Ghost towns: discover the unusual places of Veneto

Ghost towns hold a certain type of fascination, especially for those who love to travel and discover lesser-known or even forgotten places that give rise to legends and compelling stories. ghost towns in the Veneto than you can imagine: old abandoned villages, places unknown to most people and cities that offer ghostly landscapes that you wouldn't want to find yourself in at night.

Jokes aside, Veneto is a region that presents a varied territory, from the lagoon to the Dolomites, which is why among the meanders of these landscapes you can find particularly evocative ghost towns waiting to be discovered . If you are organizing a stay in Veneto and want to experience the thrill of visiting particular destinations, don't miss these ghost towns!

Places rich in history and mystery, perfect for a unique adventure

California by Gosaldo

We begin our journey among the ghost towns of Veneto in the Belluno Dolomites , specifically in the ancient California village of Gosaldo called California . It is an important mining center in the area, and it is no coincidence that it takes its name from the American state known for being rich in gold. However, the exhaustion of extractive activities led people to abandon the center which no longer had any attraction. Some tourists tried to return to central California, but abandoned their homes following a violent flood.

Today all that remains of the city of gold is the shadow to testify to the fertile period in which people inhabited the town and lived from mining work. To visit this ghost town, all you need to do is stay in Gosaldo and reach the center by car to live a one-of-a-kind experience.

Fumegai

Also among the Belluno Dolomites stands the ancient village of Fumegai . To reach this ghost area, however, it is necessary to cover a stretch of more than 4 kilometers on foot: this old mountain pasture has in fact been abandoned by its inhabitants precisely because of the geographical isolation it suffers from.

The interesting thing about this “ghost town” is that in the 1970s a group of hippies decided to make Fumegai their home. The flower children had found an isolated, natural and perhaps even revolutionary area in which to settle. After a few years, they too abandoned this fascinating location and today it is possible to enter the abandoned homes and find them full of objects that belonged to them. Fumegai is the ideal ghost town for those who want to experience an adventure in nature full of suggestions and are looking for unique photographic material.

Poveglia

One of the most fascinating ghost towns in the Veneto is located in the Venice Lagoon and is not a city, but an entire island. Poveglia is in fact an island with a characteristic octagonal shape which is known as the island of ghosts or even the island of the dead.

Poveglia is the ghost town that you can only visit if you are truly reckless as it is one of the most haunted places in the world, so much so that experts in paranormal phenomena have come to study this Venetian island and the international press has found the location interesting.

Poveglia was a military outpost in the 1300s which in the 1600s became a hospital for plague patients when the disease raged throughout Europe. The nefarious history of Poveglia does not end here: it is said that in 1900 a secret mental asylum was built here where the sick were tortured by doctors who took the liberty of using unauthorized practices. To set foot on this island you will need to arm yourself with courage but also with a private boat since there are no official ferries capable of taking you to the island of Poveglia.

Teddy bears

To end the journey among the haunted cities of the Veneto we go to Orsetti , a town in the Vicenza area of ​​Recoaro Terme, an area famous for the most important spas in the Veneto. Orsetti is a small abandoned mining village located near the quarries from which material for tombstones was extracted. The houses are covered with vegetation and are very few.

The path that leads to the quarries at the foot of Mount Scandolara starts from the houses. The town of Orsetti suffered the abandonment of its inhabitants once the extractable mining material ran out and today lends itself to an evocative visit for those who love this kind of adventure.

Visiting Veneto

For those who want to visit the Veneto and have a holiday a little out of the ordinary in mind, discovering these villages and places forgotten by mass tourism can be truly beautiful, fun and full of emotions. To do this in a convenient and easy way, it is always better to book an apartment online in advance , this way you will have the freedom to move around the area without worries.