Haunted holidays: 5 European destinations with spooky folklore stories

If you spend long enough in this quaint Scottish village, you may find the most famous creature in Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness monster. The earliest supposed recorded sighting was in 565 AD by Irish monk Saint Columba, who saw the burial of a man who locals claimed was attacked by a “water beast” while swimming in the river. It wasn’t until much later in 1933 when other reports of sightings started to emerge. This is around the time construction for the A82 road started, which many believed disrupted the beast and caused it to emerge. Since then, there have been numerous supposed sightings of a huge creature with a long neck and large back humps being spotted in the loch, although most are sceptical about these encounters.  

While Loch Ness spans over 37km, Drumnadrochit is considered by many to be the mythical beast’s home. On your visit you can truly immerse yourself in the history of the monster, by visiting the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre and Nessieland. There are plenty of other attractions to enjoy in the village as well, including visiting the historic Urquhart Castle ruins and going on picturesque walks around the area.  

Spooky rating — 6.5/10: If the freshwater creature does exist, seeing it would no doubt be a scary sight. By most accounts, Nessie is a huge creature unlike any other which would likely give visitors of Drumnadrochit quite the shock. Supposed sightings of the elusive beast are so infrequent that if it does exist, we’d like to believe that it wouldn’t want to hurt us. However, the earliest recorded experience of the monster did supposedly end in fatality, so it’s impossible to rule this out!

While considered by most to be the city of love, Venice has its fair share of scary stories and myths. From Poveglia Island, which was used as a place to isolate victims of the plague in the late 18th and early 19th century, to many supposedly haunted crypts throughout the city, it’s safe to say that fans of ghosts and scary folklore won’t run out of attractions to explore here.  

But one of the most interesting (and scary) stories is of the statues located in the square behind Palazzo Mastelli palace. Legend has it that these three statues are of Afani, Rioba, and Sandi, three wealthy merchants from around 1100 AD, who were cursed by an elderly Venetian woman after trying to sell her poor quality fabric for an extortionate price. She is believed to have cursed the money she gave to them which turned them into stone.  

Of course, this beautiful city is full of attractions which aren’t scary too. A gondola ride is a fantastic way to soak up the scenery, and you can even get around on a boat of your own to explore the city at your own pace.  

Spooky rating — 8/10: The thought of being turned into a statue is simply terrifying, making this a particularly frightening story. But as long as you don’t try to sell your possessions for extortionate prices in Venice, you should be safe from this curse.

Palavas-les-Flots, in the Camargue region, is one of the area’s most picturesque places. This thriving sea-side town is full of fantastic things to enjoy, from the long sandy beaches where you can try out various water sports, to seeing Camargue’s famous wild flamingos. But the popular town has a frightening past, too.  

Dames blanches (white ladies) are one of the scariest beings in French folklore. These supernatural spirits appear as women dressed in white, who hide near the road side, often beneath bridges or in ravines, until they see a vehicle approaching. When passers-by approach, the dame blanche tries to get their attention and asks them for some sort of favour. Sometimes it’s to hitchhike or help her find her way, and sometimes it’s simply just to dance. The legend has it that if you help her, she will allow you to pass, but if you don’t, she’ll toss you into a ditch and leave you there.  

While there have been supposed sightings of these mythical beings throughout the countries, one of the most well-known instances occurred in Palavas-les-Flots. In 1981, a group claimed to pick up one of the women in white on the roadside in the town, who asked them to take her to Montpellier. Sat in the back seat, she began screaming “watch out for this dangerous bend” repeatedly, but when the driver turned around he claimed that she vanished right in front of him.  

Spooky rating — 10/10: This is easily one of the creepiest folklore stories around. The idea is scary enough in itself, but the fact that most reported instances have occurred in the dead of night makes the dames blanches even more terrifying.