Someone travels in search of beauty, and give someone terrible! And so that it is necessarily ancient, legendary, shrouded in secrets and mysticism. There are enough places like this on our planet. in a hurry to present the most terrible castles in the world. Here for you every day.



Bran Castle (Romania)

The castle is not as scary as its legendary owner. Of course, we are talking about. On Halloween, his residence is one of the most visited attractions in Romania. The castle was built in 1382 at their own expense by the inhabitants of Brasov as an important strategic point, for which they were exempted from paying taxes to the state treasury for several centuries. He acquired vampire legends not immediately, but only after the legendary and bloodthirsty governor Vlad Tepes-Dracula began to spend the night here during the periods of his campaigns. In truth, the count's castle became the will of human imagination. Much credit for this Bram Stoker. In 1897, his novel Dracula was published. Enthusiastic readers immediately rushed to find a suitable castle. Romanian was the most suitable for the description, and Tepes appears here. It means to be "Dracula" for him. Nobody is going to argue with this. Beautiful legends must live on!



Chillingham Castle (England)

This is one of the oldest castles in England, built in the 12th century. With such a respectable age, not to acquire a bunch of legends is just a crime. There are also own ghosts here. It's a man and a little boy. Jokes aside, but during the restoration of Chillingham, when one of the dead ends was destroyed, two skeletons were found: an adult and a child. Scratches on the stones indicate that they were walled up alive. Another famous ghost is the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley, who appears from her portrait in the Gray Room. An underground dungeon, a museum and a torture room add even more mystery and mysticism to the castle, and at the same time a curious public.



Eltz Castle, Wierschem, (Germany)

It would seem that one of the most beautiful castles in Germany can be frightening. It is located among the hills on the northern bank of the Moselle River, between the cities of Koblenz and Trier. And its uniqueness lies in the fact that it was never captured and was not defeated, being preserved even during the French Revolution. Only one family owned the castle, today it is already the 33rd generation. The current owner lives in Frankfurt am Main, only with him tourists began to be allowed into the castle. The collected money is spent on keeping the castle in perfect condition, in which Eltz will be passed on to the 34th generation. Traditions say that if it were not for the ghosts of medieval knights guarding the castle, then it would not be so impregnable and flourishing.



Edinburgh Castle (Scotland)

If you don't believe in ghosts, go to Scotland. Even inveterate skeptics, visiting Edinburgh Castle, reconsider their views. Legends say that the restless ghost of a piper who got lost while exploring the underground labyrinths still roams the castle. And when the building was in danger, drumming was heard in it. She is beaten off by a headless soldier-musician, at one time he warned of the advance of Oliver Cromwell's troops. Almost the entire castle is a museum: numerous exhibitions are located within the walls of the barracks, the "Governor's House", huge halls and prison cells. In one of the rooms you can see the Stone of Destiny itself. According to one of the legends, it is more than 3,000 years old, and at one time it belonged to the daughter of the legendary Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II.



Dragsholm Castle in Hörv (Denmark)

Old Danish castles are a favorite haunt for ghosts. And most otherworldly creatures live in Dragsholm. This is not a haunted house, but a whole hostel. There are a few of them here, about a hundred, according to researchers of unusual phenomena. So tourists come here to see the silhouettes of ghosts in the corridors of the castle. Among the famous incorporeal guests wandering around Dragsholm, the most famous is the White Lady. Once upon a time, the father walled up a girl right in the wall, having learned about her connection with a commoner. The spirit of a certain count, who died in captivity, also wanders here. He appears, frightening the guests of the castle with his trademark horse neighing.



Houska Castle (Czech Republic)

In a dense, dense forest, far from busy roads in the north of the Czech Republic, the mysterious and terrifying Houska Castle rises. This fortress was built in the 13th century not at all to protect people from enemies or as the residence of some noble person. In the rock under the castle are the open Gates of Hell. Even today they hide under the floor of the castle chapel. So if it were not for Gowsk, the inhabitants of the underworld would now be walking around the world. Ghosts, of course, come across, where without them. Among the most famous mystical inhabitants of the castle are a headless black horse, a man-bulldog-frog and a woman in a black dress. Only the most courageous descend into the dungeons of Houska, and even then, they do not feel very comfortable, they even lose consciousness. It is said that dogs refuse to enter this room. Dead birds are constantly found in the vicinity of the castle, and voices and groans are often heard from the depths of an empty well.


Castles keep many secrets. Their rich history is shrouded in legends. Each castle has its own unique, inimitable legend about its construction, incidents and its inhabitants! These legends often border on reality, but the mystical overtones of each of these stories only stirs up interest in these amazing architectural creations!

The Legend of the Cursed Room

In 1567 Pan Vratislav from Perštejn became the owner of Litomyšl Castle. It was a rich nobleman and it was under him that the castle was rebuilt and now we see it as it was then. But immediately after the construction, one room in the castle received a bad reputation, they said that at night someone walks in it and rearranges the furniture. Therefore, no one wanted to stay in this room for the night. Once a poor nobleman drove into the castle and asked to spend the night. He seemed to the manager of the castle not an important enough person, and therefore he decided to settle him in an empty room. The nobleman did not know anything about her notoriety and was therefore immensely glad that he would have a roof over his head and tired, after a long journey, calmly fell asleep. As soon as the clock struck twelve, thunder sounded right above his head. The sleep of the poor gentry was taken away, he jumped up on his bed and began to look around, the moonlight fell through the window and it was clear that there was no one in the room, but someone creaked the floorboards, and he could swear on the Bible that he heard someone Breathing right behind you. And suddenly the silence of the night was broken by a thunderous voice: - "Saecula saeculorum!" he said. The gentry flew out of the room in a hurry and ran along the corridor of the castle, he rushed like an arrow to the manager's room and began to tell what had happened to him.

