Around the world, church spires and weather-ravaged buildings eerily peek through the water in sunken sites, which were intentionally flooded to make way for dams and reservoirs. These submerged ruins are evidence of the towns and villages that once served as homes to thousands of people—from the lakeside resort of VillaEpecuén in Argentina to the fairytale-esque village of Graun in Italy. In times of drought, however, many of these towns reemerge like ghostly reminders of their past. Some even serve as popular tourist destinations during the winter, when their watery graves freeze. Here, we explore 10 amazing, sunken ghost towns.

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1.Villa Epecuén, Argentina

Established in the 1920s and locatedalong the shore of Lake Epecuén, a salt lake in Argentina, the village of VillaEpecuén was a thriving resort town for decades. Tourists flocked to the spa town, which was known for its healing waters. But in the 1980s, the climate began to get wetter and as more and more rain fell, LakeEpecuén, which has no outlet, grew. After a particularly severe storm on November 10, 1985, Lake Epecuén burst through a dyke and flooded the town, , according to NASA. Drier weather allowed the ghost town to reemerge in 2009, revealing salt water-bleached ruins and abandoned, decrepit buildings.

2. St. Thomas, Nevada

Within the boundaries of , lies the ghost town of St. Thomas. The town, which was once a Mormon settlement and a stopping point between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City along the Arrowhead Trail, was abandoned in 1930s after the construction of the Hoover Dam caused the Colorado River to rise—the area was submerged in 60 feet of water when Lake Mead first filled up. But because of the severe drought that has gripped the Western United States and caused the lowered water levels of Lake Mead, eerie , according to the National Park Service. St. Thomas lies in the northern part of the park near the Overton Arm along the Muddy River, which feeds into Lake Mead. Visitors can use the dirt trail leading to the town site from the parking area.

3. Rummu, Estonia

Located in northwestern Estonia, was used as a mining site for Vasalemma marble (a type of limestone). When the nearby prison was closed, pumps that kept the quarry and the prison dry were shut down, submerging the buildings in the area. The sunken ghost town is now a popular site for divers, who want to explore the underwater prison in clear, blue waters. Visitors should note, however, that the area is an unofficial, unguarded swimming and diving spot.

4. Geamana, Romania

The village of Geamana was once a picturesque village located in the Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, and home to around 400 families. But in the 1970s, locals were forced to leave the village so that the government could create resulting from copper extraction by a state-owned copper mine. Today, only the tower of Geamana's old church is visible above the toxic sludge, and the village has become a prime example of mining waste and environmental degradation.

5. Graun, Lake Reschen, Italy

It is an artificial lake, but Reschensee (Lake Reschen) is one of the most fairytale-esque places of South Tyrol, Italy. Out in the tuquoise waters of the lake, a submerged steeple of a 14th-century church—the only visible remnant of the flooded village of Graun—can be seen protruding from the water. The village, its church, and more than 160 homes were sacrificed to make way for the construction of a dam. The site is also a tourist destination in all seasons, but to explore the bell tower.

6. Krokhino, Russia

The village of Krokhino, Russia, along with its 18th century baroque Nativity Church, was abandoned in the 1960s when the Volga-Baltic Waterway was constructed, and the water level of Lake Beloye rose. In recent years, the church, whose bell tower was used as a beacon for passing ships, , and its walls have begun crumbling due the waves of passing vessels, according to Russia Beyond the Headlines. Volunteers have started working to preserve the church, only accessible by boat, by strengthening the stonework and preventing decay caused by wind and water.

7. Zapalnya, Bulgaria

The half-submerged church St. Ivan Rilski is the only remaining evidence of the existence of the Bulgarian village of Zapalnya, which residents were forced to leave in the 1960s for the construction of a dam. Built in 1895, St. Ivan Rilski church was once the heart of life in the valley, and Zapalnya was , according to The Daily Mail. Today, the crumblinf stone structure is a haunting sight, as if floating in a few feet of water.

8. Kalyazin, Russia

Kalyazin, Russia's "Flooded Belfry," a steepled Neoclassical belfry that was once part of the St. Nicholas Church, rises over 200 feet above the waters of the Uglich Reservoir on the Volga River. The eye-catching campanile has attracted visitors to the area, which was once the home of the old town of Kalyazin. The town, which included many medieval structures, was flooded in 1940 when the Uglich Reservoir was built, and today, the waters hide hundreds of years of history.

9. Petrolandia, Brazil

Petrolandia was a town in Brazil near the river of Sao Francisco, which was moved when the Luiz Gonzaga Dam was constructed. The only structure left standing is the church, its arches still visible above the water.

10. Alassa, Cyprus

If the remains of its old church, built in 1939, wasn't peeking above the water, there would be little evidence of the existence of the village of Alassa. The town had had to be relocated in the late 1980s when the Kouris Dam, Cyprus' largest dam, was built. Today, divers and snorkelers (who don't mind the cold water) visit the site to explore flooded church.

11.San Romà de Sau, Spain

The creation of a reservoir flooded the village of San Romà de Sau, in Catalonia, Spain, forcing residents to abandon their town, which has been inhabited for a millenium. The residents reportedly had to exhume their dead loved ones before the town was purposely flooded. All the structures, and Rmanesque ruins, were completely submerged. When the reservoir is high, only the tip of the church spire can be seen, but , according to Atlas Obscura. During one such dry period, workers fortified the remaning structure, and the church was reinforced with concrete.

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