The world boasts numerous abandoned settlements that span modernity, from remote ghost towns to vast deserted cities. Some, like Pripyat in Ukraine, have become notorious symbols of human-caused disaster, while others have fallen into decay due to economic decline, civil war, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Some abandoned towns and ghost cities are so isolated that they have become like time capsules, almost untouched since their last occupants departed generations ago. Join us as we travel across the continents to explore 50 of the world’s most impressive deserted settlements.
Abandoned Towns and Cities of Europe
The history of Europe’s abandoned towns and ghost cities is often bloody, with many beautiful old settlements turned to crumbling shells through war and conflict. From the Spanish Civil War to World War Two, villages like Oradour-sur-Glane and Belchite are eerie remnants of lost grandeur that may ironically be better known in abandonment than the were before. But it’s not all tragedy: Europe is also home to lost mining settlements and military training villages
Abandoned Towns and Cities of Eurasia
Covering almost 21 million square miles of the Earth’s surface, it’s no surprise that the “supercontinent” Eurasia is a repository of ghost cities, lost towns and remote settlements long since deserted. From eerie abandoned holiday resorts such as Varosha in Famagusta, Cyprus, to mining settlements and the forgotten towns of Azerbaijan
Abandoned Towns and Cities of Asia
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Click here to explore six of the most incredible abandoned cities of Asia, from the romantic and enigmatic ghost town at Kayakoy in Turkey to Hashima “Battleship” Island and the bizarre remains of the Sanzhi Pod City “UFO houses” in Taiwan. Other cities like Beichuan in China were tragically brought to their knees by earthquakes, while Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong was such an notorious shanty that it was demolished and replaced by a garden
Abandoned Towns and Cities of Africa
Africa boasts a diverse collection of ghost towns ranging from small deserted settlements torn apart by civil war to beautiful colonial capitals such as Grand-Bassam in Côte d’Ivoire. Explore a selection of them in this article, including the 13th century trading centre at Chinguetti in Mauritania (complete with former French Foreign Legion fort) and wealthy German mining town at Kolmanskop, Namibia