Forget the enchanting fairytale castles of your dreams - these gloomy medieval buildings will give you nightmares.
Musham Castle. Austria
While the phrase "witch hunt" may conjure up Salem, the brutal persecution of women suspected of witchcraft has extended far beyond Puritan America. One of the bloodiest witch hunts took place in Austria, where many girls and women were taken to Musham Castle by order of the Archbishop of Unterberg. They were tortured, tortured and killed in dungeons. It is believed that many are still wandering in basements looking for justice and revenge.
Brissac Castle, France
At first glance, the castle in Brissac is a romantic and charming place. But one has only to stay overnight, and you will find out that the tormented spirits of the former residents are less than hospitable. Jacques and Charlotte lived in the castle in the 11th century. Their relationship was not the best, mainly due to Charlotte's frequent affairs with younger men. She did not even try to hide extramarital affairs from her husband, who sometimes could hear what was happening in the next room. Once he got tired of it. Some say that he pierced the lovers with a sword while they slept, others that he strangled his wife in the tower of the chapel. In any case, neither Charlotte nor her beau was ever seen again. Today, the castle has been turned into a hotel, where guests can still hear the death cries of their murdered lovers.
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Dragsholm Castle, Denmark
The majestic castle was built at the end of the 12th century and is now home to over a hundred ghosts. One of the spirits is the White Lady. She was the daughter of a noble man, but fell in love with a commoner who worked in the castle. When her father found out about the illegal relationship, he locked the girl in the room forever. Many years later, already in the twentieth century, builders discovered a female skeleton in a white robe trapped in the castle wall. It is believed that this was the imprisoned daughter. Now her ghost roams the halls of Dragsholm in search of her long-lost lover.
Berry Pomeroy Castle, England
Here is the same sad story: the ghost of Lady Margaret Pomeroy, a seductive young woman who was killed by her sister, Lady Elinor, wanders around the castle. It is said that Elinor always envied the young and beautiful Margaret to such an extent that she once locked her in a dungeon and threw away the key. The ghost of Margaret still lives in the castle of the XII century. Everyone who has met the girl says that intense sadness, depression and anger emanate from her.
Bardi Castle, Italy
The daughter of the lord of the castle, Soleste, was desperately in love with the captain of the knights Moroello. Each time, the girl expected the return of her beloved from fights in distant lands at the top of the castle wall, staring into the distance beyond the horizon. One morning she noticed horsemen with flags of the enemy color. Distraught at the thought of the death of her beloved, Soleste threw herself off the wall and crashed. But it was Moroello and his men, who cheerfully waved the flags of their enemies, taking them as a trophy. When the young man rode closer and saw the girl's body, he also committed suicide. The ghosts of the loved ones still roam the castle.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Edinburgh Castle will make even the most die-hard skeptics believe in the supernatural. Among the spirits that inhabit the grounds are the ghost of a dog frolicking in the graveyard on foggy nights, a headless drummer marching through the corridors (first seen in 1650), and the ghost of Lady Glemis, burned at the stake for witchcraft in 1537. Not so long ago, researchers of supernatural phenomena conducted a major experiment. 240 volunteers, none of whom had any knowledge of the history of Edinburgh Castle, spent 10 days here. Later, the participants talked about similar events - including the touch of invisible creatures and a ghost in a leather apron who was seen on the bed and in the same place.
Lip Castle, Ireland
It is said that a little girl named Emily fell from a high castle wall and crashed in the early 17th century, but did not leave her home. Often, her sister joins Emily's ghost games. There is a terrible creature with black eyes - half sheep, half human. The castle also has a “bloody chapel” where the priest was killed by his brother, as well as a stone bag - an underground chamber where people sentenced to death were imprisoned.
Gouska Castle, Czech Republic
While many European fortresses were built as strategically important buildings, Houska Castle in Bohemia has a much more sinister history of origin. It is believed to be the gateway to hell. The castle is located in the dense forests that surround Prague, about an hour's drive north of the city. According to legend, the land was once teeming with creatures that were half human, half animal. Brave builders erected a building where the devilish creatures could be locked up. In the 1930s, the Nazis occupied the site and conducted occult experiments here, trying to find extradimensional portals. It's no secret that Hitler was addicted to the paranormal, but little is known about what exactly Nazi scientists discovered at Gouska Castle. Many years later, skeletons of German soldiers who died as a result of torture were discovered around the castle.
