Just 14 km away from Lüderitz is the ghost town of Kolmanskop, which was once a substantial diamond-mining town. Named after an early Afrikaner trekker, Jani Kolman, whose ox-wagon became bogged in the sand here, It once boasted a casino, skittle alley and theatre with fine acoustics. Unfortunately a slump in diamond sales after WWI and the discovery of richer deposits at Oranjemund ended its heyday. By 1956 it was deserted. Several buildings have been restored, but many have already been invaded by the dunes.
