The Most Mysterious "Ghost" Towns on Earth

These towns are eerily deserted, and the cold, gloomy atmosphere sends shivers down your spine when you step foot here.

Bodie, California, USA

Bodie is the most famous ghost town in the United States, located east of San Francisco. Before it became a ghost town, this city was a thriving settlement with numerous gold mines, attracting many prospectors from across the country. As mining intensified, local residents abandoned their homes to make way for gold extraction. However, nothing lasts forever; as the gold supply dwindled, more people began to leave. A devastating fire in 1932 destroyed the entire town along with its gold mining companies.

Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop, Namibia

Kolmanskop, located in the Namib Desert, was once a prosperous diamond mining town. However, it has been abandoned for decades, with its houses gradually being engulfed by sand.

Michigan Central Station, USA

When constructed in 1912, Michigan Central Station was the tallest train station in the world. This iconic structure held significant importance to the people of Detroit but soon fell into disuse as it was abandoned shortly after opening. Over time, the deterioration of the infrastructure limited it to being a film set location.

Gunkanjima, Japan

At its peak in the 1970s, over 10,000 people lived on this island town, which was once a coal mining facility for Mitsubishi Motors. Today, it stands abandoned, making it one of the most desolate places in the world. Gunkanjima’s real name is Hashima, one of the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, on the west coast of Japan.

Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat was abandoned just days after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, leaving behind 15 schools, a hospital, a railway, and an amusement park that faded into obscurity.

San Zhi, Taiwan

Construction of San Zhi began in the early 1980s, envisioned as a modern city with unique architecture for the wealthy. However, due to a series of accidents, funding issues, and other complications, the project was halted. Today, while most buildings have been partially completed, the town remains deserted, with aging structures covered in moss creating an eerie ambiance.

Varosha Beach, Cyprus

Once a famous beach resort frequented by VIPs, including the iconic Brigitte Bardot, Varosha is now completely abandoned.

Since the Turkish invasion of part of Cyprus in 1974, Varosha’s residents fled and never returned. The homes, resorts, hotels, restaurants, and the beach have been left untouched.

Yashima, Japan

Yashima has a long history and was the site of the famous battles in 1185 during the Genpei War. Renowned for its ancient temple, it became a popular tourist destination in the 1980s, with investments in hotels, shops, and other tourist facilities. However, the sudden decline in tourist numbers led to the cancellation of all development projects, turning it into a ghost town.

Lake Reschen Church, Italy

In the early 1940s, Italy’s Montecatini power company built a dam to harness energy from the large Reschen and Mitter lakes. However, due to miscalculations, the dam led to the flooding of an entire village and its church. The bell tower of the 14th-century church remains the only visible remnant, proudly rising above the water’s surface. Remarkably, the church bells can still be heard ringing throughout winter when the lake freezes over.

Kalyazin Bell Tower, Russia

The Kalyazin Bell Tower is part of the St. Nicholas Monastery, constructed between 1796 and 1800. This tower is considered a relic of ancient Russia, which disappeared after the revolution. In 1939, the construction of a reservoir in the area nearly completely submerged the monastery. However, as tourists became interested in this rare monument, the government reinforced the tower and created a small island around it for small boats to dock.

The Town of Kraków, Italy

This once-beautiful town was home to over 2,000 inhabitants. However, over time, it fell into ruin due to devastating wars, poor and outdated agriculture, leading to the exodus of its residents, particularly exacerbated by increasing earthquakes.

The Village of Balestrino, Italy

Admiring the stunning beauty of this village, one would never guess it has been abandoned for a long time. Balestrino thrived in the 12th century, famous for its beautiful olive groves. However, by the end of the 19th century, a series of powerful earthquakes threatened the architecture of its homes.

The residents of Balestrino quickly left in 1953, leaving behind a beautiful architectural ensemble on the mountainside, uncertain of when it would collapse.

The Town of Oradour-sur-Glane, France

Oradour-sur-Glane, France, is one of the eeriest “ghost towns” in the world, where the German Nazis killed the entire local population out of suspicion that Hitler’s soldiers were being held there. As a result, in just one night, Oradour-sur-Glane became a desolate ghost town, devoid of any human presence.

Wharram Percy, United Kingdom

Wharram Percy is the most famous abandoned medieval village in England. Located in the beautiful Yorkshire, it was once home to two stunning manor houses and a church.

The village’s population gradually dwindled over the years as locals left to pursue sheep farming. It has been nearly completely abandoned since 1500.

Belchite, Spain

Belchite remains relatively intact since its destruction during the Spanish Civil War. This small village located south of Zaragoza in northeastern Spain serves as a memorial to those who fell. A new village was built nearby in 1939 to replace it.

Craco, Italy

Craco is a ghost town that dates back to the late 20th century. Located in the southernmost part of Italy, Craco’s stunning location and architecture make it one of the most famous abandoned towns in the world.

Residents began to leave after a series of landslides caused by wastewater and construction in the 1960s, and Craco was completely abandoned after the Irpinia earthquake in 1980. Since then, this ghost town has not only attracted thousands of tourists but has also become a popular filming location, appearing in films such as the 2008 James Bond movie.

Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast

While Grand-Bassam still has a thriving population, many of its largest buildings and areas have been vacant for years. Once the capital of French colonial Côte d’Ivoire, this resort town is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring notable structures such as the Old Post Office, the Central Bank, and the Hotel de France.

Kayaköy, Turkey

Preserved as a museum and recognized by UNESCO as a “Peace and Friendship Village,” Kayaköy has become a popular tourist destination in Turkey.

Houtouwan, China

Located on Shengshan Island near Shanghai, this village once bustling with over 2,000 residents was abandoned in the early 1990s after its inhabitants struggled to access food due to the island’s remote location.

Hampi, India

Wandering through the astonishing ruins of Hampi, it’s easy to imagine how prosperous this place once was during the 14th and 15th centuries. It was even one of the largest and most important cities in the world.

The capital of the Vijayanagara Empire was destroyed by a kingdom’s army in the 16th century. The beautifully preserved forts, temples, and market areas of Hampi have made it a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1986.