35 Stunning Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

21. Pyramiden, Norway: The Arctic Ghost Town

Deep within the Svalbard archipelago, just 800 miles from the North Pole, lies Pyramiden—an abandoned Soviet mining town frozen in both climate and time. Founded by Sweden in 1910 and later sold to the Soviet Union, Pyramiden was designed to be a model communist settlement in one of Earth’s harshest environments. At its peak, it had a school, sports complex, cultural center, and even a greenhouse—all warmed by Arctic ingenuity. But by 1998, operations ceased abruptly, and the entire population was evacuated. Today, nearly everything remains as it was—typewriters on desks, books on shelves, and a grand piano still sitting in the community hall beneath the gaze of a weathered Lenin statue. Snow drifts through broken windows while Arctic foxes roam the empty streets. Guided tours from Longyearbyen take visitors by boat or snowmobile to this surreal outpost, offering a rare glimpse into Soviet life above the Arctic Circle. Equal parts eerie and awe-inspiring, Pyramiden is a must-see for history lovers, adventure seekers, and anyone who wants to walk through a perfectly preserved Soviet time capsule set against icy peaks and glacier-carved fjords.