all over the world. 

If we think about the rules of our country, and therefore valid for the Italian territory, those who want to conduct an urban exploration by breaking into decaying and abandoned buildings without committing any crime, should take the following aspects into consideration. 
– STATE OF ABANDONMENT: the very first aspect to pay attention to is the condition of the property you are exploring, from which you must be sure of its clear state of disrepair. Therefore, it is important to consider broken windows, walls with obvious cracks, uncontrolled vegetation, gaping or missing doors, and so on. These are all signs that can in some way protect the explorer. In legal terms, one must then make sure that the building has actually been abandoned, and is not just temporarily vacant due to the provisional absence of the owner.
– UNRESTRICTED ACCESS: as mentioned earlier open or absent doors, lack of fencing, holes in walls and any other passages are obvious signs of neglect. Clearly, everything changes if you climb over walls, force padlocks or break doors to gain access; in this case you risk serious charges such as the “home invasion“. 
– SIGNAGE: always check if there are signs on the perimeter of the property with “no entry” or “private property“. If you want to visit a place with very obvious signage try to go through official channels; contact the authorities in case of public buildings or the owners in case of private buildings, with the purpose of obtaining the right permits to enter.
– DON'T TOUCH: urbex's first commandment is ”Take only pictures, leave only footprints“. This is not just a behavior that protects against the law, but more importantly an ethic that every explorer should respect.

The question of wondering how you can unearth and discover these abandoned places is a very common one; here is a brief guide that may help you find your first stop for urbex.
– Google Search: to perform a Google search, simply type ”abandoned places“ and search. Also try other languages or use keywords such as ”urbex“, “abandoned place“, “decay“, etc.
– Google Maps and Google Earth: travel through the digital world and look for items traceable to ruins or abandoned spaces and buildings via Maps or Earth in your area. Look for holes in rooftops and submerged buildings in vegetation, and use street view if available. This may take some time, but it's also the best way to discover exclusive locations.
– Get Out!: the most important step. Explore. Most people often just forget to get out and find their way around the sights of their locality. The world out there is full of surprises, you might come across your first, perfect, stop for your urban exploration.

To safeguard the places from vandalism or possible theft, I will omit any addresses. For these reasons I will not provide exact locations or access details for any of the places mentioned on this site. Today, places like these are often targeted and turned into ruins; it seems that the true essence of exploration has been lost. 

1. Don't explore alone: this is the first point, but also the most important one. Try to always have someone with you in case something happens. 

2. Plan your exploration: look for information over the Internet, ask someone who has already explored that location, try to figure out who is in the area, whether there are any lights on or any “guests.” Locate a good entry point that is accessible and check the area on Maps or Google Earth to get an idea of your surroundings. The more you do research and planning, the less worry you will have during your exploration. 

3. Try to have everything you need with you: no matter if it's a flashlight, extra batteries, camera, durable backpack, water or food, just make sure you bring everything you need for your exploration. Don't forget to wear a dust mask, which might come in handy in case of moist air that can cause discomfort or illness, or in case of asbestos. 

4. Watch your step: try to avoid excessive noise while you are exploring. Also pay attention to what might be supporting or supportive of the roof or structures above your head. 

5. Avoid carrying objects that could be considered weapons. 

6. Beware of homelessness and unwanted guests: it's very common to come across someone who has been camping or living in these buildings to perhaps shelter from the cold at night. Homeless people are not all bad, clearly, quite the contrary. However, it is necessary to understand that some of these people may be particularly susceptible, have drug or alcohol issues, suffer from psychiatric problems, or much more simply may not like the presence of strangers in that particular place they are occupying. If you see a possible guest, then better turn around and stay out of trouble.

7. Respect the abandoned places you visit: remember the most important rule of urbex. ”Take only pictures, leave only footprints“.