5 Ghost Towns in the Balkans to Visit for a Chilly Adventure
The Balkan Peninsula is indeed one of Europe’s most fascinating destinations. Tourists who come here love to blend in with the culture of this area, get to know its long history, and explore unforgettable summer coastlines. Unlike most sites that actively continue to represent Balkan people and their lively nature, some towns are abandoned and known to be haunted by ghosts or other supernatural forces. While not everyone dares to explore these abandoned villages and towns, horror enthusiasts actually enjoy having chilling adventures in these Balkan spots. In this article, we will talk about 5 ghost towns across the Balkans that will definitely give you goosebumps. Željava is located in Croatia, in the municipality of Plitvička Jezera. This village is abandoned because of what happened in the territory of Željava Air Base, which is technically situated on the border of Croatia and Bosnia. During the Cold War, the military dug large tunnels in this area, which are now radioactive. As a result, people had to leave Željava to keep themselves safe. You can still visit this place, but you need to be extra careful with the tunnels. Inside, it is completely dark and sometimes even feels like time has stopped. The visitors say that the atmosphere there is so creepy that your odds of surviving the creepiness are worse than your chances of winning a jackpot at new Bitcoin casinos. This means that if you hear metal creaking or feel like the walls are breathing, it’s definitely not just your imagination. Stari Bar means the “Old Bar.” But this place in Montenegro isn’t a bar — it’s a town that you find at the bottom of Rumija Mountain. Throughout its history, this place has gone through many rulers and a great amount of suffering. Currently, the area is a huge attraction for summer vacations, and you can always find a lot of tourists around as well. However, the town of Stari Bar stays abandoned, and you won’t be able to find anyone local here. The reason why this site is abandoned is the earthquake of 1979. It destroyed almost everything, including important buildings, houses, and churches. It also cut the water supply to the town, so the citizens were forced to leave. Today, visitors often report seeing ghosts of the people who ended up being casualties, crying and trying to find their way out. This now eerie-looking town, which is surrounded by only dangerous woods and cliffs, was once inhabited by Catholic pilgrims. They would often have different activities and festivals dedicated to their religion, so the town was functioning in its own way. Nevertheless, it became abandoned after the wars in the 1990s. Even though Letnica is now abandoned, once a year descendants of the pilgrims come here to celebrate the Black Madonna festival, which is connected to Mother Teresa, a pilgrim from the 1920s. Most people find all this and the fact that, besides one day, you will only hear the sound of the wind here, absolutely creepy. You can also easily feel the strange aura giving you chills. Grabovac Banski is a village in the central part of Croatia. Once peaceful, it became the spot of one of the most horrific events in history. There was a huge massacre of Serbian people by the Croatian Fascists during World War II. Mostly, the peasants were killed, and there were also mass executions of innocent people. People finally left this village during the Croatian War of Independence between 1991-1995. In case you decide to visit this place, one of the first weird things you will notice is that the houses and the furniture inside are still intact, while there is no one inside. The village is totally empty. However, you can hear eerie footsteps and strange noises around the streets. The ghost town of Kuçovë in Albania is a popular destination for those who like to travel to the least explored territories of Balkan countries. Even though it is abandoned, you can still have the pleasure of witnessing historical sites, beautiful architecture, and intriguing landscapes. As we know, Kuçovë fell after the destruction of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. That could be why it’s almost impossible to meet anyone local there. What creeps out tourists the most are the Soviet-style buildings that look exactly the same, along with former military bunkers that look completely scary. As horrifying as ghost towns can be, for some people, these kinds of places are pretty exciting. Balkan countries, besides their history and culture, hold so many spooky and secretive spots that don’t always seem safe. However, this never scares the adventure seekers and ghost hunters. If you’re someone who is looking for an eerie experience while exploring a ghost town in the Balkan region, now you know 5 of these places to begin with. Copyright Statement: Unless explicitly stated, all stories published on Creepypasta.com are the property of (and under copyright to) their respective authors, and may not be narrated or performed under any circumstance.