Despite the dark night, the gentry left the castle and no one else saw him in those parts. After such an adventure, the manager of the castle decided that he would close the cursed room with a key and would not let anyone in there anymore, because he was afraid that no one else would suffer from tricks 7 years have passed since then, and no one else entered the enchanted room, even during the day the servants were afraid to enter it. Once a wandering monk entered the castle and asked to spend the night, but all the rooms in the castle were occupied, except for one - enchanted. - Well, I have one room that is still free, but no one has entered it for seven years. As you understand, it will not be very clean, - the manager said to the monk. - And how much do I need, - he answered, - I serve God and I had to sleep in the worst places. “Look for yourself, but I can’t take responsibility that nothing bad will happen to you, this room is enchanted, the spirit lives there,” the owner admitted. “Well, so what?” the cheerful monk objected, “God will protect me from all evil spirits.” The room was indeed not very clean, there were thick cobwebs in the corners, and a thick layer of dust lay on the furniture, but the bed and blanket were soft and warm, and the monk fell asleep peacefully.

At midnight, thunder rang out over his head, the monk immediately woke up, crossed himself three times and said into the darkness: “What do you need, spirit? If you tell me what you did wrong, you will repent, I can help you. There was a heavy sigh in the room and a breath of cold, and then a voice said: - "Saecula saeculorum!" The monk knew that it was Latin and that these words were pronounced during Mass in the church, and he knew that after them one should say “Amen!”, which he did. "Thank you very much! I am free!” the spirit said, and this was the last thing the monk heard, no one else bothered him until morning. Early in the morning the manager came in to wake the monk, and he told him about his nightly adventure. Many times the manager thanked the monk for his help, and even gave him money for the journey. Since then, the room was put in order and began to be used like the rest of the chambers in the castle, and if anything could be heard from it, it was only the smooth snoring of the guests.

Legend of the Lost Treasure

Already in the 12th century, the Český Šternberg Castle was picturesquely reflected in the waters of the Sazava River. From that time to the present day, the castle belongs to this glorious Sternberg family. Once upon a time, one of the ancestors of the Sternbergs sold the huge palace that belonged to him, and very successfully. And he received for him as much as a hundred thousand gold pieces, this is a whole chest of gold. He brought all the proceeds to his castle Sternberg. But soon he was forced to go to Vienna on urgent business. During his absence, he appointed the manager of his faithful servant Gink. The times were dashing and gangs of robbers often attacked cities and castles. And Pan Sternberg began to think how he could keep his gold. He didn’t think of anything more reliable, how to leave some of the money in the city, and take some with him and hope that at least half of the money he earned would still remain.

He called the faithful Gink to him and ordered him to protect his gold as his own. And not the next morning he set off on the road. Hynek remained to manage the castle, but he was haunted by the thought of how he could save the gold for his master. After all, times are dashing, servants cannot be trusted, and detachments of robbers and wandering knights can attack the castle at any moment. And he decided, under the cover of night, to take the gold away from sin away into the rocks and hide it there. After that, for the first time, he slept peacefully at night. A few days later, Hynek rode a horse into an open field, but misfortune happened. His horse was thrown out of the saddle and severely mutilated Gink. Czech Shtenberg The legend of the lost treasure The peasants who came to work in the field found his already almost lifeless body and brought him to the castle. When Ginek came to, he could neither move nor speak.

Then the butler clerk, who was the most educated of all the servants of the castle, was called to poor Gink. Ginek could not, despite all his education. And at night Ginek died. When Pan Sternberg returned to his castle, he learned that his manager was dead. First of all, he ran to check his gold, but the chest turned out to be empty. Pan Sternberg grieved for a long time about his loss, threatened his servants with all sorts of punishments, but no one knew anything about his missing gold. When the news about the impending punishment reached the clerk, he came to Pan Sternberg with a confession and said, “Now I understand what Ginek wanted to tell me before his death! He tried to show me where he hid the gold, but I, the fool, did not understand him! So only me should be punished, for my stupidity! ”But Pan Sternberg was a fair man and realized that it was not the clerk’s fault in such a terrible combination of circumstances and let him go in peace. For a long time later, his servants searched every corner in the castle and dug up the surrounding fields, but all in vain, they never found gold. So, to this day, the Sternberg treasure of its owner lies and waits.

The legend of the devil's tower

A long time ago, in those old days, when the whole city of Cheb (Cheb) was still surrounded by fortress walls, the widow Maria Martin lived here in the house "At the Two Princes" with her daughter. As it sometimes happens, the mother was simply "mad" about the beauty of her daughter. I bought her more and more new outfits and jewelry, even more magnificent and refined than the previous ones. She looked after her like a rare, fragile flower grown in a greenhouse, protecting her from the slightest everyday difficulties and worries. The girl's name was Rosalie. Every day she became more demanding and capricious, imagining that the whole world should serve her in the same way as her mother did.

There was no entertainment in the city where Rosalie would not appear in a new, even more beautiful outfit, overshadowing the rest of the girls with her beauty. The most noble and rich young men of the city crowded around her, but none of them attracted the attention of Rosalie. She was waiting for a prince who would come to her from distant lands, eclipsing those around her with her beauty and wealth.

On Christmas Eve, the hall in the house "At the Golden Sun" was lit up with hundreds of wax candles. The youth danced in unimaginable masquerade costumes. Some of the guests appeared at the ball in tribal knightly armor, others dazzled with the splendor of oriental outfits, others, jumping up and ringing bells to the general outbursts of laughter, amused the rest in their colorful jester costumes.

