The town of Kolmanskop in Namibia benefited from the diamond rush in the early 1900s. During this time Germans settled in the area and capitalized on the boom taking place in the area, investing in mines and enjoying the wealth that came with the discovery of diamonds.
The rush ended shortly after the Second World War and the population moved on, leaving the town empty and desolate. It is still a popular site with tourists who like to come to visit in the hope of finding a diamond in the ruff.
Częstochowa Train Depot – Poland
Częstochowa was once a thriving town, nestled between Russia and Poland. This was mainly thanks to the Warsaw-Vienna Railway which after it was built in 1846 went through the city and allowed its train station to become a hub, linking it to both cities as well as the rest of Europe.
The station was eventually closed, and now, the depot sits abandoned with its trains. This train graveyard still attracts thousands of rail enthusiasts a year to come and see the trains in a state of disrepair. It might be a sad sight for them to see, but they can’t seem to stay away.
Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Opened in 1829, the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was one of the USA’s first modern prisons and remained open until 1971. It was the first of its kind to be built using a wagon wheel design, which at the time seemed revolutionary but is now the commonly accepted design for prisons.
Eastern State Penitentiary was home to some of the United State’s most famous and dangerous criminals, including Al Capone and Willie Sutton. Thinking of the types of people who used to walk the halls in a building like this gives it a creepy feel, and now as an abandoned building, you get that feeling twice as much.
102-Year-Old Floating Forest in Sydney, Australia
The 102-Year-Old floating forest is located in Homebush Bay, Sydney, Australia. The forest has grown out of the remains of the old SS Ayrfield, which was a large ship used during the Second World War. When the war ended, the boat was left to rot in the bay, and the trees started to sprout out of it, as the other ships that were left alongside it.
The derelict vessels are offset by the growing trees which give an interesting juxtaposition, where the living meets the dead. It makes for a beautiful photograph.
House Of The Bulgarian Communist Party, Bulgaria
This building which used to be the home of the communist party was shaped like a UFO and is just as intriguing from the inside as it looks from the outside. The building was only in use for ten years from 1981 – 1991, but with the fall of the communist government, the building was abandoned and neglected.
There have been discussions about restoring it to its former glory, but so far no work has commenced on rejuvenating the building.