Kristein
Move over Hollywood and it’s depictions of horror, if you want to experience real life terror then you can visit some of these Scariest Places in the World. Sightings of Ghosts, Demons, Witches, the Undead and in some cases just the eerie feeling of the macabre makes these places truly terrifying.
Now, you may not believe in the paranormal or the supernatural but these locations can still end up creeping you out. Whether it is the human remains that litter them or the gruesome history that surrounds them, these scary places are definitely not where you would want to go on a vacation.
MInd you some of these places draw large crowds simply because of their allure as haunted locations. While others are too creepy to be visited by people and are, thus, left alone.
So on your next vacation, if you feel like the beautiful countryside, snow-capped mountains, vineyards, and beaches are all too tame, then pick a destination from this list of some of the scariest places on Earth and experience fear in a way only a few have.
10. Sedlec Ossuary, Kutna Hora – Czech Republic
Located in Kutna Hora Czech Republic is Chapel like no other. The Sedlec Ossuary, also known as the Bone Chapel, is an 11th Century Chapel. The drawing feature of this chapel is its interior design. Everything from hanging ornaments to the Chandelier and even the cross is completely fashioned out of Human Bones.
The story is that back in 1268 a priest was sent to Jerusalem from where he brought back some soil. Considering that Jerusalem is the Holy Land of Christianity, this small bit of soil was immediately deemed holy soil. And all of a sudden everybody wanted to be buried on it.
After a new church was built next to this chapel, a local woodcarver was asked to renovate the chapel. He was specifically asked to redesign the Chapel in such a way that some of the Human Remains are exposed in an artistic manner.
Taking this peculiar request to heart, Frantisek Rint, the woodcarver redesigned the Ossuary to look the way it does today.
Ossuary quite literally means bone storage, which is an apt name for this location. You would be hard pressed to find a place more macabre than the Sedlec Ossuary while you are standing amidst the bones of over 70000 people, with a chandelier completely made of bones hanging above you.
However, there exists a similar location in a much more prominent location which is even more creepy than the Sedlec Ossuary. Keep on reading to find out!
9. Necropolis, St.Peters Basilica – Vatican City
Here is a location that you will never visit. Fear factor or danger would not be the reason. Instead, the Necropolis beneath the St. Peter’s Basilica is simply off limits to all tourists. Basically, this means that the Necropolis has to be one of the few locations in the World where Human access is at a premium.
Necropolis means the City of the Dead in Latin. This location is the final resting place of some of the greatest names in Christianity. Many of the Saints are buried here along with the all the Popes who have served at the Vatican.
At the centre of this crypt is rumored to be the grave of St.Peter himself.
Shrouded in darkness, lying beneath one the most iconic Church in the world, the Necropolis is truly one of the scariest places on earth full of unexplained mysteries.
One can only imagine what it must be like to be alone in the dark of the Necropolis.
8. Hoia Baciu Forest, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Claimed to be the most haunted forest in the world, The Hoia Baciu forest is the stuff of nightmares. A swathe of lush greenery lying near Cluj in Romania, the Hoia Baciu Forest has built up quite a notorious reputation.
People who enter this forest always complain of feeling extreme anxiety. Additionally, they also feel like they are constantly being watched. People also come out of the forest with inexplicable rashes on their body.
To add to the eerie nature of this place, there are strange sounds that can be heard at night. These include the sound of babies.
Finally, there are the unexplained lights above the forest at night. This lead to UFO sightings in the 1960s and 1970s. There are even photographs that exist which show strange objects above the forest.
All of these features together make the Hoia Baciu forest one of the most haunted places on Earth.
7. Salem, Massachusetts – USA
Salem, Massachusetts has a checkered past. The town was the site of the infamous Witch Trials. Twenty women who were claimed to be witches were allegedly implicated while performing Satanic acts and using curses on the town’s children
The women were eventually hanged by a special court that was arranged to conduct the witch trials. But it is believed that in the last moment of defiance, the women set a curse on the whole town.
Salem of the late 1600s is very much different from the Salem of today. But the overall environment of this city is still quite creepy because of its dark past.
Overall, the Salem Witch trials are considered a great tragedy. That the women were witches was confirmed based on ‘spectral evidence’ was considered atrocious soon after the trials.
Salem, today, is scary not because of the occult or witchcraft. But it is scary because it was the sight of one of the most infamous witch hunts in history.
6. Monte Cristo Homestead, New South Wales – Australia
The Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, New South Wales is considered as the most haunted house in Australia. Originally built in the 1800s, this Homestead has been the site of many gruesome incidents with the present owners claiming this house will change the perceptions of all those who don’t believe in the supernatural.
It all started with the first owners of the house Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley. The couple died between 1910 and 1933. But residents of the house since then have claimed that the Crawleys never really left the house.
The present residents have had their share of spooky incidents happening to them. Olive Ryan and her son Lawrence have always claimed that there is something off about the entire property.
Olive goes on to claim that one of the spookiest occurrences was when she and her husband witnessed the entire house lighting up when there was no electricity.
Monte Cristo’s past is truly tragic. The pregnant caretaker of the previous owners threw herself over the balcony. The maid was said to have been pregnant with Mr. Crawley’s child when the incident took place.
