Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Sea Water Distilling Plant.
Sea Water Distilling Plant
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
1 day ago
Manhattan Well
The Manhattan Well: How Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton United to Solve a Murder Mystery
2 days ago
Beneath downtown Minneapolis, Schieks Cave has surprisingly warm groundwater, evidence of a subterranean heat island.
Schieks Cave Below Minneapolis Contains a Lake of Warm Sewage
3 days ago
Athenaeus described various kinds of Greek drinking vessels, like the deep, rounded skyphos and wide, flat kylix.
The Ancient Greek Guide to Succeeding at Dinner Parties
4 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Spain Berrioplano Fort of San Cristóbal

Fort of San Cristóbal

This huge abandoned fortress hidden inside a mountain holds a world of subterranean secrets.

Berrioplano, Spain

Added By
AlbaD
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Corridor to one of the yards.   Jorab
Corridor to one of the yards.   Jorab
A monument dedicated to the fallen sits atop the mountain.   Jorab
Main entrance   Jorab
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

An enormous underground fortress hides within a Spanish mountaintop. Officially closed and abandoned by the military, its maze of silent corridors leads urban explorers, graffiti writers, and investigators of the paranormal alike deep into its world of subterranean secrets and horrors.

Originally viewed as a turn-of-the-century fortification in the early 1900s, the San Cristóbal Fortress was soon rendered obsolete with the emergence of airstrike operations. During the Spanish Civil War and Franco's dictatorship, it was transformed into a prison that hosted thousands of men within its damp walls.

During the fort’s stint as a prison, it became known for its harsh conditions. Summary executions, starvation, and tuberculosis were occurrences within the dank, depressing space. It wasn’t long before the mountain became filled with unnamed corpses, secretly buried in mass graves.

Not all captives were willing to accept their harsh fates. Beneath the light of a full moon in May of 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, 795 prisoners escaped from the fortress and fled into the night. Unfortunately, most were rearrested and once again faced deplorable conditions. More than 200 people died, hunted by guards and executed. Only three men managed to successfully escape to France.

The prison closed in 1945. A monument to those who escaped in search of freedom now stands atop the mountain.

Related Tags

Fortresses Underground Subterranean Sites Prisons Abandoned

Community Contributors

Added By

AlbaD

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe

  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

February 1, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Fuerte de San Cristóbal by Iñaki Alforja y Felix Sierra
Fort of San Cristóbal
Camino de San Cristóbal
Berrioplano
Spain
42.853201, -1.662319
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Roncevaux Pass

Roncesvalles, Spain

miles away

Park of the Sleepless (El Parque de los Desvelados)

Estella, Spain

miles away

Munitions Factory of Orbaitzeta

Fábrica de Orbaitzeta, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Nearby Places

Roncevaux Pass

Roncesvalles, Spain

miles away

Park of the Sleepless (El Parque de los Desvelados)

Estella, Spain

miles away

Munitions Factory of Orbaitzeta

Fábrica de Orbaitzeta, Spain

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Spain

Spain

Europe

Places 757
Stories 38

Related Places

  • The historic plaque and one of the windows.

    Clifton, Arizona

    Clifton Cliff Jail

    This Old West prison built into the side of a cliff was said to be inescapable.

  • The catacombs.

    Petrovaradin, Serbia

    'Catacombs' of Petrovaradin Fortress

    A maze of underground tunnels beneath one of the most beautiful forts in Serbia.

  • Gorazda at Sunset Overlooking Kotor

    Škaljari, Montenegro

    Fortress Gorazda

    This World War I fortress is the perfect place to catch a Montenegrin sunset.

  • Crystal Palace Subway.

    London, England

    Crystal Palace Subway

    A relic of Victorian grandeur hides beneath a busy South London road.

  • Darwin oil storage tunnel.

    Darwin, Australia

    Darwin Oil Storage Tunnels

    World War II ended before these tunnels built to protect vital oil from Japanese bombs were ever used.

  • The beautifully tiled Art Deco tunnel hidden underneath 34th street.

    New York, New York

    The Hidden Art Deco Tunnel Underneath the New Yorker Hotel

    The beautiful tunnel that ran from the lobby to Penn Station is still hidden underneath 34th Street.

  • Casemates overlooking Alzette River

    Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Bock Casemates

    An expansive complex of subterranean tunnels is all that remains of one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortresses.

  • Tiny Parks at St James’s Park.

    London, England

    St James’s Tiny Park

    These former ticket office windows in London's underground now house pocket-size parks.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.