As Halloween draws near, more eerie places are popping up all across the nation. From haunted prisons to sinister forests, here are a few locations sure to give you goosebumps.
Although it looks tranquil from the outside, this monastery can be quite terrifying inside. Moss covers windows while ivy overtakes walls.
The Spinhuis
At first glance, The Spinhuis can seem unnerving with its Gothic beauty; once a prison, now used as a hotel. But don’t be fooled by its exterior: This place is extremely haunted.
Years ago, those accused of witchcraft would be brought here and weighed and executed; their persecutors believed their buoyant bodies proved they had no soul – thus leading to numerous weighing houses across Europe.
Spinhuis was built in the 1600s, and legend has it that its rooms are haunted by both a priest and girl who fell in love but couldn’t see one another. Unfortunately, the priest committed suicide, leaving her to spend her remaining years at Spinhuis; her ghost remains present today in one of its rooms – even staff are scared off from entering that particular room due to hearing moaning and crying coming from within.
Ghost Alley in Amsterdam
At first glance, Amsterdam may seem to be an idyllic city of charming canals and welcoming cafes; however, when looking closer you will discover it has a bloody past that often spills out onto its streets. Book an efficient Amsterdam airport transfer and don your scariest outfit for a haunted weekend in this Dutch capital city!
Spooksteeg Street in Amsterdam’s oldest part is home to an infamous ghost known as Helena who has long been thought of as haunted. According to legend, in the 18th century she lived here with her father and sister Dina; upon witnessing an attractive sailor fall for Dina instead of herself she killed her by throwing her into a tanning cellar for what appeared as an accident; upon dying she confessed her crime but her husband would not forgive her so instead sent her roaming the street forever thereafter.
Visitors who ventured into the darkened corner of the street claim to have felt an eerie presence and heard moaning sounds coming from within it.
Castle Grebbe in Grubbenvorst
Castle has a tragic and dismal past. Legend has it that Black Baron still haunts this castle in search of his daughter; some visitors reported a haunted mistress known only by her poetic name of Aloisa who appeared before them and showed herself off until she found true love.
Valkenburg Abbey in Zeeland Province, which lies abandoned for over 400 years, can be an especially terrifying location. Ivy and crumbling remains make this monastery very unnerving during daylight hours; when night falls it transforms further with dark shadows and ghostly voices making for an all-out terrifying experience.
At this site, a dark tale tells of a doctor who moved into a castle and made a deal with Satan to gain access to all knowledge for seven years in exchange for his soul. But when renewal time came around, Satan returned and pulled the doctor from his room by his hair – even leaving bloodstains on its tower!
Zierikzee Prison
Zierikzee is an immaculately preserved city that looks like something from a medieval war movie. You’ll love exploring its ancient streets and uncovering its fascinating past!
Since closing as a prison in 1971, this site has become one of the world’s most haunted destinations. Both visitors and staff have reported paranormal encounters including hearing footsteps that cannot be explained, unexplained noises, cold chills, hearing footsteps from nowhere, feeling cold chills. Ghost Adventures and Most Haunted Live have even featured it!
Near the prison is a historic inn called ‘t Goude Hooft, where renovations of its basement revealed remnants of a tunnel and prison cells used to transport prisoners when overcrowded conditions at their prison became unbearable. Staff and guests have reported unexplained phenomenon such as feeling cold chills, hearing footsteps in their hallway, hearing footsteps outside, feeling anxiousness or panic when near this place of refuge.
