Explore Lüderitz, a coastal town in southwestern Namibia with its colorful Jugendstili architecture and notable art nouveau Goerke Haus built into the rock face on Diamond Hill. The hilltop church, Felsenkirche affords panoramic bay views stretching around to Robert Harbor. For a glimpse into the historical diamond-mining past, head to the Lüderitz Museum.
Ghost towns are always intriguing, but a ghost town in a desert is fascinating. Once a settlement for Germans who came to Namibia for the diamonds, Kolmanskop stands eerily quiet exuding a haunting elegance. Streets, stately homes and even a casino remain—all ravaged by wind and encroaching dunes carpeting the buildings with waist-high dunes tumbling from one room to the next.