Haunted locations and ghosts seem to be one thing a lot of people are fascinated by. It certainly doesn't help when there are programs on TV dedicated to ghost hunting groups investigating haunted locales. These programs include Ghost Hunters, Ghost Asylum, Ghost Adventures, Portals to H--- (I have to blur out the last part because it's a swear word. Hopefully that's okay. It's a show featuring Jack Osbourne investigating paranormal locations). etc. According to MSN.com page Ultimate Travel Advice, here are what they consider to be 23 of the world's creepiest ghost locations
I love reading about haunted locations. Learning not only the history of the place, but also the reason why there is ghostly / paranormal activity is also fascinating
1. Pripyat
-Better known as Chernobyl, this Ukrainian nuclear power station suffered a devastating meltdown in the late 1980s. It was at least a full day before anyone knew something was suspicious. The entire town was evacuated and has not returned. This town was a bustling town full of grateful and happy power plant employees and their families. Today, the streets remain empty. Those who venture here are taken through the Exclusion Zone and given Geiger meters to measure the invisible danger that still lurks around every corner. It attracts those who are interested in the macabre. It has a rather haunting beauty, because of its abandoned state and tragic history
2. Salem, Massachusetts and its supernatural history
-Those who have taken a history class in school know about the Salem Witch Trials. A period of time when mass hysteria overrode logical thinking. When innocent people were convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Today, this city embraces its witchy past, making a very popular destination to visit, especially around Halloween. Tours and museums educate visitors on the dark past. There are even paranormal tours that take visitors through sites where history was made, leading to witnessing spectral orbs, spirits and more. The best time to see Salem is during the month of October, the month of Halloween, when the macabre and sinister factor are turned up to 100%
3. Aokigahara Forest and its enchanting splendor
-For all of the beauty that the Aokigahara Forest offers, it also offers a dark, sad past. Prior to entering, there are signs warning visitors that people truly do love them and that they are appreciated. These ominous signs are posted because many people have gone deep into the bowels of the Aokigahara Forest to commit suicide. That is what led to this forest being also known as the Suicide Forest. It's known to be one of the most haunted locations in the world. There are reports of yurei, or vengeful spirits lurking about, leading to an uneasy sense of dread. Despite the dark history, it's still a beautiful place to see
4. Poveglia Island and its curse
-This is strictly off limits. This island set in a lagoon near Venice was once the home to a quarantine hospital for victims of various plagues. Later, the building was used as a mental hospital. The resident doctor would hurt his victims, and one day, he jumped off of the bell tower in an attempt to commit suicide, but he didn't die right away. Instead, a mysterious fog rolled in and asphyxiated him to death. The souls of those who died there are said to roam the island. When victims of the various plagues died there, they were simply thrown in one mass grave or they were cremated as a preventative action to keep the disease from spreading. It's said to this day most of the soil on Poveglia Island is made of human remains. Because of its strictly off limits, it's considered the forbidden fruit on scary places
5. Paris Catacombs and it's deathly beauty
-Whoever said death couldn't be rendered beautiful had not seen the Paris Catacombs. The bones of over six million people lie here in eternal rest. It was originally created to address the need for the city's overflowing cemeteries. It's since become a popular destination for those interested in the unusual and macabre. The only sounds heard are that of footsteps and the spirits of those entombed there. It's said it was an artist who decided to make these people part of their art and thus, give these people some dignity. That it was an artist who decided to use the bones of the people there and turn them into something beautiful, to give them some dignity
6. Kolmanskop, a ghost town
-Located in the Namib Desert, this haunting ghost town was once a highly bustling diamond mining community. As the diamonds started to dwindle in the 1950s, the town closed up shop and was abandoned. The desert has slowly reclaimed much of the town, buildings becoming partially buried beneath the shifting sands and interiors of buildings inviting in sand dunes. This town stands as a testament to the endeavors humans are willing to go to make money. It's a haunting, but beautiful place
7. Alcatraz Island and its dark history
-Everyone knows from history class that Alcatraz Island was a prison known for being unescapable. Some have tried to escape and were able to actually make it to freedom. Others have tried and have either been recaptured or died. This building housed some of the most notorious criminals in the days when it operated as a prison. Visitors to San Francisco can take tours of Alcatraz Prison and learn the history, learn who was incarcerated there and more. There are spirits abound here, along with ghostly noises, talking or whispers, all sorts of paranormal activity
