Ghost Towns Around the World – One may think that ghost town is a part of the fairytale realm. In fact, they actually exist and can be found around the world!
The so-called ghost town does not emerge on its own. Natural disasters, economic hardships, or other brutal things may contribute to a certain place being a ghost town.
While some ghost towns are not open to the public, others can still be visited and many tourists are willing to directly experience the strange attraction of the destinations.
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Abandoned Places and Their Stories
There are many fascinating ghost towns around the world that are worth knowing. Check out some of them below, keep on reading!
1. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
As you arrived in Turkmenistan, it is as though you were entering a forbidden place. The country does not grant many visas to tourists. People are being restricted to internet content, phone calls, and television broadcasts. It is no wonder that the country is, too, infamous for being one of the most difficult places to visit.
In Ashgabat itself, the capital of and largest city in Turkmenistan, you can see many white marble buildings. There are 543 new buildings lined with marble covering a total area of 4.5 million square meters and most of them are official buildings, museums, political monuments, and apartment blocks.
The establishment of those luminous white marble structures was made possible thanks to the president of the country, Gurbanguli Berdimujamedov. He purposely put a large amount of money to build a monument that would later be recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.
2. Craco, Italy
Craco is located in the Basilicata region of Italy, above the hills. It was once a center of education with a university, castle, church, and plazas. However, its population was suddenly decreasing owing to the 1656 Naples Plague and had forced many people to migrate to North America between 1892–1922.
As a result, Craco is now a ghost town and has been left inhabited for hundreds of years since then. Still, the ruin of the city is hauntingly beautiful. In fact, it has been used as a set for a number of famous movies, such as James Bond’s Quantum of Solace and the hanging of Judas’ scene in Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.
Regardless, Craco can no longer be accessible to the public. It will only accept guided-tour visits and occasional film production once in a while.
3. Kolmanskop, Namibia
The city of Kolmanskop was located in “the forbidden zone” of Southern Namibia. It may be different from other ghost towns around the world since it has practically been drowned by sand from the desert surrounding it.
Little did people know that Kolmanskop was filled with diamonds beneath its sand. Thus, in 1908, a mine called “Sperrgebiet” was built by some German miners. Not to mention that the city was facilitated by schools, hospitals, theaters, ballrooms, and others.
It was indeed a quite luxurious place to live in as many rich miners were around. However, this condition was not immortal and as soon as the diamonds had been overexploited during World War II, Kolmanskop was completely abandoned by 1956.
Regardless, visitations are still allowed. By paying some fee for the entrance, as many as 35,000 tourists are eager to capture and be fascinated by the unusual condition of Kolmanskop’s remains.
4. Varosha, Cyprus
Who would ever think that a place as beautiful as Varosha has now become a ghost town? The buildings and streets of the city which used to be the hub for transporting both passengers and goods from and to Cyprus have decayed and been overgrown by vegetation.
It may be hard to believe, but Varosha was once a popular destination for tourists to visit. Not to mention that people were thrilled to see its pristine beaches.
But it was not until the invasion of the Turkish Armed Forces in 1974 that the city was abandoned and has been losing ground since then.
5. Val Jalbert, Canada
Val Jalbert has become the witness of how bankruptcy can lead to an abandonment of a town. Dated back in 1901, the town was named after its founder, Damase Jalbert, and established as a pulp mill.
Located in the northwest of Chambord, Quebec, it was all but a successful town wherein the people could enjoy conveniences, from electricity to telephone service.
However, in 1927, the mill of the town was shut down since the demand for pulp was decreasing. Consequently, people had to go and leave their houses behind in Val Jalbert.
Later in 1960, the local government decided to grant access for tourists to the ruins of the town. Given the care from the government, Val Jalbert has become one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Canada.
6. Wittenoom, Australia
Wittenoom is an abandoned town in Outback, Western Australia. It was a place where workers mined blue asbestos. The huge area is now a semi-arid desert with scorching temperatures.
It is pretty challenging to visit this place since it has been removed from the map. The road to Wittenoom is also bumpy and dusty.
The Australian government strictly advises against going to the destination due to the high risk of asbestos. Too bad that Wittenoom was once a tourist destination full of hotels, shops, and cafes for travelers and yet, it is now an empty town.
7. Dhanushkodi, India
This deserted ghost town called Dhanushkodi is sited in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The town was destroyed during the Rameswaram Cyclone in 1964. Around 2,000 people died due to the natural disaster.
It used to be a trade center in which goods were being transported from India to Sri Lanka. Hotels, textile factories, and railway stations were also surrounding the city.
The government has yet had any intention to rebuild Dhanushkodi. Furthermore, an urban legend said that there were many wandering spirits, who lost their lives during the cyclone, haunting this place. Sounds spooky, right?
Interested to Know the Ghost Towns?
There are many abandoned towns that are interesting to know around the world. Although some of these ghost towns are not open to the public, you can still visit a few of them. To go anywhere around the world, you can go to tiket.com to book flights and accommodation. Besides offering many flight options, you can also get free insurance and enjoy flexible flight dates with tiket FLEXI.
You know that besides ghost towns, there are other wonderful destinations to relieve stress and recharge your mind. Curious to find out?
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