We all enjoy traditional vacations to exotic locations, amusement parks, and natural wonders. But have you ever considered setting up a trip to some of the world’s most haunted places? These spooky sites are well known for their haunted past and rich, twisted history. A vacation to these locations would certainly leave you with many chilling tales to share when you return!
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Catacombs Of Paris, France
France is home to fairy tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to Provence’s lavender fields and the French Riviera’s celebrity-studded beaches. World-famous gastronomy and fine wines provide the perfect complement to the country’s alpine views and architectural masterpieces.
Paris is referred to as the most scenic and romantic city in the world! The Eiffel Tower is the country’s symbol, and the iconic tower was featured as the leading exhibition of the World’s Fair of 1889. Let’s not forget the Louvre is the most famous museum globally and one of Paris’s most renowned art attractions. Notre Dame is a medieval Catholic cathedral that is the finest example of French Gothic architecture.
However, Paris also has historically haunted places literally running beneath the city’s vibrant culture. The spooky Paris Catacombs are a complex long series of underground tunnels that house millions of skeletons. The history of the Paris Catacombs started in the late eighteenth century when major public health problems were tied to the city’s cemeteries.
In 1786, the city officials ordered law enforcement to exhume and transfer the bodies to the underground ossuaries in Paris. Some of the skeletal remnants date back 1200 years ago! It took about 12 years to relocate the bodies to the small cramped tunnels. The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of more than six million people, making it one of the world’s most haunted places.
A small section of the catacombs is deemed safe and accessible to tourists. However, it is a spooky place to enter, with all the stories circulating about the spirits contained in the Catacombs. It is said that the Gates of Hell exist in the underground tunnel network, and those who lose their way may be unlucky enough to stumble upon them.
The uncharted sections of the catacombs are hazardous. The majority of the tunnels are unmapped, extremely cold, have no light, and are often flooded. There is a following known as the Cataphiles who meet in the catacombs to seek adventure and enjoy the rush of spending time in these creepy tunnels.
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In 2010, a Cataphile explored the deep chambers of the tunnels and came across an old video camera. That camera was taken to be examined by a filmmaker. The footage on the tape was quite disturbing. They don’t know if it’s true, but the taped footage shows a solo man wandering through and exploring the deep caverns. In the tape, the unknown man becomes startled by something unknown. He drops his camera and is seen running off into dark tunnels. No one has seen and heard from this man. Some people believe the tape is fabricated, while others believe that the man went crazy and died. Many locals believe he found the Gates of Hell.
There are many cases of people getting lost in the Catacombs, making this location one of the world’s most haunted places. There is a story of two teenagers who went exploring and ended up getting lost. The girls spent three days in the tunnels in complete darkness. Search dogs found them. Many stories indicate that people who go exploring at night in the catacombs’ uncharted region never resurface.
On November 3, 1973, Philibert Aspairt died in the Catacombs. He was a doorman for a local hospital. People believe Aspairt decided to use the tunnels to get to a secret stash of liquor at the hospital. Aspairt used a candle to guide him through the tunnels. Unfortunately, his candle blew out and eventually got lost and died.
Aspairt’s body was found eleven years later. Authorities were able to identify him by the set of keys lying next to him. He was buried in the Catacombs. Apparently, his spirit still roams the Catacombs protecting them from harm. He becomes more active on the anniversary of his death. It is believed that Aspairt likes to toy with tourists by blowing out their candles and whispering in their ears.
Many believe that black magic is being performed in the Paris Catacombs. The dark ceremonies include human sacrifice and gruesome rituals performed on cadavers stolen from morgues. Tourists hear disembodied voices and wails from the confused and trapped spirits in these haunted places. If visitors are daring enough to explore these tunnels, there are many tours offered by local companies.
Spooky Fact: Many tourists have been tapped on their shoulders and heard disembodied voices.
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Isla De Las Munecas, Mexico
Mexico is known for its gorgeous beaches, resorts, and world-class cuisine and accommodations. Xochimilco is one of several boroughs within Mexico city and is best known for its canals. They are left from an extensive lake and canal system that connected most of the Valley of Mexico settlements. The community is known for its gardens and plant nurseries. The ancient landscapes have become the most singular pleasure gardens in the world. Visitors hire “gondoliers” to operate boats known as trajineras as they sail these breathtaking channels with floating mariachis and food vendors.
