The Most Stunning Abandoned Places Around the World: Exploring the Beauty of Neglect
Abandoned places may seem eerie and apocalyptic, but there is something hauntingly beautiful about them. These deserted locations show us the effect of a lack of human upkeep and what can happen to places we love if left uncared for. Here, we examine some of the stunning abandoned places worldwide and the stories behind them.
#1 Anchorage, Alaska
The Kennicott Mines and neighboring hamlet in Alaska’s wilderness are (nearly) as eerie as Packard Sawmill in Twin Peaks shrouded in fog and charming fall foliage. Before Kennecott’s resources were depleted in the late 1930s, and everyone left town to save for a family of three, it was thriving with copper miners and their families. By the 1950s, when the family watching it eventually left, it had been completely forgotten.
#2 Spain, canfranc station
Jess Snchez-Bermejo Ramos / 500px
Despite having long since passed its prime, Huesca, Spain’s Canfranc International Train Station, still makes a grand impression. At its construction in 1928, it was the second-largest and one of the busiest train stations in Europe. The station was shut down after, On the French side of the bridge, a train derailed, but the current initiatives to reopen it by 2026 could restore it to its former splendor.
#3 New York, grossinger’s resort
In the past, Grossinger’s in Liberty, New York, was a posh weekend getaway upstate, even though If you only looked at it, you wouldn’t knowin’ its current state. It resembled the resort in Dirty Dancing when it was at its peak; some even contend that Grossinger served as the model for the movie. The resort shut its doors in 1986 due to the town’s economic collapse.
#4 Estonian prison in rummu
Talk about ominous. This prison that is partially flooded has a bleak past. Until Estonia attained freedom from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, prisoners were made to labor in the quarry. Without any maintenance, the area finally became submerged in water. Today is a beach, so if a beach trip is what you’re after, we advise getting your scuba diving certification first.
#5 Goricina hotel, croatia
Several hotels, including Hotel Goricina, which was previously a luxurious retreat in a Yugoslavian military resort, were destroyed during the Croatian War of Independence. The stark disorder of this deserted hotel on the Croatian coast today contrasts sharply with pink bougainvillea and the turquoise seas of the Adriatic Sea.
#6 Japan’s hachijo royal hotel
Hachijo Royal Hotel, situated on the verdant Japanese island of Hachijojima, used to be one of the biggest resorts in the nation. Seriously scary is the French Baroque architecture set against the moss and overgrown trees.
#7 Berlin beelitz
Joerg Fockenberg / EyeEm//Getty Images
Sure, it’s creepy, but we can’t help but be reminded of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory by the beautiful sky blue paint (or what’s left) and that lovely swirly window. This facility dates back to the 1800s and served as a military hospital during conflicts. When Soviet forces left Germany in the mid-1990s, the surrounding area was abandoned.
#8 Romania, Germany
In the rural Romanian town of Geamana, copper mining flourished in the 1970s. The dictator of the time, Nicolae Ceausescu, ordered a complete evacuation (of about 400 households) when the mining produced significant toxic waste so the valley might be used as a toxic dump site. This tenacious tower is still visible amid the torrent of poisonous waste and an artificial lake that inundated the town.
#9 Italy’s CRACO
Although this town has been around since 540, many residents left throughout the 20th century because of subpar farming, a landslide in 1963, and a flood in 1972. It is now an impressive ancient site used as a backdrop for films like The Passion of the Christ.
#10 Chinese island of gougi
This fishing community on the Yangtze River in China isn’t your typical deserted town; instead, it stands out for its lush, ivy-covered structures and spectacular vegetation.
#11 Macedonia’s saint nicholas church
In Macedonia’s Mavorvo Lake, Saint Nicholas’ Church is submerged. The lake was built to support a power plant. Therefore, the destruction was deliberate; the church and the nearby village were only caught in the development path. What’s left is an unsettling contrast between the crumbling structure and the picturesque surroundings.
#12 Belgian miranda castle
Dennis Claessens//Getty Images
This unbelievable building in Belgium was created in 1866 as a summer residence, but the architect passed away before it was finished in 1907. After being occupied by Nazis during World War II, it was used as a summer camp for 20 years before being abandoned in 1991 because upkeep was too expensive.
#13 Indian island of Ross
Dushyant Thakur Photography//Getty Images
This island, part of South Andaman, India, served as the Indian Penal Settlement’s former British administrative hub. But once it was abandoned, wild Ficus overgrew it, giving it a magnificent Jungle Book feel.
#14 New orleans’ six flags
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 damaged this theme park. Eighty percent of the rides were destroyed by salt and murky water that swelled up to six feet high. What remained was a curiously lovely testament to the thriving metropolis previously on the verge of being destroyed by tragedy. The city does have plans to build a new amusement park to take the place of the ruins.
#15 Scotland’s HIRTA
This island was once lush and home to a large population, but in the 1930s, it was abandoned due to the fear of starvation and severe weather. Stone buildings that have been abandoned are now scattered across the fields.
#16 Florida’s dome homes
In Cape Romano, Florida, not far from Marco Island, a building resembles an abandoned spaceship from another planet. It was a vacation home that was subsequently damaged by a hurricane. The coastline is now unsalvageable due to erosion.
#17 Nevada, berlin
The mining boom caused the Berlin Historic District to be established in 1897; nevertheless, it never saw the same success as other adjacent towns and was entirely abandoned by 1911. It presently forms a section of a state park in Nevada.
#18 Namibia’s kolmanskop
This town was established in the Namib Desert in 1908 due to a diamond discovery but was abandoned in 1954 due to resource depletion. The houses that were left are now entirely covered in sand, which is an odd yet fantastic sight to behold.
#19 Scottish castle Kilchurn
The most prominent individuals in the nation lived in this Scottish castle, which dates to the middle of the fifteenth century. But due to its striking location, it was abandoned in the 1700s and is today one of the most famous castles for photographs.
#20 Turkey’s Kayakoy
The 1920s saw the abandonment of this village in the Taurus Mountains due to a political population swap with Greece. Currently, the city has over 350 vacant dwellings.
#21 Australia’s FLOATING Forest
In what is essentially a ship cemetery in Homebush Bay, west of Sydney, the SS Ayrfield, launched in 1911, was retired in 1972. However, it differs from the other abandoned ships in that it has now developed magnificent mangrove trees and vegetation.
