Chilling crypts, haunted houses and ghost stories galore – here are seven of the spookiest places around the world for fearless explorers and lovers of all things macabre.
Moore Hall
Built for the aristocratic Moore family in 1796, Moore Hall in County Mayo, Ireland was left in ruins after a fire in 1923. Today, all that remains is a grandiose shell surrounded by thick forest and carved sculptures.
Legend has it that the land the house was built on was cursed by a Druid slain on the nearby shores of Lough Carra. It is believed that this curse led to the ill fortune of the Moore family, which began shortly after construction of the house was complete.
George Moore, the house's founder, suffered a stroke which left him blind, while his son John died following injuries sustained while being detained for alleged activity relating to the Irish Rebellion. Another of the Moore family was thrown from his racehorse and killed during the Grand National in 1845.
Now abandoned, visitors to this lonely ruin have reported an eerie atmosphere and the feeling of being watched. Fittingly for Halloween, one of the largest populations of lesser horseshoe bats in Ireland have made their home at Moore Hall.
Legend has it that the land the house was built on was cursed by a Druid slain on the nearby shores of Lough Carra. It is believed that this curse led to the ill fortune of the Moore family, which began shortly after construction of the house was complete.
George Moore, the house's founder, suffered a stroke which left him blind, while his son John died following injuries sustained while being detained for alleged activity relating to the Irish Rebellion. Another of the Moore family was thrown from his racehorse and killed during the Grand National in 1845.
Now abandoned, visitors to this lonely ruin have reported an eerie atmosphere and the feeling of being watched. Fittingly for Halloween, one of the largest populations of lesser horseshoe bats in Ireland have made their home at Moore Hall.
Edinburgh
Scottish folklore and mythology are imbedded in every brick and beam of Edinburgh. Take the centuries-old Edinburgh Castle, where paranormal activity is a regular occurrence. Countless visitors and staff members have spoken of a headless drummer boy, bagpiper and the weeping Grey Lady – to name but a few ghoulish characters – wandering the ancient halls.
Below the castle lived the Wizard of West Bow, who committed a series of shocking crimes that led to his execution in the 17th century. Sightings of shadows moving in the windows of his house, and even a ghostly horse drawn carriage parked outside, have all been reported.
And we can’t forget Greyfriars Kirkyard, where the Mackenzie poltergeist wreaks havoc. Having persecuted Presbyterians under the rule of Charles II, earning him the nickname Bloody Mackenzie, the character is known for pushing those passing by his eerie mausoleum.
Below the castle lived the Wizard of West Bow, who committed a series of shocking crimes that led to his execution in the 17th century. Sightings of shadows moving in the windows of his house, and even a ghostly horse drawn carriage parked outside, have all been reported.
And we can’t forget Greyfriars Kirkyard, where the Mackenzie poltergeist wreaks havoc. Having persecuted Presbyterians under the rule of Charles II, earning him the nickname Bloody Mackenzie, the character is known for pushing those passing by his eerie mausoleum.
Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft
Forged by tectonic activity and cast adrift in the middle of the ocean, there’s nowhere quite like Iceland to make you believe in magic. The country has a very long history of the occult, which is brilliantly documented at the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.
Here you’ll find stories like that of Jón lærði Guðmundsson, aka John the Learned, a scholar who was renowned for his alleged magical powers, having apparently killed no fewer than two ghosts using only the power of his poetry. Some of his works, drawings and other artefacts are exhibited at the museum.
Perhaps the most infamous item on show is a (replica) pair of nábrók. Neatly rendered in English as “necropants,” these bewitched trousers made from the skin of a human corpse were believed to bring the wearer fabulous wealth. There is also an invisible boy on display in the museum, although you’ll have to take the curator’s word for it on that one.
Here you’ll find stories like that of Jón lærði Guðmundsson, aka John the Learned, a scholar who was renowned for his alleged magical powers, having apparently killed no fewer than two ghosts using only the power of his poetry. Some of his works, drawings and other artefacts are exhibited at the museum.
Perhaps the most infamous item on show is a (replica) pair of nábrók. Neatly rendered in English as “necropants,” these bewitched trousers made from the skin of a human corpse were believed to bring the wearer fabulous wealth. There is also an invisible boy on display in the museum, although you’ll have to take the curator’s word for it on that one.
Rome
A city as ancient and storied as Rome is bound to have a few creepy spots. Take the underground Crypt of the Capuchins, where the skeletons of around 4,000 monks were used as decoratation. There’s even skeletons fully dressed in traditional monks’ robes, standing like ghoulish guards. A chilling message is inscribed in the bone chapel: “What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be."
