Goosebumps: a selection of the most terrible abandoned places in the world

There are few things more frightening than entering an abandoned city or mystical place. These living communities are frozen in time, falling apart in the face of adversity. Some tell us horror stories about their troubled pasts... We'll tell you about some of the world's worst abandoned places - from villages damaged by conflict to communities abandoned to their fate. These surreal spots are sure to make your blood run cold.

1. Belchite, Aragon, Spain.

Scratched, battered and scarred, the old town of Belchite watches the passage of time as its buildings crumble. This small town became the scene of one of the most symbolic battles of the Civil War when it was destroyed. Dictator Francisco Franco decided not to rebuild it in order to teach the vanquished a lesson, and forced prisoners of war to build a new village next door (Belchite Nuevo). The last inhabitants left the ruins in the 60s and today, after decades of abandonment, the town is closed and can only be visited on guided tours. Some say it is enchanted and psychophonies have been recorded... Without a doubt, this is a place that will give you goosebumps.

2. Island of the Dolls, Mexico.

The Island of the Dolls was the home of the hermit Julian Santana Barrera, who lived isolated among the canals of the Xochimilco district of Chilango. Legend has it that he found a drowned little girl and a doll, and from that point on he set about hanging dolls around the island to soothe her spirit. This place became a tourist attraction for many tourists who came here with dolls to add to the collection. In 2001, Barrera was found drowned in the same area where the little girl was believed to have been found. The island is open to the public, but it's not a pleasant feeling when you realize that all these dolls are watching you.

3. Hashima Island, Japan.

Also known as Gunkajima (Warship), this abandoned mining site is an intimidating jungle of crumbling cement structures and dust-covered debris left behind by its inhabitants. It has been empty since 1974, when people were forced to leave because the place was so inhospitable that it was difficult to live there.

4. Pripyat, Ukraine.

Abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the city of Pripyat was once home to 50,000 people. But everything changed when the largest nuclear disaster in history occurred. The place remains a terrifying time capsule, the force of the tragedy causing every city clock to stop. The strangest place in the city is an amusement park with a Ferris wheel and other attractions, empty and silent.

5. Oradour-sur-Glane, France.

Oradour-sur-Glane remained untouched by the Nazi massacres that wiped out almost the entire population of this quiet town in 1944. This horrific attack killed 642 people, most of whom were women and children. This corner of the world stood frozen in time when General Charles de Gaulle declared that it must remain as it was to remember the brutality of the Nazi occupation. Today it is quite a popular tourist destination, and people stroll peacefully through its quiet streets filled with rusting cars and dilapidated stone buildings. Local residents refuse to enter this place after dark and claim that they have seen ghostly figures wandering there.

6. Kolmanskop, Namibia.

This former mining town was home to German miners seeking wealth and prosperity. However, after World War I, the price of diamonds plummeted, and the once bustling core of German architecture and culture in the middle of the vast African desert was abandoned. Over time, sand penetrated the houses and filled the rooms, turning them into one of the most supernatural places any tourist can visit... if they dare.

7. Humberstone, Chile.

Thousands of people lived and worked in the brutally dry desert of northern Chile for 60 years, where the world's largest deposit of potassium nitrate was processed. When it was abandoned, the Pinochet dictatorship turned it into a concentration camp, with even harsher conditions. Although some residents (about 250 people) still remain, most of the buildings languish in disrepair and disrepair.

8. Port Arthur, Tasmania.

This small town and former convict settlement on the Tasmanian peninsula is one of the most haunted places in Australia, perhaps precisely because it was a convict colony for many years. As well as being home to criminals, it was also the site of the horrific Port Arthur massacre in 1996. People who visit it claim to have seen ghostly figures, as well as heard strange sounds and the ringing of a church bell that has not been rung for years.

9. Body, USA.

Nestled in the hills of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, Bodie is one of the most popular ghost towns in the United States. Few buildings in this former gold and mining town still stand, but those that remain are filled with dusty treasures from the past. However, be careful: if you want to take any souvenir with you, be prepared for the consequences, as legend has it that the place is haunted and protected from thieves.

10. Grytviken, South Georgia.

This whaling station in Antarctica was abandoned in 1966 after almost completely wiping out the whale population. The only thing that remains of the settlement are ghostly ships and dilapidated buildings, as well as an ominous cemetery where workers were buried. The town of Grytviken is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, giving it a spooky atmosphere.

11. Corbera d'Ebre, Catalonia, Spain.

Corbera d'Ebre lies in ruins and has been frozen since the Civil War, when it was bombed by Italian aircraft and the Condor Legion, as well as artillery. Almost the entire village was destroyed during the Battle of the Ebro. Wounds from shells and shrapnel can still be seen on the facades of surviving buildings, amid greenery and under blue skies. It sits on top of a hill and it is easy to see how beautiful this farming village must have been, where the beautiful parish church of St Peter still stands. Today it is a symbol of peace and a painful memory of times long past.