With Halloween right around the corner, it seems only fitting to…list the spookiest places around the globe. If you’re planning your eerie travel itinerary for the next year, don’t miss the 10 haunted castles around the world you need to visit in 2025. Fortunately (or unfortunately?) these places are actually real (although not for sale) and not some fiction of a cheesy horror film. From Dracula Castle, AKA Bran Castle, in Romania to the Chillingham Castle in England, all of these estates tell a haunting tale. And if horror’s a thing for you and your beau, who knows? One of these estates can become the castle you say “I do” in! Kidding. Sort of.
1. Bran Castle, Romania
Known as “Dracula’s Castle,” this 13th-century fortress rises from the mountains of Transylvania and now serves as a museum displaying Queen Marie’s art and furniture collection. So how did it earn its legendary reputation? Bram Stoker created the character of Dracula based on Vlad Tepes, a Romanian ruler infamous for impaling his enemies. Since Tepes once stayed in Bran Castle, many people assumed it must be the vampire’s lair from Stoker’s novel.
However, experts disagree. Dr. Elizabeth Miller, a leading Dracula scholar, calls the connection a myth, famously saying, “Bram Stoker never even heard of Bran Castle, and Dracula owes nothing to Vlad’s atrocities.” So much for the castle’s vampire credentials.
Still, knowing a ruler who skewered people alive once lived here gives the place its own chilling charm — even without fangs and capes.
2. Leap Castle, Ireland
Castle Fraser attracts visitors from across the globe with its striking architecture and rich Scottish history. Yet beneath the beauty sits a tale far darker than the castle’s grand halls suggest. Centuries ago, a young princess spent the night in what is now called the “Green Room.” While she slept, she was viciously murdered. Her body was then dragged down the staircase, leaving behind a gruesome trail of blood.
Servants tried desperately to scrub the stains clean, but nothing worked. In the end, they covered the steps with wood paneling — the very same paneling visitors walk on today. And according to legend, the princess never left. Guests and staff often report hearing her faint cries echoing through the corridors at night, still searching for help.
3. Himeji Castle, Japan
Himeji Castle (姫路城), also called the White Heron Castle for its pure ivory walls and graceful design, stands as one of Japan’s most breathtaking fortresses. With its massive scale, intricate grounds, and striking beauty, it earns its status as both a national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It looks flawless… almost otherworldly. But behind the serene facade lies a chilling legend. Many visitors claim the castle is haunted by the ghost of Okiku.
Though the story behind Okiku has many variations, one of the more popular ones is that she was the servant of Aoyama, a retainer who tried to plot against his lord. Okiku overheard these deliberations and reported it to her lover, a loyal warrior. When Aoyama found out that Okiku had been the reason behind his plot being averted, he decided to kill her by accusing her of having stolen a valuable plate from the lord. She was tortured to death and thrown into the well. Nowadays, sightings have been reported that Okiku tends to crawl out of the Castle’s well at night and lets out blood curdling shrieks.
4. Predjama Castle, Slovenia
Lodged within a cave mouth in south-central Slovenia, the peculiar location of this castle isn’t the only peculiar thing about it. Matter of fact, Predjama Castle has a disturbingly dark past, with many people having gone missing within its cavernous depths. In the 15th century, the castle became home to Erazem Leuger, a knight who rebelled against the monarchy and possessed incredibly violent behavior. He sought joy in torturing prisoners by doing unimaginable acts such as bricking them up behind stone walls, or throwing them alive down a bottomless pit underneath the castle.
Many prisoners died in dark, damp conditions, rats gnawing at them until their injuries finished them. Others ended up in Leuger’s infamous torture chamber. Erazem Leuger died inside these walls, but legend says he still rules the castle after sunset. Visitors have reported hearing screams and cries from tortured souls, along with whispers from prisoners’ spirits trapped behind the stone.
Visit the castle if you dare.
5. Moosham Castle
This Austrian castle sits on a quiet hill in the Lungau region of Salzburg, hiding a brutal past. It hosted some of the most gruesome witch trials in history, ending with the bloody execution of 139 people—mostly men, surprisingly. Children, young adults, and the elderly all faced horrific fates.
Torturers cut off hands and burned prisoners with iron brands, marking them as criminals for life. And those were the “lucky” ones who escaped execution. Others met far worse ends, either by hanging or decapitation.
Today, staff and visitors claim to feel hands touching them, breath on their necks, sudden temperature drops, and slamming doors. Many have heard footsteps echoing through empty halls or seen white mists drift across the corridors.
