With Halloween coming up, travel sites Big 7 Travel and EnjoyTravel.com have teamed up to make a list of the 25 most haunted places to visit in Europe, and two destinations from Romania are on it: the famous region of Transylvania and the capital Bucharest.

Transylvania, best known for the Dracula legend surrounding it, is number 10 on the list. The region is also home to one of the scariest places in Romania - the Hoia Baciu forest and its reputation for paranormal activity.

“Transylvania is best known for being the home of Dracula. Many people actually didn’t even know Transylvania was a real place, or that Dracula was actually a person. But these are both very real, however, when it comes to how real the supernatural element of it is… well, that’s up to you. There are a few notable points of paranormal activity in the region, namely the Bran Castle. This is the most famous sight, associated with Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It might be a bit gimmicky now, but it is still said to be haunted by its brutal medieval past. The most haunted place in the area, and one of the most haunted places in Romania, is the terrifying Hoia-Baciu Forest. Whether you believe in paranormal activity or not, you can’t deny the creepiness of this eerie forest,” reads Transylvania’s description.

The two travel sites also added Bucharest to their list for its “creepy past” and haunted places.

“Folklore, legends, and spooky tales are common in Bucharest, a beautiful city with a creepy past. One of the most commonly known tales is of the Chiajna Monastery. It’s believed that the monastery is cursed, and whether you believe that or not, several murders did occur here. According to reports, the police put the murders down to the ‘Chiajna curse’. Another creepy sight is the Hotel Cisimigu, said to be haunted by the spirit of a woman who died when the building was a university dormitory. They say you can hear her screams from below the elevator. There are several other hauntings across the city – ghost tours are a very popular tourist activity.”

York in England is the scariest destination according to Big 7 Travel and EnjoyTravel.com, which describe it as “not only the most haunted place in Europe, but also one of the most haunted cities in the world.” The top three is completed by Tallinn, Estonia and Bruges, Belgium. The complete list is available here.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Salajean/Dreamstime.com)