5 Incredibly Creepy Abandoned Cities And Towns

Humans have roamed the earth for many, many millennia. Over that long stretch of time, we clearly would have settled down in quite a number of different places. You can find cities and towns all over the globe. But what happens when the people living in those towns leave? Abandoned cities are certainly scary places, and here are a few of the creepiest ones out there. If you’re someone who enjoys the thrill of spooky places, you might want to check these out!

Kolmanskop

Photo by Michiel Van Balen via Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Kolmanskop is a small mining town located a few miles away from Lüderitz – a Namibian port town. It was abandoned in 1956 and has since become a tourist attraction. What makes it creepy, though? Kolmanskop is located right by the sandy Namibian desert. Rough winds and swirling sands have made the dunes invade the remaining homes left by the residents. One definitely gets a chill down the spine when it becomes clear that the desert is slowly consuming this town. Eventually it might be completely devoured; a town beneath the dunes.

Kadykchan

Photo by Sergey Dolya via LiveJournal

Kadykchan is a small Russian city that, like many others, fell to ruin when the Soviet Union lost its power. In order to gain access to running water, electricity, and other essential utilities, residents were forced to evacuate within the space of two weeks. The desperate people left in such a hurry that they left many belongings behind. You can find abandoned books, toys, and clothing all over the city. The desolate shell of this tin-mining town that once held over 12,000 people is eerie beyond comprehension.

Tyneham

Photo by Tuuraan78 via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0

In Southern England there lies a town abandoned since the end of the second World War. Known as “the village that Dorset lost,” Tyneham is a small village that had its inhabitants evacuated when the army used it as a military base during the war. The residents were promised their homes back, but were never allowed to return when the war ended. Most of the town is now in ruins. Only the church and the schoolhouse remain relatively untouched. The town stands as a reminder of all the brave soldiers lost during the war.

Kayakoy

Photo by Nikodem Nijaki via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY 3.0

Once a thriving Greek village of over 25,000 people in Turkey, Kayakoy was abandoned in 1923 during the Greek war of independence. The village, steeped in deep history, had been occupied since the 13th century. Now all that can be found there are ruins of dilapidated houses and other structures. As one of the most well preserved and largest ghost towns in Asia Minor, it’s easy to see why being in the presence of this place can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!

Kowloon Walled City

Photo by Ken Ohyama via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 2.0

During British rule of China, this former watchpost against pirates (located near Hong Kong) was founded. In World War II, Kowloon was occupied by Japan and then taken over by squatters after the surrender. Neither Britain nor China wanted to take responsibility for it, and thus it became its own lawless city. In 1933 China and Britain had had enough of the city’s unsanitary and uncontrollable population. It was thus torn down by the government. Only the ruined shell of the city now remains.

If you’re planning a trip to any of these countries soon (or if you happen to live there yourself) and you have a slight affinity for creepy places, I highly recommend you check these out. There’s nothing like a surreal experience in an abandoned place to get the blood pumping!

Featured image by Clément Bucco-Lechat via Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0