Manmade Places That Nature Has Taken Over

Humans love to believe that we are the conquerors of the Earth, that we can overcome anything the environment throws at us, but nature has a knack for reminding us that it can always make a comeback. Whether through erosion, plant regrowth, or other natural phenomena, nature has a way of reclaiming the land as its own.

These are some stunning examples of nature taking over manmade places and objects.

I Guess This Calls For A Detour

Hawaii is well-known for its volcanic geographic features, and this road blockage is the result of lava spilling out onto the road, covering it, and then cooling on it during a seismic event.

solidified lava that had spilled over a road
Photo Credit: Reddit / aryeh95
Photo Credit: Reddit / aryeh95

The Ocean Will Always Win Against The Ship

This ship sank in the Angas Inlet off the coast of Australia near Adelaide and has since become home to some mangroves—a species of tree that survives in saltwater and can attach and detach from locations.

sunken ship with a mangrove tree growing from it
Photo Credit: Reddit / earthmoonsun
Photo Credit: Reddit / earthmoonsun

The Whole Village Up And Left

This is a photo of a village in the Shengsi Islands of China, which used to be a bustling area. However, like in most villages that are tied to one volatile industry, all the residents moved to where there were more fish for the taking.

village with all the structures overgrown with greenery
Photo Credit: Twitter / @astrovalentino
Photo Credit: Twitter / @astrovalentino

The Titanic When It First Sailed Vs. Now

In 1912, the Titanic was considered the peak of human achievement as the greatest ship ever made. We all know how that turned out, but the ship has since been taken over by sea life.

the titanic as it was vs how it looks now in the ocean
Photo Credit: Reddit / mushroots
Photo Credit: Reddit / mushroots

A Temple That Has Been Conquered By A Tree

This is an old temple to Shiva located in the forests of Bangladesh, which has since been entirely overgrown by a bodhi tree, which is a ficus tree that Lord Buddha supposedly sat under to achieve enlightenment.

a tree that has its roots fully encompassing a building
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206

An Abandoned Castle In France

This beautiful building that is built and decorated in the ornate romantic style used to be a posh castle in the French countryside, although it has since been left for the ivy.

romantic era building with ivy hanging through hole in ceiling
Photo Credit: Reddit / PrudenceApproved
Photo Credit: Reddit / PrudenceApproved

These Are The Remnants Of WWI Trenches

World War I used trench warfare for battles, leaving long, deep scars across the plains used as battlefields. However, this is all that remains of the trenches in Beaumont-Hamel in northern France.

uneven ground across grass plain
Photo Credit: Reddit / wj7_02
Photo Credit: Reddit / wj7_02

Nature Defined Political History In This Case

This is the Green Line demarcation zone that separated the Muslim and Christian citizens in Beirut, which developed during the Lebanese Civil War from 1975–1990. It was named after the foliage that grew through the city.

Narrow street between buildings is overgrown with greenery
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206

A Relic From The Mining Days In Millcreek Canyon, Utah

In the early 1900s, mining became one of the dominant industries across Utah’s mountainous geography. This building likely housed kilns used to process minerals that had been recovered in nearby mines.

abandoned industrial building nestled into the mountain
Photo Credit: Reddit / larrythe_fisherman
Photo Credit: Reddit / larrythe_fisherman

From Boat To Island

This ship, named the SS Edith Cavell, was originally launched in 1898 but now resides in the Maroni River near St Laurent du Maron in French Guiana, a region on the northern coast of South America.

Boat covered in foliage like an island
Photo Credit: Reddit / KodyLapointe
Photo Credit: Reddit / KodyLapointe

Trees In Silos Are Actually Pretty Common

As technology advanced and people moved to urban areas, a lot of farming infrastructure was left behind in rural areas across many parts of the world. Some of which was reclaimed by nature, including many locations across the American Midwest.

tree growing up and out in silo
Photo Credit: Reddit / runswithjello
Photo Credit: Reddit / runswithjello

A Railway Turned Into A Garden

Back in the day, trains were the best mode of transportation when trying to cover ground, and train tracks were frequented by many travelers. With the rise of planes and cars, old railways have been left to the whims of nature.

train tracks covered in wildflowers
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206
Photo Credit: Reddit / sacrecoeur1206

This House Belongs To The Tree Now

Krasnoe used to be a fairly populous village in Belarus, but the whole area had to be evacuated following the explosion at Chernobyl, and wildlife has been reclaiming the area ever since.

three growing from inside of a house and out the door
Photo Credit: Reddit / earthmoonsun
Photo Credit: Reddit / earthmoonsun

School’s Out!

This bus was found almost entirely surrounded by greenery in the middle of Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, though it’s not clear how it got there or when it was left.

bus in forest
Photo Credit: Reddit / only-granola
Photo Credit: Reddit / only-granola

No More Cruising For This Ship

This is a photo of the MS World Discoverer, a German cruise ship that hit a patch of uncharted reef in the Sandfly passage near the Solomon Islands in April 2000 and was left behind.

cruise ship on side near island
Photo Credit: Reddit / hsangnaes
Photo Credit: Reddit / hsangnaes

Would This Be Considered A Treehouse Or A House-Tree?

This house is located deep within the Black Forest in Germany. In general, trees are extremely resilient and determined plants that can grow through or around just about any material.

house with a large tree growing through the roof
Photo Credit: Instagram / @lennart
Photo Credit: Instagram / @lennart

A Photo Of Bali You Probably Haven’t Seen

While Bali is currently one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, it also had a lot of appeal in the past. These are the remains of an abandoned resort on the island.

staircase and ornate dragon decor covered in foliage
Photo Credit: Reddit / _nok
Photo Credit: Reddit / _nok

Elmo’s Looking A Little Green, But Not With Envy

This Elmo doll was found by a hiker who was taking a route through the forests in Georgia. Likely left there by a child sometime in the last few decades, a bunch of moss now calls him home.

Elmo Doll Covered in moss
Photo Credit: Reddit / psithurism_daze
Photo Credit: Reddit / psithurism_daze

Lately, Some Designers Have Sought To Incorporate Nature From The Start

In an attempt to help counteract climate change and diminish the effects of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, buildings that made it easy for lush, green plants to grow all over them were put up in Foshan, China.

building with greenery on every level
Photo Credit: Reddit / BroMills24
Photo Credit: Reddit / BroMills24

…And When We’re Still Enough, Nature Will Always Come Back Around

With the recent lockdowns due to health concerns in Colorado, mountain lions have been seen making their way through the streets of Boulder in a way that hasn’t happened in years.

mountain lions crossing residential lawn in suburb
Photo Credit: Reddit / clicktosave
Photo Credit: Reddit / clicktosave