Rosalie, dressed in the color of the dawn, in lace, like the most delicate clouds in the sky, was the decoration of the ball. Her jewels shone with marvelous stars, her face was covered with the thinnest golden veil. Her steps were as light as a spring breeze. Next to her danced a stranger - stately, with an unusually fine physique, dressed in a tight-fitting suit of gold brocade with a rare pattern of iridescent scarlet. A black mask hid his features. Of scarlet silk were his gloves and cap, adorned with two black feathers. The waist was wrapped around a belt in the form of a snake made of red
gold (at times it seemed that the snake came to life and moved), every button on his suit was a diamond the size of a walnut.
It was nearing midnight. The candles burned out. The last musical chords resounded. Only one couple continued to dance. Rosalie and the stranger, obeying the rhythm of the only music they could hear, hovered between the guests present, who followed them with spellbound eyes. The footmen threw open the doors. The stranger, dragging Rosalie with him, slipped out of the hall onto the marble staircase,
then down the steps straight into the snow-covered dark streets of Cheb. Snowflakes swirled around the dancing couple. Soon no one could be seen in the darkness, so swiftly they rushed along the narrow street leading to the fortress. Rosalie's chesty laughter could still be heard in the distance.

Suddenly, a terrible scream pierced the darkness of the night. A woman dressed in all black rushed after the dancing couple with outstretched arms. It was two o'clock in the morning on the tower. Everything was quiet in the square.

Before dawn, walking around the fortress, the night watchman heard sad lamentations and weeping coming from a tower standing over the river itself. Coming closer, he saw a motionless snow-covered figure in front of him. It was Maria Martin - completely frozen. Her eyes were wide open and bloodshot, at her feet lay a scarlet satin cap with two black feathers, and next to it was a golden veil.

From the tower came a chesty laugh so strange and painfully sad that the night watchman was terrified. His heart sank. He rushed to enter the tower, but there were no doors anywhere. Noticing something strange on the wall, he raised a lantern above him and saw the inscription: "Devil's Tower."

To this day, this tower stands over the river. Once a year - at Christmas, early before dawn, a girl's laugh is heard from her, so strange and sad that the one who hears it will shrink his heart.

The Legend of the Singing Path

Charles was exiled from capital Prague to the small castle of Krivoklat. Due to the intrigues of cunning and mercenary courtiers, who denigrated his son (Charles IV) in the eyes of his father (King of the Czech Republic Jan Lutsenbursky) for redeeming the lands mortgaged by his father and building cities and did not let them seize the royal goods.

And his father punished him without his permission not to leave the castle anywhere. Krivoklat Castle stood in a dense wilderness in the middle of dense forests.
Together with Karl, his young wife Bianca Valois also left for Krivoklat.
After the luxury and noisy amusements of the French court, where she lived all her life, a quiet and joyless life in a small forest castle oppressed her, but she did not want to upset her beloved husband, because it was already hard for him. So the young wife walked like a shadow around the castle, as if all the joy of life had left her.

The young king saw that his beloved wife was languishing from anguish and began to think about how to cheer up his beauty.
One warm summer evening, the young king stood at the window and watched the sun set over the forest. Below, under the walls of the castle, birds sang in an iridescent chorus, when suddenly, he noticed that Bianca and her ladies were coming out onto the path that ran under the walls of the castle. She went there with her retinue every day to please the soul yearning for her home with the evening singing of birds. At that moment, the king had an idea how he could please his young wife. He ordered his servants to catch the most beautifully singing birds throughout the area and let them out of the cages near the walls of the castle. Every two days, then, birds of prey were released from cages near the castle.

Young Bianca Valois cheered up and her face acquired the same blush. She soon learned that it was her beloved husband who was taking such good care of her. And how could she have expected a better gift? They say many birds have remained to live near the camps of Krivoklat, and now the wonderful singing pleases the ears not only of kings and queens, but also of you and me. And the path from the city walls to the stream along which Bianca walked is called singing.

The legend of how the old goat saved the city

Karlštejn city siege In 1422, when Jan Zizka conquered the city of Krasivok, Hetman Zikmund Koributa began the siege of Karlštejn with his many thousands of Hussite troops. But it quickly became clear that the city could not be taken by storm. Then the hetman decided that hunger would force the defenders to open the gates of the city faster than cannons. And he gave the order to take the city under siege. The siege of the city lasted for a whole month and already warm autumn days were replaced by cold and rains of late autumn, and the defenders still did not give up.

Then the cunning Zikmund decided to ask the townspeople for a truce in honor of the feast of St. Wenceslas, and when they agreed, he invited the defenders of the castle to his camp for a feast. He counted on the fact that the abundance on the tables would bring discord into the ranks of the defenders of the fortress, exhausted by hunger, they would break down and surrender the city, or at least one of them would decide to commit treason. to the general meeting and decided that they would send their representatives to the camp of the enemy, but no one there would show the appearance of being hungry.

When at the table, which was bursting with food, the besiegers saw that the defenders of the fortress were eating almost nothing at all, they began to ask how things were in the city and why they ate so little at the feast.

The defenders of the fortress struggled with hunger with all their might, but they didn’t give a look and answered that they were full, because just before leaving the castle there was lunch and now they don’t want to eat at all. This answer puzzled the besiegers, because if the castle really has a secret the passage through which provisions are brought to the castle, then it is still unknown how long they will freeze in an open field holding a siege, and autumn has already begun to test their strength. And doubt crept into the minds of the Hetman military commanders.

But all the same, the hetman decided to wait and not lift the siege until the day of St. Martin.
And hunger was already descending on the city. Almost all the supplies had already been eaten, and people already had to fight more with themselves than with the enemy in order to withstand the siege. Something had to be done. Of the food in the whole city, only the old goat remained.

