10 Abandoned Places On Earth That Are Astonishingly Beautiful

Forgotten places picture the story of human endeavour and the reclamation of nature. Here is the list of 10 abandoned places on the Earth that are astonishingly beautiful.

Ross Island, India: Now shrouded with wild ficus, it was once a British administrative centre and is now reclaimed by nature after it was abandoned after an earthquake hit the island.

Gouqi Island: Situated on China’s Yangtze River, this fishing village was once a bustling place which was slowly abandoned due to the development of tourism and shipbuilding. Now lush green-covered buildings rule the island.

Valley of the Mills, Italy: Dating back to the 13th century, when the valley’s flour mills were replaced by pasta mills, the buildings shuttered. Now the industrial ruins lay covered in lush vegetation.

SS Ayrfield: Built in 1911 this forgotten freighter used to transport oil, coal, and war supplies. Rather than being submerged in water, this shipwreck floats with its own mangrove forest near Australia's capital.

Angkor Wat: Inside the UNESCO heritage site Angkor Wat, the temple Ta Prohm is surrounded by colossal roots of silk cotton and thitpok trees, making the site a strangely beautiful place.

Kennecott, Alaska: Once bustling with copper miners and their families, Kennecott was abandoned towards the 1930s as the resources were depleted, leaving the place in the hands of nature.

Rummu Prison, Estonia: With a dark history where the prisoners were forced to work until it was abandoned after the Independence of Estonia from the Soviet Union, this place is now flooded with water, mimicking an apocalyptic world.

Geamana, Romania: Back in the 1970s, Geamana, a Romanian countryside village saw copper mining taking off. However, the mine’s huge toxic waste forced the villagers to evacuate, leaving the place submerged in an artificial lake of toxic waste.

Saint Nicholas Church, Macedonia: Sitting in the Mavrovo Lake in Macedonia, this church was intentionally destroyed to support a power plant. Now the ruins create a stunningly eerie sight against the lovely background of the lake.

Miranda Castle, Belgium: Dating back to 1866, this fairytale structure was supposed to be a summer home before its designer died. During WWII it was taken over by the Nazis and occupied for 20 years until it was abandoned in 1991 due to its high maintenance cost.