If you’re traveling to Austria, stop by Moosham Castle for a chilling dose of medieval terror — if you’re brave enough.
6. Château de Brissac, France
nown as the tallest château in France, this estate also hides a permanent spectral resident: the infamous “Green Lady.” Legend says she is Charlotte de Brézé, the illegitimate daughter of King Charles VII and his mistress, Agnès Sorel. On March 1, 1462, she married Jacques de Brézé. Fifteen years later, he killed her after accusing her of having an affair.
Today, the Duke of Brissac and his family live with her presence, roaming the halls and frightening guests. Visitors often report seeing her in the tower room of the chapel, wearing her signature green gown. The real terror comes when someone gets close enough to see her face: hollow, gaping holes replace her eyes and nose, giving her a corpse-like appearance. Along with sightings, many guests and staff hear her moaning through the castle in the early morning hours.
7. Houska Castle
This 13th-century fortress, one of the best-preserved of its era, carries a chilling reputation as a “gateway to Hell.” Beneath its chapel lies a massive pit so deep no one has ever reached the bottom. Witnesses claim strange, hybrid creatures — part animal, part human — crawl from the darkness, winged and unsettling.
According to legend, when builders began work on the castle, they offered prisoners freedom if they agreed to be lowered into the pit and report what they saw. The first man descended only seconds before he started screaming. When workers hauled him up, he looked decades older — his face wrinkled, his hair shock-white, and his body trembling with terror.
Even more disturbing, the castle wasn’t built as a residence or a fortress. Its purpose wasn’t to protect the people inside, but to imprison whatever horrors lurk below.
8. Chillingham Castle, England
Chillingham Castle is a medieval castle in the village of Chillingham, and currently holds the ‘chilling’ title of being the most haunted castle in Britain. It has been investigated extensively on television and radio, and is the subject of various TV shows and documentaries, such as A Blood Red Sky (2013). However, perhaps the most famous ghost in the castle is that of the “blue (or radiant) boy”, who, according to the owners, used to haunt the Pink Room in the castle. Guests even reported seeing blue flashes and a blue “halo” of light above their beds after a loud wail. Think you’re brave enough to truly submerge yourself in the paranormal activity? Attend one of the castle’s many all-night vigils.
9. Burg Eltz, Germany
Burg Eltz is a medieval fortress tucked into the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. Its striking stone walls and sharp, symmetrical rooftops give it an almost storybook elegance. But beneath that pristine reputation lies a secret most visitors never hear about and the internet rarely mentions: the haunting of Eltz Castle.
Agnes Eltz, daughter of Count Eltz, never fit the mold of a noblewoman. She hated dresses and tea time, preferring to dress like a knight and spar with her brothers. Fierce and fearless, she refused to bend to expectations — and that spirit ultimately cost her her life.
Her father arranged her marriage at a young age to the Knight of Braunsberg. Agnes disliked him instantly. He was aloof, quiet, and gentle in a way she saw as weakness. Their relationship spiraled, and after a heated argument at a gala, he stormed out of the castle. While the Eltz men were away on a three-day hunting trip, he returned with soldiers to declare war on the family.
True to her nature, Agnes refused to hide or let her home fall without a fight.
She fought hard, but ultimately fell to the sword of her scorned lover, the Knight of Braunsberg, as the armor hid her identity from him. Nowadays, many people believe that Agnes is still in the castle, and still valiantly, protecting it from attack. She often wanders the halls, open and closes doors, and moves objects throughout the castle. In the Countess’ room, you can still the armor she wore from battle, hanging on the wall. People have also seen visions of a knight outside of the castle, often late at night, riding his horse back and forth around the gates. The Eltz family believes this knight is Braunsberg, waiting for Agnes, as he was never able to forgive himself for her death.
9. Castle Fraser, Scotland
Castle Fraser draws visitors from around the world with its grand architecture and rich Scottish history. But behind the charm lies a story far more disturbing than delightful. Centuries ago, a young princess spent the night in what is now known as the “Green Room.” As she slept, someone brutally murdered her. Servants later dragged her body down the staircase, leaving a trail of blood.
No matter how hard they scrubbed, the stains refused to disappear. Eventually, they covered the steps with wood paneling — the same paneling visitors see today. Legend says the princess never left. Guests and staff claim to hear her voice echoing through the halls at night, still calling out for help.