32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

Lisette Marie

May 21, 2025

25. Oradour-sur-Glane, France: A Silent WWII Memorial Village

Decayed Peugeot 202 and some buildings in Oradour-sur-Glane. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons @TwoWings, slight edit by Calibas

Tragically preserved, Oradour-sur-Glane stands as it was left after a horrific WWII massacre in 1944. French President Charles de Gaulle ordered it remain untouched, a permanent, solemn memorial. Today, the skeletal ruins of homes, the church, and everyday objects like rusted cars are slowly being intertwined with nature. Ivy climbs bullet-scarred walls and wildflowers bloom in former gardens, offering a poignant contrast between human brutality and nature’s gentle, persistent power of healing and remembrance, a truly moving and important site.

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32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

25. Oradour-sur-Glane, France: A Silent WWII Memorial Village

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