8. Beelitz-Heilstatten, a sanatorium that once housed Adolf Hitler
-This forgotten sanatorium lies deep in the woods outside of Berlin, Germany. It's a decaying relic, considered to be one of the most chilling places in the world. Built in the 19th century as a tuberculosis hospital, it was later converted to a military hospital to treat wounded soldiers. One of these young soldiers was a young Adolf Hitler, years before he would be known as the Chancellor of Germany or The Fuhrer of the Nazi Party. The Soviets moved in later on and when they left, the building was left to its own accord. Nature is slowly reclaiming this building. The thing that makes this building unsettling is that medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, still exist there. They've been untouched by humans. Walls are covered in graffiti, medical equipment is rusty from the elements, all adding to a nightmare waiting to happen. It's believed that long-deceased patients still haunt the surgery rooms and patient rooms
9. La Paz and the market of witchcraft
-In La Paz, Bolivia, there is a market dedicated to the dark arts and more. Where you can get everything you need to start dabbling with both good and bad witchcraft. This market is called the Mercado de las Brujasor (Witch Market). The stores here are run by local shamans, called yatiri, who sell everything from love potions to llama fetuses to dried frogs. Outsiders who visit feel as though they have entered a horror movie, encountering items used in both good witchcraft and bad witchcraft. These items are used for rituals and ceremonies, that can be sacred or sinister. The vendors are incredibly friendly and always willing to answer questions to those curious people. But there is always a feeling of curses, whispers, and ancient traditions lurking over the market
10. Eastern State Penitentiary and the whispers within
-Located in Philadelphia, this foreboding structure was once the most highly feared prison in America. It earned its sinister reputation from using solitary confinement as a way to control inmates, but instead the solitary confinement drove them insane. It was built in 1829, with creepy Gothic architecture, long shadowy halls make it look like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story. When it operated as a prison, Al Capone was once an inmate here. Now operating as a historical museum, visitors can learn the grim history of its heyday. Shadowy figures lurk inside the cells. Whispers are abound throughout the prison. Overall, this is one of America's scariest prisons
11. Oradour-sur-Glane, with their eerie silence
-On June 10, 1944, the Nazis murdered 642 residents of this sleepy French village. It was one of the many brutal events of WWII. Instead of rebuilding, the French government decided it was better to leave the town exactly as it was, a sort of living, breathing history museum. Going through this town, you feel as though you've stepped back in time, back to the days of WWII. Cars are left to rust in the beautiful blue skies and sunshine weather. Buildings are riddled with bullet holes. Homes are scorched from fire. The church, where the innocent 642 victims were brutally killed, stands open, eerily silent, its altar blackened by fire. This stands as a monument to those who perished. While it's not spirits who haunt this French ghost town, it's the weight of history who haunts it. It's chilling, chilling you down to the bone
12. Isla de las Munecas and the dolls that watch you
-Located in Xochomilco, Mexico, the story behind the Isla de las Munecas (Island of the Dolls) is that a man named Don Julian Santana living on the island found a girl who had drowned. To soothe her spirit, he brought her a doll. Her spirit continued to torment him, so he started bringing her more dolls, whether they be fully intact or just pieces. One day, the islands' caretaker was found drowned in those same canals. There are said to be whispers all around
13. Door to H--- and its highly unsettling nature
-In the city of Turkmenistan, is the Karakum Desert. And in this desert, an eerie orange light glows at all hours of the day and night. This eerie orange light is known as the Door to H--- or the Darvaza Crater. This fire has been burning for over 50 years. It was the leftover result of a Soviet oil drilling mishap in 1971. When geologists attempt to prevent the methane gas leaks by setting fire to it, they expected it would burn itself out in a few days. They were wrong with a capital W. The result was that it never stopped burning! It's still burning to this day! The pit is 230 feet wide, and emits an almost underworld feel to it, because of the intense heat. Adding to the eeriness of it is the roaring flames that lick and crack beneath you. It makes you feel as though you're standing on the edge of the world, about to take a tumble into the underworld. This location is one of the most truly bizarre, unsettling and strongly eerie places in the world
