Kolmanskop Ghost Town

The town of Kolmanskop stands as a testament to man’s hubris and folly. When a large diamond was discovered by a railway worker in 1908 a boomtown soon sprang up with mansions built from the money the diamonds that were found. The boom was short-lived and richer diamond fields were found about twenty years later and the town rapidly fell into decline. The harsh desert conditions have preserved the town in eerie detail. It has become popular with tourists and photographers to come and take pictures of the ruins among the dunes. While it is slowly being reclaimed by the desert, for now, we can visit and ponder upon the frailty of our existence.

Kolmanskop lies about 10 kilometres inland from the coastal town of Luderitz. The town lies about 7 hours 30 minutes from Windhoek. Trips to Kolmanskop normally form part of a guided tour or self-drive trip in Namibia.