15 Abandoned Places Around the World That Are Eerily Beautiful
Though they may seem haunted and mystical, there is an element of beauty in the ruins of forgotten or abandoned places. With reminders of the past and preserved moments from a different time, they often feel like a step into a different world.
Although their history may vary from devastating to simply an attack of nature’s forces, these 15 abandoned places have one thing in common: They are Eerily beautiful.
Pripyat, Ukraine
Of all the abandoned cities in the world, Pripyat is perhaps the most famous. Abandoned after the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, all that remains of Pripyat are its empty streets and overgrown foliage. An old amusement park with its rusting Ferris wheel and broken-down bumper cars creates a mystical and haunting atmosphere; a chilling reminder of the day life stopped in its tracks.
Hashima Island, Japan
Hashima Island once thrived as a coal mining town off the coast of Nagasaki but is now deserted. The island was known as ‘Battleship Island’ due to its shape. It was once home to thousands of workers but is now a ghost town of derelict buildings weathering away in the wind and saltwater, and slowly being engulfed by the sea.
Bodie, California, USA
During the late 1800s Bodie was a thriving gold mining town, but today it is a well preserved ghost town that seems to have stopped in time. The wooden structures still stand eerily still and the ordinary belongings of those who left almost overnight can still be seen through the dusty windows.
Oradour-sur-Glane, France
Oradour-sur-Glane was the site of a World War II massacre in 1944 and after the war it was left exactly as it was. This small French village is untouched with bullet holes still marring the walls, and rusted-out cars strewn about the streets. It’s also a reminder that war is brutal and a chilling memorial to those who died.
Craco, Italy
The town of Craco, perched on a hill in southern Italy, has been abandoned since the 1960s after landslides rendered it hostile to residents. Still, with its medieval structures and narrow streets, it is a picture-perfect city. It’s decayed but stunningly beautiful scenic vistas of the Italian countryside lie empty with worn-out town homes still a sight to behold.
Kolmanskop, Namibia
Namibia is one of the best African countries to visit, however, its Namib desert houses Kolmanskop, still stand in the long-sunken diamond mining town. Now the winds have swept desert sand through the ruins of homes, schools, and hospitals left abandoned since the 1950s. This stunning display is a reminder of the force of nature.
Pyramiden, Norway
It’s one of the northernmost settlements on the planet, and an abandoned Soviet mining town on the Arctic island of Svalbard. The town, which once hosted hundreds of miners, was abandoned in 1998 and left behind Soviet-style apartment buildings, a swimming pool and even a bust of Lenin, all now blanketed in snow and ice.
Salton Sea, California, USA
In the 1950s, Salton Sea was a thriving resort destination, now it’s a desolate wasteland. This once popular vacation spot has become a ghost town because of rising salinity and pollution. This eerie, dying sea is now lined with abandoned houses, rusting trailers and the skeletal remains of piers.
Gunkanjima, Japan
Towering concrete ruins make up a deserted island called Gunkanjima, also known as Battleship Island (not to be confused with Hashima). It was abandoned in the 1970s, once home to a booming coal mining operation. Stark contrasts with the surrounding sea, these now decaying structures are a haunting reminder of times past.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Although abandoned, Angkor Wat spent centuries as a lost city in the Cambodian jungle. Its otherworldly beauty, massive stone temples, and mossy rock-covered tree roots add to the air of mystery and surrealism. This ancient ruin of a bygone empire is an eerily beautiful destination in Cambodia.
Villa Epecuén, Argentina
A flood in 1985 submerged Villa Epecuén in the lake and the resort became abandoned. After decades, the waters receded slightly leaving and a ghostly landscape of half-destroyed buildings, rusted cars, and twisted metal spokes. Now the town, in stark contrast to its surroundings, looks like a strange, post-apocalyptic ruin.
Sanzhi UFO Houses, Taiwan
Taiwan’s lost UFO Houses were supposed to be a futuristic vacation retreat, but the project was abandoned before the complex could be finished. These strange, pod like structures have been allowed to deteriorate and a strange, otherworldly scene has been left behind. The weather has muffled their bright colors and the half finished houses look like something from a sci fi movie.
Sydney, Australia — The Floating Forest
An old shipwreck is becoming an art work in the Homebush Bay area of Sydney. A WWII transport ship, the SS Ayrfield, was left abandoned in the bay when it was decommissioned. Over the years, nature reclaimed the rusting hulk, and it’s now a strange, but beautiful blend of man made and natural, with a vibrant forest of mangrove trees.
Beelitz-Heilstätten Hospital, Germany
This vast hospital complex was once a state-of-the-art facility for the treatment of tuberculosis patients in the early 1900s and later used as a military hospital during both World Wars. The empty halls and decaying rooms, vines creeping through windows, and peeling paint, leave an odd yet strangely nostalgic ruin.
Mexico, San Juan Parangaricutiro
According to the Library of Congress, in 1943, the Parícutin volcano erupted and buried the town of San Juan Parangaricutiro. Today all that remains is the steeple of the town’s church poking up from the hardened lava field. An extraordinary sight of contrast between the jagged volcanic rock and the surviving structure.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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