Castle Dungeon Legend

The legend says that the city of Houska was built on a rock, under which the entrance to hell is located. Under the castle itself, there are allegedly many underground passages that will lead you to hell. According to legend, there was a gate that opened the way to a mysterious dungeon. But there is no information about where exactly these gates were. According to one version, the gate towered not far from the castle, where a small baroque church used to stand. Another version claims that the gates to hell were located in the castle itself, and until now they are hidden under the floor of the prayer hall. Therefore, it is no coincidence that people who enter the chapel feel bad, many even lose consciousness, and dogs, in general, completely refuse to go there. There is a third version, according to which one could get to hell by diving into a well in the castle courtyard. The rumor about a terrifying dungeon was aggravated by an old legend about a convict, to whom the owners of the castle themselves promised pardon on the condition that he descend into the magical gorge and find out what is hidden in its depths. The suicide bomber accepted this offer, but, having gone only a few meters down, he asked with a desperate cry to return to the surface. Pulling the unfortunate man out, the witnesses saw a man frightened to death with hair gray with horror, absurdly asserting that below he saw the devil in hell, which does not exist in the underworld. A few days later, the convict died.

Local residents immediately wanted to fill up the hellish gorge, but in vain - the stones in it disappeared as if in a bottomless throat. This was only possible after three years of hard work by the owner of the city, Jan the Younger from Wartenberg. A monument of Central European significance is the palace chapel, with wall paintings of the 13th and 14th centuries, under which, according to an ancient legend, there is a gate to hell. And so, for reliability, a chapel gradually grew over the filled up “chasm of non-existence” as a kind of holy giant shutter against the penetration of demons, not the light of God. It is this chapel, the second in the castle, that is one of the most mysterious in Central Europe. On the east side it is closed by five sides of the octagon, on the west side it is framed by a podium accessible from the outside terrace or via a spiral staircase leading from the lower part of the chapel. Her silhouette seems to embody sacramental geometry with the digital meaning of mystical cabalistics. At the altar, the chapel is divided into 8 parts, while on the ninth side - the end of the Universe - the altar is oriented to the east. Frescoes are of considerable historical and artistic interest, presumably from the 30s. 14th century, preserved almost in its original form, which, in terms of themes, again, are part of the most valuable collection of monuments in Central Europe. Belong to them, for example, two large figures of the archangel Gabriel and the archangel Michael - "the leader of the army of the Lord" against the fallen angels and the protector from the forces of darkness and evil.

Towering above the podium is Saint Christophe, a celebrated martyr who lived in the 3rd century. Nearby are the Frescoes of Offer, Herod, who turned into a man and, at one time, was perceived as an alchemical allegory of a bearer of gold. The following frescoes very clearly depict the battle between good and evil, of which the figure of a mysterious warrior with a huge bow is the most specific. That's just its meaning to this day remains undisclosed. There are still no answers to the questions why so many dead birds fall in the vicinity of the castle, and the dogs behave restlessly and drag their owners away from the devilish place. Why are voices and groans heard from the depths of an empty well? Why are the archangels Michael and Gabriel depicted on the walls of this well - in Christian mythology, the main fighters against the devil? And why are there so many images of strange creatures - half people, half lions? A letter from Vaclav Gayek from Lubochan, who lived in the 15th century, has been preserved. He wrote to his brother Eduard: "I was walking through the forest, not far from the town of Houska. Suddenly a rock cracked under the hail, a hole formed, and from this hole evil spirits began to appear and turn into animals ..." This mystical haze of mystery around the castle of Houska in hasn't dissipated for centuries.

Legend of the chess tournament
Far 1454, northern Italy, Marostica Castle.

According to legend, Rinaldo da Angarano and Vieri da Valonara are fighting for the hand of the daughter of the owner of the castle, Taddeo Parisio. In order to achieve the love of the beautiful Lionora, they must play chess. that these two young valiant warriors at first wanted to fight in a duel, but the owner of the castle did not allow them to do this (Taddeo Parisio was attached to both young people and did not want to lose devoted vassals and experienced fighters), that's when he came up with this trick to play in chess. The loser, however, would not be at a loss, he was promised a younger daughter.

Every double year, on the second Friday, Saturday and Sunday of September, a holiday is held in the town of Marostica, as in the old days, the whole city gathers on that very main square and there is a chess game.

The legend of the golden spindle

One of the legends tells that two brothers Johan and Friedrich Bera, who lived in the castle, fell in love with the beautiful Sybil. The beauty could not make her choice for a long time, thinking which of the brothers to give preference to. And then Johan decided to kill his brother and get the hand of a beautiful lord's daughter. Under the cover of night, Johan did what he had planned, only the blood of his murdered brother stained the wall in the castle room. The culprit tried to hide what he had done by thoroughly washing the wall. Johan soon married Sabile and brought her to the castle. Showing the castle premises, in the room where the crime was committed, he again saw a bright red spot. Each time the stain appeared again, there was nothing left to do but close this wall with a closet. Having settled in the castle, Sybil was often left alone, Johan spent his days hunting. One day, the dwarves came to her and asked her to play a wedding, on the condition that no one should see them. At midnight, when the wedding was in full swing, Johan returned from the forest. As soon as he entered the room, not understanding what was happening, everything immediately disappeared. Sybil told him about the dwarves and their wedding, Johan jumped on his horse and rode back into the forest.

In the morning he was found dead in the forest. Several years passed, Sybil was sitting at needlework in the evening, and saw a dwarf with a golden spindle in his hands, who promised to give her the spindle if the wedding took place again in the castle. This golden spindle can bring happiness to the castle, the little dwarf explained. After the wedding was successful, Sybil received a golden spindle and decided to wall it up in the wall of one of the castle's rooms. Many years later, after this event, Baron Adolf Behr and his wife Evelina decided to rearrange the palace. In place of the indelible red stain, a fireplace was installed so that the flames of the fire would clear the crime scene. While working on the castle, two architects suddenly died one after the other. People said that the long-dead Sybil, who was afraid that someone would find her golden spindle, was to blame. After these events, Baron Adolf Ber personally supervised all the work in the castle, and no more unpleasant events occurred.

