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(7) Ghost Towns of the American West are what come to mind for many when they think of abandoned settlements. However, there are fascinating abandonments all over the world. Some of these have a clear historical reason for being deserted, while the abandonment of others remains a mystery. Here are six more amazing examples of urban deserts from around the globe. 
(6) San Zhi, Taiwan is an abandoned settlement on the outskirts of Taipei, Taiwan. A mysterious series of accidents led this would-be tourist town to go unused upon its completion. Further, regional beliefs also kept the abandoned settlement from demolished - for fear of angering spirits dwelling in the complex. 
(5) Near Genoa, Italy is a small abandoned village. What would cause people to leave such a beautiful place? To be fair, though, the ruins left behind are aesthetically compelling in their own right. The structures are remarkably intact and provocative. 
(4) Promyshlennyi, Russia was abandoned with the fall of the Soviet Union, cut off from communication with and support from the government. When utilities and electricity stopped working, people simply left to find a home an work elsewhere, leaving buildings behind and many belongings in the wreckage. 
(3) New York, USA has a surprising number of abandoned airfields - directly in and around the city. Given the relative density of the city and its surroundings it seems unusual that these have been left unused for so long. Each of these anomolous airfields has its own story. 
(2) Tere-Hole, Siberia is a lake with a recently dicovered treasure in the middle: a ruin dating back 1500 years. Located in a vast wilderness of lakes, this long-abandoned stronghold is 600 by 450 feet. Excavations this year may reveal ancient artifacts. 
(1) Pripyat, Ukraine was once a thriving city of 50,000, but was abandoned following the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. For a long time the amazingly preserved city - rapidly abandoned by the populace - was a virtual museum, a snapshot of the times. Pripyat has since been looted and only images and architecture remain. The site will be unfit for human habitation for hundreds of years due to nuclear fallout. However, you can tour the ruins by video. Enjoy this post? Be sure to subscribe to the feed so you won’t miss a thing! Feel like exploring some amazing abandonments? Be sure to also check out Urban Exploration: Beginner’s Guide to Adventures in Building Infiltration for tips, tricks, images and links.
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98 Comments
August 8th, 2007 at 1:44 am
Great list! I thought you might be interested in two others - both abandoned in wartime but for very different reasons.
Tyneham in Dorset http://www.dorset-opc.com/Tyneham/Tyneham.htm
Oradour sur Glane in France http://www.oradour.info
August 8th, 2007 at 1:48 am
Excellent! Thanks for those contributions Diane. Relevant links like that are very welcome :)
August 8th, 2007 at 5:12 am
Yay, excellent list! Many urbexers out there wouldn’t agree that Prypyat belongs on #1, but I think the historical significance of the city dominates over the fact that there are more extravagant vistas out there. I’m still planning a trip there for next year, while it’s still “shining”. Great blog by the way; you have a new subscriber!
August 8th, 2007 at 6:13 am
So very interesting.
It would be great to find out just why these places were a left to crumble away.
August 8th, 2007 at 7:17 am
These are amazing links man! And so shocking that some places are still left standing..of all the places I’d love to see it would be Pripyat, Ukraine…if it weren’t for the fallout you know..
August 8th, 2007 at 10:58 am
@Yo: yup, it made the number one because we felt that the sheer scale of the city, the speed it was abandoned and the degree to which it was (until recently) so well preserved all combined to make it the most interesting find!
@Ferret: some of the links above explain the back stories, but many are a mystery. Anyone who wants to add information or relevant links, though, can feel free.
@Liam: apparently some people still do visit Pripyat, but they tread carefully and don’t stay long for risk of health problems. Occasionally, a new photo shoot pops up on the web from some adventurous group or another!
August 8th, 2007 at 11:54 am
you missed one very important one, one that should most definitely go at number one for me. Gunkanjima Island in Japan. google it.
August 8th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
Centralia, PA: http://www.offroaders.com/albu.....tralia.htm
There is an underground mine fire that has been burning since 1962.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Check out the Cypriot ghost city of Varosha:
http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/000985.html
August 8th, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Great list. I really expected to see the incredible “rocket-shaped hotel” of Pyongyang, North Korea.
http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=130967
August 8th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
You forgot Detroit.
August 8th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
DETROIT!
August 8th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
What about the Love Canal?
August 8th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Yeah, I’d imagine that you can’t stay in there for far too long…I’m actually surprised that people go there at all for a few photographs..all the more to them for putting there life out there to do it!
But yes, Benni is right, that island is amazing looking…I’d love to see them shoot a movie out there or something!
August 8th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
New York, but not Detroit? Even as a native who gets quite annoyed by the constant negative portrayal of the city, it needs to be there. Check this out: http://www.detroityes.com - the world-famous Fabulous Ruins of Detroit website.
August 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Al great places!
Gr, Bart
August 9th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Thanks for all of the comments so far, and our apologies to anyone who tried to load this page recently. We had three front-page Digg articles in a row which taxed the site for some time! As for the suggestions: it looks like a follow-up article may be in order - thanks for submitting other ideas!
August 9th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
I am not sure why, but I have always been fasinated by ghost towns, abandon houses, and history of old towns that faded away. I really enjoyed this post from you, and all of the other great links found here. Thanks!! :-)
August 9th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
Great list — I was kinda hoping to see Centralia too, but for sheer visual quality, it can’t hold a candle to Pripyat or San Zhi. I’d like to visit all these places eventually, especially the areas around Chernobyl.
August 9th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
this list was awesome, thanks for sharing the photos.
August 10th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Really interesting article, thanks for sharing. I just discovered your blog and after reading this post I think I’ll stick around.