Even more tragic was the death of a young girl in the late 1800s. The girl died when she fell down a flight of stairs. However, the nanny who was watching her swore that she saw the girl getting pushed by unseen forces.
All in all, Monte Cristo is quite the haunted house if these claims are true. And we are in absolutely no hurry to verify them!
5. Aokigahara Forest, Mt Fuji – Japan
The Aokigahara Forest is more commonly known as the Suicide Forest. This patch of pristine forest in the shadow of the great Mt. Fuji is the worlds second most famous Suicide location. It is estimated that there have been over 1000 suicides in the forest since the year 2000.
Spiritualists in Japan believe that the spirits of the people who have died in the Forest now roam amidst the silent trees forever. Several people who have been to the forest claim that the within the forest itself feels strange and cold.
They say that there is always that nagging feeling of being watched. Additionally, compasses don’t seem to work within the forest. This has led to several hikers getting lost in the forest. The local Forest rangers call the Forest the green sea because of its labyrinthine trails.
Aokigahara attracts visitors who are either interested in the sights, visitors who are interested in the macabre and final, those who never want to leave the forest.
4. Myrtle Plantation, Louisiana – USA
The Myrtles Plantation is located in St. Francisville, Louisiana within driving distance of New Orleans and Baton Rouge. This means that the plantation gets a regular stream of visitors throughout the year.
Why do they get so many visitors you ask? Well its probably because of the Myrtles plantation’s reputation of being the most Haunted house in America.
The Plantation has been the site of several murders throughout history. The most infamous was the murder of Chloe. Cloe was a slave in the occupation of the Woodruffs, who owned the property in the early 1800s.
Chloe was the love interest of Clark Woodruff whoa was already married. After Woodruff had his way, Chloe, he moved on to another slave girl in his occupation.
In revenge, Chloe poisoned the birthday cake of the Woodruff children. Both children and the wife died in this incident. The other slaves in fear that they would all be punished for Chloe’s crime, hanged from a tree nearby and then weighed her down with stones and drowned her body in a river.
To this day, there are photographs which show the shadowy figure of Chloe in the background. Many visitors to the property claim to have seen Chloe’s apparition near the property.
Chloe haunts the Myrtles Plantation 200 years on from her death. And if you are lucky (or unlucky) you may get a glimpse of her in your next visit of the Myrtle Plantation.
3. WAVERLY HILLS SANITORIUM, KENTUCKY – UNITED STATES
In the mid-twentieth century, the Waverly Hill Sanitorium acted as a quarantine zone for Tuberculosis patients during the TB Epidemic in the USA. While at the Sanitorium, the patients were mistreated and there were questionable procedures performed on them.
The final death toll at the Waverly Hills Sanitorium was a staggering 63000 people.
Present day Waverly Hills Sanitorium is claimed to be haunted one of the most haunted locations in the United States. Several experts have been allowed to conduct research within the structure. Both experts and visitors alike claim to have seen or heard the presence of multiple entities within the Sanitoriums halls.
Claims have been made about full body apparitions. People complain about several cold spots that spring about mysteriously within the building. Shuffling sounds, distant screams, whispers, Waverly Hills Sanitorium is full of things that would creep you out.
Then there is the repeated sighting of Tim. He was a little boy who died at the Sanitorium. Several people have allegedly sen the boy walking about within these halls.
Scary indeed. And definitely not the place to be alone in.
2. Poveglia Island, Italy
Poveglia is a beautiful and scenic island located near Venice. Behind all the beauty and charm of the island lies a dark past. One that would make your skin crawl should you plan to visit it any time soon.
Poveglia island was a quarantine zone during the Plague outbreak in Europe. Plague victims from Venice were quarantined on the island in large numbers. Needless to say, nearly no one made it back from the island.
Some reports claim that 50% of Poveglia island’s topsoil is Human ash. The ash comes from a large number of bodies that were burnt on the island during the Plague.
Today visitors claim to occasionally hear the pained cries of the people who were left to die on the island. The island remains closed at night for unknown reasons. There are several apparitions that have been seen around the island.
Even at one of the most beautiful and scenic locations in the world, you would be hard pressed to find a serene moment when you are reminded of the pain and suffering at Poveglia.
1. The Paris Catacombs, Paris – France
Finally, we would like to bring to you the pick of the lot. The Paris Catacombs are most definitely the most terrifying, horrifying and the absolute creepiest location in the World.
Woe to the unwary, The Paris catacombs are an endless tunnel after endless tunnel full of human remains. The area stretches on for miles beneath Paris. So next time you take a walk in the city of love, think about the darkness that lurks beneath.
The catacombs are pure nightmare fuel. If there is one place on Earth where you wouldn’t want to get lost, then this would be it. This place goes on and on forever.
The catacombs were designed as a burial site for the Parisians in the early 1800s. The location is lined with the human remains of all those who were buried here. Simply looking at the images of this location will fill you with dread.
The Paris Catacombs is definitely one of the most macabre locations on Earth.
These are some of the Scariest Places in the World. Know any more that deserved to be featured on this list? Name them all in the comment section below. You can also share your experiences of visiting any of these locations. We are eagerly awaiting your stories. Cheers!