14. Kuldhara Rajasthan, a phantom village
-It was not abandoned overnight. Story has it that in the 19th century, the locals fled under mysterious reasons, leaving their homes empty. It's said a curse exists over this land, guaranteeing that no one would ever settle the land again. To this day, no attempts have been made to resettle the land and make it fit for human inhabitation. Eerie noises, shadowy figures, a feeling of being constantly watched ensure that those who visit don't stay for long. It is one of India's most haunted locations
15. Houska Castle and the curse it holds
-Located in an isolated forest, many locals think this castle was built with the express purpose of guarding the entrance to the underworld. Locals make sure to stay far away from this eerie location. One story said that a condemned criminal was lowered by rope into the hole to test the theory about winged demons and terrifying creatures existing within the hole. The person who lowered him heard terrifying screaming. When they brought the man up, his hair had gone white and he'd gone insane. Eerie growls and wails are heard from the inside of this fortress, leading the superstitious locals to believe the portal is still open and active
16. Dargavs, the Russian City of the Dead
-A centuries old city located high in the mountainous Russian region of North Ossetia, this city holds many stone crypts. Local legend states that anyone who dares to enter this city will never return. A heavy silence lays over the village, with the strong feeling of being watched constantly. Only the very brave dare to venture to this mountainous cemetery
17. Bodie, California, a wild west ghost town
-This town is preserved as a living, breathing museum to showcase what life was like during the Wild West days. One of the most popular ghosts here is the Angel of Bodie. The spirit is thought to be a child killed by a miner's pickaxe. People who visit note that the town looks as though it was frozen in time
18. Hashima Island, Japan, a dangerous island
-Known to many as "Battleship Island", Hashima Island once held dozens of grateful coal workers thriving in the coal industry. It was abandoned in the 1970s, after the coal ran out. The buildings were left to crumble to the elements, the stairwells are rusty, the glass-less windows stand gaping. It looks like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie. The island gained some needed fresh air when the 2012 film Skyfall, one of the films in the highly successful James Bond series, was filmed here. It's one of Japan's more interesting abandoned locations
19. Hotel del Salto, Colombia, a decaying relic
-A once luxurious hotel overlooking a waterfall and cliff near Bogota, this hotel was once a sign of high luxury. Its beautiful glamor turned dark as it became a place where people went to commit suicide. The building is now abandoned, its walls littered with ivy, the windows are shattered, overall it's perfect for those who love eerie, abandoned buildings. It's now a museum, teaching about the past it once held
20. Underground Vaults in Edinburgh, Scotland
-Beneath the bustling city of Edinburgh are a series of vaults, dating back to the 18th century. Initially used for storage, these vaults then became an ideal hiding place for criminals, victims of the various plagues and the poor residents of the city. When visitors trek through these vaults now, they encounter whispers, cold spots, shadowy apparitions in corners. Adding to the eerie nature is the flickering candlelight and damp stone walls
21. Skeleton Church of Sedlec Ossuary in the Czech Republic
-In the Czech Republic, there exists a church made of a most unusual building material-bones. Human bones. Known locally as "The Bone Church", it's both hauntingly beautiful and hauntingly eerie. Consisting of 40,000 bones, they have been arranged into intricate designs. This is a combination of death and beauty, sort of giving dignity and beauty to those whose bones are located here. It's a must see for those who are interested in death, beauty and history
22. Spreepark Berlin, an amusement park frozen in time
-Looking like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie, Spreepark Berlin stands frozen in time. Located in East Berlin, this once popular amusement park was abandoned in 2002 for unknown reasons. Since then, it has fallen victim to Mother Nature and vandals. The rides rust in the elements, graffiti covers most of the buildings, lending it a chilly air that is reminiscent of a zombie film or post-apocalyptic film. Despite being closed to the public, guided tours are offered
23. Bell Witch Cave and the cursed witch
-This is one of the most famous stories of witchcraft in all of the United States. The Bell family was tormented in the 1800s by a frightening, unknown entity. The entity tormented the family by inducing nightmares and causing all around bedlam for the family. The story has inspired books, films and ghost hunts by both local and nationally known investigation groups. The dark caverns beneath the Tennessee hills induce shivering and chills in visitors, who report an overwhelming sense of dread, seeing strange, shadowy apparitions, hearing ghostly whispers
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