What is Urban Exploration (Urbex)? FAQ by a Photographer

Urban Exploration is a hobby, which has become more popular in recent years. In essence, this involves visiting interesting buildings and locations typically off-the-beaten-track. For most explorers (often called Urban Explorers), these are places that are abandoned and/or places that are off-limits and unseen by the general public.

Urban Exploration and photography often go hand-in-hand. It is common for explorers to document their explorations with reports and a large collection of photos. The locations may have interesting architecture, like an old Art Nouveau casino or an Edwardian theatre. Perhaps there are ties to important historic events, which can be shared alongside the images. Alternatively, some natural decay can create some gloriously photogenic scenes.

Urban Exploration often grades into several other hobbies, including roof topping or urban spelunking. Correspondingly each explorer often has a slightly different definition and specific areas of interest. The choice of location, as well as the photography, often reflects something about the personality explorer/photographer.

I define Urban Exploration as “Exploration of abandoned, lost, decaying and forgotten places. Places which are not usually seen by the public.“. My idea of Urban Exploration is very broad, and correspondingly the range of locations I visit is very diverse.

Urbex is simply cooler, trendy abbreviation. URban EXploration, clever right? Some people shorten this even further, calling the hobby simply “UE”. This hobby involves visiting abandoned and decaying buildings, often recording the adventures with video or photographs.

Well spotted, it is certainly true that the vast majority of locations which appear in photos are clearly from rural areas. Certainly, most of the French chateaus and Italian villas are clearly not in urban areas. There are some people that differentiate these non-urban places into Rurex; Rural Exploration.

I have a very relaxed definition of urbex so I just lump everything into this one bucket term.

The old and cliché mantra is “Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints” is something you will hear often. As face-palm inducingly unoriginal as this is, there is wisdom in this.

“Take nothing”. I am vocally against taking anything from a location, ever. It isn’t mine, so this is theft.

“Leave nothing”. As responsible humans we should always take our litter home with us. We should endeavour to leave these places as we found them. This includes no graffiti/tags, as well as causing no damage.

Yes, Urban Exploration often involves entering land and property that does not belong to you. This is indeed trespassing.
The exact laws on trespassing, as well as the associated punishments, vary widely between countries. Always be aware of the laws, wherever you explore. If you engage in unlawful activity, be prepared for the possible consequences of your actions.

Quite simply, to protect them.

In recent years this hobby has gained attention and more people seek pretty locations to fill their Instagram feeds or YouTube channels. The more people that visit, the greater the chance of theft and damage. Likewise, the arrival of frequent visitors is more likely to draw the attention of locals. Additionally, large groups all turning up on the same day in several cars aren’t exactly being subtle. When suspicions are raised in these ways, locations soon get sealed.

A lot of these locations have antiques or interesting items inside. These are too tempting of a target for those with light fingers. There are also lots of clean walls, that for some present an irresistible urge to tag or otherwise spray paint. Indeed, some people seem to just enjoy destruction on various scales.

I believe that by obscuring location names/addresses and delaying posting photos online we can help slow, or sometimes prevent, the destruction of these places. I appreciate that there are other lines of reasoning in favour of outright naming locations. I accept there are arguments for and against on both sides, and in truth there is no “perfect” solution. However, my personal stance is that I am in favour of codenames and restricted sharing of location addresses. Please respect my wishes, and I ask that you do not take offence that I am declining to share with you.

A very good question! I have given many tips and tricks in this other FAQ “How do I find Abandoned Locations near me?”

Personally, I do not condone breaking in or any form of entry that involves damaging a building. I believe that in the vast majority of cases a building can be accessed without breaking in. If you are thorough enough with your investigations, there is likely to be some way in. An open window, a loose basement grate or even an unlocked door. A confident climber may also be able to find inventive ingress opportunities.

Keep in mind that if you chose to break into a building, this is a criminal act. While the laws regarding trespassing may differ between countries, breaking and entering seems to be universally illegal.

This is another question that depends on the person you ask, and your own moral compass. Personally, I am STRONGLY AGAINST taking items from abandoned buildings. To me, this is theft and is NOT something I do.

I accept that other people may rationalise, or argue it is ok. “If I didn’t take it, someone else would”. “No one owns it, so what is the harm”. “It was only going to go into the skip anyway”. It is a personal choice, some people take souvenirs and some people do not.

Another important thing to keep in mind, theft is always a criminal offence. So, if you take something make sure you are ready for the consequences if you are caught. To re-iterate again, I am against removing things from abandoned buildings and I do not condone theft.

There are some explorers that are vehemently against permission visits. They see seeking permission as detracting from Urban Exploration (or, specifically, their definition of it). Personally, I prefer to seek permission if it is possible as it removes a lot of potential issues.

There are many dangers in an abandoned building. You should never enter a location that you do not feel comfortable exploring. This depends on your definition of what you deem “safe to enter”. I cover some of the hazards that I regularly encounter inside abandoned buildings in my FAQ “What are some basic Urban Exploration safety tips?”.

Sure thing! I have included some helpful tips in my FAQ “What are some basic Urban Exploration safety tips?”.