The most fascinating abandoned villages in Europe

Abandoned villages, better known as ghost towns, are fascinating places that were once full of life, but due to the circumstances of life and political problems or natural disasters, forced their inhabitants to abandon them. However, even though they are now deserted places, they have a lot of history. Every day more and more tourists visit these places to enjoy the impressive panoramas and all the past that they keep in their walls. Here we present: the most fascinating abandoned villages in Europe, let’s see.

Belchite

The fascinating village is located in the province of Zaragoza, in Aragon, Spain. Belchite remains intact after its devastation during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. It was never rebuilt. The battle lasted several weeks until it fell into the hands of General Francisco Franco. The village has been maintained as a memorial to the fallen. Its main attraction is the impressive ruined church.

Pripyat

The village is located in Kiev, Ukraine. It is now almost four decades after the Chernobyl disaster. When this happened, all its inhabitants had to leave the place immediately. Pripyat had been created as a commune that sheltered the nuclear power plant workers and their families, but following the catastrophe they had to flee from the radiation. Today, it can be visited because the radiation levels have ceased and, according to the authorities, there is no further danger.

Oradour-sur-Glane

It is a French commune, located in the region of New Aquitaine, in Haute-Vienne. It was on June 10, 1944, when the site was invaded by the Germans. The whole village and its 643 inhabitants were devastated. Some time later, a new village was built on a nearby site, but Oradour-sur-Glane was declared a historical monument. In order not to forget the barbarities of the Second World War, next to this site is the Musée Centre la mémoire d’Oradour.

The Craco

It is a medieval ghost town, abandoned at the end of the 20th century. It is located in southern Italy. It has a spectacular architecture, which is why it has become one of the most fascinating abandoned villages in the world and has served as a backdrop for several famous films. People had to abandon their home in 1980, because of the Irpinia earthquake, leaving behind the incredible medieval houses and castles, which are now of great tourist interest.

Kayakoy

It is located in the southwest of Turkey, in the ancient province of Lycia. It was declared by Unesco as a “village of friendship and world peace”. The ghost town has become one of the most visited places by tourists in recent years; and it is not for less, the rows of old abandoned houses, reflect the bitter history of the first world conflict. The locals had to leave their homes when Turkey and Greece fought for control of the region.

Turruncún

The ruined village is located in the municipality of Arnedo, in Rioja Baja, Spain. The ghost town was home to at least 300 inhabitants in the early 20th century. The place was abandoned due to lack of work and famine. All the buildings are medieval and its main attraction is the church where human skeletal remains have been found.

Tyneham

It is an abandoned village located in the south of Dorset, England. It was in November 1943, that the people were forced to evacuate the place to give up their land for military training purposes, with the promise that they could return to their picturesque village when the second war was over. However, in 1948, the British government issued a forced expropriation order and it is now part of the military firing ranges. On weekends and holidays it is open to the public so that people can visit the site.

Monterano

It is one of the most famous abandoned cities in Italy. It is located very close to the city of Rome. The town was very active thanks to the sulfur mines, but in the year 1799, the French attacked the commune, leaving everything devastated. The locals decided to leave the place, which is now part of the Monterano Nature Reserve. The village has also become of great tourist and cinematographic interest.

Vorkuta

It is one of the most depressing places in Russia. Tourists visit this place in order to experience the feeling of abandonment and to see if they catch any ghosts. It is located in the Arctic north of Russia. Vorkuta is surrounded by several small towns and ghost villages from the coal mining boom of the 1930s and 1960s. When the Soviet Union collapsed, all the inhabitants left. The atmosphere is quite impressive: the snow-covered houses seem to have been frozen in time.

Abandoned sites tend to generate feelings of mystery, fear and adrenaline in people. And the fact is that in these sites there are usually strange, otherworldly presences, perhaps the souls of those who died there, or the energetic residues of the inhabitants who once inhabited them.