57 Beautiful Abandoned Places Around the World

There are countless locations around the globe that have been abandoned over time. These lost locations and possessions include amusement parks, houses, and all sorts of vehicles that make you wonder what happened to them all.

What an incredible photo, right? When the sun shines on this 19th-century bridge in Germany, it casts a ring of light across the lake below, creating a stunning reflection. It’s especially lovely in the autumn, but it’s also a magnificent sight year-round. 

This charming but abandoned Victorian home is pinned between two modern-style buildings. You can just imagine a novelist or an artist staying here and staring out the window while they work. They would likely have observed passers-by while sipping coffee or tea in the mornings or afternoons.

Seven tunnels were constructed between Waterfall and Otford in the 1880s to offer a route across the mountainous terrain. A new double road was built at another site, and this one was closed in 1920 when a single lane was no longer sufficient for the steam engines.

You can find extraordinary things deep in the ocean. This unique bronze figure is one of three sculpted and set in the sea, and it depicts Christ delivering a peace benediction while looking up toward the heavens. The first statue was erected in 1954 in Italy.

In the past, the Selma estate was a vibrant social hub. Due to the unfortunate deaths of the original owners, the property has passed through many different hands. The original mansion was once destroyed by fire, but it was renovated and brought back to life by a new owner. 

Following a devastating earthquake and tsunami, this store is just one of many businesses and residences that have been left in ruins. More than 300,000 people were forced to flee their homes after the infamous natural disaster struck the region in March 2011. 

This stunning cottage can be found near Stradbally, Ireland. It was presumably built in the 19th or 20th century, and it is surrounded by a beautiful yellow forest. Those gorgeous blue shingles are a one-of-a-kind sight. It’s a beautiful spot to visit if you want to get away from it all.

Though construction concluded in 1913, this station was already in use before it was finished. When World War I began, more than 200 trains were departing each day from the railway station. After World War II, it was utilized mainly by the armed forces, and its popularity dwindled as people began to rely on vehicles.

There is an underwater museum in Cancun where you may see this waterlogged Bug. This is an excellent spot to check out if you enjoy scuba diving or snorkeling. As an alternative to diving and snorkeling, glass-bottom boats are available for individuals who would rather stay dry. 

This photo of an abandoned yellow house looks like it belongs in an old Alfred Hitchcock thriller like The Birds. You’d have to be a big fan of yellow to live there, with the dandelions and the home both being bedecked in that oh-so-bright hue.

The Swallow’s Nest, a stunning “ice” fortress located in southern Ukraine, overlooks the Cape Ai-Todor of the Black Sea. It resembles the ice palace from Frozen. In reality, the castle is perched on the top of the Aurora Cliff.

Peruvian police once owned these Harley-Davidsons while they were stationed in Lima. They were removed from the market due to operational or maintenance issues. Since local Harley dealers and parts suppliers were unavailable, many of these motorcycles were bought in bulk by enthusiasts desperate to get their hands on spare parts.

After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on August 25, 2005, this Six Flags amusement park remained closed as a sad memory of that terrible day. No one in America, or probably the entire world, will ever forget the horrific events of that storm and the days that followed. 

This abandoned fishing cabin in Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany, is located in a magnificent alpine location. It was constructed on the shores of Obersee Lake. Unfortunately, it was left empty and alone. There is no record of who owns the property. 

This shuttle can be found at a covert, Russian-built location in Kazakhstan. During the Cold War, the West was unaware of this place. Yuri Gagarin, the first cosmonaut, was launched in April 1961 from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Only once did the “Buron” take to the skies in November of 1988.

More and more houses and buildings around Mount Sinabung in Karo, Indonesia, have been abandoned during the past few years, including this church. When a new eruption occurred in June 2015, it caused the evacuation of thousands of people. Mount Sinabung’s surrounding slopes have proven to be dangerous for residents. 

The “Russian Wreck” was one of countless disasters that occurred in the Red Sea, but this specific shipwreck appears to be one of the most famous. It was discovered in 1988, and it was initially thought to be a fishing vessel called the Khanka.

This photograph of an ancient, abandoned farmhouse is a complete mystery. It’s strange to see wonderfully green grass in the middle of a forest of rotting trees in Canada. However, who would take meticulous care of their lawn while completely neglecting their home?

You can find abandoned railroad bridges like this all over Pennsylvania. Due to the widespread adoption of vehicles as a mode of transportation, many of these structures were abandoned. Traveling by rail went from being the norm to a rare occurrence.

