6 Scary destinations for Dark Tourists
Visit the creepiest places in Europe
From spooky catacombs to churches made out of bones, Europe draws dark tourists from all over the world with its mysteries of death and tragedy. We compiled a list of grim attractions to visit in Europe, but be warned that these locations are not for the faint of heart!
1. Corvin Castle, Romania
There are a lot of dark stories surrounding this castle, which has stood in Transylvania since the 14th century. According to one legend, it's haunted by three Turkish prisoners who had been promised freedom but were beheaded instead. The castle recently gained some new popularity as the filming location of "The Nun."
Discover this spell-binding fortress, and don't miss the Knights Hall or the infamous Bear Pit!
2. Catacombs of Paris, France
A dark labyrinth full of dead bodies is probably not the first thing that pops into your head when thinking about Paris. It exists, however, hidden below the lively streets of the City of Lights.
The catacombs contain more than six million bodies exhumed from graveyards and were taken underground to help resolve the city's lack of burial space in the 1700s.
3. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic
The Sedlec Ossuary, more popularly known as the Bone Church, contains a collection of 40,000 human skeletons carefully and artistically arranged inside the church.
Back in the 14th and 15th century, the church cemetery was known for its "Holy Soil" and thus became a desirable burial site for victims of the Black Death and Hussite wars.
4. Amsterdam Dungeon, the Netherlands
The Dutch Golden Age wasn't always so bright. The Great Plague, the Spanish Inquisition, and the press-ganging Dutch East Indian Company roamed the streets of Amsterdam.
Witness and experience the horrors of those dark times first-hand by visiting the Amsterdam Dungeon. The attraction features an interactive adventure with live actors, shows, and special effects.
5. Pompeii, Italy
Approximately 15 miles from Naples lies Pompeii. Buried under the ashes of Mount Vesuvius, the old Roman city paints a grim picture of the destruction that took place centuries ago.
The hollow spaces left by the decayed bodies have been filled with plaster to create casts of the ‘terrified’ people, making it the perfect destination for dark tourism.
6. Poveglia, Italy
Poveglia is a small Island just off the Italian coast. The island has been home to plague victims, war refugees during the Ottoman conflicts, and later the mentally ill. The latter group fell victim to a crazy doctor who used the patients for brutal experiments. It is said that the island is still roamed by the ghosts of all of those who met their cruel fate during the hundreds of years of dark history.
You can get to Poveglia by taking a train to Venice since the Island is usually accessed from there. There are no tourist ferries from Venice to the island, but you can take a private boat to get there.
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