Just 3km from downtown Helsinki there is an eerie collection of luxury villas left to decay. In its days of glory Kruunuvuori was a premier spot for the richer people of Helsinki to enjoy the summer and the beautiful sea view of Helsinki. Today the nature has taken a strong hold of the area and the villas that are trying to resist the ravages of wind, rain and snow.

The oldest villas date back to 19th century. In 1914 a German businessman bought the whole area with its villas and developed it into a resort for the upper class and wealthy Germans. As Germany lost World War II, Kruunuvuori had to be given to Soviet Union and was used as a holiday resort for the members of Finnish communist party.

In 1955 businessman Aarne J. Aarnio took ownership of the area with plans of turning it into a residential area for thousands of people. The plans were never accepted by the city and as a consequence Aarnio dropped the maintenance and left the villas on their own, silently decaying.

The villas with rich history, taken over by primeval forest and slowly decaying so close to Helsinki are a fascinating sight best experienced in person. If you feel like increasing the fear factor, visit after the sunset.