The legend of the construction of the castle

Previously, in the old days, the owners of the Dundaga Castle did not have the right to leave an inheritance to their daughters. If there were no sons, then the castle and other property passed to some male relative. And, as if out of spite, the owners of the Dundaga Castle had no sons for a long time, only daughters. The gentlemen were very sad that they could not leave their goods to their own children, but had to give them to strangers. And here again, the Dundag baron has either three or four daughters and not a single son. And he is already in years. He sometimes could not sleep at night because of chagrin. One night I thought again that I was about to die soon, but there was no heir. The baron could not sit at home, he went out into the garden. It was midnight. He walked, walked, suddenly, out of nowhere, a little gnome. He asks the baron why he is so sad, why he does not sleep at night. Baron and tell the dwarf about your misfortune: he himself is old, there is no heir, he will have to castle and leave all the good to strangers. The dwarf grinned and said: “No big trouble! You let us dwarves play a wedding at night in your great hall. Yes, see that no one peeps what we are doing. Here you will have a son.” The baron was very happy about this and promised that no one would peep. Soon the night came when the dwarfs to play the wedding. The baron locked all the doors beforehand and strictly ordered that no one even come close to the big hall. Everyone knew that the baron was strict and if you disobey him, then be in trouble, so they obeyed the order and no one peeped what was happening in the hall. But the gardener had a daughter, and the groom had a son.

They always walked in the garden at night. Walk, walk, see; the great hall is as brightly lit as ever. The guy kept the girl, but she became stubborn: she definitely needs to find out what is there in the hall. I crept under the window, looked - how! gnomes celebrate the wedding. Everything would have worked out, but just at the moment when the gardener's daughter looked in at the window, one dwarf, jumping up, slipped and fell; The girl broke into laughter, and she burst out laughing at the top of her voice. Immediately the light went out, and the dwarfs fled in all directions. Only the old dwarf remained; he approached the gardener's daughter and said: "Because you could not resist and peeped, you walk here after death at night, depriving everyone of peace." Saying this, the old dwarf also disappeared. The gardener's daughter soon died. And, as the dwarf said, so it was fulfilled: the gardener's daughter wanders around the castle at night. She wears the same green dress she wore when she was alive, which is why she was nicknamed the Green Maiden. And the next night, the dwarf came to the baron and said: “You did not fulfill your promise. Neither you nor your descendants will have a son. Only then will a son be born from your descendants, when a birch tree as high as a lullaby rises on a stone at the big gate. And indeed - on that very day, a birch sprout peeped out on a stone near the big gate. Today, they say, he has grown considerably and, if someone has not broken him off, soon, perhaps, he will stretch out from a lullaby pole. I just don’t know if someone broke off a birch tree? But if no one broke it off, it is unlikely that any other baron was destined to own the Dundaga castle.

To be continued

A heroic medieval knight, a beautiful princess or just a legend - castles capture our hearts and captivate our imaginations. We yearn to explore their narrow corridors, climb the dimly lit stairways and gaze into the distance from their tall stone towers. And if the past of the castle is connected with defeated enemies, forgotten prisoners and evil spirits ... well ... so much the better.

Before you are 6 of the most terrible castles in the world, where the traveler will meet, rather, a knight of the 16th century than the handsome prince of Cinderella.

Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania
Few fictional characters in the world are as terrifying as Bram Stoker's Dracula, and that's the smallest reason to place his far from modest home on top of ghostly castles.

Despite the fact that this 14th-century fortress echoes the legends of Dracula, Bran Castle has managed to acquire the name "Dracula's Castle" and all the associated monetary gains.

They say that Bran Castle was once the home of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad the Impaler, he really liked to impale the enemy. Today, the castle is a museum displaying furniture and art collected by the royal family.

Visitors can see the castle on their own or use the services of a guide.

Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire, England
Although the English Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire has never been inhabited by fictional vampires, the Norman design of the courtyard and the ominous stone tower betray that same creepy factor. And yes, there are still ghosts.
The most famous residents of Tamworth Castle are the Black Lady and the White Lady, both of whom are regularly heard or seen in the area. It is said that the White Lady threw herself off the battlements when she learned that her lover had been murdered. And the Black Lady, in all likelihood, is the spirit of a nun named Edita, summoned from her grave by the unkind prayers of other nuns after they were expelled from a nearby convent.
Visitors to this castle can visit 15 rooms, including the Great Hall, a dungeon and a bedroom where those same ghosts live.

Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon, England
Known as the most haunted in the entire united kingdom, the 12th-century castle also has its own White Lady, even sadder here...
It is said that the White Lady of this castle is Lady Margaret Pomeroy, who was starved to death by her own sister Lady Eleanor. Rumor has it that Eleanor was always jealous of her younger and beautiful sister and therefore locked her up in the castle tower for about 20 days. Margaret's ghost is completely white - from long flowing hair to white legs, she is often seen towering over St. Margaret's Tower.
The White Lady is a permanent resident of Berry Pomeroy Castle, people who saw her fell into a deep depression, experienced fear and anger.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Rising above the Princess Gardens, these majestic towers are located in Europe's spookiest haunted city...
The 900-year-old fortress was built on the remains of an ancient volcano and is home to the most mysterious ghosts in the world.
While some visitors claim to hear a monotonous drumming, several people saw the drummer himself, reportedly decapitated and only showing up just before the attack on the castle.
They say that the ghost of a dog roams around the castle cemetery, and something happens in the towers that science itself cannot even explain.

