Whether they're just legends, myths, or pure work of literary fiction, supposedly haunted, scary and spooky places abound in many cities around the world. Many of these locations have actually become tourist attractions. Underground crypts, centuries-old castles, and kitschy museums stuffed with unusual items of the creepy kind - they're all just a plane ride away. If you want a little bit of an adrenalin-pumping holiday without risking life and limb, here are some of the world's best spooky spots to get high on while getting a little dose of culture.
Bran Castle in Romania. The famed castle of the world's favourite vampire Count Dracula - or rather the castle of legendary rule Vlad Tepes, or Vlad the Impaler, who inspired the famous author Bram Stoker to write his Dracula novel. The castle is said to be haunted by Vlad himself and sometimes seen in the room he once used. There were also reported moans and screams heard coming from a tunnel that goes 50 metres below ground. Today, the Bran Castle is also a museum where tourists can view furniture and art collected by Queen Mary.
The Devil's Tramping Ground in North Carolina, USA. In North Carolina's Chatham County, a 12-metre wide clearing in the woods off a main highway, is said to be the place where the devil does his evil plotting. This circle of clearing known as the Devil's Tramping Ground is avoided by animals and bare of grass. Even scientists are trumped as to the reason why nothing grows on that spot. But according to the legend, the dark lord comes out here every night to summon his minions against humanity.
Edinburgh, Scotland. Picturesque as it may be, this city is considered one of the world's scariest places due to the number of haunted places it has. You'd be hard-pressed to find any tourist attraction here that has no spooky legend attached to it. In fact, there are many "Ghost Tours" offered in the city, which includes the underground vaults and Edinburgh Castle where sightings of a phantom piper, French prisoners, and headless drummer are reported.
The Ghost City in Fengdu, China. It's a voyage to the netherworld unlike any other. An ordinary boat trip down the Yangtze River all the way to Fengdu is believed to be the path to the afterlife - according to Taoist beliefs, that is. The city, which is located on the Ming Mountain, was said to have become a ghostly town when 2 men became celestial beings more than 2,000 years ago. Visit the Ghost Torturing Pass and the Nothing-to-be-Done Bridge if you dare. It is said that this is the place where spirits are judged and tested for evil.
Prague is filled with beautiful architecture and scenic landscapes. But it is also filled with haunted attractions. It's the perfect place to go on ghost haunting weekends, which you can do after touring the usual sites in the city. Among the famous hotspots in the city is the Old Town. Here, you can wander the streets and narrow alleys filled with ghostly and mythical beings to your heart's content.
Savannah is Southern Georgia is considered to be the spookiest city in America. Beneath its southern charm lies a dark past that draws in many paranormal buffs and investigators to its haunted places. With a long history of violence and bloodshed that goes back from the Civil and Revolutionary War days, cemeteries and ancestral homes built over graves are said to be the most ghostly places here. Maybe it's time to find out for yourself if the rumours are true.
Pontianak, Indonesia. Vampire-like creatures are not just a Western phenomenon or obsession. In fact, Malaysia, Indonesia, and a few other Southeast Asian country share the legend of a creature known as the pontianak. This is supposedly manifestation of a woman who died during childbirth. She is said to take the form of a beautiful woman who lures men and then disembowels them with her razor-sharp fingernails.
