The Traveller's Magazine
Gearing up for a ghoulish Hallowe’en? Whether your travels take you far to new spiritual experiences or keep you at home handing out “trick or treat” candies, dressing up and partying all night long, there’s no doubt that strange things happen on this auspicious day no matter where you are in the world. Check out the world’s most haunted places!
1. Catacombs in Paris, France
When Paris began expanding the city planners needed to create more space, their only solution was to move the dead further underground. Millions of dead Parisians were removed from their graves and placed along the walls of the chilly and dark passageways underneath the famous city. Millions of visitors a year visit these bone-lined chambers and more than a few have encountered more than just the creeps crawling up their spines.
2. French Quarter in New Orleans, USA
Topping the list of haunted places in America, New Orleans has a long history with the living-dead. The French Quarter in particular has 200 years worth of Voodoo curses, bloody murders and war. At one time the Congo Square was filled with slaves beating drums for Marie Laveau, the greatest Voodoo Queen of all time. The New Orleans graveyard, its haunted houses, colonial mansions and battlefields are just the beginning. Legend has it the city itself casts a spell on whoever comes to visit… as if you needed another reason why New Orleans should be on your travel list.
3. Aokigahara Forest, Japan
Also known as the Sea of Trees, this is the forest that lies at the foot of Mount Fuji. Local lore says that the woods are haunted by paranormal phenomena including strange beasts, monsters, ghosts and goblins. The forest floor is made up of volcanic rock and there are even stories that human remains have been found in the deep depths of the forest. Are you brave enough to explore the famous ice and wind caves?
4. Underground vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland
Did you know that there is a network of underground vaults beneath the streets of Edinburgh? They were discovered in the late 1980s and have been abandoned for nearly 200 years. They were used as cellars, workshops and even houses to the craftsmen that sold their wares on the South Bridge nearby. Later in time they were used only by the poor and homeless, many of them dying there beneath the ground.
5. Coliseum in Rome, Italy
An architectural masterpiece, this Roman landmark just happens to be the most haunted place in Italy. It was the place where Gladiators would fight until death to entertain Caesar. Thousands of prisoners met their death at the jaws of lions, tigers and the hands of men. It’s not uncommon for the security guards to hear the sounds of weeping, clashing swords and even lion roars from the depths of the underground vaults or see a shadow drift past with the silhouette of a Roman guard.
Spooked? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? What is the most haunted place you’ve ever been to? Share you ghoulish tales of ghosts, goblins and travel adventures!
