NewsBite

Ghost town at the end of earth

BIZARRE tourist attraction or eerie ghost town? This town at "the end of earth" - which has only one permanent resident - is both.

Building can't be entered without prior permission, however weirdly interesting they look on the inside ... Pict...
Building can't be entered without prior permission, however weirdly interesting they look on the inside ... Pict...

THIS could well be the weirdest attraction on earth!

Located on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, on the Arctic Ocean island of Spitsbergen, only 1300km from the north Pole, this abandoned town, called Pyramiden (named after the nearby pyramid-shaped mountain) is an deserted Sovient coal mining outpost.

Everything was left in 1998, and today the remnants offer a glimpse into a town that once was. Picture: Flickr Kate.bum
Everything was left in 1998, and today the remnants offer a glimpse into a town that once was. Picture: Flickr Kate.bum

What makes it so interesting is how eerie it looks - a town at the "end of earth".

The town is still owned by the Russian mining company Trust Arktikugol, and those keen to visit can. Pyramiden is accessible by boat or snowmobile from Longyearbyen, either as part of a guided tour or independently.

Seagulls offer a breath of life into a town at the "edn of earth". Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck
Seagulls offer a breath of life into a town at the "edn of earth". Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck

The only permanent resident of Pyramiden is a Russian tour guide who has a pet fox for company, however a small number of temporary residents now live in Pyramiden also, to maintain what has now become a bizarre tourist attraction.

The deserted town has become a bizarre tourist attraction. Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck
The deserted town has become a bizarre tourist attraction. Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck

In fact, because of growing tourist numbers the Tulip Hotel in Pyramiden reopened in 2013, so those wanting to spend a night among nothing can do so. No renovations are planned for the hotel.

Curious travellers are not restricted when it comes to visiting times, however no buildings can be entered without prior permission.

Building can't be entered without prior permission, however weirdly interesting they look on the inside ... Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck
Building can't be entered without prior permission, however weirdly interesting they look on the inside ... Picture: Flickr Kitty Terwolbeck

The "town" was founded in 1910 by Sweden and then sold to the USSR in 1927. The mining outpost was then aboned in 1998.

Old drab buildings are the star attraction in Pyramiden. Picture: Flickr Neil Banas
Old drab buildings are the star attraction in Pyramiden. Picture: Flickr Neil Banas

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-ideas/ghost-town-at-the-end-of-earth/news-story/f8fc6a986bf118e1b2d2c534b2a35923