This coal-fired power plant was one of the biggest in Belgium when it was built in 1921. By 1977, it had become Charleroi’s primary source of energy. It was able to chill 480,000 gallons of water every minute.

McDermott’s castle is located in Roscommon, Ireland, on an island in Lough Key’s southeast corner. Since the 12th century, the island has been home to the castle shown in the image below. In 1184, a lightning bolt started a fire, and few people survived.

Why would someone discard such a precious car? We can only assume that the “Love Bug” did not deliver what they expected. Or maybe the owner was acting on a dare and drove it onto the beach, where it got stranded in the sand.

Pencho Semov, Bulgaria’s first billionaire, was known as the “Bulgarian Rockefeller.” He grew up in a village near Gabrovo, Bulgaria, and made his way up the economic ladder by trading, banking, and other means. Two years before his death, he drafted a will specifying that his mansion would be converted into a retirement home.

Many people believe that the Dixon Cove Wreck in the 1970s was partly caused by a hurricane that forced the ship into the channel and left it trapped. Trying to salvage the vessel, the crew unloaded the cargo, which pillagers later recovered. 

This strange building was initially known as Elephant Bazaar – a six-story structure styled like an elephant and first constructed in 1881. The howdah (the elephant’s seat) featured a set of spiral stairs leading up to it. The structure was utilized as a tavern, and Lucy had to deal with numerous tragedies, including a fire. 

This is one of several abandoned roller coasters in Japan. Despite the fact that this abandoned theme park was meant to be demolished, you can still see the antique coaster glowing in the distance. This rusted roller coaster has earned the moniker “Screw Coaster” – an entirely appropriate name given its appearance. 

This was once a magnificent hotel encircled by the breathtaking Colombian mountains. Anyone who stayed there would tell you it was an excellent and stately place. This beautiful spot, perched precariously above a thundering waterfall, was ideal for a relaxing getaway. 

Chatillon is a small town in Southern Belgium. In the past, these vehicles belonged to soldiers from the United States. It was too expensive to bring all of the soldiers’ automobiles back with them when the war ended, so they had to leave them behind when they went home.

Rusted antique boats rest in the beautiful blue-green waters that surround this beautiful island. As it turns out, these wrecks were deliberately sunk off the coast of Moreton Island to provide a secure haven for smaller boats. 

Towards the outskirts of Kazan City, a TU-144 supersonic passenger jet has been abandoned in the yard. This is just one of many sites and objects that have been abandoned or demolished worldwide for various reasons. 

Bob Lee, a former oil producer from Cape Romano, Florida, constructed these odd houses in 1980. They were a sight to behold before hurricanes ravaged them soon after they were first built. 

The HMS Ontario sank in the Great Lakes in 1780. It was rediscovered in 2008 between Niagara and Rochester, New York. The ship was found to be largely intact, and it now holds the distinction of being the oldest British warship ever discovered.

At the now-defunct Kejonuma Leisure Land, which first opened in 1979, this massive Ferris Wheel and dozens of other attractions were enjoyed by guests from all over. More than 200,000 people a year came to spend time in the park.

The S.S. America launched in 1940 and was primarily a passenger ship that went by various names until its accident in 1994. Two Nazi spies were on-board the ship in 1941 when the Navy was using it. As members of the Duquesne Spy Ring, they and 31 other spies were later convicted by the FBI. 

Young Icelandic couples flock to Búðakirkja, Iceland’s most popular wedding venue, for its stunning interior. As far as churches go, there aren’t many black and white ones. Found in Bir, Iceland, this chapel is situated adjacent to a beach and lava field, with a volcano in the distance. 

Gentzrode may have been cursed because numerous well-thought-out ideas for this location fell apart. After moving to the estate, Carl von Diebitch’s son, Ludwig, planned a castle-like residence, complete with exquisite planted gardens and a family tomb. Although finished in 1876-1877, it cost significantly more than he intended.

In Italy, there are numerous deserted castles to discover. You can even purchase fully-restored castles or hunt for a bargain and restore it to its former glory. It is common to see a variety of decorations when exploring these abandoned palaces.

Numerous homes have been abandoned since Boyd, Oregon, was de-incorporated in 1955. Until recently, Boyd was a bustling community. In addition to poor wheat prices, the Great Depression significantly impacted the town’s downfall.

In 1845, a considerable amount of silver was found in this small village, but mining the silver was nearly impossible due to Lake Superior’s varying weather conditions and turbulence. For decades, the miners battled storms, tidal waves, and ice surges to no avail.

