10 Mystical Haunted Castles
What can attract lovers of the unknown and the supernatural more than medieval castles? Only haunted castles! Don't believe in ghosts? Perhaps visiting these places will change your mind.
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1. Warwick Castle in England
Built in the eleventh century by William the Conqueror, this castle has seen more battles than any other in Europe - so much violence took place in its halls. The most mystical place is recognized as the "ghostly tower", which became the home of the ghost of Sir Fulk Greville. He was killed by his own servant in 1628 and now appears every evening from his portrait hanging on the wall in the tower. The dungeon is another haunting place in the castle. Many complain of nausea and weakness when touching rusty bars and torture devices.
2. Predjama Castle in Slovenia
Built inside the cave, the Predjama Castle was a powerful fortress that withstood numerous brutal attacks and assaults. And yet, in the XIV-XV centuries, the castle was destroyed by a series of long sieges and earthquakes. In 1567, the castle was restored, along with numerous secret tunnels and passages, which to this day are haunted by the ghosts of many soldiers who died within the walls of the castle. Various noises and footsteps can be clearly heard from the dungeons and tunnels under the castle.
3. Dragsholm Castle in Denmark
Built at the end of the 12th century, Dragsholm Castle is now used as a luxury hotel. It is known for exactly one hundred ghosts roaming the corridors every night. One can only guess how the "census" of these inhabitants was carried out. Three are best known: the Gray Lady, the Lady in White and the Earl of Bothwell. The saddest story is the Lady in White, who fell in love with a peasant. Her father found out about the affair and imprisoned his daughter in the wall of one of the rooms so that he would no longer remember her. In the thirties, workers restoring a wing of the castle actually found the skeleton of a young woman in a white robe in the wall. The gray lady served in the castle. And after death she could not leave her place of work. So even now she comes back sometimes to check things. As for the Earl of Bothwell, he died in captivity in a dungeon, and his ghost still cannot leave the castle.
4. Leap Castle in Ireland
The castle on this site was built during the Iron Age, so he had enough time to acquire ghosts. The most interesting history of the castle is connected with the chapel, where in 1532 a soldier killed his priest brother with a sword. And now the ghost of the priest lives in a room with a frightening name "Bloody Chapel". Another terrible spirit is called a certain phenomenon that does not look like a person. He is described as a creature the size of a sheep, but with a human face and black sockets for eyes. Its appearance can also be judged by the characteristic rotten smell. The dungeon is also "overgrown" with many creepy stories. For example, according to one of them, in the dungeon there is a room with a special hatch through which prisoners were thrown directly onto numerous metal spikes built into the floor.
5. Houska Castle in the Czech Republic
In the woods north of Prague, there is an unusual castle that has never been attacked in any way. The castle was built to hide something within itself. According to legend, the passage in this place led straight to hell, from where one day a half-man, half-monster was released. In the 13th century, local rulers decided to build a castle to block access to the underworld. Before that, they lowered a soldier with a rope into the pit. The soldier let out a cry, and when they pulled him out, he died a couple of days later. In 1930, Houska Castle attracted the attention of Hitler. The Nazis began to use it for a number of clandestine experiments, and several bodies of Nazi soldiers were found executed below. According to rumors, skeletons of unearthly creatures were also found in the castle. And eyewitnesses have repeatedly noticed in the castle the ghosts of a headless black horse and a woman who now and then looms in the window.
6. Moosham Castle in Austria
Moosham Castle is a wonderful example of Austrian architecture and ghost stories. Built in the 12th century, it is also known as the Witches' Castle due to its sinister past. This is the site of the bloodiest witch trial in history. Between 1675 and 1687, thousands of women were branded witches and sentenced to death by the Inquisition. They were exhausted by torture and deprived of their heads in the walls of the castle. Most of them continue to come to these halls, but in the form of ghosts. In addition to its role as a site for the execution of witches, Moosham Castle also served as a werewolf lair. The story can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century, when many mutilated cattle and deer corpses were found near the castle. As a consequence, some residents of Moosham were tried and imprisoned as werewolves.
7. Castle de Bricca in France
Château de Bricca is the tallest castle in France. Its seven floors are located in the heart of the picturesque Loire Valley and are the most haunted place in the world. In the XI century, the owner of the estate was a certain Pierre de Breze. His wife Charlotte started an affair with a simple man and used for comfort with him the chambers located literally across the wall from her husband's room. But Breze did not sleep and listened to their moans of passion night after night, until the two lovers mysteriously disappeared. It is likely that Pierre de Brezet made efforts to this event. Whatever happened, Pierre failed to destroy the lovers. During the dark nights, he continued to hear their moans, until he began to go crazy and fled the castle. The sounds of their passion can still be heard today.
8. Edinburgh Castle in Scotland
Built in the 12th century, Edinburgh Castle is one of those places where atheists become believers as soon as they set foot on its doorstep. Founded on the site of an extinct volcano, it is a symbol of Scotland. According to some reports, this place is a paranormal point where ghost figures regularly appear before visitors. So, Lady Glamis was often seen wandering through the dark halls of the castle. She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in 1537. Since 1650, the castle has been haunted by the ghost of a headless drummer boy. There is also a piper, an old man in a leather apron, and even the ghost of a dog galloping near the cemetery. And from the tunnels of the castle you can still hear the French prisoners imprisoned during the Seven Years' War.
9. Chillingham Castle in England
The name of the castle is as cold as this gloomy place itself. Chillingham Castle served one purpose only - to kill. A certain John Sage worked here as an executioner-torturer for three years in a torture room. He is said to have tortured about fifty people a week. And tonight you can still hear John Sage dragging bodies around. Another famous ghost is the Blue Boy, who haunts the pink room. Vibrant colors for a ghost story. The guests of the castle assured that they heard a loud cry, after which they saw blue flashes of light above their bed. The haunting of the ghost stopped after an extensive reconstruction was made and the bodies of a man and a boy were found immured in a 10-meter wall.
10. Berry Pomeroy Castle in England
Those walking near the ruins of Berry Pomeroy Castle might encounter the Blue Lady, who seduced them into the tower where they died. She is the ghost of a Norman lord's daughter, raped by her own father. Some argue that the child was strangled by his father, while others attribute this atrocity to the girl herself. Now her tortured ghost roams the grounds, an omen of death, some believe. The Blue Lady isn't the only ghost haunting Berry Pomeroy Castle. The White Lady is believed to be the ghost of Margaret Pomeroy, who was locked away by her jealous sister Eleanor and left to die without food. Both sisters were in love with the same man. In the 19th century, Berry Pomeroy Castle was considered a very romantic place. Many artists and amateurs frequented it, and it is rumored that one of them managed to take a photo of the White Lady standing near the ivy-covered walls.