Just a stone's throw from one of the world's most bustling capital cities lies a town that has been eerily silent for four decades, deserted by all those who once made it their home. Goussainville-Vieux Pays sits roughly half an hour's drive north of Paris, and once upon a time, it was the picture of a quintessential French village.
Yet as the world moved on, a cruel twist of fate consigned Goussainville-Vieux Pays to history. The beginning of the end for this charming French settlement was the scene of a harrowing disaster.
The Tragic Plane Crash of 1973
In 1973, a Russian aircraft had been performing aerobatic manoeuvres at the Paris Airshow when it stalled at low altitude and came crashing down. The plane plummeted into the village, claiming 14 lives, including six crew members. The wreckage obliterated 15 homes and the local school.
In the wake of the devastating incident, the village desperately tried to rebuild, but fate dealt another cruel blow.
The Opening of Charles de Gaulle Airport
The very next year, in 1974, Charles de Gaulle Airport opened its doors, placing Goussainville squarely beneath the flight path of one of Europe's busiest airports. The relentless roar of overhead aircraft proved not only an unbearable disruption for local residents but served as a constant and harrowing reminder of the tragedy that had torn through their community just a year before.
Abandonment and Decay
Most villagers simply upped and left, many without even bothering to sell their properties. The airport was subsequently compelled to purchase more than 100 of the deserted homes and pledged to maintain them. Sadly, those houses have since been left to crumble.
Among the most arresting sights in this abandoned village are the crumbling remains of a sprawling old manor house, set within an overgrown and neglected garden. Graffiti has spread across the settlement, and nowadays its only genuine signs of life are inquisitive tourists arriving to catch a glimpse of the village that time forgot.