When it was first built in 1890, Halcyon Hall was a five-story, two hundred-room luxury hotel catering to the privileged. Unfortunately, the hotel’s performance fell short of expectations, and it was forced to close in 1901. 

A photographer captured this image during a lightning storm in 2015. When he snapped the picture, he managed to capture an act of nature at just the right moment. The photographer had no idea how intense the lightning was going to get while he was sitting in his car taking these shots.

Even though these sea forts look like something straight out of an H.G. Wells novel, the looming metal towers in the Thames estuary were built to protect England during WWII from the German air raids. Decommissioned in the 1950s, the abandoned giant towers were used by pirate radio operators in the decades that followed. 

This stunning hotel is not from our time, yet it’s hard to distinguish what era it is actually from. The state of its decay places it in the past, but the modernistic design and shapes make it feel futuristic. In the traditional style of Communist-era brutalist architecture, the hotel was built on the island of Krk in 1971. 

American industrialist Henry Ford had big plans to establish a rubber plantation right in the center of the Amazon rainforest in the 1920s. Securing a gigantic plot of land from the government of Brazil, he built a remarkable micro-city that had a power plant, hospital, golf course, and thousands of houses. He called it Fordlândia. 

Located about 87 miles southeast of Shanghai, Houtouwan used to be a fishing village on Shengshan Island. For several decades, it’s been a ghost town, but it’s not like all the others. Rather than being covered in rubble and dust, the buildings are almost all covered in ivy and lush vegetation. 

Uyuni, in Bolivia, is primarily known for its salt flats and red lakes, but there’s an unusual tourist attraction that’s even more intriguing. There exists a graveyard of abandoned and antique trains. 

Plans in the early 19th century were made to build more train tracks throughout the city as part of the intention to extend Uyuni’s transportation network. But, the project was halted due to technical difficulties and issues with indigenous locals.

Known for being the birthplace of Michael Jackson, Gary, Indiana, is also the site of one of the most beautiful and eeriest abandoned churches in the U.S. Initially built in 1926 from money donated by the U.S. Steel, the church is a marvelous sight with nine stories. It consists of gorgeous Gothic architecture, stone pillars, and stunning stained glass windows. 

Located less than half a mile from the Venice canals, Poveglia Island was a quarantine zone for victims of the bubonic plague. It was also a storage place for Napoleon’s weapons and the eerie site of an early 20th-century mental institution. 

If by chance you are ever in the jungles of central Java, you may find this awesome, yet confusing dilapidated church: Gereja Ayam, also named the “Chicken Church.” Opening in the 1990s, its architect originally intended it to be in the shape of a dove, which clearly didn’t work out so well! 

Contrary to what many might think, this is not a photo of Paris after an apocalypse. Located about 40 minutes from Hangzhou, this Tianducheng district in China is a mini replica of France’s capital. The failed yet ambitious attempt at real estate development was built in 2007, with its very own Champs-Elysees and 300-foot Eiffel Tower.

The Michigan Theatre was built on the spot of Henry Ford’s first workshop in 1926. It was once home to a booming downtown Detroit with seven stories, 4,000 seats, and $5 million worth of construction. It closed in 1967 due to the big boom of suburban movie theaters and living room televisions. 

During the early 20th century, Homebush Bay was once Sydney’s industrial crossroads and was full of coal-transporting ships and oil. However, it’s unfortunate that the waters became toxic and contaminated, most likely because of coal and oil. It was a problem that was only solved after the commercial boom of the 2000 Olympics. 

We can’t quite imagine a creepier hospital than this one in Germany. The story goes that between 1898 and 1930, the Beelitz-Heilstätten hospital was a tuberculosis sanatorium. Also, during World War I, it housed mustard gas and machine gun victims, including a young soldier, Adolf Hitler. 

From 1911 to 1930, about $200 million worth of copper was processed in Kennecott (in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park). It was a self-contained mining town, complete with a hospital, skating rink, tennis court, and dairy. A majority of the buildings, however, have been neglected for around 60 years, but some have deteriorated too much to be saved. 

Estonia’s semi-emerged Rummu Prison just might be the creepiest (yet oddly beautiful) of all the underwater sites around the world. Built by the Soviet Union in the 1940s, the prison was filled with inmates who were forced to work in the limestone quarry nearby. 

In 1908, Kolmanskop was once the go-to spot for diamond mining and extravagance, even though it may not look like it now. Once the well-to-do inhabitants of Kolmanskop discovered a host of more diamonds south of Kolmanslop, the town became desolate.