Virtual Globetrotting: Cities

Virtual Globetrotting: Cities http://virtualglobetrotting.com/ A great way to explore everything that can be seen from space! en-us Copyright 2008 admin@virtualglobetrotting.com (Nic) admin@virtualglobetrotting.com (Nic) Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:04:15 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss <![CDATA[São João del Rei]]>

São João del Rei
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-10-05 09:04:15
São João del-Rei also spelled São João del Rey or São João del Rei is a historical city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Population: 81,600 inhabitants. (2004)
São João del-Rei was founded in the 18th century and has a great number of buildings from that era, including more than 70 churches. It was there where Tiradentes, the leader of the Inconfidência Mineira, was born in 1746.

]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57453/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57453/ Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:04:15 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57453/ -21.13806700 -44.26503200 <![CDATA[Zellwood]]>

Zellwood
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-25 18:43:35]]>

Zellwood
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-25 18:43:35]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57047/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57047/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:43:35 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/57047/ 28.73643100 -81.58756300 <![CDATA[Heliópolis]]>

Heliópolis
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-13 15:54:30]]>

Heliópolis
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-13 15:54:30]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56351/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56351/ Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:54:30 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56351/ -23.61285900 -46.59085600 <![CDATA[Rocinha]]>

Rocinha
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-13 15:41:28]]>

Rocinha
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-13 15:41:28]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56350/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56350/ Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:41:28 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/56350/ -22.98888600 -43.24729400 <![CDATA[Underground village of Matmata]]>

Underground village of Matmata
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-09-03 20:45:13
In Tunisia, 450 km south of the capital of Tunis, lies the small but impressive village of Matmata, the largest community of troglodytes (people who live in caves) in the world. The name Matmata comes from the Berber tribe that lives in this area of the country.

The history of how and why this place was first built is unknown but instead there are many stories regarding its beginnings. The most popular one says Matmata was born a long time ago, shortly after the Punic Wars, when the Romans sent two Egyptian tribes to the region and gave them permission to slaughter the locals and make the land their own. The original inhabitants left their homes and fled to the desert where they built new ones into the ground. They would leave their well disguised homes at night and attack the invaders until they managed to drive them away.]]>

Historic Town of Ouro Preto
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-03 20:03:17
Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century.
The city contains well preserved colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban life. Churches decorated with gold and the works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a tourist destination.
]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55903/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55903/ Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:03:17 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55903/ -20.38642900 -43.50452900 <![CDATA[Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina]]>

Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina

Historic Centre of the Town of Diamantina
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-09-03 19:41:46

Diamantina, a colonial village set like a jewel in a necklace of inhospitable rocky mountains, recalls the exploits of diamond prospectors in the 18th century and testifies to the triumph of human cultural and artistic endeavour over the environment. ]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55901/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55901/ Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:41:46 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/55901/ -18.23552700 -43.59441500 <![CDATA[3700 houses for sale for 1 euro each]]>

3700 houses for sale for 1 euro each
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-09-03 18:15:00
A small town in western Sicily has come up with a revolutionary solution to solve its property problems.

They are offering houses in the town, which sits between two rivers, for just a single euro (81 pence; $1.44).

There are 3,700 houses owned by the council, almost all in the old town, that are in danger of falling down - of crumbling and dying.

There is a catch - those who buy will be obliged to sympathetically renovate the old houses without changing their style within two years at some significant cost. ]]>

Village of Koh Pannyi (Sea Gypsy Island)
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-07-20 14:21:48]]>

Village of Koh Pannyi (Sea Gypsy Island)
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-07-20 14:21:48]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53495/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53495/ Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:21:48 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53495/ 8.33552000 98.50296700 <![CDATA[Abandoned city]]>

Abandoned city
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-07-20 13:22:49
Prypiat is an abandoned city in the Zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. It was home to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. The city was abandoned in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster. Its population had been around 50,000 prior to the accident.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53491/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53491/ Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:22:49 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53491/ 51.40555300 30.05141200 <![CDATA[Centralia - Abandoned because the earth is on fire under it]]>

Centralia - Abandoned because the earth is on fire under it

Centralia - Abandoned because the earth is on fire under it
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 12:28:45
Centralia is a borough in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has dwindled from over 1,000 residents in 1981 to 12 in 2005 and 9 in 2007, as a result of a 46-year-old mine fire burning beneath the borough. Centralia is now the least-populous municipality in Pennsylvania, with four fewer residents than the borough of S.N.P.J.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53257/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53257/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:28:45 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53257/ 40.80437300 -76.34217000 <![CDATA[Klomino - Polish Soviet era ghost town for sale $2M Euros]]>

