There’s something about abandoned places that fascinates and terrifies us at the same time. I loved exploring abandoned places with my friends when I was a kid, I am still fascinated by them today. Perhaps it’s the thought of what once was, or the feeling that we’re trespassing on the remains of someone’s past. Whatever the reason, abandoned places always seem to have an eerie, haunted quality that draws us in.

Here are the seven creepiest abandoned places in the world:

1. Pripyat, Ukraine:

This city was once home to 50,000 people, but it was evacuated in 1986 after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Now, it’s a ghost town with crumbling buildings and abandoned playgrounds, a haunting reminder of the tragedy that occurred there.

2. Hashima Island, Japan:

Also known as “Battleship Island,” this abandoned island was once home to a bustling coal mining community. But when the coal ran out, the island was abandoned and now stands as a eerie, dilapidated relic of the past.

3. Bodie, California:

This former gold mining town was once a thriving community with over 10,000 residents. But when the gold ran out, the town was abandoned and has since become a “true California ghost town,” complete with crumbling buildings and abandoned streets.

4. Craco, Italy:

This medieval town was built on a steep hillside in southern Italy, but it was eventually abandoned due to landslides and earthquakes. Now, it stands as a eerie, abandoned town with winding streets and abandoned buildings.

5. Oradour-sur-Glane, France:

This village was completely destroyed by the Nazis during World War II, and it was never rebuilt. Now, it stands as a haunting reminder of the horrors of war, with abandoned buildings and streets frozen in time.

6. Kolmanskop, Namibia:

This once-prosperous diamond mining town was abandoned in the 1950s when the diamonds ran out. Now, it stands as a eerie, abandoned ghost town with sand dunes slowly consuming the buildings.

These abandoned places are a creepy and sometimes a stark reminder of what once was.