See what became of this idyllic Normandy tourist resort
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 12 Feb, 2016 CET.
Updated: Fri 12 Feb 2016 09:35 CET
It was meant to be a series of beachside villas and a resort - so how did it become a ghost town where street-artists have taken over?
This village of Pirou, north-western France, was never meant to have its own ghost neighbourhood.
Around 20 years ago, it was decided to turn a corner of the village into a tourist haven. Some 120 villas cropped up, all around a swimming pool and tennis courts within a stone's throw of the beach.
And with the sweeping coastal views and easy access to the water, it had all the makings of a perfect getaway for tourists.
But thanks to a series of legal complications, the project was called off, and the villas became abandoned before they were ever inhabited.
Wear and tear over 20 years hit hard, no doubt helped by the strong coastal storms known to slam France's northern coast, and the squatters living inside the buildings.
The video below, which was filmed with a drone, shows just how the street artists have given life to the site, making it one of the most unique attractions in France.
Photo: GoogleMaps
Above is a satellite image showing the abandoned village as it is today. You can see that many of the buildings are reduced to ruins. You can also see that on the outskirts of the area is the rest of Pirou, which looks and runs just like any of the other villages along the north-western tip of France.
The images show how street artists have descended on the village with their paints and sprays, transforming the dead village into a ghostly mix of vibrant colours and eerie emptiness.
Photo: Andia & Alpaca Productions
Photo: majolie46/Flickr
Photo: INORasm/Flickr
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This village of Pirou, north-western France, was never meant to have its own ghost neighbourhood.
Around 20 years ago, it was decided to turn a corner of the village into a tourist haven. Some 120 villas cropped up, all around a swimming pool and tennis courts within a stone's throw of the beach.
And with the sweeping coastal views and easy access to the water, it had all the makings of a perfect getaway for tourists.
But thanks to a series of legal complications, the project was called off, and the villas became abandoned before they were ever inhabited.
Wear and tear over 20 years hit hard, no doubt helped by the strong coastal storms known to slam France's northern coast, and the squatters living inside the buildings.
The video below, which was filmed with a drone, shows just how the street artists have given life to the site, making it one of the most unique attractions in France.
Photo: GoogleMaps
Above is a satellite image showing the abandoned village as it is today. You can see that many of the buildings are reduced to ruins. You can also see that on the outskirts of the area is the rest of Pirou, which looks and runs just like any of the other villages along the north-western tip of France.
The images show how street artists have descended on the village with their paints and sprays, transforming the dead village into a ghostly mix of vibrant colours and eerie emptiness.
Photo: Andia & Alpaca Productions
Photo: majolie46/Flickr
Photo: INORasm/Flickr
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