Kolmanskop
In the Namib desert of southern Namibia we have found Kolmanskop, a ghost town that was once the hot spot in the industry of diamond mining. For those familiar with the area, to give you a point of reference, we can let you know that this abandoned town is only a few kilometers away from the port town of Lüderitz. What once was a very rich mining village, today is a famous tourist destination for tourists worldwide.
What started out as a simple settlement for the mining community in 1908, bloomed very fast into a large and rich village, built in a German architectural style. At its peak, the village included the all the basic amenities such as hospital school, power station but also included a few luxury amenities, fitting of the rich lifestyle of its locals such as ballroom, theater, sport-hall and even a casino. The town started to decline after the First World War mainly due to the fact that the diamond-field was slowly exhausted, leading to the town being completely abandoned by the year 1954.
The main and big attraction of this location are the old German style houses that have been overtaken by the dessert sands and taken them in as their new occupiers. Photographers from around the world have visited this place in order to capture the beauty of how these houses have melted into the dessert and have blended in the background. If you are going to visit this location, be sure to bring your camera, even if you’re not a professional photographer, because you will want to remember this trip forever.
Craco
We have talked in other articles about some stone cities that you, as a traveler, just have to visit at least once in your lifetime. Today we are going to show you an abandoned version of this type of architectural wonder that is just as spectacular even without the people. Located in the Province of Matera, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, this old yet gorgeous town was abandoned due to natural disasters, but is not perfectly safe, and worth it, to be visited. Also, in the past years, this location has gotten more and more attention due to it being used as a popular filming location and being included on the World Monuments Fund list.
When it comes to its architecture, this town is very typical and similar to the hill towns of the region. The highest point of the town is the city center, located atop of a 400 meter (1,300 feet) high cliff. The surrounding areas of the town curve lovely following the shape of the cliff and forming almost a protective barrier of the town center. But this effect is no coincidence due to the fact that a long time ago, the town was also used for defensive reasons.
Buzludzha
Buzludzha is one of the most unique buildings that you will see, abandoned or not. Set on top of a historical peak in the Central Balkan Mountains, at 1441 meters (4728 feet) high, this gorgeous abandoned building can be found on beautiful Bulgarian territory. This construction is very impressive and it only cost 14.186.000 Bulgarian Leva or 8.234.748 US Dollars by today’s currency.
For those who with to visit this place, this beautiful abandoned building can be reached by two side roads from Shipka Pass, both of which are gorgeous and will offer wonderful views on the way. One of them is a 16 km (10 miles) road from Kazanlak and the other is a 12 km (7 miles) road coming north from Gabrovo.
You will notice from its structure and design that this building reminisces the Bulgarian communist regime during which it was built. The main purpose of this building was to commemorate the 1891 secret organization of the socialist movement that led to the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party. The monument was opened in 1981 but today is left in shambles because it is no longer in the care of the Bulgarian government. This, unfortunately means that it can’t be officially visited, because the main entrance has been blocked. But for those who wish to take that extra step, you can get inside through other ways and observe the unique architecture and signs of what was once the Bulgarian communist regime.