32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

30. Spinalonga, Greece: Island of Outcasts, Now a Haunting Ruin

Just off the coast of Crete lies Spinalonga, an island fortress with a poignant past. Fortified by the Venetians, it later became one of Europe’s last active leper colonies, operating until 1957. After its closure, the village was abandoned. Today, visitors can explore the crumbling stone houses, narrow alleyways, and fortifications, where wildflowers now bloom amidst the ruins. The island’s beauty is tinged with the melancholy of its history, as nature gently reclaims a place once defined by isolation and resilience.