Apr 18, 20214 min read

10 Abandoned Cities & Towns Around the World Only the Courageous Soul Can Visit!

Ravaged by disasters or destroyed by wars, these mysterious abandoned places have a ghostly story behind them. They have become the world’s very own ghost towns, historically known for their ruins and shattered past. Nothing beats the quiet streets and abandoned buildings of a ghost town for a rush of adrenaline. The ruins hold a certain allure.

Epecuen, Argentina

This deserted Argentinian city resembles a resurrected Atlantis. With a population of 5,000 people in the 1920s, the story of its demise was written on the wall for decades. The nearby Lake Epecuen swelled during a period of heavy rain in the 1970s, and in 1985, it burst through the dam, flooding the area. Only in 2009, following a period of drought, did the water recede, revealing the once-bustling city.

Pripyat, Ukraine

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster wreaked havoc on the world, especially in the Ukrainian town of Pripyat, which has now transformed into the scariest ghost town. When a portion of Chernobyl melted down, the town was evacuated, displacing nearly 50,000 people who worked at the power plant. Locals abandoned their non-essentials, and it is these things that tell the tale of the disaster.

Thousands upon thousands of people visit each year, but the once-bustling hospital, general stores, amusement parks, and cinemas are now abandoned. To catch the true nature of Pripyat, walk through the eerily empty halls of the houses here and sit in the deserted classrooms of schools.

Kolmanskop, Namibia

This ghost town, nestled deep among Namibia’s sand dunes, is home to nearly 1300 workers who worked at a nearby diamond mine. In the place, hospitals, ballrooms, and casinos with German-style architecture stand tall. The houses have been consumed by sand after being overrun by the desert. Tourists will also find themselves knee-deep in the sand as they walk through the town’s buildings.

Also Read: Know the Spooky Stories of Mukesh Mills: Haunted Ground for Restless Spirits

Kayakoy, Turkey

Kayakoy had a significant Greek population when it was abandoned nearly a century ago as a result of the Greco-Turkish War. At the end of the war, 6,000 Greeks were expelled from their homes as part of a population exchange between the two countries. This ghost town has elegant Greek-style houses and churches that are its particular highlights.

Hashima Island, Japan

Hashima Island, not far from Nagasaki, was home to a coal mining operation until the early 1970s. Over 5,000 people once lived here, which was used as Raoul Silva’s lair during Skyfall. When petroleum replaced coal in the region, the island was abandoned.

Herculaneum, Italy

Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2000 years ago, burying the small but wealthy Roman seaside resort of Herculaneum, which housed 5,000 people, in scorching ash. Archaeological excavations have revealed some interesting structures from a long-ago period that were unknown not long ago.

The ghost town covers architectural and archaeological importance. There have been discoveries of houses with luxurious marble cladding and ornate statues. The Herculaneum, which is probably a significant gateway into learning more about the history of the great Roman empire and lifestyle, is undergoing preservation work.

Ruby, Arizona

Ruby, Arizona, one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the American Southwest, is a reminder of the Wild West. Ruby became a town when it opened its first post office in 1910, thanks to a mine that produced gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper in the 1870s.

The Ruby Murders were three horrific double homicides that occurred in the town and surrounding area. According to Legends of America, this resulted in one of the biggest manhunts in Southwest history.

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

During World War II, Oradour-sur-Glane was a small farming village in a German-occupied part of France. The Nazi SS group destroyed the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10, 1944. Soldiers killed 642 people, leaving only a few survivors. The village was designated as a memorial and museum after the war as a symbol of German crimes against civilians.

Bodie, California

Bodie was a mining town teeming with people eager to cash in on the California Gold Rush’s popularity in the late 1800s. For 17 years, it was a small mining camp populated by a diverse group of people. Many of Bodie’s residents died as a result of harsh winters, illness, and mining accidents, and the town’s high crime rates gave it a reputation for lawlessness.

As mining companies went bankrupt and citizens pursued better opportunities, the population of the town began to decrease by 1882. Several fires ravaged Bodie over the next several decades, causing it to be rebuilt and demolished again. By 1940, however, Bodie had become a ghost town.

Craco, Italy

Craco, in the arch of Italy’s boot, has been inhabited since well before 1060. Craco has seen many battles between monarchs, armies, and political philosophies over the course of its thousand-year history.

According to Ancient Origins, the last 1,800 inhabitants of Craco were forced to leave for their own safety in 1963 and were moved to Craco Peschiera, a new town in the valley below.

Despite being deserted, Craco is still a popular tourist destination in Italy, and in 2010 it was added to the World Monuments Fund’s watch list.

Conclusion

Ghost towns all across the globe have a mysterious aura that makes humankind want to explore them. There are mysterious abandoned cities all over the world that serve as ominous time capsules, catching the imaginations and vacation days of tens of thousands of visitors. These abandoned places may not have residents, but they always have tourists.