Klomino - Polish Soviet era ghost town for sale $2M Euros

Klomino - Polish Soviet era ghost town for sale $2M Euros
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 12:13:49
Polish officials have been trying to get rid of the village of Klomino for years; it was last on the market for €2 million, but most of its remaining buildings were demolished after lack of interest and locals destroyed what was left. Klomino is the only official ghost town in Poland, built solely as living quarters for the Russian Army. It has lain empty since the Red Army withdrew its forces in 1992.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53255/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53255/ Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:13:49 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53255/ 53.48597700 16.55189000 <![CDATA[Craco - Abandoned Italian hill top town]]>

Craco - Abandoned Italian hill top town
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 12:06:27
The medieval village of Craco, Italy was built on a very steep summit for defensive reasons, in a dry and mostly vegetation-free area in the south of the country. Over the centuries, this village lost residents due to a plague, French occupation and civil unrest, and finally lost nearly all of its residents between 1892 and 1922 as they fled for America due to poor agricultural conditions. Earthquakes in the ‘60s forced the remaining occupants out of the city, and it’s now completely uninhabited.]]>

Balestrino - Abandoned Italian hill town
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 11:38:19
Balestrino, Italy is just as picturesque as many other medieval Italian towns, with its stunning hilltop location 70 km southeast of Genoa. Once owned by the Benedictine abbey of San Pietro dei Monti, Balestrino began losing its population in the late 19th century as earthquakes struck the region and damaged property. In 1953, the town was abandoned due to ‘geological instability’. The part of the town that has remained untouched since that time is currently undergoing planning for redevelopment, so it won’t remain abandoned for much longer.]]>

Kadykchan - Russian ghost town from Soviet era
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 11:35:25
Kadykchan was one of many small Russian cities that fell into ruin when the Soviet Union collapsed. Residents were forced to move to gain access to services like running water, schools and medical care. The state moved them out over a period of two weeks, and they were taken to other towns and provided with new housing. Once a tin mining town of 12,000 people, the city is now desolate. In their hurry to leave, residents left their belongings behind in their homes, so you can now find aging toys, books, clothing and other objects throughout the empty city.]]>

Agdam - Modern city of 160,000 people abandoned in 1993
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 11:20:15
Currently a ghost town. At its height the town had over 160,000 residents, with its own airport. Because of the ongoing dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh area, the town has been under control of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since July 1993. Most of the refugees from Agdam now live in camps and makeshift cities in the region of Barda and Sumgait. Most part of the rayon is currently controlled by forces of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

The area is currently being used as a buffer zone. UN Security Council Resolution # 853, adopted on 29 July 1993, condemned “the seizure of the district of Agdam and of all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijani Republic” and demanded “unconditional withdrawal of the occupying forces involved from the district of Agdam and all other recently occupied areas of the Azerbaijan Republic”.]]>

Wittenoom - Ghost town in the Australian desert
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 11:10:34
Wittenoom is a town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia about 1,106 km north north east of Perth. During the 1950s, Wittenoom was the Pilbara's biggest town, but was shut down in 1966 due to health concerns from asbestos mining at the nearby Wittenoom Gorge.

Today it is a ghost town with approximately 8 residents who receive no government services. In December 2006, the Government of Western Australia announced that the town would be degazetted, and in June 2007, Jon Ford, the Minister for Regional Development, announced that the townsite status had officially been removed. The town's name was removed from official maps and road signs and the Shire of Ashburton is able to close roads that lead to contaminated areas.]]>

Kolmanskop - Ghost town in the Namibian desert
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-16 11:02:50
In 1908, Luederitz was plunged into diamond fever. People rushed into the Namib desert hoping to make an easy fortune and within two years, a town, complete with a casino, school, hospital and exclusive residential buildings, had been established in the barren sandy desert. The diamond-bearing gravel was screened and washed in huge recovery plants. Over 1 000 kg of diamonds were extracted before World War I. However, the amount of gemstones greatly diminished after the war. Furthermore, considerably larger diamonds were found to the south near Oranjemund, causing Kolmanskop to become a ghost town.]]>

The Villages of Florida - world’s largest retirement community

The Villages of Florida - world’s largest retirement community
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-15 16:21:32
It’s nearly twice the size of Manhattan, gated, and with a population that will top 110,000. Kids can visit, but they’re given guest passes that time out much like international visas.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53199/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53199/ Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:21:32 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53199/ 28.93616700 -81.96255700 <![CDATA[Båstad]]>

Båstad
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: alfjon
@ 2008-07-13 18:06:19
Båstad is a town in Scania, Sweden and the seat of Båstad Municipality, Skåne County. It has a population of 4,793 (2005).

