Amanda Phillips
For many of us, Halloween is synonymous with trick or treating, fancy dress and dunking for apples. However, for those fright seekers out there who want more than the traditional scary movie, a ghostly getaway might be just the thing to get your heart pounding this year! Whether it be a weekend stay in one the UK’s haunted capitals or a city break to some of Europe’s spectral sights, embrace your inner dark tourist this October with a visit to one of these Halloween spooky destinations !
1. City of Edinburgh, Scotland
With its dark and dramatic history, it is hardly surprising that numerous claims of paranormal activity have been recorded amidst Edinburgh’s cobblestones and underground labyrinths.
Having been crowned Scotland’s ‘paranormal capital’, there’s plenty to do for thrill-seeking tourists determined to ‘dabble in the dark’. Edinburgh Castle is considered one of the most haunted locations in Europe, with numerous ghostly sightings and scientifically proven paranormal activity.
Edinburgh’s Blair Street vaults run beneath the city and claim to host to a number of restless spirits. Used by tradesmen and for housing purposes in the 18th & 19th century, the vaults were hotbeds of criminal activity, darkness and decay. In fact, the infamous Burke & Hare are rumoured to have prowled the vaults in search of victims.
If this isn’t enough, Edinburgh is also the site of Grey Friars Kirk yard, where the ghost of a dog, Grey Friars Bobby, is said to haunt his master’s grave.
Brave enough? Explore Edinburgh yourself this Halloween, or sign up to one of the cities many ghost walks!
2. Paris, France
With its reputation as Europe’s ultimate romantic destination, many tend to forget the dark tourist attractions which lurk amidst Paris’s sidewalks and cafés.
The Catacombs, an underground network of passageways beneath the city, were used to house the bodies of over 6 million citizens when graveyard overcrowding became an issue. Over the years however, they are rumoured to have become the site of necromancy and unexplained spectral incidents amongst other eerie activity, to say nothing of the skeletal human remains which line the passageways!
If delving into the catacombs is a step too far, however, the Place de La Concorde and its dramatic history remains a popular attraction, where 1300 poor souls including Marie Antoinette and Louis XV1 are said to have lost their heads.
3. London, United Kingdom
London boasts a particularly dramatic history, with many famous names losing their minds and heads inside the walls of the infamous Tower of London. With Traitors Gate still standing ominously beneath the fortresses walls, and the ghosts of Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes and the Two Princes rumoured to haunt the structure, a night-time tour of the Tower is not for the faint hearted.
Similarly, there is something truly eerie about London’s Jack the Ripper Ghost Walk. On a chilly October evening, every breath of wind and shiver up your spine seems to serve as a reminder of the serial killer who claimed the lives of many women in 19th Century London.
However, if this is all simply too dark for you, there’s always the London Dungeons: the cities chilling past diluted with a touch of comedy and dramatic effect!
4. Prague, Czech Republic
Best known as the City of 1000 Spires for its breathtakingly intricate skyline, Prague has long been renowned as one of Europe’s most ghostly capital cities.
The St Charles Bridge plays host to some spectral residents, related no doubt to the bridges gory history. It was said to showcase the heads of executed local Lords for almost 20 years, who are rumoured to haunt the landmark from time to time.
For the dark tourism fanatics or extreme thrill-seekers, a visit to Houska Castle is also in order. Enclosed by thick forest, it is unsurprising that this castle has been nicknamed one of the gateways to hell, with multiple reports of hauntings and demonic presence over the years.
The perfect getaway for a truly horror filled Halloween?
5. Mexico – Día de Los Muertos
For those of you seeking culture, ceremony and a trip further afield this Halloween, Mexico is calling! An opportunity to immerse yourself in a unique and historic hot bed of tradition, Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations last from Halloween until the 2nd of November.
A festival to commemorate and pay homage to your departed loved ones, locals decorate graves and alters with Mexican Marigolds, offer sugar skulls and ‘Pan de muerto’ (bread of the dead). The celebrations also involve dressing up and celebrating the lives of those departed, rather than mourning their deaths.
A truly fascinating insight into a unique and vibrant tradition across seas, for avid travellers and culture seekers, this is a must!