Bodelweedan Castle in Wales
Whispering ghosts, shadowy figures and ghosts of soldiers are enough to place Bodelvidan Castle at the top of the world's scariest castle list, given the fact that its walls were built on human bones, the castle gets even scarier.
In 1829, the owner of the current Bodelwydan Castle, Sir John Hay Williams, found human bones near the chimneys. Since then, the castle has been constantly restored, but it continued to be built on the bones.
For many years, this 15th-century estate served as a personal residence, a hospital during the First World War, a private women's school, and even a museum.
In 2004, the castle was chosen for the filming of the British TV program "Haunted".

Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland

Precariously built on the edge of a cliff on the north coast of Antrim, this Norman castle has been rebuilt many times over the years, but the original inhabitants seem reluctant to leave.
In 1586, royal civil strife began over the castle and ended with the hanging of the constable of the former castle. His ghostly figure, wearing a purple cloak and wearing a ponytail, roams the tower of Dunluce Castle, where he was actually killed.
In 1639, the castle's kitchen collapsed into the sea, taking the lives of several servants to the grave. Today, visitors experience chills in parts of the castle, and gift shop workers notice that occasionally someone is shifting books and fiddling with the radio.
Despite the fact that no one sensed the evil intentions of all these ghosts, the thought of cheerful residents returning to diversify your stay already gives goosebumps.

Ancient castles keep many secrets and mysteries. Some attract people with their creepy legends about demons, vampires and werewolves, others with romantic love stories.

Edinburgh castle

dreamhouseapartments.com

• Scotland
• It hosts the Mary King Festival.
• Founded on the site of an extinct volcano.
• According to legend, several ghosts still roam the castle. The first piper ghost who got lost in the castle's underground labyrinths and died there. The second ghost is the ghost of a headless soldier who drums when danger approaches. According to legend, it was this soldier who, during his lifetime, warned of the advance of Oliver Cromwell's troops. The third ghost is Lady Glamis, who was often seen wandering the dark halls of the castle. She was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake in 1537. There is also an old man in a leather apron and the ghost of a dog walking near the cemetery. Also from the tunnels of the castle you can still hear the French prisoners imprisoned during the Seven Years' War.

Castle Glams

blog.bravofly.com

• Scotland
• Visitors to the castle met such ghosts as Lady Janet, the little page, the Gray Lady.
• There is a walled room in the castle. There is no entrance to it, but its windows are visible from the street. According to legend, one Sunday two friends decided to play cards, which was strictly forbidden. Now they will play cards in this room all their lives, because they disobeyed the ban.

Moosham Castle

• State of Salzburg, Austria
• Built in 1208
• Known as the Witches' Castle. Between 1675 and 1687, thousands of women were branded witches and sentenced to death by the Inquisition. They were tortured and then beheaded. Most of them still roam the halls of the castle as ghosts. In addition to the place of execution of witches, Moosham Castle also served as a werewolf's lair. The history can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. Many mutilated cattle and deer corpses were found in the castle. And some residents of Moosham were convicted and imprisoned as werewolves.

Bran Castle

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• Transylvania,

  Brasov, Romania

• Built at the end of the 14th century

The castle was the home of the famous Vlad the Impaler, known as Vlad the Impaler, for his love of impaling his enemies. Vlad III Tepes was the prototype of the vampire Count Dracula and the killer of people, described in the novel by Bram Stoker. Prince Vlad Tepes had the nickname Dracula (translated as "son of the dragon"), which he inherited from his father. Vlad did not live in Bran, as many believe, but only stayed for a few days while hunting in the surrounding forests.

Chillingham Castle

• Great Britain
• The castle was located on the border of two opposing nations, so detachments of English troops that followed to Scotland often stopped in the castle. And the Scots often raided the castle. There were often bloody battles around the castle, and captured enemies were immediately tortured and killed. Since then, their souls have been wandering around the castle.
• Chillingham Castle served as the site of massacres. This castle was owned by John Sage and for three years he worked as an executioner-torturer in the torture room. It is said that he tortured about fifty people a week. It is believed that in a fit of passion, he strangled his mistress Elizabeth Charlton. Elizabeth's father threatened King Edward I Longshanks that he would ally with the Scots and revolt if the killer was not punished. As a result, by order of the king, Torturer Sage was executed on the castle grounds. Sage's ghost can still be heard dragging bodies around at night.
• Another famous ghost is the Blue Boy, who lives in the pink room. The guests of the castle heard loud crying more than once, after which they saw blue flashes of light. The ghost of the blue boy has not been seen since the castle underwent an extensive renovation and the bodies of a man and a boy were found walled up in a 10-meter wall.
• Another famous ghost is the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley, who often appears from her portrait in the Gray Room. According to legend, Lady Mary's husband, Lord Gray Wark, went to live with her sister, leaving her alone with her child. Since then, Mary has been wandering around the castle in search of her husband.

Houska Castle

• Prague, Czech Republic
• Built by the ruler of Bohemia, Ottokar II in the 13th century
• The castle was not built to protect from the outside, but to protect people from what is hidden inside the castle. According to legend, the passage in this place led directly to hell, from where one day a half-man-half-monster was released, and demons, witches and other evil spirits fell into our world. In the center of the castle is a well, from which hellish sounds sometimes come. Before the construction of the castle, the inhabitants lowered a soldier with a rope into the pit. The soldier let out a cry, they pulled him out, and a couple of days later he died. In 1930, the Houska castle attracted the attention of Hitler and was very popular with the Nazis, who began to use it for a number of secret experiments and occult experiments. This is evidenced by several bodies of Nazi soldiers who were executed in the basement of the castle. According to rumors, the skeletons of unearthly creatures were found in the castle. Ghosts still walk around the castle - a black horse without a head and a bulldog man. And from the window of the upper floor, a woman in a black dress is constantly shown. Only the most courageous tourists decide to go down into the dungeon, because demons that came to us from the other world still roam there.