The town of Båstad is located in a sheltered bay with the Hallandian ridge stretching behind it. The town borders the shore, whereafter the terrain raises until the dense vegetation of the ridge takes over.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53112/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53112/ Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:06:19 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/53112/ 56.42596000 12.85100000 <![CDATA[Remains of the Somersville ghost town]]>

BEV

Remains of the Somersville ghost town
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-07-06 20:05:03
The original site of the town is just south near the Somersville cemetary. These buildings were relocated here and are currently owned by the Antioch School System.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/52735/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/52735/ Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:05:03 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/52735/ 37.98137000 -121.85642200 <![CDATA[Fortified city of Gravelines]]>

Fortified city of Gravelines
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-05-19 22:25:06
Gravelines (Dutch: Grevelingen) is a small historic town and commune on the northern coast of France on the river Aa 15 miles (25 km) south west of Dunkirk, in the Nord département. Population: 12,482.

In the early 12th century, Saint-Omer was an important port in western Flanders. However silting gradually cut it off from the North Sea, resulting in the construction of a canal to the new coast at what is now Gravelines. The name is derived from the Dutch Gravenenga, meaning Count's Canal. The new town became heavily fortified as it guarded the western borders of Spanish territory in Flanders.]]>

BEV

Fog in Bristol
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-04-13 08:29:51]]>

BEV

Fog in Bristol
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: adrbr
@ 2008-04-13 08:29:51]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/48959/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/48959/ Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:29:51 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/48959/ 51.45288800 -2.60308500 <![CDATA[Trona California]]>

Trona California
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: jbottero
@ 2008-03-17 00:22:50
Starting in the late 1800s mining industry set up around Searles Dry Lake to mine borax. Trona was officially established in 1913, as a self-contained company town, wholly operated by its resident mining company to house employees.

"20 Mule-Team Borax" came from Trona.

]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/47734/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/47734/ Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:22:50 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/47734/ 35.73815300 -117.31750500 <![CDATA[Chloride, Arizona]]>

Chloride, Arizona
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2008-02-23 11:33:46
Prospectors first located mineral resources in the area in the 1840s, including silver, gold, lead, zinc, and turquoise. Chloride was founded about 1863, but mining was not widespread until the 1870s after a treaty was signed with the Hualapai Indians. The town eventually grew to a peak of around 5000 inhabitants, and at one time Chloride was the county seat. By 1917 the population had fallen to 2000, and by 1944 it was nearly a ghost town.

In the 1960s the town was briefly a counterculture magnet, with Roy Purcell, a hippie artist, leaving behind the "Chloride Murals" outside of town.

Many of the yards along the main street have junk-art in their front yards.]]>

'Happy' New Year
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-12-31 07:54:22
I wish everyone (all the visitors, members and moderators of VGT) a happy New Year!

Ein guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!]]>

'Happy' New Year
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: neotrix
@ 2007-12-31 07:54:22
I wish everyone (all the visitors, members and moderators of VGT) a happy New Year!

Ein guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42993/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42993/ Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:54:22 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42993/ 47.17876000 -109.30381500 <![CDATA[High resolution African Village]]>

High resolution African Village
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-12-15 07:02:08]]>

High resolution African Village
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-12-15 07:02:08]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42181/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42181/ Sat, 15 Dec 2007 07:02:08 -0600 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/42181/ 4.74623900 22.83367600 <![CDATA[Beautiful downtown of Andria]]>

BEV

Beautiful downtown of Andria
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: Effi
@ 2007-10-09 08:53:33]]>

BEV

Beautiful downtown of Andria
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: Effi
@ 2007-10-09 08:53:33]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/39869/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/39869/ Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:53:33 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/39869/ 41.22636900 16.29524500 <![CDATA[Paris, France in China]]>

Paris, France in China
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-09-14 17:57:08
Reuters - Tianducheng, a gated community near Hangzhou, capital of coastal Zhejiang province, boasts its own Arc de Triomphe and rows of European-style villas to attract China's newly wealthy.

