Explorabilia

Name: Explorabilia
Address: London, GB
Telephone: +447462937394
Price range: ££

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Explorabilia

Fascinating history, architecture & photography tours since 2018 My name is Evan Panagopoulos, and explorabilia is my brainchild.

I am an urban storyteller, an avid fan of brutalist and mid-century architecture, a knowledgeable WW2 and Victorian era enthusiast, and I like to engage with abandoned spaces and obscure history. I have a knack for rediscovering forgotten and unseen spaces hiding in plain sight, and express what I’m passionate about through writing, photography and interviewing people with a fascinating story to s

hare. I use obscure architecture and forgotten locations to relate surprising stories that run deep, cut deeper and let you into the nuances of local cultures. I am currently busy with the creation of more alternative walks in London, showcasing the less known sights and stories of the capital. I am also working towards the development of longer international tours, featuring weird and wonderful locales, dark stories, abandoned sites, and fringe cities, where I weave fascinating, well researched social and historic narratives related through authentically local experiences. My articles have appeared on Architectuul and WW2 Wrecks and I am a regular contributor of places at Atlas Obscura . My work has been mentioned on BBC Radio London and on LOSTiN city guides. I’ve began writing my first book, based on a family memoir of the Greco-Italian War. explorabilia’s walks and tours are currently featuring on Airbnb, Atlas Obscura, Join My Trip and Nearby Experiences. we'd love to hear from you, call us on +44 7462 937394 for a chat or email us at [email protected]

Explorabilia is a company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 09936937 Registered office: 17 River Close, Ruislip, HA47UY, United Kingdom

17/03/2026

I was in Rochester, UK on other business earlier today, and couldn't resist dropping by to see the old Soviet Foxtrot B-49 moored in the Medway.
The once formidable Cold War submarine was built and commissioned in Leningrad in 1967, then went on to serve in the Soviet Baltic Fleet, based in Riga.
It was decommissioned and sold to a private owner after the fall of the Soviet Union in 89, and reportedly its own last captain sailed it to London ! It has been used as a floating museum on and off ever since, but it is currently moored in the Medway just across Rochester Castle in a state of disrepair, and awaiting refit.
Tackily nicknamed U-475 Black Widow by its current owners, the submarine was also the set of the 2014 adventure film Black Sea, starring Jude Law.

15/03/2026

Some of my photos from the Crypt of the Capuchin Monks in Rome, where the remains of an alleged 3700 friars have been arranged in a fascinating Memento Mori display.
I visited in October, for what has probably been my 12th road trip to Italy. Although this isn't exactly an official announcement, I make no secret that I've been working on a new, exciting adventure in Italy (code named SPQR) as the next title in my collection 😃
As always, the multi day tour will be focused on Post-War architecture - with a sprinkle of Roman concrete for flavour - but I'm also hinting at crossovers dedicated to Italian and European cinema as well as some of Italy's darker pages of history. Obviously Rome and the Capuchin Crypt will be part of it.
And there will be at least one winery visit and a fresh pasta experience too (or several... still in planning !) I aim for those to be at an iconic place in Tuscany I had the chance to discover in October.
This is still a work in progress, so what else would you like to see or recommend adding to this Italian adventure ?

13/03/2026

Maison La Roche in Paris is the first stop of my Grand Tour Le Corbusier, a 9-day pilgrimage to the iconic works of pioneering Modernist architect Le Corbusier.
From Paris to Lyon, and onwards to Marseille and the Côte d'Azur, we will also visit Villa Savoie, the Firminy complex, and the Cabanon. We will stay at the Unite d'Habitation in Marseille, and the Couvent de laTourette monastery, and power onwards to a final stop at the majestic chapel at Ronchamp - a sine-qua-non, landmark location rarely offered by other similar tours owing to its perceived remoteness... of course we're going all the way 😃
Includes several expertly-led presentations from the architecture and design experts of the Fondation Le Corbusier, a fair amount of French cuisine, and a number of stunning surprise side visits and stops that will blow your mind !
The next departure is from 14 to 22 September 2026, from £4000 / $5000 per person - everything included except flights (T&C apply)
For the full itinerary and to book, please visit my website www.explorabilia.co.uk

