Complete with photography and summaries of their stories, we are about to explore these creepy yet fascinating places.

Oradour-sur-Glane, France holds a shocking and devastating story which leaves fascinating ruins. This village, in west-central France, was abandoned during World War 2 when the town was massacred by German soldiers. In 1944 a drastic 642 inhabitants were murdered within a few short hours; most were shot in the legs to make death slow and agonising. A new village was built after the attack to house the few remaining survivors however the ruins and evidence of this malevolent act still remain to this day.

Wittenoom, Western Australia was abandoned for a reason which may be considered stranger than the rest. Although the idea of asbestos sounds less dramatic than massacres or volcano eruptions, in this town it was (and still is) a serious issue. In 1947 the town of Wittenoom was created to service a nearby aspestos mine, soon growing to be Australia’s only supplier of asbestos. However, when it was discovered that the town was dust ridden, residents were advised rather than forced to leave the town. For many years the majority refused, however by 2006, after failed attempts and costly bills to clean the town, few residents remained. In 2007, town status was removed from this ghost town, leaving only ruins and empty road signs where it once lay.