Visit from Kolmanskop, the ghost town in the Namib desert

Visit from Kolmanskop, the ghost town in the Namib desert

Kolmanskop, once a booming diamond city, was given to the desert sand for a long time. We made a trip to his eerie scenes

Our trip to Namibia was long in coming. Almost two years ago we published a list of the countries that we would like to see. At the top of Peters list was Namibia, but due to family circumstances we moved the trip until we were able to raise a reasonable period of time. Finally, at the end of this year, we made it to Windhoek to start a 17-day self-driver safari.

Our first stop together was Kolmanskop, an eerie ghost town 15 km east of the port city of Lüderitz.

alt = “Kia passes a dilapidated building in the ghost town of Kolmanskop”> Atlas & Boots kia goes past a dilapidated building in the ghost town of Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop continued to be eastern east as a modest train station between Lüderitz and Keetmanshoop. The station was said to be named after the transport worker Johnny Coleman - or rather Jani Kolman, who left his ox car in a sandstorm and as a result. The unfavorable beginnings may have been an omen for the wild -changing fortunes of the city.

1908 the railway Zacharias Lewala found a diamond when shoveling flight sand and brought him to his superior, the German railway inspector August Stauch, who had instructed his workers to look for shiny stones.

alt = “Kolmanskop was once a flowering city with wealthy inhabitants”> Atlas & Boots Kolmanskop was once a flowering city with wealthy inhabitants

The discovery followed a diamond frenzy, and the German authorities soon set up the "restricted area", a 26,000 square kilometer "forbidden zone", which must not be visited without permission. Today the area is operated together by the Diamond Firma de Beers and the Namibian government.

Kolmanskop in the boom time

German settlers enjoyed enormous wealth and Kolmanskop became a booming diamond city. The residents were not only supported by basic facilities such as a hospital, a school and a power plant, but also by a ballroom, a bowling alley, a theater, a sports hall, a casino and an ice cream factory.

alt = "swallowed up from the sand in the ghost town of Kolmanskop"> Atlas & Boots swallowed up from sand in the ghost town of Kolmanskop

Frischwasser was brought up by train from a distance of 120 km and pumped into storage tanks. It is said that the city flourished with lush gardens, well -kept lawns, rose beds and eucalyptus trees.

alt = “Four doors to nowhere”> Atlas & Boots Four doors to nowhere

pets were difficult to keep in the heat, but a family had a bouquet who terrorized the residents and only redeemed Santa in a sled over the sand.

Before the First World War, the Minen from Kolmanskop produced over 1,000 kilograms of diamonds. In other words, five million karat diamonds were dismantled in the first six years.

In view of the relatively small population of Kolmanskop-1,300 in the top-the city had the highest per capita richness in the world for a short time.

Kolmanskop in the bus time

Kolmanskop began to fall after the Second World War when the diamond field began to exhaust. Another factor was the discovery of diamonds in 1928 270 km south of Kolmanskop, near the Oranje River-the richest diamond-containing occurrences ever known.

The new diamond field only required the disclosure of the beaches, in contrast to a more difficult mining, and the residents of Kolmanskop joined the rush to the south and left their houses and belongings.

The city was finally abandoned in 1956. In less than 50 years lived, blooming and died.

Kolmanskop today

Today Kolmanskop forms an eerie tableau of large structures that are indulgently swallowed up by the desert sand. An oppressive silence is only interrupted by a patient wind that works to bury it once.

alt = “Hardly sign in the ghost town of Kolmanskop”> Atlas & Boots hardly sign in the ghost town of Kolmanskop

sign of life from the past and the present are scattered across the area: a rusting bathtub that pissed off the sand, a electric mast that is not connected with anything that is divided with nothing that clings to life. It feels like the beginning and the end of nowhere.

We cripped over the sand, our voices quietly, as if we didn't want to disturb what was below. We entered cave -like rooms, hip -deep in the sand, and blinked under sun rays that were cut by slats.

alt = "Self-drivers safari through Namibia Komnaskop"> Atlas & Boots sun rays seem through wooden slats

In Kolmanskop, the elements have control. Once stable roofs are now stripped and sparse, while wooden steps creak under the tread. Glass hangs loosely on artistic frames and doors pull crooked on weak hinges.

Kolmanskop is proof of the greed of man and also for his moods. Hundreds of poured diamonds here and hundreds left here because of diamonds. It only seems correct that the desert should take it back.

• Alt = "Kolmanskop input shield">
• Alt = "restricted area near Kolmanskop">
• Alt = "Kolmanskop from above">
• Alt = "Kia in Kolmanskop">
• Alt = "Interior of Kolmanskop">
• Alt = "window frame in the ghost town of Kolmanskop in Namibia">
• Alt = "Shadows that are thrown by sun rays in Kolmanskop">
• Alt = "Sun rays on the Kolmanskop">

Atlas & Boots

Visit to Kolmanskop: The essentials

Was: Visit from Kolmanskop in Namibia as part of a 17-day self-drivers safari by Wild Dog Safaris.

WO: The accommodation on the tour comprises 16 nights in a number of hotels, lodges and safaricamps, including Klein-Aus Vista, 112 km (1 h 10 m trip) from Kolmanskop.

The tour can be booked either as accommodation (like us), camping or a combination of both. Breakfast and several dinner are included in the overnight option; Camping is largely self -catering.

When: The best time to travel for Namibia is May October during the dry season (winter). There is less vegetation and wild animals tend to gather to gather water holes, making them easier to see. However, this is also high season, so it can be necessary to book months in advance.

The secondary sessons in May and November are good for cheaper accommodations with higher availability. In November there may be heavy rains, albeit mainly in short, intensive outbursts.

like: The entry fee and approval for Kolmanskop is 90 NAD ($ 6.5) per person. Some guidelines say that you have to buy an entry permit in Lüderitz beforehand, but we bought ours when entering (Nov 2018).

Kolmanskop is open daily from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guided tours take place at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and at 10 a.m. We recommend exploring the website yourself to get a feeling of real seclusion. Take the time for the small museum, which contains fascinating stories about the different types, on which workers tried to smuggle diamonds out.

Kolmanskop is a 15-minute drive from the port city of Lüderitz, directly on the main highway B4. We drove as part of our self-driver safari from Klein-Aus Vista (112km, 1h 10m trip). Wild Dog Safaris Bay, provides a rental car and organizes a travel route for the trip.

Driving in Namibia is pretty simple and relaxed, although an all -wheel drive is essential. The traffic is low outside of the larger cities, although the road conditions are very different. Side streets are paved and easy to drive on, but quite rare. C and D roads are gravel roads that occur more often and are very different in their condition. Expect everything from smooth, comfortable and relatively fast gravel roads to wavy, uncomfortable and frustratingly slow dust slopes. Make sure you have a replacement tire and know who you can turn to in an emergency.

When arriving in Windhoek, we were welcomed by Wild Dog Safaris, which provided us with a detailed travel route, travel instructions, maps and information as well as some tips for visiting Kolmanskop and other destinations.

We flew to Namibia with British Airways via Johannesburg in South Africa. Book flights at the best prices via Skyscanner.

alt = “>

Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia is a comprehensive travel guide for Namibia and contains some useful tips for visiting Kolmanskop.

disclosure: We traveled to Namibia with the support of Wild Dog Safaris. All publications say that, but we really don't guarantee positive reporting. We say what we think - good and bad - so that you can make sound decisions with honest advice.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

 .