11/03/2026

Clear skies and the Golden Hour at Neave Brown's Alexandra Road Estate (1978) this afternoon.
That was just before I joined a most interesting conversation about the concept of Eco-Brutalism at the estate's TRA Hall, organised by .london
A resident revealed how Neave Brown never referred to the balconies as "balconies" - they were rather "exterior rooms" - verdant, open-air extensions of the interior living spaces, enhancing the beautifully designed communal feel of Alexandra Road.

10/03/2026

A new departure for Across The Iron Curtain, our WW2 and Cold War themed road trip from Berlin to Bratislava.
Join us in this grand adventure across Germany, Poland and Slovakia from 2 to 14 October 2026. Discover modern and wartime Berlin, the Cold War histories of Warsaw and Krakow, the Socialist landmarks, industrial and Brutalist landscapes of Gdansk and Bratislava, explore a former secret military facility in rural Poland and abandoned ghostly castles in Slovakia - plus much, much more !
$5000/£4000 per person. Full schedule, terms and conditions on our website : www.explorabilia.co.uk

07/12/2024

Not all heroes wear capes.
Some wear umbrellas and ponchos instead.
Alison and her family were my guests at Brutalism for Beginners earlier today, and braved the lashing rain to indulge their appreciation of the capital's post-war architecture.
Thank you for joining today's walk despite the adverse weather conditions !
Visit www.explorabilia.co.uk to book your space for my regular post-war architecture & history walks - available weekly, come rain or shine 🙂

09/07/2024

Last February, me and .utopia took the longest road trip we've ever attempted : Following a natural route across and along Europe's former Iron Curtain, we drove 3300 miles of tarmac, dust, and mud, driving from dawn to dusk in European back roads. We experienced Medieval, World War, and Cold War through local culture, sites and monuments, and explored some of the most memorable - and sometimes hidden - locations Eastern Europe has to offer.

And then we turned this amazing experience into a trip you can join us in - beginning this October.

Over the course of 12 days, we will travel through some of the most interesting cities and landscapes of Central Europe. Places where mediaeval streets and Modernist high rises stand shoulder to shoulder – where the indelible marks of radical 20th century reforms appear as just another stratum in a thousand years of visible history.

We travel from checkpoint to checkpoint, along what was once referred to as the Iron Curtain. From the infamous Checkpoint Charlie, guarding the wall that bisected the divided city of Berlin, we eventually reach our destination of Bratislava – to tour the remains of the militarised border between former Czechoslovakia and the West.

In between, we will experience an abundance of Modernist architecture and monuments, historic cities like Gdansk and Krakow, and towering gothic castles; we will explore abandoned military bases, sample fine local cuisines, roam the deep pine forests, and get to know many of the people who call this region home.

Follow the link in comments to find out more and book

26/08/2023

A secret peep hole at the former NKVD (later KGB) prison cells in Tallinn
Thousands of Estonian political prisoners were incarcerated at the basement of the historic building at Pagari Street from 1940 to 1991. Arrested on phoney charges and held indefinitely to be interrogated and tortured, many of those who survived were then sent onward to longer sentences at Tallinn's infamous Patarei prison or gulags in Siberia
The pinhole eyelet was used for the secret observation of those imprisoned in the cells.

