France has many abandoned villages, often due to factors such as rural depopulation, industrialization, wars, or natural disasters. Here is a list of some of the abandoned villages in France, although this list is not exhaustive:
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Oradour-sur-Glane (Haute-Vienne): The village of Oradour-sur-Glane is sadly famous for the massacre of much of its population by Nazi troops in 1944. The village has been preserved as it was since then as a memorial.
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Goussainville-Vieux Pays (Val-d'Oise): This village was abandoned in the 1970s due to the construction of the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport. The houses are now in ruins.
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Riquewihr (Haut-Rhin): Although the village of Riquewihr is now a thriving tourist attraction, it was nearly abandoned in the Middle Ages due to the plague.
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Méligny-le-Grand (Haute-Saône): This village was abandoned in the 1970s, largely due to rural depopulation and the decline of agriculture.
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Pilat Plage (Loire): This village was submerged by rising waters after the construction of the Villerest dam in the 1980s.
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Châteauvieux (Loir-et-Cher): This small village was abandoned in the 1960s due to depopulation and rural exodus.
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Bories-en-Provence (Vaucluse): This village of dry stone houses was abandoned over the decades, although it is now restored and preserved.
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Glanum (Bouches-du-Rhône): Glanum was an ancient Roman city that was abandoned in the early Middle Ages due to barbarian invasions.
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Pyramiden (Svalbard, Norway): Although located in the Svalbard archipelago, which belongs to Norway, this village was once a Russian mining colony abandoned in the 1990s.
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Hérimoncourt (Doubs): This village was abandoned in the 1970s due to the construction of the A36 highway.
Note that most of these abandoned villages are not common tourist destinations, and some may be difficult to access. If you plan to visit any of these sites, be sure to do thorough research on access and any potential restrictions.