August 10th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Welcome Webd and all of the other new recent readers - there sure has been a lot of buzz about WebUrbanist recently! Meanwhile, another reader reminded me to add this link to the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunkanjima
August 11th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
just one problem. the chernobyl incident released little to no radiation.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Wow! Number 6 looks like something out of some TV sci-fi show or something - Lost for example!
Pripyat is the eeriest - a full city abandoned - it’s so sad and spooky.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:42 am
hi here are some photos i did a few years back of australian outback ; which include COOK an adandoned town/outpost in nullardor desert.
heres the link:
http://www.lawproduction.co.uk/tunder.htm
(the 2nd thumbnail is images of cook town)
August 14th, 2007 at 1:27 am
Gary, Indiana, is one of the most spectacular ghost town I have seen.
See here: http://www.forbidden-places.ne.....ghost-town
And here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary,_Indiana
August 14th, 2007 at 4:25 am
Another one for your list is the nitrate mining town of Humberstone in the Chilean desert. Finally abandoned in 1960, when artificial fertilisers made nitrate mining unprofitable, this complete company town and mine is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, albeit one in serious danger of collapsing. I found this link: http://www.albumdesierto.cl/ingles/2humber.htm I was there in 2005, and posted some photos and text on my webpage: http://www.mananamanana.com/sc.....rlymay.htm
Jim.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:22 am
Great post! Those abandoned places looks weird and scary. I know about Pripyat that’s really uninhabitable placeÑŽ But some people like such abondoned cities.
August 16th, 2007 at 1:20 pm
Thank you all for your amazing feedback, glad you enjoyed the post! Sign up for the RSS feed as we’ll be doing a follow-up within the next week. Thanks again!
August 18th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Some amazing places there, I’ve been near the place in Dorset in England but was never aware of it until now.
August 28th, 2007 at 5:28 am
Great list. Enough for several years of journeys.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:40 am
interesting
August 30th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Definitely check out Bodie. It’s awesome.
http://urltea.com/1cjp
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Cool!
September 5th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Just to let you know, the village near Genoa is actually called Balestrino. More photos of which can be found here -
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Balestrino
The town dates back to the eleventh century, and was rocked by the earthquakes that hit North-west of Italy in the 1880’s. Indeed in 1953 it was abandoned due to ‘Geological Instability’, and the population (some 400) was moved to safer ground.
Hope that helps!
JMS
September 7th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
Nice
September 9th, 2007 at 7:10 am
Nice…
October 4th, 2007 at 4:13 am
The upper left photo of Balestrino (city near Genoa), looks very similar to a M.C. Escher village landscape. Could it be the same scene?
November 4th, 2007 at 5:39 am
Great list of cities. Would make for some excellent photography.
cheers
November 21st, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Glad you liked my pictures from Italy now please check out the rest of my collection on my website.
http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com
RON
ABNF
November 29th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
Nice!
December 10th, 2007 at 1:11 am
good site ,streets in the world as well as other articles in the WebUrbanist 7 Wonders Series including, 7 Abandoned Wonders of the World, 7 More Deserted Wonders of the World, 7 Underwater Wonders of the World, 7 Underground Wonders of
December 11th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Yes Detroit should definitely be here. Maybe the old Ford plant at Highland Park?
Also Benton Harbor, mich.
I’ve been to the small town near Genoa and it was abandoned because of the risk of landslides. A very beautiful place but very, very spooky…
December 15th, 2007 at 9:47 am
Great list.. Pictures on Prypiat especially one with the doll really moves me.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Cincinnati has an entire underground subway that was abandoned and never completed.
January 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Cool.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Cool.
January 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am
I’ve been interested in San Zhi since I saw it while touring the north coast of Taiwan in October 2006. It looks very odd as it suddenly appears out of nowhere on a coastal road about an hour north of Tamsui. I don’t know about the myths associated with it but I was given to understand that the site was abandoned unfinished after the contractors fell out over it. The ‘pods’ are made of fibreglass and the interiors are partially moulded and it would have been pretty hot in them in the summer. There’s a nuclear power station a bit further up the coast and coastal defences which makes the whole area a little strange yet it’s only a couple of hours from Taipei.
January 27th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Nice
February 6th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
The photos of San Zhi is taken by me.
The scary story about San Zhi isn’t truth. San Zhi is a beautiful twon against the north cost of Taiwan, and there is only few spot in San Zhi being abandoned like the UFO houses.
By the way, the photos is licensed under a Creative Common Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0
Please attribute it in “cypherone” and add a link of my flickr photo page, thanks.
March 17th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
About San Zhi: Who owns them? How can they be purchased? If purchase is not acceptable, who would I discuss establishing an acceptable religeous order on the grounds. I would like to facilitate the conduct of daily cermonies over the long term to help the spirits there find rest, and as well restore the housing project to an acceptable level as a monastic living memorial bringing balance to the space and land. It would be an international religeous out-reach. Dealing with such from a religeous foundation, I am not sure as to the procedures that I must go through to secure the site and buildings. Who would you recommend I contact there?
March 23rd, 2008 at 10:37 pm
great site, but what about kolmanskop in namibia and bonnefoi jut outside carolina in mpumalanga south africa
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Detroit, Detroit, Detroit… Detroit, Detroit.
Detroit has as many abandoned buildings as all of those combined minus Pripyat, which alone is still rivaled by Detroit. Detroit was the 4th largest city in the United states in 1950 with a population of 2,000,000. Todays population is around 915,000, although the metropolitan area (counting Windsor) has a population in the area of 5,700,000. Suppose that shows you where all the people went during the “white flight”. The city itself looks like a war zone, think Pripyat with more half-burned buildings and 100+ year old formerly beautiful houses now partially collapsed.
September 24th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Cool
October 13th, 2008 at 3:29 am
What a great and informative site! I’ve really enjoyed looking through this, and I will certainly become a subscriber!
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