24/08/2023

Sweat and Sausages / The Veterans' Sauna at Lauttasaari
Helsinki, Finland (80°c / by invitation only)
This waterfront area on the island of Lauttasaari inside the Helsinki metropolitan area was created to thank Finland's WW2 veterans for their service. After the war, summer cabins were built in the woods, as well as a communal sauna, a short walk from this small beach and its crystal clear waters
The former comrades-in-arms, each carrying their own combat marks, visible or invisible, gathered in Lauttasaari during summertime to spend a precious few days of holiday : a proud company of missing limbs, skin burns, and grotesque wounds. After sauna, they would shuffle through crowds of sunbathers and day-tourists, making the distance towards the beach so they could cool themselves down in the chilly waters of the Baltic. They'd then shuffle back for another round of sauna, and so on - until the sun dipped. Sometimes those evenings grew longer, as memories carried them away. They roasted sausages and drank. In the morning, the children of Lauttasaari would gather any prosthetic limbs left lying around, and returned these to their owners.
As a sign of respect for the decency of the veterans, Finland's then President Mauno Koivisto ordered the old sauna demolished, and a new one built, right next to this secluded beach, enabling the old soldiers to reminisce in peace, and enjoy their ancient cleansing ritual in relative comfort

23/08/2023

A rusty observation cupola is all that can be seen from what must be former anti-tank bunker III near Joutsijärvi in Lapland. The rest of the bunker is half-buried in rubble and mangled by trees and vegetation. Nature is reclaiming the land near the river bank it once defended - let alone the fact that the bunker is now inside someone's backyard !
Just east of this position, one of the hardest fought battles of the 1939 Winter War took place. The Battle of Salla was fought in the freezing temperatures of the Arctic, and saw the Finnish defenders emerge victorious, stopping the Red Army in its tracks, then pushing them back towards the border inflicting 4 times the casualties they suffered.
My Expedition to Finland is a 10 day journey of discovery and adventure for hardy and curious individuals. For info and bookings contact me - [email protected] or follow link in comments below

22/08/2023

This Sauna bunker is a unique type of WW2 fortification that can be found among the Salpa Line structures built along the eastern border of Finland.
Built with reinforced concrete alongside a sand bank, the sauna bunker provided space for an entire Finnish infantry platoon, who were able to enjoy their traditional cleansing ritual in relative protection from bombs, mortar shells, and small arms fire.
The remains of a sauna stove can still be seen Inside the bunker. There would have been two rows of wooden benches around the stove, while the window could be used to release hot air and humidity from the sauna as necessary.
My Expedition to Finland adventure is available to book. Please contact me at [email protected] , or check link in comments below for more info

21/08/2023

This beautiful vista of a waterlogged marsh near Kuusamo in the Finnish Lapland is hiding a wartime secret.
This is one of the killzones at the Lahtela-Vanttaja section of the Salpa Line, a system of fortification spanning 1200km across the eastern border of Finland - from the Baltic Sea to Lapland. Built using local labour between 1941 and 1944, it was used to defend against Red Army incursions into Finland. This particular section is blocking the road to Kuusamo between two lakes, and used a system of bunkers, trenches, barbed wire and tank traps alongside the marshy terrain of the region to create an extremely defensible position.
Join my Expedition to Finland ! For queries and bookings, please contact [email protected] or follow the link in comments

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+447462937394

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http://www.explorabilia.co.uk/

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Our Story

My name is Evan Panagopoulos, and explorabilia is my brainchild. I am an urban storyteller, an avid fan of brutalist and mid-century architecture, a knowledgeable WW2 and Victorian era enthusiast, and I like to engage with abandoned spaces and obscure history. I have a knack for rediscovering forgotten and unseen spaces hiding in plain sight, and express what I’m passionate about through writing, photography and interviewing people with a fascinating story to share.

I use obscure architecture and forgotten locations to relate surprising stories that run deep, cut deeper and let you into the nuances of local cultures. I am currently busy with the creation of more alternative walks in London, showcasing the less known sights and stories of the capital. I am also working towards the development of longer international tours, featuring weird and wonderful locales, dark stories, abandoned sites, and fringe cities, where I weave fascinating, well researched social and historic narratives related through authentically local experiences.

My articles have appeared on Architectuul and WW2 Wrecks and I am a regular contributor of places at Atlas Obscura . I’ve began writing my first book, based on a family memoir of the Greco-Italian War.