That’s not all that lies underground in the Eternal City. Along Via Appia you’ll find the world’s first catacombs, including those of San Sebastiano, San Callisto and San Domitilla. Thousands of Romans were buried in these tomb-lined tunnels, leading to countless stories of ghosts escaping and walking above ground.
That’s not all that lies underground in the Eternal City. Along Via Appia you’ll find the world’s first catacombs, including those of San Sebastiano, San Callisto and San Domitilla. Thousands of Romans were buried in these tomb-lined tunnels, leading to countless stories of ghosts escaping and walking above ground.
Sedlec Ossuary
If the 4,000 skeletons of the Crypt of the Capuchins isn't enough to chill your bones, head to the unsettling Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Church of Bones. This Roman Catholic Church is located in the suburbs of Kutna Hora in the Czech Republic.
Inside, the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel, including a coat of arms and an elaborate chandelier that contains at least one of every bone in the human body.
Inside, the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel, including a coat of arms and an elaborate chandelier that contains at least one of every bone in the human body.
Hoia Forest
The so-called “Bermuda-Triangle of Romania,” Hoia Forest has experienced all manner of paranormal goings on, including mysterious disappearances – at least according to local legend.
People have spoken of hearing unexplained footsteps crunching through fallen leaves, experiencing the feeling of being watched and, in the 1960s, a UFO was reported to have been sighted flying over the treetops of this Transylvanian forest.
Whether or not you believe in encounters of the third kind, the forest’s crooked trees, cawing crows and quiet paths certainly make for an atmospheric walk.
People have spoken of hearing unexplained footsteps crunching through fallen leaves, experiencing the feeling of being watched and, in the 1960s, a UFO was reported to have been sighted flying over the treetops of this Transylvanian forest.
Whether or not you believe in encounters of the third kind, the forest’s crooked trees, cawing crows and quiet paths certainly make for an atmospheric walk.
Bhangarh Fort
There’s something deeply unsettling about a ghost town that stands abandoned. Take the ominous Bhangarh Fort, a sprawling 17th century complex just outside of Jaipur in India.
Legend has it that the fortress was abandoned overnight after it was cursed by a magician. Many think paranormal activity is rife here today, with visitors feeling anxious and paranoid as they walk around its walls. Whatever you believe, the government has made it illegal to visit the abandoned fort after sunset.
Legend has it that the fortress was abandoned overnight after it was cursed by a magician. Many think paranormal activity is rife here today, with visitors feeling anxious and paranoid as they walk around its walls. Whatever you believe, the government has made it illegal to visit the abandoned fort after sunset.
Lalaurie House
New Orleans has several spots believed to be haunted, but none quite so feared as Lalaurie House thanks to its macabre history. Residents of the French Quarter still tend to hurry past this otherwise delightful building because of its grim associations and reputation for ghosts.
The house was built in 1832 for a distinguished couple, Dr. Leonard Louis Nicolas Lalaurie and his wife, Delphine, two socialites who were well known for their lavish and fashionable parties. However, guests at these social events could not help but notice the condition of the servants, who were painfully thin and seemed to be terrified of Madame Lalaurie.
Suspicions of maltreatment were eventually confirmed when a fire broke out at the residence. When neighbours rushed in to extinguish the fire, they found seven enslaved workers, half starved and manacled. A story in the local press further fueled the outrage, and a mob arrived intent on destroying the place. During the melee, Madame Lalaurie and her husband escaped unharmed. After her death in Paris in 1842, it is believed that her body was returned to New Orleans and secretly buried in St. Louis Cemetery.
Some locals still swear that the house, now a private residence, is haunted and that the clanking of chains can be heard at night.
The house was built in 1832 for a distinguished couple, Dr. Leonard Louis Nicolas Lalaurie and his wife, Delphine, two socialites who were well known for their lavish and fashionable parties. However, guests at these social events could not help but notice the condition of the servants, who were painfully thin and seemed to be terrified of Madame Lalaurie.
Suspicions of maltreatment were eventually confirmed when a fire broke out at the residence. When neighbours rushed in to extinguish the fire, they found seven enslaved workers, half starved and manacled. A story in the local press further fueled the outrage, and a mob arrived intent on destroying the place. During the melee, Madame Lalaurie and her husband escaped unharmed. After her death in Paris in 1842, it is believed that her body was returned to New Orleans and secretly buried in St. Louis Cemetery.
Some locals still swear that the house, now a private residence, is haunted and that the clanking of chains can be heard at night.
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