Haunted houses can be frightening places where ghosts are said to reside, causing many people to experience terrifying terror and other disturbing sensations. Hauntings may occur for various reasons and their causes vary accordingly.
Although Halloween isn’t celebrated here in Switzerland, you can still experience its chills. Join a ghost tour for stories of torture, murder and execution!
The Joller House
In late 1860 and early 1862, in Staus on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland there was an outbreak of poltergeist activity. Melchior Joller, a lawyer and member of the National Council as well as his wife, seven children, and servant girl all resided within one house that housed these supernatural forces.
Activity started to increase quickly. Windows were broken, furniture moved around and stones thrown through the house. Meanwhile, the maid reported being haunted by grey shapes who left behind groans of pain.
Family members demanded a formal evaluation of the house, and while Jollers were away the police took over and spent six days living there without hearing or seeing signs of poltergeist activity. When they returned, however, it had returned in full force so Joller made the decision to move out permanently and find another tenant.
The Spiesshof
In 1853, Swiss Central Railway purchased Spiesshof as part of their contract for building Gotthard tunnel. Today it serves as headquarters for District Directorate II as well as hosting various companies and offices.
This noble town house features both Renaissance and Baroque elements, and was previously owned by an extremely wealthy gentleman who sought refuge here from the Netherlands after becoming known by his real name Johann von Bruges until his death in 1556 as one of Europe’s most wanted heretics – having been sentenced to death as an arch-heretic. Following his burial a grave was dug up where they had once stood.
During their escapes from Colditz, many escaped POWs passed by this building and its adjacent forest in order to avoid entering German territory east of Spiesshof known as Hofenacker.
The Junkerngasse House
The Junkerngasse House, constructed during the 17th century, is a narrow building believed to have served as stables for horses belonging to nearby mansions like Von-Wattenwyl-House despite looking like any regular residential house from its outside appearance. Over time it has gained notoriety for being haunted; visitors have reported hearing strange noises and sensing the presence of an unseen headless ghost woman when visiting.
Das Gespensterhaus used this house as its setting. Rico Haberli played the role of an investigative journalist who spends an evening there investigating whether or not it’s haunted; alongside him are Stephan Stadler of Buildings Division and Bruno Ruegg (parapsychologist). All three remain overnight to see what transpires.
Junkerngasse is an amazing place to visit, not only due to its ghosts but also because of its shops, restaurants and cafes that line its street. Additionally, many historic homes dating back from the 1700s can also be found there.
Chilon Castle
Chillon Castle stands on an island in Lake Geneva near Montreux in Switzerland’s Canton of Vaud. Once owned by House of Savoy, Swiss forces captured it and have become one of Europe’s most celebrated castles since then.
Chillon Castle stands as a testament to human tragedy, making it one of the most haunted locations in Switzerland. Visitors can explore dungeons carved into rock where Francois Bonivard was chained until his death; Lord Byron was so touched by this tale he wrote The Prisoner of Chillon, even carving his name onto one of Bonivard’s cell pillars as an act of gratitude.
Cold stone walls, dark hallways and an atmospheric bridge over an underground gorge all contribute to creating the castle’s unsettling environment, inspiring Romantic intellectuals in the 1800s.