Rožmberk Castle

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• Czech
• Rožmberk is one of the most mysterious castles in the Czech Republic, located in the south of the country, near the Austrian border.
• Named after the aristocratic family that owned it.
• The most famous ghost of Czech castles is the White Lady (or the Lady in White, as she is also called).
• Once upon a time in this Czech castle Baron Rožmberk. He was a cunning and greedy man. Baron Rožmberk's main assistant was a monk who compiled all the documents for his master and thereby helped him to seize more and more new lands. One day, the baron wanted to seize the land on which the monk's relatives lived. Therefore, the monk refused to draw up documents, for which he was executed by the baron. Dying, the monk cursed the baron himself and all his descendants. The baron has an only daughter, Perkhta, whom he tried to marry as profitably as possible. Perhta married Count Liechtenstein and left for the groom's palace. But, since the greedy baron refused to give out the promised dowry, the young husband sent his wife back to her father. Already in old age, Lichtenstein came to her to ask for forgiveness, but Perkhta refused him. After that, Count Liechtenstein cursed the Rozhmberk family. Perkhta still wanders through the corridors of the castle in the form of the ghost of the White Lady. It is believed that the sleeves of the White Lady's dress have the ability to change color, if they are white, then this is fortunate, if they are red, then to the fire, if they are black, then to big trouble.

Eltz Castle

• Germany
• The first mention of the castle dates back to 1157, when Frederick I presented the castle to Count Rudolf van Eltz. Since then, the castle has always belonged to one single family.
• According to legend, the castle was never captured, because it is guarded not only by living people, but also by the spirits of long-dead knights who once owned it and still stand guard over the castle.
• In the castle you can also see the ghost of Countess Agnes, who, according to legend, died defending the castle from an uninvited guest.

Lip Castle

• North Roscrea, Ireland
• Lip Castle was built in the 15th century by the Ocarrol clan.
• Leap Castle has a long and bloody history. During the reconstruction, a prison with human remains was found in the castle, which filled three wagons. One of the most famous stories is connected with the chapel ("Bloody Chess"), in which in 1532 a soldier killed his priest brother with a sword. Since then, the priest's pizrak lives in the castle. Another terrible spirit is a phenomenon called "It". It does not look like a person, it is described as a creature the size of a sheep, but with a human face. When it appears, visitors smell sulfur and rotting flesh. In the castle, you can also meet the ghost of the Red Lady, holding a dagger in her hands. The castle is haunted by two girls, Emily and Charlotte. Sometimes visitors see them playing and running around the castle. Or flying from a height and disappearing at the very ground Emily (she died at 11 years old, falling from a height).
• The dungeon of the castle is not left without attention. According to one of the stories, there is a room in the dungeon with a special hatch through which prisoners were thrown onto numerous metal spikes built into the floor.

A heroic medieval knight, a beautiful princess or just a legend – castles capture our hearts and captivate our imaginations. We yearn to explore their narrow corridors, climb the dimly lit stairways and gaze into the distance from their tall stone towers. And if the past of the castle is connected with defeated enemies, forgotten prisoners and evil spirits ... well ... so much the better.

Bran Castle in Transylvania
Despite the fact that this 14th-century fortress echoes the legends of Dracula, Bran Castle has managed to acquire the name "Dracula's Castle" and all the associated monetary gains.
They say that Bran Castle was once the home of Vlad the Impaler, also known as Vlad the Impaler, he really liked to impale the enemy. Today, the castle is a museum displaying furniture and art collected by the royal family.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Rising above the Princess Gardens, these majestic towers are located in Europe's spookiest haunted city...
The 900-year-old fortress was built on the remains of an ancient volcano and is home to the most mysterious ghosts in the world.
While some visitors claim to hear a monotonous drumming, several people saw the drummer himself, reportedly decapitated and only showing up just before the attack on the castle.
They say that the ghost of a dog roams around the castle cemetery, and something incomprehensible is happening in the towers.

Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire, England
Although the English Tamworth Castle in Staffordshire has never been inhabited by fictional vampires, the Norman design of the courtyard and the ominous stone tower betray that same creepy factor. And yes, there are still ghosts.
The most famous residents of Tamworth Castle are the Black Lady and the White Lady, both of whom are regularly heard or seen in the area. It is said that the White Lady threw herself off the battlements when she learned that her lover had been murdered. And the Black Lady, in all likelihood, is the spirit of a nun named Edita, summoned from her grave by the unkind prayers of other nuns after they were expelled from a nearby convent.

Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon, England
There are many legends associated with this castle and according to the English Heritage Guide it is "reputed to be one of the most famous haunted castles in the UK". The castle is said to be inhabited by two female ghosts: the White Lady and the Blue Lady. The Blue Lady, calls for help to passers-by, luring them into her tower. If they go to her, they will surely find their death. It is believed that she was the daughter of a Norman lord and is said to wander among the cellars, mourning the loss of her child, whom she herself killed, because she bore him from her own father. The White Lady is said to be the spirit of Margaret Pomeroy. Connoisseurs say that she, being imprisoned by her sister, Elinor, who was jealous of her beauty, still wanders through the corridors of the dungeon.

Bodelweedan Castle in Wales
It is believed that the castle is haunted, including a soldier who lives in one of the galleries. Sir John Hay Williams recorded in 1829 that during the reconstruction period, human bones were found near one of the chimneys. The bones were immured back into the wall, and there they remain. The castle has been featured in two popular TV shows, Most Haunted and Ghost Hunters International.

