Horror books and films let us feel the thrill of wandering in a macabre location, such as a haunted house or midnight graveyard and our pulses quicken as we vicariously enter the sinister settings. We’re aware that at any moment, the undead might pop out to scare us to death. Fortunately, there are real life scary travel destinations.
The most famous horror stories are inextricably linked to ghoulish places, such as the vampire Lestat’s spiked mausoleum in New Orleans, or the fiery volcanic crater of Japan’s “Ringu.” In some works, like “The Shining,” the setting (a haunted hotel) is the main character as well as the most frightful element.
These horror travel destinations are for those who revel in the spooky. “Alien,” “Sleepy Hollow,” and “Dracula”, are all featured here. Drop by for a visit, if you desire to come face-to-face with the supernatural.
Bran Castle (Romania)
Sink your teeth into Dracula’s bloody history at Bran Castle in Transylvania. The 14th-century fortress is associated with Vlad the Impaler, the vicious Romanian ruler who inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The medieval castle seems fit for a vampire, with pointed spires and gloomy views of the Carpathian Mountains. Inside, you’ll find secret stone tunnels and a collection of torture equipment—including Vlad’s favorite, a long pointed wooden stake.
Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Italy)
Only the bravest of souls descend into Palermo’s Capuchin Catacomb. Once inside you’re surrounded by desiccated bodies clothed in tattered robes that are either hanging from the walls or crammed in shelves. The monastery’s dim passages contain 8,000 corpses and over 1,200 mummies preserved between the 16th and early 20th centuries. Some appear to be smiling and stretching their skeletal arms out to you, as if they had come back to life. Look for the uncannily preserved body of “Sleeping Beauty,” a 2-year-old girl whose eyes reportedly open and close. Director Francesco Rosi featured the catacomb in his 1976 film “Cadaveri Eccellenti,” but the experience of walking among the dead is even more chilling in person.
HR Giger Museum and Bar (Switzerland)
Surrealist HR Giger is the mastermind behind the terrifying face-huggers and xenomorphs of the “Alien” movie series. At the HR Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland, you’ll be mesmerized by his eerie concept art for “Species,” “Poltergeist 2,” and the never-made 1970s “Dune” film. Gaze with amazement at his early biomechanical works, and uneasily stand in front of an extraterrestrial with an elongated skull and double-row of teeth. Finish up by sipping on absinthe at the Giger Bar, which is decorated with his signature skeletal arches and backbone chairs.
“Lestat’s Tomb” at Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 (USA)
New Orleans’ Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 is the macabre setting for many of Anne Rice’s tales. Expect to see Goths posing for photos in front of a white cast-iron mausoleum marked with the name “Karstendiek.” Fans know this as “Lestat’s Tomb,” as it inspired the spike-roofed version in the film “Interview with the Vampire.” The crowded and dilapidated Lafayette Graveyard is also the final resting place of some witches, according to Rice’s “Mayfair” trilogy.
Mount Mihara (Japan)
Japan’s steaming Mount Mihara is an active volcano that erupts about once per century. The island’s lava-scorched landscapes have inspired several works of horror, including “The Ring”. In Koji Suzuki’s “Ringu” novel, the mother of the infamously long-haired Sadako loses her sanity and throws herself into the crater. Mount Mihara was also featured in several Godzilla movies. The monster was imprisoned here in 1984’s “The Return of Godzilla,” but escaped in the sequel. Fans can hike or ride a horse up to the 2,487-foot (758-meter) peak to admire dark and otherworldly views at the top.
Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground (USA)
Beware the Headless Horseman who terrorizes Sleepy Hollow as he hunts for his decapitated head. Washington Irving set his influential short story in real-life locations, including the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground (also called the Old Dutch Reformed Church). Much of the story takes place at this 17th-century stone church, which sits next to a cemetery filled with ornate mausoleums. Stroll past the winged skull tombstones—and as the sky darkens, but look out for the legendary ghost-rider.
Salzspeicher (Germany)
The silent horror film “Nosferatu” shocked audiences when in 1922. Director F. W. Murnau’s expressionist imagery remains bone-chilling today, especially his black-and-white shots of Salzspeicher. These six brick salt storehouses were built in the 16-18th century. They look like crumbling gingerbread homes along the Trave River. When you see the red ruins under a cloudy sky, it’s easy to imagine that the “vampyre” Count Orlok lurks inside today.
Sedlec Ossuary (Czechia)
Sedlec Ossuary is also known as the Bone Church. It’s a chapel adorned with the remains of over 40,000 human skeletons. Look up and be awed by a chandelier made from strings of bones. The altar is stacked with skulls, with some even holding leg bones in their jaws. Sedlec Ossuary was established in the 13th century and became filled with bodies during the Black Plague and Hussite Wars. In 1870, a Czech woodcarver named František Rint crafted the bones into the Gothic arrangements seen today. Sedlec has inspired numerous works of horror, including Dr. Satan’s Lair in Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses.”
Stanley Hotel (USA)
Stephen King stayed a single night at The Stanley Hotel in Colorado, and it was enough to inspire the nightmarish setting of “The Shining.” Established in 1909, this old-world manor has the same ominous feel as the Overlook Hotel of King’s novel. Guests of The Stanley have claimed to see ghosts from past eras haunting the halls. Dare to spend a night in the supposedly cursed Room 217?
Whitby Abbey (UK)
Bram Stoker authored “Dracula” in 1897 while living in the English seaside town of Whitby. In the novel’s opening, the shipwrecked Count transforms into a black dog and runs up the 199 steps to Whitby Abbey. These Benedictine ruins date back to the 7th century and suffered severe damage over the years. Now, only the skeleton of stone arches and moldings remain. When you see Whitby Abbey’s sinister silhouette atop the cliff, you’ll understand why Stoker was moved to bring Dracula back to life.
