Italy's smallest towns have a long history of selling abandoned homes for unbelievable prices to attract newcomers to take up residence. But now, rather than offering dilapidated houses for a euro, the town of Radicondoli, which sits about an hour outside of Florence, wants to give you a little startup capital for your relocation instead. After its population dwindled from 3,000 residents to just 966, Radicondoli took a drastic measure to draw more people in 2023.
Despite its picturesque setting in the heart of Switzerland's Southern Alps, Corippo isn't a tourist hot spot. In 2019, it was on the brink of becoming a ghost town as its population dwindled to just nine residents, all of whom were elderly. This earned Corippo the title of smallest municipality in Switzerland, prompting news headlines as local officials scrambled to save the village from depopulation.
Imagine finishing your morning espresso on a sunny terrace while the church bells echo through a centuries-old town square. Around you, the cost of living is a fraction of what you'd pay in the U.S., and the locals smile when you tell them you've decided to stay. It sounds like a dream but for many Americans, it's a dream that foreign governments are actively trying to make come true.
Depopulated towns in Germany's ex-communist east have come up with a novel scheme to bring back life: offering people several weeks of super-cheap housing to give would-be residents a taste of the place. The "trial-living" scheme aims to revitalise half-deserted communities as Germany nears the 35th anniversary of its reunification on October 3rd. One of those giving it a shot is Weslawa Goeller, 50, a kindergarten educator with a two-year-old daughter who is getting to know the small town of Guben on the Polish border.
In March 1982 in the heart of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the mayor of a red sandstone village in the department of Corrèze came up with an innovative idea that he felt could help stem the rural exodus, not just from the beautiful but sleepy countryside around his home, but perhaps even across France. Charles Ceyrac's scheme had the potential to inject new life into historic villages that were packed with history and heritage, but struggling economically as people left to live in bigger towns.
"It feels great when you win, but it's even more fun when you use a card featuring someone you actually know," says 12-year-old Sasuke, who plays about three times a week.