Switzerland has compiled a rating of the most terrible buildings in the country. The main selection criteria for mystical castles, tuberculosis hospitals and haunted houses was the presence of ghosts and restless spirits. The Swiss assure that blood runs cold and hair turns gray from being in buildings.
The list was compiled by journalists from the regional edition of The Local. They interviewed paranormal specialists and mediums who had visited the scary buildings.
Val Sinestra Hotel, Graubunden
Hotel Val Sinestra, located in the Engadine Valley, was built in 1912 close to mineral springs. The spa resort has attracted tuberculosis patients from all over the world. One of these patients, a Belgian who settled there in 1927, apparently became so attached to the building that he decided to stay there after his death. The hotel staff are used to "Herman", whose spirit is regularly seen or heard in the building and the surrounding area. Medium Andreas Meile has repeatedly visited the hotel and interacted with the mischievous spirit who, for fun, operates the elevator and open windows. According to Meile, the spirit of the Belgian roams the hotel and checks how the managers treat the staff. “He always sends a clear message to management: treat the employees well and I will treat you well,” Meile said.
Belchen Tunnel, Solothurn
A more modern history is associated with the tunnel. Reports of a very pale woman who began to appear in the tunnel first appeared 40 years ago. In 1983, two law students claimed to have seen a ghost at the entrance to a tunnel. The ghost said something terrible was going to happen. As they drove through the tunnel, the woman suddenly disappeared.
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Lenzburg Castle, Argau
Built in the 12th century, this castle is one of the oldest in Switzerland. Many legends and ghost stories are associated with it. Most often they talk about a haunted bell tower. The bell rings on a full moon even if there is no one in the castle.
Haunted house at 54 Junkerngasse, Bern
The medieval alleys of Bern's Old Town are a favorite haven for restless spirits. Tourists are even offered regular "Spooky Bern" excursions. The creepiest house in Bern is located at 54 Junkerngasse. The house has been empty for decades. The spirit of a woman, dressed in black, lives in a narrow old building. Sometimes she appears at the window. In the 1990s, a team of journalists from Swiss Radio International (now Swissinfo) visited the house, accompanied by a parapsychologist.
Spiesshof, Basel
Legend has it that this Renaissance building is home to one of Switzerland's oldest spirits. For 450 years, they have seen the ghost of David Joris, a Dutchman who was given refuge in Basel. He was recognized as a religious refugee. During his lifetime, he organized a Dutch colony there and managed to get rich. Joris was suspected of being a member of a forbidden Anabaptist sect. After his death, his body was exhumed and his head cut off. The ghost of a headless man, accompanied by two black dogs, is said to have wandered the building ever since.
Moudon Prison, Waugh
What could be scarier than damp and dirty prison cells in which the spirits of dead prisoners live? Adventure tours are regularly organized in the city of Moudon in the canton of Vaud, during which all the mystical secrets of the medieval city are revealed. The local prison is especially famous for its scary stories. "Survivors" after a two-hour walk are promised a bowl of pumpkin soup.
Sanatorium Gotthard, Ticino
This mystical place was built in 1905. The building, abandoned for decades, is now in a deplorable state. For 45 years, the five-story building with its own morgue was used to treat the wounded, and then for patients with tuberculosis. People claim to hear strange sounds inside and see mystical images.
Zurich Old Town
Tour guides in Zurich tell the story of a man named Hans von Staffel who lived in Kaminfegers. He was obsessed with scarves and put them on top of each other in large numbers throughout his life. His ghost has been seen on the dark streets of the city many times. A strange broad figure that lurks around the corner in the narrow streets of Zurich.
Chillon Castle, Vaud
A medieval fortress on the shores of Lake Geneva, the atmospheric Chillon castle, sheltered the ghost of Agnes de Faucigny, the duchess from the Savoy family. In 2014, paranormal researchers tried to summon a spirit. They played 13th century music in the hope that a noble lady would appear before them. Although they noticed a sharp drop in temperature in the room and heard footsteps on the floorboards above their heads, they never saw the ghost.
