Top 10 Ghost Towns

St. Elmo, Colorado

Once a mining town on the rise, with developed trading center and a post office, located along major rail routes which passed along the central Colorado, this town was deserted in 1922 when the railway stopped working. A lot of buildings-houses, church and shops remained intact, still containing belongings of the former owners.

Kayaköy, Anatolia, Turkey

In 1923 Greco-Turkish war was over. Around one million people who lived in Greece went through the process of population exchange, while Kayaköy - a Greek village in the West Turkey, was abandoned. The remains of the village and two Orthodox churches are preserved as historical artifacts. Turkish authorities keep them as a village-museum.

Herculaneum, Naples, Italy

In the summer of 79 AD the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius covered Herculaneum, a small, rich Roman settlement, with lava and ash. Archaeological researches discovered private villas, shops, bathrooms and a fascinating number and diversity of everyday objects.

Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway

This Arctic town, famous for its coal mines, was a property of the USSR. It used to be a perfect Soviet settlement with shacks, sport centers, and a bust of Lenin. After the mine had been used up, the workers deserted the town in 1998, leaving all the buildings behind. There is the library full of books, the theatre, and the concert hall with one of the most beautiful pianos in the world.

Humberstone and Santa Laura, the Atacama desert, Chile

These two towns, placed in the northern Chile, used to be a main source of potassium nitrate, a crucial part of any pyrotechnic set. Both of them were abandoned in 1958. Well preserved buildings, houses, a swimming pool made of the bottom of the old ship, the hotel, shops with pricelists, as well as the theatre with the original seats can still be seen in these places.

Kolmanskop, Namibia

This town is placed among the sand dunes of Namib Desert. It was built to accommodate the miners who dug in the nearby diamond mine. The town has been empty since the mid fifties, and, since then, the desert has been swallowing it piece by piece by filling its, once noble, houses with sand. However the interiors of a couple of houses is very well preserved.

Belchite, Zaragoza, Spain

Belchite was a setting of one of the cruelest battles of Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). In 1937 it was occupied by Franco’s army and attacked by the republican forces. During the siege the town was demolished, and its remains remind us of this terrible violence.

Bodie, California

A long time ago, in 1879, Bodie was a prosperous gold-digging town. It was also a home to 8.500 residents famous for their love of beer and guns. After only a decade the mines got used up, causing the decline of the population. One day, they just packed up and left the town. Today, 150 buildings witness of its existence.

Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Chaco civilization was on its peak from 800 to 1100 BC. During this period the canyon was a ceremonial, civic and commercial center. Its residents built brick houses, and circular ceremonial structures called ‘kivas’. They used to make brick out of mud and sand. Many buildings made in this way are still standing untouched.

Bhangarh, Rajasthan, India

Bhangarh, a local capital of the northwest India, was conquered by Raj Jaipur in 1720. Soon after that, it was abandoned very quickly. Since the 17th century, and even earlier than that, the ruins, including pavilions, temples, fortresses and medieval bazaar have been believed to be cursed. If you start a journey to this city get ready for a number of stories about ghosts and mythical creatures that lurk at every turn.