Kolmanskop, Namibia
Tucked into the Namib Desert, Kolmanskop started as a prosperous German diamond-mining town. At its height it supported some 700 families and included amenities like a school, entertainment venues and the comforts of early 20th-century life. As diamond prospects dwindled and richer finds emerged elsewhere, residents left and the settlement was abandoned. Today Kolmanskop is preserved as a desert ghost town: sand drifts through empty houses and visitors can tour certain areas to see how quickly nature and wind can reshape built environments.