Once upon a time, there was a quaint little city. It was bright and pure and beautiful , a gem indeed. The people there were as happy as can be. They lived and laughed and loved and then moved on. But the city never did..

No, this is not the point where I begin to share an abysmal ghost story with you. Rather, I’ll take you on a tour of some of the world’s mysteriously unchanged cities, places that the passage of time could not alter entirely, places that are arrested in time.

1. Oamaaru, New Zealand

I wouldn’t blame you if you arrived at Oamaru and assumed you’d stepped onto the sets of Pride and Prejudice! Like the pervading charm of old world fancies from a Victorian tale, the cobblestone roads of New Zealand’s Oamaru are lined with 120-year old buildings made from the area’s famous limestone. Women dressed in bustled gowns and frilly bonnets serve tea and homemade cakes from exquisite porcelain at the tea rooms here.  The Oamaru Historic Precinct adds to the Victorian theme of the town. Hotels and eateries are designed along the same lines, to add to which the town also offers steam engine rides!

2. Kyoto, Japan

The gate known as Rashomon was the main entrance and triumphal arch of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital . Said to house an oni or an evil spirit, this stone monument has many a legend associated with it. Japan’s history and mythology converge here with several spots listed as ghost sites. The aura remains even today. Glimpse a geisha walking past sedately on cobblestoned streets that are liberally sprinkled with  the tradional machiya houses and you will find yourself wondering  if you’ve somehow winded up in the 18^th century! Machiya are traditional wooden townhouses found throughout Japan and typified in the historical capital of Kyoto. Home to the emperor until 1868, this town has several palaces that retain their ancient magnificence. The tiny shops stocked with traditional artefacts in Kyoto’s Higashiyama district. The Onishi Seiwemon Museum, run by the 16th-generation tea kettle artist Seiwemon Onishi, allows one the rare oppurtunity of inspecting traditional tea ceremony implements and one-of-a-kind cast-iron kettles.

3. Pompeii, Italy

In AD 79, a  mighty volcano erupted, burying in ash the Roman cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. These ruins were then redisovered only centuries later. The volcanic ash had left everything preserved, from buildings to humans. Walking through these streets, amidst tall stone structures is like taking a trip to the ancient world. The temples and houses here have stayed exactly the same, exuding an eerie sense of a mystic past.

4. Cahir, Ireland

This heritage town in the Tipperary county of Ireland  has all the elements of a fairy tale- an ancient castle with high walls, a charming Swiss cottage and a river that flows merrily by. This quaint little town stands for the true essence of the history and culture of the British isles! Legend says it was Cahir where the irish poet  Fearchois MacGorman threw a spear through the heart of Lugaigh MacConn, the king of Ireland in 212AD.

5. Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

A mythical underground lake that can be reached via secret tunnel leading to lost treasure  is a popular story told in Veliko Tarnovo. Also known as the City of Tsars, this town has been preserved well as a scion of Bulgarian history. The historical part of town, which was the capital of Bulgaria at one point, lies on three hills – Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora. No matter where you turn,  architectural marvels confront you. Also one of the hubs of Irish folklore,  this town’s history dayes back to 5 millenia!