ANN MARIE: The Most Famous Ghost Towns Around the Globe by Brian Ghannam

There is something so utterly fascinating about the world's derelict and abandoned buildings and cities. People have long been enchanted by these abandoned places, telling stories, creating artwork, and making legends.

Let us take a moment to appreciate some of these abandoned places of the world. In this list, you will find some of the most famous ghost towns from all over the globe. Perhaps one of them will inspire your next story.

Old Ghost Road Trail, New Zealand

First up on the list is the Old Ghost Road Trail in New Zealand. As with a surprising number of ghost towns, this town was once a mining town. It is full of schools, graveyards, and even hotels. Now it is home only to ghosts and wildlife.

Texola, Oklahoma, United States

Texola resides on the famous route 66 and isn't truly abandoned. A mere thirty-five people currently reside in Texola, compared to the hundreds that used to live there. However, the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression drove most of those residents out long ago.

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

The town of Oradour-sur-Glane, France, does not have a happy history. The city has been left untouched since 1944. A horrible massacre occurred here, resulting in the brutal death of over six hundred people. Following the war, French President Charles de Gaulle ordered Oradour-sur-Glane to be left untouched.

Craco, Italy

Craco, Italy, is perhaps one of the more famous locations on this list of ghost towns. The people of Craco made the mistake of over-expanding their town - beyond what the land could support. This caused landslides, forcing the people to pack up and leave.

Bodie, California, United States

Founded in 1876, Bodie, California, was a miner's town. In its heyday, it housed around ten thousand residents. However, the boom this town experienced was doomed to falter. The population began declining four years later, and in 1940 the last of the residents gave up and left.

Villa Epecuen, Argentina

It was only recently (2009) that Villa Epecuen was re-discovered. It was previously lost in the mid-1980s; a flood swallowed the whole town. Now that the waters have receded, only a haunting skeleton of the town remains.

Humberstone, Chile

Humberstone, Chile, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Once upon a time, it was a flourishing mining town specializing in potassium nitrate. However, once the operation closed down, the town soon followed.