A spooky legend in Xochimilco attracts thousands of people each year who enjoy exploring the world’s most haunted places. This location is named the Island Of Dolls. Locals say that a young girl drowned in one of the canals over half a century ago. A man found her body and hung a doll in a nearby tree, and since then, this man was haunted by this little girl’s ghost. Finally, the ghost drove him to madness, and he started hanging hundreds of dolls in the trees.
In 2001, this man’s dead body was found in the same spot where the girl died. Since then, the dolls remain in the trees. Locals and tourists claim to see the toy’s eyes move and hear the laughter of a young girl.
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Lawang Sewu, Semarang, Indonesia
Semarang is the capital and is also the largest city in the province of Central Java, Indonesia. This beautiful city was a major port during the Dutch colonial era. It was also voted the cleanest tourist destination in Southeast Asia by the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Standard (ACTCS) for 2020-2022. Semarang is known for its cultural and historical tours and is a popular destination for tourists.
In this popular city is a landmark called Lawang Sewu, which means a thousand doors. This gorgeous landmark building has become the most exciting and attractive tourist attraction, visited by an average of 1,000 visitors daily. Lawang Sewu served as the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies. It was built by the Dutch from 1904 to 1907 and used by The Dutch East Indies Railway Company.
Many legends surround this historic landmark. The basement “B” building was used as a prison. Many inmates were mistreated, tortured, and executed. In 1945, the Dutch had a battle with the Japanese, who had forcefully taken the building from the Dutch. This battle led to many deaths. The Dutch would use the tunnel under building “A” to sneak into the city. Sightings of countless ghosts have been reported here.
The dark history and violent deaths have made Indonesia’s Lawang Sewu one of the world’s most haunted places. This is partly due to Kejawen or Javanese spiritualism, which emphasizes the impact of violent deaths on spaces. Some men would sneak in at night and try to hunt ghosts. Many believe the ghosts that people have seen are connected with the conflicts of the past. Visitors have seen headless spirits wandering the corridors and grounds. A vampire ghost was also apparently haunting the basement where executions were performed.
Even more, scary is the Dutch woman’s ghost, who is often spotted at the site, as she is believed to have committed suicide in the building. She has been captured on film during a television show taping, and the sight of her has spooked some visitors. Exploring haunted places such as Lawang Sewu will be on the travel list of many thrill-seekers!
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Aokigahara Forest, Japan
Japan is a breathtaking country known for its rich history and ancient temples that date back to the ninth century. Japan is known for world-class entertainment such as Sumo wrestling and tasty delights, like sushi. Naoshima has beautiful art galleries that give it the nickname “Art Island.” Japan is also known for its hot springs, which were used to relax and heal different ailments since ancient times.
Aokigahara Forest is on the northwestern flank of Japan’s Mount Fuji, thriving on 12 square miles of ancient hardened lava laid down by the major eruption of Mount Fuji in 864 CE. The western edge of the forest contains many caves that fill with ice during the winter. When you see the Aokigahara Forest, you will see it is a beautiful place to go hiking. Unfortunately, Aokigahara is one of the world’s most haunted places.
Since the 1950s, more than 500 people have taken their lives in this infamous forest. Its nickname is “suicide forest.” The locals and some tourists claim that the forest’s tormented souls try to lure you off the path so you can meet a similar fate as theirs. It is one of the world’s most frequent suicide locations. Signs at the head of some of the trails urge suicidal visitors to think of their families and contact a suicide prevention association.
In 2003, an estimated 105 bodies were found in the haunted forest. Because so many people attempt to take their own lives in the forest, law enforcement has started placing materials that offer help to visitors in taxis, hotels, and tourist places. People often report hearing blood-curdling, unnatural screams while wandering the forest. A writer heard the screams and investigated and found the body of a man who had been deceased for some time.
Another common occurrence in the forest is white figures drifting between trees. Buddhist monks have set up altars in the forest to combat the evil spirits haunting the forest and draw people there to die by suicide. Camping is not suggested in such haunted places!
Spooky Fact: Statistics show that Aokigahara Forest is the second most frequent place in the world where people commit suicide. The first is the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco.
Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia
Australia is known for some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. The gorgeous beaches are a surfer’s paradise. Tasmania is the 26th largest island in the world and is surrounded by 334 islands. This magnificent island is 150 miles from mainland Australia and 1,600 miles from Antarctica.
