No matter where you go in the world, you’re sure to hear legends of ghosts and spirits.
So Proud American Traveler has put together a list of the ten most haunted places in the entire world.
So grab your ghost hunting gear and happy hauntings!
10. Bran Castle, Transylvania, Romania
While there are many haunted places in Transylvania, perhaps the most well-known is Bran Castle, or more famously called Castle Dracula.
Bran Castle was the inspiration for Irish author Bram Stoker’s classic novel, Dracula, written in 1897.
While the castle may not actually have any vampires hiding out in it, Romania has certainly seen its fair share of medieval warfare, and the countryside certainly has plenty of ghosts stories.
Travel to Transylvania in October to experience their annual Halloween Monster Party!
9. Bethnal Green Underground Station, London
Bethnal Green has a particularly sad story behind its hauntings.
Because it’s located so deeply underground, it was used as an air raid shelter during the war. But during an air raid test in March 1943, panic broke out and 173 people ended up losing their lives, 126 of whom were women and children.
Visitors and workers have claimed to hear children crying and the sounds of women screaming in anguish.
Bethnal Green is listed as one of the top haunted London Underground stations.
8. Tower of London, England
Founded in 1066 by William the Conqueror, the Tower of London is perhaps one of the most haunted places in England.
The tower has seen centuries of war, torture, and death, and is said to be home to many ghosts. Anne Boleyn is perhaps one of the most famous, and is known to haunt the church where she was beheaded. She’s also been seen wandering around the white tower, carrying her decapitated head under her arm.
The Princes in the Tower are two famous ghosts as well.
The sons of a rival king, these two princes vanished in the tower and were never seen again. In 1933, two sets of bones were discovered. They were confirmed to be the remains of the two princes.
Other famous ghosts said to dwell in the tower include Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey, and Margaret Pole.
7. Paris Catacombs, France
This network of tunnels located in Paris adds up to 185 miles and contains the remains of more than 6 million Parisian residents.
The catacombs were formed in the late 18th century when the Parisian cemeteries had become overrun, causing rampant disease to break out. The bodies of the deceased were removed from their graves and taken by black carriage to be buried underground.
Many believe this caused the poor souls of the deceased to become lost and angry.
Visitors have reported feeling hands grabbing at them and hearing voices pleading with them to go deeper into the tunnels.
There have also been reports of visitors getting lost and going mad, some never to be seen again.
6. The Death Railway, Thailand
The Burma Railway, also known as Death Railway, has a gruesome past. Constructed during the Japanese occupation of Thailand, the laborers who built this railway and its connecting bridge were prisoners of war or locals.
Forced to work in horrible conditions, many either starved to death, died of sickness, or were tortured and murdered. It is estimated that over 90,000 workers and 16,000 prisoners of war died during the construction of this railway.
It’s easy to understand why this site would be haunted.
5. Salem, Massachusetts
It’s hard to think of Salem, Massachusetts without thinking of the Salem witch trials, especially when the air turns crisp and the leaves begin to fall.
In 1692, several women were falsely accused, tried, and executed for the practice of witchcraft. Many believe their souls still haunt the town to this day.
One of the most haunted sites in Salem is Old Burying Point Cemetery, where Judge Hawthorne (known as “The Hanging Judge”), is buried. His ghost is said to wander among the worn down tombstones.
The Witch House is another haunted site and is the only structure related to the Salem witch trials that still stands. The house belonged to Judge Jonathan Corwin, who was responsible for investigating the accused women and ultimately condemned 19 to their death.
To see more haunted destinations in the United States, click here.
4. Culloden Moor, Inverness, Scotland
While experts claim that a majority of the Scottish Highlands experience paranormal activity, Culloden Moor is particularly active.
Taking place on April 16th, 1746, the Battle of Culloden was the final battle between the Jacobite rebellions and the British over who would sit on Great Britain’s throne.
It was a fateful day full of absolute bloodshed. The Jacobites had been fighting and marching for months against the British. They were exhausted and out of resources. The British butchered them in less than an hour.
It is said that the ghosts of these soldiers still wage war every April 16th. Visitors have reported hearing shouts and the slashing of swords, and some have even claimed to see the ghosts of these soldiers still fighting for their freedom.
Burial mounds can be found around the battlefield, marking where the clans had lined up for war. All survivors of the Battle of Culloden were captured and executed as traitors to the crown.
3. Hoia-Baciu Forest, Romania
Hoia-Baciu Forest is located on the outskirts of Transylvania and has terrified many a visitor. Named after a shepherd who vanished in this forest with 200 of his sheep, this forest has been referred to as the Bermuda Triangle of Romania.
Trees grow in abnormal patterns that no one can explain and appear charred like they were set on fire.
Those brave enough to enter have reported feeling sick to their stomach, experiencing anxiety, having their electronic devices fail, and seeing shadowy figures and ectoplasms. There’s even a rumor about a 5-year-old girl who had vanished into the forest and will reappear not looking a day older, still wearing the same clothes.
Then there’s the clearing. It’s a dead vegetation zone where people have reported the most paranormal activity. Some even believe it’s a portal to another dimension.
2. Pluckley, Kent, England
Hoia-Baciu may be the most haunted place in Romania, but Pluckley is certainly the most haunted village in England.
It comes with its own haunted forest, a dying highwayman, the ghost of a Victorian woman, and 12 other reported spirits. In fact, the Guinness World Records names this village as the most haunted place in the country.
Almost anywhere you go in this rural town, you are sure to run into some ghostly resident—sometimes even two or three at a time! Take the Blacksmith’s Arms for example. Visitors have said to have seen three ghosts in this spot—a knight, a coachman, and a maid.
In the cemetery, you can spot the ghost of Lady Derling searching for her stillborn child. The woods surrounding the town are named after her. Nicknamed the “Screaming Woods,” you will hear the screams of the poor souls who got lost in this forest, never to be seen again.
This town is certainly not for the faint of heart. No wonder less than 1,000 people live here!
1. Island of Poveglia, Italy
This small island less than a mile off the shore of Venice has a dark and disturbing past. Often called “Plague Island,” Poveglia was used as a quarantine site for victims of the plague during the late 1700s and early 1800s. It is estimated that over 160,000 victims were dumped here to take their last dying breath.
So many people died on this island that its soil is said to be made up of 50% human ash.
Mass graves were also recently found on two surrounding islands and locals will not fish or go near these islands for fear of encountering skeletal remains.
Napoleon Bonaparte also used the island to stash his weapons, which led to battles and even more lives lost here.
But perhaps most eerie is the mental institution built on Poveglia in 1922. Legend tells of a doctor who would perform unimaginable procedures and heinously torture the patients residing there. He would ultimately kill them and butcher their bodies to pieces.
This doctor is rumored to have met his own fate by either jumping or being pushed from the bell tower, but no one knows.
The official story is that the asylum was a retirement home and not a mental institution, but visitors brave enough to journey to this haunted island can see evidence that this building did, in fact, house mental patients.
The island is strictly off-limits to visitors.
While there are countless haunted places all over the world, these are the most bone-chilling.