10 Eerily Beautiful Photos of Deserted Cities

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As countries lock down in an attempt to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, tourists have canceled their trips and citizens are being told to stay home. The destinations below are usually swarmed with tourists crowding for a good view, trying to get that perfect photo. Today they are largely empty. Streets are deserted, metro stations quiet, shops and cafes closed. These images of empty cities offer a different view that we don’t often, if ever, see—and despite the circumstances, they have a certain melancholy beauty.

Rome, Italy

A police officer stands in front of the Spanish Steps on March 12, 2020.

New York, New York

Times Square stands mostly empty on March 21, 2020.

Madrid, Spain

Madrid’s Puerta del Sol is deserted on March 15, 2020.

London, England

A lone tourist sits in an empty Trafalgar Square on March 23, 2020.

Florence, Italy

Piazza del Duomo is shuttered in Florence on March 24, 2020.

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Paris, France

Few tourists gather around the Eiffel Tower on March 17, 2020.

Warsaw, Poland

Old Town Square is empty in Warsaw, Poland.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate is void of tourists on March 21, 2020.

Kolkata, India

A railway platform is empty for Janata Curfew in Kolkata on March 22, 2020.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

The typically busy streets of Amsterdam are nearly empty on March 7, 2020.

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