"(It) can house up to 100,000 people comfortably," said Lu Xiaotian, a director at the Zhejiang Guangsha Co. Ltd, the estate's developer.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/38861/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/38861/ Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:57:08 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/38861/ 30.39151600 120.24158500 <![CDATA[Bonanza City - supposed site of reality show 'Kid Nation']]>

Bonanza City - supposed site of reality show 'Kid Nation'

Bonanza City - supposed site of reality show 'Kid Nation'
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: kjfitz
@ 2007-08-22 16:02:38
I say supposed because the site in the trailer doesn't match the actual site. I think they must have built a set for the show on a nearby ranch rather than use an existing ghost town.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/37391/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/37391/ Wed, 22 Aug 2007 16:02:38 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/37391/ 35.53869600 -106.11993100 <![CDATA[Périllos ghost town]]>

Périllos ghost town
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: dda
@ 2007-07-27 15:03:37]]>

Périllos ghost town
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: dda
@ 2007-07-27 15:03:37]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35810/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35810/ Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:03:37 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35810/ 42.89711200 2.84670000 <![CDATA[Aigues-Mortes]]>

Aigues-Mortes
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-07-14 06:42:18
Aigues-Mortes is a town and commune in the Gard département, in southern France, famous for the well-preserved city walls surrounding the city.

The foundation of the city is attributed to Marius Caius, around 102 BC, but the first document mentioning a place called "Ayga Mortas" (dead waters) dates from the 10th century.

Louis IX of France (Saint Louis) rebuilt the port in the 13th century as France's only Mediterranean port at that time. It was the embarkation point of the Seventh Crusade (1248) and the Eighth Crusade (1270). The town is actually several miles inland and the port, as such, would have been in nearby lagoons and estuaries, linked to Aigues-Mortes.

In 1893 a conflict between the French and the Italians who worked in the salt evaporation ponds of Peccais erupted, killing nine and injuring hundreds on the Italian side (Enzo Barnabà, Le sang des marais, Marseille, 1993).]]>

Town For Sale
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: gamma
@ 2007-07-13 17:24:33
Here is a second chance to buy an entire town in California (Zip Code: 95526). Bridgeville, the first town ever auctioned on eBay, is back on the block.

Bruce Krall bought Bridgeville two years ago on eBay for just under $1.8m. But due to "personal reasons", he plans to re-auction the Humboldt County hamlet on eBay next month.

Bridgeville CA eBay Auction page - The starting bid for Bridgeville will be $1,750,000. If you are interested, here's the location of Bridgeville,CA on US map.]]>

Termessos
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-07-08 15:06:30
Termessos (or Thermessos) was a Pisidian city built at a height of 1050 meters in the Taurus Mountains (modern day Antalya province, Turkey). Termessos constitutes an unusual synthesis of a large number of rare plants and animal species, which are under protection in the Termessos National Park.

Termesos is one of the best preserved of the ancient cities of Turkey. It lies 30 kilometres to the north-west of Antalya. It was founded on a natural platform on top of Güllük Dağı, soaring to a height of 1.665 metres from among the surrounding travertine mountains of Antalya, which average only 200 metres above sea level. Concealed by a multitude of wild plants and bounded by dense pine forests, the site, with its peaceful and untouched appearance, has a more distinct and impressive atmosphere than other ancient cities. Because of its natural and historical riches, the city has been included in a National Park bearing its name.]]>

City of Perge
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-07-08 15:02:21
Perga, now commonly spelled "Perge" and pronounced "per-geh", was the capital of the then Pamphylia region, which is in modern day Antalya province on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Today it is a large site of ancient ruins 15 km east of Antalya in the coastal plain. Located there is an acropolis dating back to the Bronze Age.]]> http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35012/ http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35012/ Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:02:21 -0500 http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/35012/ 36.96167200 30.85445900 <![CDATA[Historic City of Trogir]]>

Historic City of Trogir
[Info] [GM] [LM] [YM]
By: DonMartini
@ 2007-06-24 16:39:26
Trogir has a fascinating 2300 years of continuous urban tradition. Its rich culture was created under the influence of old Greeks, Romans, and Venetians. Trogir has a high concentration of palaces, churches, and towers, as well as a fortress on a small island, and in 1997 was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. "The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period", says UNESCO report.]]>