We’re counting down our picks for the top ten creepiest places that dark tourists love. Are you a fan of our posts? Be sure to comment to travel and Ring the bell to be notified about our latest posts. For this list, we’re looking at destinations and attractions around the world that are famous for spooky or disturbing reasons.
Number 10 Bullets Here
Staten Hospital Germany hospitals in general often tend to put people on edge and abandoned hospital, however well, there’s a reason that there’s such a staple in the horror genre buildings left in disrepair are generally creepy, but with the hospital, it’s a particularly haunting blend this once a sterile place where people were at their most vulnerable and underwent surgery, has been left to decay and crumble. Located in Germany, Beards Hill, Staten Hospital. UPS the ante, with its dark history constructed in the late 19th century, originally held patients with fatal lung conditions like tuberculosis. It was later converted into a military hospital for both world wars, adding to the hospital’s sinister resume, Adolf Hitler himself was reportedly treated there when he was just a soldier. Much of the building is cordoned off, but it still makes quite the impression.
9, Transylvania, Romania
When a destination has become so. Intimately intertwined with the supernatural, at least in popular culture, is going to attract a certain kind of tourist. Just say the word Transylvania. There’s a strong desire to put on a spooky voice inspired by vampire films of old. This is largely thanks to Bram Stoker’s hugely influential novel Dracula, for which the author used Transylvania as the setting. The entire region has a compelling old world aesthetic to it, but Bran Castle is the destination. Has become the biggest draw for those seeking vampiric vibes, while in Romania dark tourists will also want to check out holier Bachu forest. Sometimes called the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania. Those who venture into the spooky Forest often report an overwhelming sense of anxiety, while others have come back with unexplainable rashes or nausea. Others still have reported ghosts, UFOs, or have disappeared altogether. Visits at your own risk.
8, Centralia, United States
Most of the destinations on our list today require a bit of imagination. For the most part, their scare factor is rooted in history. Spooky stories and local law in Pennsylvania. However, there’s a town that comes just as advertised. A place of ruin where hell itself appears to be trying to burst through the ground and claim the land as its own. Welcome to Centralia. In 1962, the coal mine underneath this town court. Fire and to this day it has never stopped burning. Attempts were made to put out this subterranean blaze, but to no avail. The town was largely abandoned by the mid 80s and officially condemned in the early 90s. Today the cracked roads, crumbling buildings and smoke rising from the ground itself all make Centralia feel utterly surreal. A few residents remain, but the whole place feels like the apocalypse.
7, Savannah, United States. All right
Looking for something a bit more supernatural, then it’s time to book your trip to Savannah, GA. This city in the southern United States wears many faces on the one hand, it’s absolutely stunning and it’s home to what many have claimed is the country’s most beautiful. St Jones St. It’s also a hub for the arts thanks to the local college and has established itself as a major destination for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. It’s also super freaking haunted. Supposedly ghosts of southern bells, pirate ghosts. Savannah has it all. There are a number of Ghost Tours operating in the city, and the guides do a great job of walking you through the many creepy tales from throughout the history of Savannah. If you’re looking for your own supernatural encounter, Forsyth Park is rumored to be something of a hotbed of spectral sightings.
Number six Catacombs France.
Honestly, if we were talking about this destination isolation, it would be at the very top of our list. Unfortunately, the catacombs of Paris suffer for their popularity. The line is often a few hours long, and even once you’re in it can feel crowded, and so it winds up at #6 on our list. With that being said, we think that the catacombs are still well worth the wait. This underground horseshoe area contains the bones of 1,000,000. Of people, it’s a fascinatingly macabre attraction. It was actually built out of necessity in the mid 18th century. The cemeteries of Paris were, quite literally, overflowing more of just a pile of bones. However, the catacombs captured the imagination with the carefully stacked skeletal walls and compelling designs. If you can’t get enough bones, you should also check out these siblings ashari in the Czech Republic.
5 Bangor fought India.
Do you believe in curses? If so, you might want to steer clear of this particular destination. Of course, if you’re fascinated by them, it’s time to start planning your trip to India. Conveniently located just about 100 miles from Delhi, this historic Bangor Fort is a crumbling relic of a bygone era. Local legend tells of a vengeful sorcerer who, after being scorned by the object of his affection, the local Princess placed a deadly curse upon the entire structure. Another story tells of a local holy man. Cursing any building that eclipsed his home in size, which the Fort presumably did. Whatever the specifics, today the Fort is considered to be among the most haunted places in the entire country. The crumbling structure makes for an absolutely fascinating visit, but consider yourself warned. It’s strictly forbidden to remain after sundown.
Number four Pripyat, Ukraine
There are plenty of ghost towns to explore around the world, but in terms of size there are few that can hold a candle to Pripyat, Ukraine in fact, though still called a ghost town. Pripyat was actually given city status in 1979, just seven years later, however, all of its nearly 50,000 residents were evacuated following the Chernobyl disaster. It’s this tragic history paired with the sheer size of the area abandoned. That makes this such a compelling destination for anyone with an interest in dark and spooky. Today the radiation is considered to be relatively safe, at least for short visits, and a number of tour companies have packages that take you into this grim and haunting abandoned city because families had mere hours to pack up. Many of their possessions were left behind, making it feel like one big unnerving time capsule.
3, alky Kahara Forest, Japan, for this next one.
We ask that anyone who does choose to visit do so with the utmost respect, located on the northwestern foot of Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture. Alke gahara is a beautiful forest that has long been popular both with tourists and school trips. At least certain parts of it. As you travel deeper into the forest, the trees become quite dense. Add to that the sound dampening effects of the lava rock that dominates the area and the solitude can become almost over. Whelming, as documented and referenced in a wide variety of media, including two major American films, Alke Gahara, is a place where many people have gone with dark purpose. The forest has a long association with death and is said to be populated by ghosts, called your eye. Today, visitors to the forest will see signs urging anyone emotionally struggling to seek help.
Number two Sagada, Philippines
Sorry folks, but dark and creepy. Is what you asked for, so that’s what you get now. If you thought catacombs and ossuaries were strange places to lay the dead to rest, you won’t believe how things are done in Sagada, a community of roughly 11,000 people in the Philippines Mountain province, Sagada places the deceased in coffins and then suspends them from a clear 4 cave wall. This is a long standing tradition in the area dating back some 2000 years or more, and though it might sound like something from a bygone era. It’s still regularly done today. Historically, the practice had to do with social status, but was also just a practical way to protect the dead from animal scavengers without giving up scarce farmland to a cemetery.
Number One easler, dellamonica, Mexico.
This one’s really got it all: a surprisingly beautiful environment, a bit of adventure getting there. Instantly spooky sights to greet you upon your arrival, and a terrifying local legend to wrap it all up. Saatchi Milko is a popular tourist destination in Mexico. Located in one of Mexico City’s outer boroughs. Here the canals are full of colorful boats called Trainer as providing a relaxing way to explore this unique natural space. It’s an altogether fun, serene experience that is until you reach the Easler dellamonica here on this strange little island in Tes. We low lake and eccentric local man by the name of Don Julio Santana strung up hundreds of dolls. From the trees before his passing in 2001, according to the locals and his family, this was supposedly inspired by a body found in the water. The dolls were apparently his attempt to appease its spirit for some dismissed this origin story. The end result is nonetheless terrifying. I mean striking.
Maybe You Like Them Too
- Argentina A Land of Diverse Landscapes
- Guinea A Land of Contrasts
- Cyprus A Cultural Crossroads
- Costa Rica A Land of Many Colors
- Kadayanallur Map A Guide to the Town’s Top Attractions
