Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop, in the desert near the southern coastal town of Luderitz, is one of the most photogenic ghost towns in the world. Founded in the early twentieth century after diamonds were discovered lying in the sand, it grew into a wealthy, elegant German town with grand houses, a ballroom, a hospital and even an ice factory, before the diamonds ran out and it was abandoned. Now the desert has reclaimed it, and its once-opulent rooms stand eerily half-filled with drifting dunes of sand, a haunting, surreal spectacle.

History

The place is named after a transport driver, Johnny Coleman, who abandoned his ox wagon here in a sandstorm. In 1908 the railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a diamond and showed it to his supervisor August Stauch; the rich miners built a German-style town with a hospital, ballroom, theatre, casino and the first X-ray station in the southern hemisphere, and it was finally abandoned in 1956 (Wikipedia, Kolmanskop).

What to look for

• The sand-filled houses - the grand rooms half-buried in drifting sand.
• The ghost-town buildings - the abandoned ballroom, hospital and homes.
• The photography - the surreal, atmospheric decay and light.
• The history - the story of the diamond boom and bust.

When to go

Year-round; a permit is required, and the early morning light is best for photography of the sand-filled rooms. The coast can be cool and foggy. Photography permits for early access before the standard opening are available for keen photographers.

Good to know

A permit is required to enter, arranged in advance or in Luderitz, and it is a specific photographic and historical curiosity rather than a large attraction, seen in a couple of hours. It is remote, near the isolated town of Luderitz in the far south. The surreal, sand-filled buildings, though, are genuinely unique and a photographer's dream, especially in the morning light.

Nearby

The town of Luderitz and the wild southern Namib coast are close.

Key facts