Finding beauty in the most unexpected places is possible.
From towns to castles forgotten in time, many are those sites that challenge your imagination, in the sense of listening to the past and understanding what once existed there. These are magnificent hidden treasures that surprise us for their unmatched beauty, albeit in ruins. This time we will discover some of the most wonderful abandoned places in the world.
1. Kolmanskop, Namibia
This magnificent site looks like Dali himself could have painted it.
The interior of the abandoned buildings of Kolmanskop resemble his remarkably unique paintings in a blend of phantasy elements that rouses your imagination. The desert sands of this region of Namibia have invaded the houses of this ancient colonial town which, over a century ago, served as a refuge to diamond hunters. Kolmanskop is one of those unforgettable places thanks to its such unique and unusual sceneries.
2. Ghost Town of Craco, Italy
This town is of very ancient origin: registers of its existence date it back to the 8th century b.C., which reflects in its constructions and ruins.
It is located on a strategic spot, on top of a hill, however its ancient inhabitants left it given the girisk of collapse.
Its beauty, however, has always brought here many tourists.
A town that keeps being admired to this day.
3. Château Miranda, Belgium
Built in 1866 by the English architect Edward Miller, the neogothic Château de Noisy was home to the French clan Liedekerke-Beaufort, who looked for a place to run from the French Revolution.
Due to Edward’s death, the construction would remain unfinished, having then been invaded by the Nazis during the Second World War. Since then, it has served numerous purposes, having been the home of a railway company’s workers, holiday camp and an orphanage.
The chateau has been deteriorating more and more since 1991. The Belgium government tried to acquire the chateau, having this request been rejected by the heirs, and is now abandoned and in ruins.
4. Castelo da Dona Chica, Braga, Portugal
Castelo da Dona Chica owes its name to its first owner. You can find it in the Portuguese city of Braga and has had countless owners since the start of its construction in 1915. It is a Portuguese neo-romantic chateau involved in a web of immense bureaucracy which brought it to the state that it got to today.
Throughout the years, it has served many uses, but finished its days wrapped in legal disputes.
Despite its state of deterioration, this building has a timeless beauty for it is indeed worth it to explore it.
5. Granadilla, Cáceres, Spain
Brought back from its oblivion by Almodóvar in the film ¡Átame! (Tie me Up! Tie Me Down!), the forgotten town of Granadilla has become one of the most sought after destinations of the province of Cáceres. Getting lost in here would really be worthwhile.
Its muslim origins have left unique mark on it and, together with the walls of its imponent castle, Granadilla is for sure one of the most beautiful abandoned locations of the world.
6. Elevador de Gordejuela, Tenerife, Spain
The ruins of the water lift of Gordejuela is one of the most beautiful and unknown areas of “Los Realejos”.
Built in Tenerife in the early 20th century, this complex has resisted the Atlantic Ocean, making this a true postcard in the surrounding landscape as the construction falls right into the ocean.
7. Belchite, Zaragoza, Spain
At Belchite, time stopped in 1937 as the bombs of the Spanish Civil War hit the village.
Although this town is still a symbol of the horrors it once suffered, one must really know its buildings in ruins and contemplate its half-destroyed monuments such as the magnificent Church of San Martín de Tours.
Belchite is one of the unmissable destinations in Aragon, owning a priceless historical and heritage value.
8. Fordlândia, Aveiro, Brasil
Fordlândia is an abandoned village that owes its name to the famed businessman Henry Ford, who founded it in 1927 in the state of Pará in Brazil.
At that time it was an industrial complex for latex processing consisting of factories and houses, but when John Ford died, the industrial complex was closed for ever.
We can still nowadays see locals living side by side with the ruins of this American dream.
9. Village of Kayaköy, Turkey
Well preserved historical constructions located on the seaside make up the scenery of this small village in the province of Muğla. The town was destroyed after an earthquake and a fire occurred between 1855 and 1856. Once again inhabited, it has witnessed impacting episodes of the Greek-Turkish war which caused its abandoning at the end of 1920.
One can see over 500 houses in ruins nowadays.
10. Oradour-sur-Glane, France
Beauty can also live along with sadness.
This is a ghost village of the Second World War. It was the site of one of the largest massacres of civilians of this dark period.
On the 10th of June of 1944, three days after the Allied troops disembarked in Normandy, German soldiers received orders to join their combat companions. On their way, a commander received the information that one of his soldiers had been made hostage in the city of Oradour-sur-Glane.
As an act of revenge, the commander ordered for hundreds of men to be shot while women and children were kept isolated in a church and died in a fire set by the Nazis. The silence and the respect for this local are crucial, given the circa 600 people who have here lost their lives.
It would be worth to think about rehabilitating these locations which, even if abandoned, continue to impress given their meaning and their unmeasurable beauty.
We call for these monuments to be rebuilt.
If, when abandoned, they represent this much to us, have you thought what would they mean in case they were rebuilt?
