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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Abandoned Sites

By
Nathan Garvin

Many evils accompany the ravages of war, and it should be no surprise that some bastions of civilization - humble though they may be - have been abandoned by sensible folk. Such decline doesn’t have to be permanent, however, and if a skilled witcher were to, say, use his swords to drive off the dangers, abandoned sites may become thriving settlements again. This page will cover all the abandoned sites you can liberate in the White Orchard area, including their locations, what you’ll encounter at each one, and what rewards you’ll get for nudging civilization back in the right direction.

White Orchard Abandoned Site Locations

"Abandoned Site" iconAbandoned Site Location Enemies
East of the Abandoned Village map marker "Ghouls" iconGhouls (Lv2)
Near the Sawmill map marker "Ghouls" iconGhouls (Lv2)

White Orchard isn’t a large area, and hence it shouldn’t be surprising that there aren’t a lot of abandoned sites on this map - only two, in fact. You also don’t have a ton of options at this point in the game, and should specific NPCs return, say merchants, it can prove quite useful at this point in the game. Liberating abandoned sites also rewards Geralt with a fair amount of EXP, so you’re doubly incentivized to lend a hand at this point in the game.

Abandoned Site East of the Abandoned Village

South of White Orchard town you’ll find an Abandoned Village, which, despite the name, can’t actually be liberated - it’s the subject of the quest Devil in the Well, and for our purposes here is more useful as a landmark. Follow the road east from the Abandoned Village and you’ll find this abandoned site. Failing that, you can follow the road southwest from the Ransacked Village, cross a bridge over a river (where you’ll find a Smuggler’s Cache) and keep following the road west to find this abandoned site.

(1 of 2) Kill the ghouls near a roadside shrine,

Kill the ghouls near a roadside shrine, (left), and you’ll lure back the worshippers, including an herbalist. (right)

The site - an old shrine, now defiled - is crawling with "Ghouls" iconGhouls (Lv2). Eradicate the undead and after a short scene, time will pass and the old petitioners will arrive to pay homage to their roadside deity. More importantly, you’ll find an herbalist here who will not only buy any flowers you might pick (one of the only ways to accumulate wealth at this point in the game), but he’ll also sell "Saltpeter" iconSaltpeter. If you’re lucky you’ll find some while exploring around, but if you’re not lucky or just don’t want to wait, you can just buy some Saltpeter, which you can then use to craft bombs like "Samum" iconSamum. You’ll need bombs to clear Monster Nest events, so this expenditure will pay for itself.

Abandoned Site Near the Sawmill

Technically this abandoned site is the sawmill, and it’s located just west of the sawmill signpost, which is along the western road connecting White Orchard town to the Nilfgaardian Garrison to the north. You’ll again find yourself fighting a pack of "Ghoul" iconGhouls (Lv2), the only real difference this time is you may also have to deal with some "Wolves" iconWolves that prowl the fields nearby.

(1 of 2) More ghouls infest the sawmill,

More ghouls infest the sawmill, (left), and once they’re gone you’ll be able to do business with a new merchant. (right)

Kill whatever beasties you must and after a short scene and time skip the sawmill will be repopulated. Be sure to loot the building to the north for various treasures, while a merchant also appears to do business. He’s not as useful as the herbalist from the other abandoned site, but he’ll still buy junk from you.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    CD Projekt
  • Platforms,
    PC, PS4, Switch, XB One
  • Genre
    RPG
  • Guide Release
    24 June 2015
  • Last Updated
    22 August 2024
    Version History
  • Guide Author
    Nathan Garvin (Haeravon)

Share this free guide:

You are Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster-hunter known as a Witcher. You’ve fully regained your memories since your miraculous revival and escape from the Wild Hunt, and have cleared your name of the false accusations of regicide. In the wake of the assassination of Foltest, king of Temeria, the north have been rent by warfare as Nilfgaard launches its third major invasion, and the northlands have been united under the insane king Radovid. Overshadowing these petty politics is the mysterious return of Ciri - Geralt’s adopted daughter, who is now being pursued by the Wild Hunt.

The guide offers the following:

  • A full walkthrough that’s more than just a listing of quests-it’s an “ideal chronological order” that will get you through the whole game and allow you to see and do everything the game has to offer.

  • Side quests, including monster contracts and treasure hunts for obtaining powerful Witcher sets.

  • Descriptions of decisions, quests, and events that influence the various endings of the game.

  • Crafting and Alchemy information.

  • General strategies on how to take down foes large and small, monstrous and humanoid, boss or mundane.

  • Information on how to complete all the Gwent quests and obtain all the Gwent cards, including detailed Gwent strategies.

  • Trophy/Achievement information.

MASSIVE UPDATE: 7th September 2016 ongoing

  • Added DLC quests “Fool’s Gold” and “Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear”.
  • Organisational changes in the Velen section of the walkthrough to reflect the increased level of Griffin School Gear.
  • Organisational changes throughout the walkthrough to provide a “no skulls” path through the game.
  • Added Death March difficulty tips and commentary throughout the guide.
  • More XP reward numbers included.
  • Walkthrough now includes additional information based on patch changes.
  • Various typo and grammar fixes.
  • Added DLC pages for Blood & Wine, Heart of Stone
  • Lots more quality of life improvements

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