7 Abandoned Cities And Why They Were Uninhabited

There are such a large number of cities in the world that we could make too long a list. But have you ever wondered if there are abandoned cities? And if there are, where are they and why did their inhabitants leave them?

Although many do not even imagine it, we also tell you that this list is long. In the following list, we will inform you about some of them and  the particular reasons why these cities are currently in a state of abandonment.

Abandoned cities around the world

Whether due to natural disasters, wars, nuclear explosions or even economic convenience, these cities have in common that they are totally uninhabited. Find out why in each of the cases.

1. Prypiat, Ukraine

If we have to talk about places super-known for neglect, Prypiat quickly comes to mind. This town housed the workers of the nearby Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and experienced an impressive event in April 1986.

The Chernobyl nuclear explosion disaster occurred just a few kilometers from Prypiat, so the population was quickly evacuated 24 hours later. After that, not one more soul lived in Prypiat; everything was left as it was, resulting in a frozen town in 1986.

Schools, houses and other totally abandoned buildings, newspapers of that time and even vestiges of the USSR – Soviet Socialist Republican Union – can be seen in this place. The only life there are plants that have adapted to radioactivity and some wild animals.

Today it is still not habitable due to the high radiation, but with all the necessary precautions, you can visit the place that starred in what is considered the largest nuclear accident in history.

2. Bodie, United States

From Ukraine we quickly crossed the Atlantic Ocean to go directly to Bodie, United States, where we will transport ourselves to the year 1960. It is a ghost town product of the “gold rush” of the 19th century.

As much as $400,000 a month was extracted in Bodie, making the people rich. In 20 years, the population grew from 20 to 10,000 inhabitants. However, the Great Depression and continuing World War II destroyed the local economy, so Bodie was progressively abandoned.

3. Pompeii and Herculaneum, Italy

Pompeii and Herculaneum are two different abandoned cities, but we will put them together as they were both destroyed around 2000 years ago by the burning ash and rocks of Mount Vesuvius. It is even believed that a good part of the inhabitants were burned by these ashes and rocks.

From the year 79 AD – when the eruption occurred – to the present, centuries and centuries have passed and, nevertheless, their names continue to resonate strongly, especially the city of Pompeii. You can discover these places is a journey that will take you directly to the time of Ancient Rome.

4. Oradour-sur-Glane, France

This French town was the victim of one of the worst atrocities that can exist: a massacre. World War II was almost over when a Waffen-SS armored division stopped there before returning to Germany.

They had the order to attack the population, for which they claimed the lives of the inhabitants, even that of children. Later, the city was turned to ashes and, today, that bleak and sad atmosphere that occurred in the last century is still present.

5. Belchite, Spain

Today, Belchite is a pilgrimage site for paranormal investigators who claim to have detected the presence of supernatural activity. Which is the reason? As it turns out, during the Spanish Civil War, the place – taken over by the Francoists in 1937 – was attacked by Republican troops to divert attention from the northern front of the country.

The town was left in ruins, which is why it has a certain “magnetism” for the curious who are interested, and even for professionals who have detected paranormal activity, as we have indicated previously.

6. Ross Island, India

At the time, this so-called “Paris of the East” served as home to British government officials, so a certain sumptuousness was characteristic of this place. Residents enjoyed lavish ballrooms, clubs, swimming pools, and beautiful gardens.

However, all that ended in 1941, when an earthquake and a Japanese invasion wiped out that place. The land that was occupied by both the British and the Japanese – and today under Indian protection – is nothing more than a place in ruins.

7. Bhangarh, India

There is a legend that says that this Indian city grew and incorporated luxurious royal buildings, something that the monarch had promised would not happen, since it was under the threat of a guru’s curse. This curse is believed to have taken effect when the city was struck by a natural disaster.

However, another reality shows that it was conquered in 1720 and that, from that moment on, the city has begun to be abandoned. Built in the late 16th century, Bhangarh has been abandoned for some 400 years.

Almost abandoned cities

In addition to those mentioned above that no longer have any inhabitants, did you know that there are cities or towns that are on the verge of abandonment? Why on the verge of abandonment? Well, it turns out that these places have in common having only one inhabitant.

Some of the best known examples are Villa Epecuén in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Pablo Novak lives; Monowi in Nebraska, United States, where Elsie Eiler lives; Los Rubios in Badajoz, Spain, where Antonio Carrizosa Vizuete resides; and Tomioka in Fukushima, Japan where only Naoto Matsumura and his animals remain.

Would you visit any of these places?

Abandoned cities attract a lot of attention for the same reason, because they are abandoned. Many are the curious who come to these places to learn about their history, be transported to another time and see what was left of that place.

Do you know any already? If not, surely there is one that has caught your attention and is a possible place to meet. Write it down in the next destinations book!