Dunluce Castle in Northern Ireland
In 1586, royal civil strife began over the castle and ended with the hanging of the constable of the former castle. His ghostly figure, wearing a purple cloak and wearing a ponytail, roams the tower of Dunluce Castle, where he was actually killed.
In 1639, the castle's kitchen collapsed into the sea, taking the lives of several servants to the grave. Today, visitors experience chills in parts of the castle, and gift shop workers notice that occasionally someone is shifting books and fiddling with the radio.
Despite the fact that no one sensed the evil intentions of all these ghosts, the thought of cheerful residents returning to diversify your stay already gives goosebumps.

Chillingham Castle, UK
Chillingham's most famous ghost is the Blue (or Shining) Boy. It is said that at night in the "Pink Room" of the castle, loud screams are heard and a blue glow appears above the bed or a boy dressed in blue clothes.
In Chillingham you can visit a fully equipped torture room. There, according to eyewitnesses, the spirit of Torturer John Sage, the former owner of the castle, appears. In a fit of passion, he strangled his mistress Elizabeth Charlton. Elizabeth's father threatened Edward I Longshanks that he would ally with the Scots and revolt if the killer was not punished. As a result, by order of the king, Torturer Sage was executed on the castle grounds.
Another famous ghost is the spirit of Lady Mary Berkeley, who is said to appear frequently from her portrait in the Gray Room. According to legend, Lady Mary's husband went to her sister, leaving his wife to suffer alone in the castle.

Dragsholm Castle, Denmark
Many otherworldly creatures live in Danish castles, but the most densely populated of them is, of course, Dragsholm, where, according to the most conservative estimates, about a hundred ghosts live (due to which, by the way, this not very interesting fortress has become one of the most visited in the world) . The number of ghosts increased from century to century: the castle was both an episcopal palace, a fortress, and a prison. Among the famous "residents" stuck on the border between the worlds, a white lady, whom her own father immured in a wall for her connection with a commoner, and the spirit of a certain count, who died in captivity and since then has been frightening visitors with a horse neighing.

Warwick Castle, UK
Warwick Castle, which appeared in 1068, was also destined to witness a huge number of battles (it is believed that no other European fortress can boast such a bloody history of battles). The defeated enemies were tortured in the dungeons, and therefore, until now, people who find themselves in casemates feel dizzy and nauseous. Of the ghosts, tourists most often see the ghost of one of the owners of the estate - Sir Fulk Graville: on cold evenings, he comes out of his own portrait and wanders around the castle, terrifying the living.

Eltz Castle, Germany
The picturesque castle Eltz in the German state of Reinald-Palatinate was built in 1157, and since then they have always belonged to one single family. Eltz is now owned by the 33rd generation! Tourists are attracted to these places both by chic (according to some, the richest in all of Germany) interiors and ghosts. According to legend, this castle was never captured or destroyed, because in addition to living defenders, it is guarded by the ghosts of medieval knights - the ancestors of the current owners of the estate.

Moosham Castle, Austria
The castle, built in 1208 by the Bishop of Salzburg, has an ominous reputation: hundreds of witches and sorcerers were beheaded within its walls, and their spirits have not yet left Moosham. Therefore, do not be surprised if, when looking at medieval chambers, you constantly feel someone's touch, hear strange sounds, or even see something inexplicable. And one more time the castle was the dwelling of a werewolf - otherwise how to explain the disfigured corpses of cattle and wild deer found in its walls?

Brissac Castle, France
Brissac is the highest castle in the Loire. It appeared in the 11th century, but was constantly being taken away: now there are 203 rooms in the chateau - there is a place for both people and ghosts. At night, ardent moans are heard in the castle: the noble family of Jacques de Brize once lived in Brissac. But one day, the sounds of love reached her husband. He decided to find out who publishes them, and found his wife Charlotte with another. Since then, the lovers have disappeared without a trace, the unfortunate husband was forced to sell the castle, but for several centuries a couple of lovers have been disturbing the peace of the new owners and reminding themselves of themselves with loud passionate cries.

Bardi Castle, Italy
At 60 kilometers from the city of Parma, on a rock of red jasper, stands the ancient castle of Bardi. It was erected in 900 near the crossroads of busy roads for defense against Hungarian raids. Gradually, restructuring led to the fact that the citadel turned into a rich palace with an extensive library and a large collection of weapons. Now the castle is filled with tourists, they are attracted by a romantic legend: the beautiful Soleste was in love with the captain of the knights, Moroello. She spent her days on the castle tower, waiting for the return of her betrothed. But one day an army appeared on the horizon, decorated with the colors of the enemy. Soleste hurried to jump down, never knowing that Moroello won and ordered his subordinates to wear the paraphernalia of enemies solely for the sake of showing off. Upon learning that he, in fact, killed his beloved, the captain also threw himself off the cliff, but his restless spirit still wanders around the castle.

Houska Castle, Czech Republic
Houska Castle is located in the dense forests in the north of the country, and it still instills fear in the locals. By the way, not far from Prague, some 50 kilometers! The castle was built in the 13th century for very strange reasons, because it was not built at all in order to defend against enemies and not as a home for a wealthy family. This castle closes the gate to hell! According to legend, on the site where the castle stands, there is a direct path to the abyss, from where demons, witches and other evil spirits fell into our world. All this devilry bothered the ruler, who decided to seal the entrance to hell by building a strong castle in this place. In the early 1930s, the Nazis conducted their occult experiments here. The most common ghosts in this castle are a black horse without heads and a bulldog man. A woman in a black dress constantly appears from the window of the upper floor. Only the most courageous tourists descend into the dungeons of this castle, because demons that came to us from the other world still roam there.