10 Most Insanely Protected Homes On Earth

9. Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Svalbard Global Seed Vault
By Miksu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Granted, no people actually live inside the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. That doesn't stop the place from being one of the most heavily-fortified buildings around though, and it is home to something that could feasibly keep millions alive in the event of a global food crisis.

Around 4.5 million seed samples (approx 500 seeds per bag) are housed in the facility. The reason human beings don't find the place habitable is due to the low temperature. Seed samples are stored at -18 °C, and oxygen levels are also kept low to delay the ageing process for samples.

A dedicated workforce who maintain the facility and work in the building's warehouse do stay nearby though, so technically this one counts as a home base for humans too. The Arctic archipelago location, borderline-hidden entrance, tight security measures and wild weather surrounding the facility make it nearly impossible to infiltrate undetected.

You won't see this one on A Place In The Sun...

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.