Port Arthur is a quaint village and former convict settlement in Tasmania. Its vivid history, cultural heritage, and stories are compelling. Port Arthur is a great base to explore the historic site and its natural attractions, including dramatic coastal rock formations known as Remarkable Cave and beautiful waterways, like Crescent Bay.
This is a different place after sunset, however, when it becomes full of mystery and intrigue. There is a 90-minute tour of the Port Arthur Historic Site. The tours offer information about Port Arthur’s infamous buildings and ruins, and you will hear stories of unexplained events that have baffled tourists around the world.
At the end of the 1700s, Britain and America started sending their convicts to Port Arthur. These convicts endured a harsh life, with most never returning home. By 1830 Port Arthur had been established as a penal settlement with its main usage being a timber (lumber) station. As more convicts arrived, the timber industry’s importance grew, and convicts were put to work in the settlement, its population continuing to grow. This resulted in a prison being built, which was to function for industrial purposes. Prisoners were put to work in surrounding industries, including timber lumbering, shipbuilding, and coal mining.
In 1996, a mass shooting killed 35 people in Port Arthur. Many paranormal experiences have been reported ever since, making it one of the world’s premier haunted places. People have reported seeing apparitions, feeling, and smelling things that they are unable to explain. Many locals and tourists have heard disembodied voices, witnessed poltergeist activity, and some have claimed to be attacked by these angry spirits.
The old asylum in Port Arthur is said to be more active with paranormal activity. The asylum was built in the mid-1860s and was used to treat convicts with depression. This building also functioned as a schoolhouse at one point. The spirits of an older woman and a young girl have been seen in the asylum. Disembodied footsteps have also been heard within the building, and light fixtures move on their own.
Another building that locals say is one of the world’s most haunted places is the “Separate Prison.” This prison was built to reform convicts using unorthodox methods. The methods, unfortunately, backfired and caused more damage to their mental state. The prisoners supposedly went mad.
People have claimed to be touched and scratched by something unseen within the Separate Prison’s walls. Plenty of other spirits are said to cover the grounds of Port Arthur. One of the most commonly sighted is that of Bue Lady. She is believed to have lived within the settlement during the 1800s and lost her baby during childbirth. Bue Lady is said to haunt the area, still searching for her child. Many have seen ghosts of children, priests, distorted body-less faces, and shadowy figures, making this one of the world’s most haunted places.
First World Hotel, Pahang, Malaysia
Malaysia is known for its diverse wildlife, endless beaches, and growing cities. In 1999, Malaysia launched the Formula One Malaysia Grand Prix in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The Formula One event in early spring has become one of the country’s major international tourism draws.
Genting Highlands Resort is an integrated hill resort development comprising hotels, shopping malls, theme parks, and casinos. Genting Highlands is not known just for its nightlife. Many visitors flock to the gorgeous hill station to enjoy cooler temperatures, mountain scenery, strawberry farms, and the natural rainforest.
First World Hotel is considered part of the resort’s group known as the “City of Entertainment,” but also known as one of the world’s most haunted places. The First World Hotel is a 3-star hotel in Genting Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia. Featuring a total of 7,351 rooms, it has set a Guinness World Record for the largest hotel in the world.
The hotel houses an outdoor and indoor theme park, shopping center, food plaza, and even a tropical rainforest at the main entrance. The First World Hotel is known as Asia’s best international casino resort. Many spooky theories or tales are surrounding this popular tourist destination. It’s said that many gamblers have committed suicide because of gambling debts. These spirits are not at ease, so many of them haunt the corridors.
The headless ghost of a woman is also known to walk the corridors looking for her head. Guests and staff have seen figures jumping off the balconies or even a floating woman with long black hair and pale skin floating outside their hotel window. Yikes! Many guests have mysteriously fallen ill in certain rooms or wake up after hearing unexplained sounds during the night. One of the eeriest rumors about the First World Hotel is that the elevator will always skip levels. This is definitely a location to check out if you enjoy exploring haunted places.
A terrifying journey through the world’s most haunted places is sure to spice up your life with many interesting, bone-chilling tales from the dark side! Prepare to enjoy creepy stories from the locals and embark on adventurous tours through these well-known haunted places. If you dare to enter these terrifying but exciting locations, be sure to say your prayers and have your camera ready!
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