Written by Riva Forrester-Jones
Think alternative travel and you might think of travelling to places off the beaten track, somewhere no-one has heard of before – but a recent tourism trend is encouraging travellers to visit places well renowned, but for a more sinister reason.
While most of us want to get away and take a mental and physical vacation away from suffering and drudgery, we believe there is value in intentionally visiting places or historical landmarks that can offer you a darker, but perhaps more balanced, perspective of the world we live in. Here are three of the most visited dark tourist destinations.
Auschwitz, Poland
One of the top visited locations of ‘Dark Tourists’ is Auschwitz. Auschwitz was the largest and deadliest of six dedicated extermination camps where hundreds of thousands of people were tortured and murdered during World War II and the Holocaust under the orders of Nazi dictator, Adolf Hitler.
The experience of visiting a concentration camp is one I truly believe everyone, young and old, should experience once in their life. Having visited Dachau, located just outside Munich in Germany, I can attest to the fact that until you are face to face with these places, you can never truly understand the scale of this tragedy.
I found visiting brought about a deep sense of gratitude for the privilege in my life, with daily issues we face entirely minute in contrast to those of the genocide victims. It was an important reminder to always choose compassion over discrimination, and to appreciate your loved ones.
Salem, Massachusetts
A visit to Salem is a must for anyone interested in tales of old witchcraft and the infamous witch trials in 1692. Over 200 people were accused of practising “The devils magic” and they executed 20 people for it. It’s many torments, which stretch from being consumed by mass hysteria during the trials to reports of supernatural occurrences, have lead to a major increase in tourism to the area.
Mandi from the Viva Travel team has visited, quoting
” There really was a sense of something eerie about the destination. Not your usual spooky, spine chilling scenes captured in popular Salem inspired movies, but definitely a feeling of unrest and injustice”
While Salem have now embraced their dark history, with multiple festivals and museums dedicated to teaching tourists about the trials, it is important to recognise the hysteria and subsequent discrimination that caused so much suffering and how it can so easily happen again today.
Chernobyl, Ukraine
From the famous abandoned city of Pripyat to standing nearby the fateful reactor itself, a visit to the Chernobyl exclusion zone has been described as an incredible, albeit eerie, experience.
On April 26, 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, resulted in a cloud of radioactive particles spreading across parts of Europe. With more than 350,000 people evacuated from severely contaminated areas of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, with some never to return.
You would think warnings of radiation would keep visitors away, but the site has been gaining attention every year with tourists eager to learn firsthand about the history behind the area, from people who actually live there.
Perhaps learning about this catastrophe firsthand, could teach visitors about the strong connection between technologies and humanity and how that connection can backfire, hurting those it originally served to help.
Please note: When travelling to any ‘dark tourism’ location, we encourage all travellers to be respectful and intentional in learning about the history. Aka. Under no circumstances use a selfie stick.
Would you consider visiting a dark tourist location on your next trip?
