#1
One of the tallest hotels looks like a purple eye of Sauron at night. Superficially beautiful/ritzy in the tourist zones at first, but you slowly feel whole city has a dark side they don’t want you to acknowledge. Both in the ritzy parts and when you step outside of them.
#2
WalkingEars responded:
I’ve only been to the airport there but even the airport was kind of grim, with slot machines and nowhere you could really get comfortable. I had a long overnight layover and it was very surreal
#3
It’s one of my favorite cities in the world.
While these cities give a disturbing vibe, some people get strangely attracted to them. Meanwhile, other folks would think twice before venturing into such places. To know more about them, Bored Panda interviewed Saee and Nikhil, avid travelers who document their travel stories on their Instagram, apparentlytrippy.
While they have traveled to over 25 countries, the number of cities is too many to count, as every country has multiple touristy spots. Speaking about such dank places, both said they would rather explore them firsthand than rely on assumptions. After all, it's very subjective, so each individual is bound to experience a city in a different way.
#4
TavernTurn responded:
I was about to write this. The sheer number of fully grown white men holding the hands of 9/10/11 year old girls and boys. It made me absolutely sick. I will never ever go back.
#5
I lived in SSD for years and liked it, but Juba had extremely tense energy. It always felt like something was about to pop off. Extreme inequality, tons of drunk and heavily armed soldier, and the occasional d**d body in the street. All of the NGO compounds had razor wire, and we weren’t allowed to go anywhere alone. I witnessed a violent r**e and a stabbing from my window.
Rural SSD is absolutely beautiful, though, with lots of unique traditions and foods.
#6
As they have traveled to tons of cities, we asked the couple to speak about what gives a "dark energy" to a place. Saee explained that this vibe is usually evident in a place's history, architecture, or even the culture of the people who live there. She elaborated that when a city has seen a lot of "life" (wars, industrial booms, or old-school noir-era crime), it develops a personality that's hard to miss.
"Essentially, dark energy is just tension. It’s the friction between a city’s glittering skyscrapers and its crumbling backstreets. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, though! For many artists and night owls, that edge is exactly what makes a city feel authentic and alive, rather than just a boring, sterile grid," Nikhil added.
#7
Tourists visit because it's a historic gold rush town, but I found it creepy and sad.
#8
#9
lolzzzmoon responded:
I loved it, lived and visited there, but there is definitely a heavy, heavy weight of serious trauma and pain and suffering there. It’s buckling under the weight of all those religious traditions. But the stone buildings and mid eastern ancient vibe are amazing. Almost got blown up there once too. S*****e bomber. Definitely got tense energy.
Nikhil gave a perfect example, mentioning Prague and its famous Gothic architecture. "It's like stepping into a moody, real-life fairytale. It’s totally fascinating because everything feels so dramatic and ancient. Walking past the giant gargoyles and sharp arches makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time to a world of knights and mystery," he noted.
However, Saee highlighted how all that old stone also gives off a heavy, haunted vibe. As the buildings are so dark and tall, they cast long shadows and create chilly, narrow alleys where the sun never quite reaches. She believes this gives the city a bit of a "dark energy," as if the walls are keeping secrets from hundreds of years ago. It’s a cool, slightly spooky feeling that makes the city feel deep and a little bit magical, she added.
#10
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#12
Another city the couple mentioned was Berlin, a magnet for history buffs. Saee pointed out that the city has reinvented itself, blending sleek modern offices with the scars of the war. She believes that there’s a gritty, creative pulse in Berlin that feels incredibly resilient. Moreover, it’s a place that doesn’t hide its wounds but uses them to fuel a world-famous art and club scene that’s unlike anywhere else.
However, Nikhil spoke about how the heavy history creates a thick, dank energy you can almost feel in the air. "Standing at spots like the H*******t Memorial or the former Gestapo headquarters, you're reminded of the intense trauma the city has endured. Even the massive, grey Soviet-style apartment blocks and the empty spaces where the Wall once stood give off a cold, lonely vibe," he commented.
#13
Maroontan reposnded:
This is really niche, but I bought my car at a dealership in Wisconsin and drove it back to New York. I passed Gary, Indiana for about 40 or 50 miles, and it felt super sus. But come to think of it, I think the dealership might have put something in my head about violence in that area or what not.
#14
bigdonk2 responded:
I’m from Tennessee, and I’ve always attributed it to the extreme wealth inequality, while being imbedded in a deeply religious zeitgeist is so deeply unsettling
#15
Lastly, the couple mentioned that certain unethical practices in some cities give them a disturbing vibe. "No matter how much these places try to hide it, you can blatantly make out things like social injustices, exploitation, or even systemic s*********n. It creates a feeling of exclusion and coldness, where the city feels like it was designed to keep people apart rather than bring them together," they concluded.
Just thinking about such cities gives me goosebumps. Alas, only humans are capable of ruining something completely beautiful. Anyway, dear readers, that's it from our end. Now we leave you to scroll through the rest of the list at your leisure. Also, if we have missed out on any such places, don't forget to write about them in the comments section!
#16
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#18
All the locals I met were really nice though.
#19
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