The World’s Spookiest Vampire Haunts
These eerie destinations are inextricably linked with vampire legend.
Bran Castle
Bran, Romania
This castle in Romania is so widely believed to be the home of Vlad the Impaler, who Bram Stoker refers to as a “king Dracula,” that it is often referred to as Dracula’s Castle instead of by its official name. On site is a museum and gallery space that detail the history of the area, as well as some of the legends pertaining to the vampire myth and how it was created from Romanian historic events and enduring rumours about atrocious acts of long-dead Romanian royalty.
Whitby Abbey
Whitby, England
The romantic ruins of this 13th century abbey served as the backdrop for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and are featured in the novel several times. The ruins are very atmospheric, and while visiting you can easily understand why Stoker was inspired to set his tale here.
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The Catacombs of Paris
Paris, France
When Paris began to drown in dead bodies at the end of the 1700s, it was decided that the bones from the over-spilling cemeteries would be transferred to vast quarries beneath the streets of the city. In 1808, the removal of the bones of some six million Parisians began, and so was built the world’s biggest necropolis. The result is a creepy tourist attraction visited by the likes of Napoleon, and the inspiration for various scary stories, such as Barbara Humbly’s Those Who Hunt the Night, which sees vampire investigators finding a 600 year old priest-turned-vampire in the catacombs.
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French Quarter
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thanks largely to prolific novelist Anne Rice, there are many vampire stories attached to this former red light district and current tourism hot spot. Numerous companies offer vampire-themed walking tours around the French Quarter, where you’ll visit historic locations where Rice’s blood-sucking creations are alleged to have carried out their dastardly deeds.
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Lafayette Cemetery
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is also famed for its beautiful and ornate cemeteries, known as “Cities of the Dead” due to their elaborate architecture (bodies are buried in structures above-ground due to the city’s frequent flooding). Lafayette Cemetery, which is located in the lush Garden District, has been featured in many of Anne Rice’s vampire novels, and there is a grave there that belongs to an alleged vampire.
Next, explore the most haunted places in Canada.
