There is not long left until Halloween, and for those who decide to celebrate an unusual holiday in a truly frightening place, TOP 20 most haunted places in the world. Most of them allow tourists.
Poveglia Island, Italy. In the Venetian lagoon, there is the island of Poveglia, which was used for more than a century as a quarantine point, including for those sick with the plague, and then a psychiatric hospital was located here (closed in 1968). Since then, the island has been abandoned and officially closed to tourists, but illegal excursions are taken there.
Island of the Dolls, Mexico. According to one version, a little girl drowned on a small island in Mexico City, and in memory of this, one of the local hermits began hanging dolls on trees, which also warded off evil spirits. We don’t know about spirits, but impressionable tourists faint here.
Bhangarh Fort, India. Legend has it that the once mighty fortress in Rajasthan, Bhangarh Fort, was completely abandoned overnight. Why this happened, history is silent, but the 16th-century fortress is surrounded by terrible legends. It is prohibited to be there after dark.
Port Arthur Prison, Australia. More than 1,000 people died in grim circumstances at Port Arthur Correctional Prison. But during the excursion, tourists are also told about cases of lucky escape. So, one of the prisoners escaped, wearing a kangaroo skin.
Lizzie Borden’s house, USA. This house became famous due to a murder that took place here in 1892. Lizzie Borden was accused of killing her father and stepmother with an ax. She was acquitted at trial, but it remains a mystery who committed the crime.
Chuuk Lagoon, Micronesia. During World War II, a Japanese naval base and airfield were located on the islands. In February 1944, the Americans sank more than 30 Japanese ships. Today, their skeletons are open to divers, but many are still afraid to descend to these depths, fearing the “ghost crew” of the ships that did not leave their post.
Banff Springs Hotel, Canada. The respectable 19th-century hotel is inhabited by many spirits. The most famous among them is former bellman Sam McAuley, but the hotel also contains a dead bride, a secret room with no windows or doors, and much more. Macauley’s spirit is supposed to disappear if you try to tip him.
Tower of London, England. Ghost hunters have counted: today exactly 13 ghosts live in the tower: from queens to explorers and anonymous souls. If you feel a tap on your shoulder, do not turn around.
Cemetery La Recoleta, Argentina. Many of Argentina’s most influential figures are buried in this cemetery in Buenos Aires. This is a real city of the dead since it consists of crypts, among which there are real pedestrian streets, strictly perpendicular to each other, on which it is straightforward to get lost.
Fortress of Good Hope, South Africa. In short, the place is cursed. Three hundred years ago, the local governor executed seven people here for desertion, and since then their voices and footsteps can be heard in every part of the fortress.
Grand Aley Hotel, Lebanon. It was built in 1926 and was considered one of the most luxurious in Lebanon, but today remains without an owner. Instead of modern guests, only the ghosts of past guests and employees roam its corridors.
Dragsholm Castle, Denmark. The 13th-century castle is home to at least 100 ghosts, including the Earl of Bothwell, husband of Queen Mary Stuart, who died here in captivity. There is also a chance to see a lady in white, a guard, and other characters.
Lawang Sewu, Indonesia. This is the most haunted place in all of Indonesia. A former office building in Semarang on the island of Java, the former head office of the Dutch East India Railway Company. In 1942, the basement of the building was turned by Japanese soldiers into a dungeon where torture and executions were carried out. The most famous ghost here is the Dutch Lady. They say that she committed suicide.
Eastern State Penitentiary, USA. It was once the most expensive prison in the world. The Philadelphia establishment closed in 1971 but has found a second life as a popular destination for haunted walks and spooky adventures.
Chase Vault, Barbados. A creepy crypt in one of the city cemeteries. According to legend, every time the tightly sealed marble vault was opened to bury a family member (this happened three times), all the lead coffins were out of place.
Jazeera Al Hamra, UAE. An empty settlement near the city of Ras al-Khaimah, interesting for its unusual collection of abandoned adobe houses, an ancient fort, a mosque, and other buildings. Residents of the neighboring town believe that the spirits of their ancestors live under the roofs of abandoned buildings, so they advise taking a talisman with you – a blue eye.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland. Visitors to the castle often talk about crying and “musical” ghosts. In local dungeons, they often see a red-haired boy in a kilt with bagpipes in his hands and a little girl with a doll that her mother left in the dungeon.
Tapia Theater, Puerto Rico. According to local legends, the spirit of an actress who once fell dead on stage during a performance lives here. Often in an empty hall, you can hear singing from the side of the stage, but at this moment the tourists shout louder.
Paris Catacombs, France. The remains of more than 6 million people lie buried beneath the streets of Paris in a vast network of tunnels and skulls. But tourists are interested in this: every year half a million people descend into the Catacombs, and in terms of the number of visitors among all the creepy places in the world, the Parisian site is among the most visited.