Scary places in the world and their history. The most terrible and mystical places on the planet. Dolmens, Western Caucasus

There are places where even the bravest and most seasoned people will not want to go. Places of bloody tragedies, murders, supernatural phenomena or simply very creepy incidents that cause chills even in the most desperate.

If you are one of those people who have a strange fascination with visiting haunted houses and creepy places, then you will definitely enjoy this post! This list contains 25 of the scariest places that exist on our planet, and the faint of heart should avoid them at all costs!

From the fear-inducing "suicide forest" in Japan and the haunted Leap Castle in Ireland, to the creepy voodoo market in Togo and the terrifying Italian catacombs (with mummies dressed as if they were alive), all the places listed on today's list are like something out of a nightmare!

25. Hashima Island, Japan

Once former home for more than 5,000 people, now Hashima Island is an abandoned and eerie place located almost 19 kilometers from the city of Nagasaki, in southern Japan.

The island was used as a mining enterprise, but after the end of coal mining, all residents soon abandoned the place, leaving it at the mercy of nature.

24. Lake Natron, Tanzania

Located in the northern part of Tanzania, Lake Natron is famous for its extremely high salt content, extremely high alkalinity and murderous temperatures of up to 60°C.

There are only a few species of animals that have managed to adapt to this harsh environment, but if any other animal touches the water, it will burn their skin and kill them. Deposits of sodium carbonate will then immortalize the body, turning it into a real mummy.

23. Catacombs of Paris, France


They are called the "Empire of the Dead." The Catacombs of Paris are among the largest and most terrible catacombs in the world. Having total length almost 200 kilometers long, they are estimated to contain the remains of almost 6 million people.

Over the years, many people have become lost and died in this extremely complex and extensive system of tunnels and caves.

22. Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Poland


Located near the city of Auschwitz in southern Poland, the Nazi concentration camp is where at least 1.1 million people (mostly Jews) were killed.

Living conditions in the camp were extremely brutal, and many of those who did not die in the gas chambers died from starvation, forced labor, infectious diseases, execution, or as a result of inhumane medical experiments.

21. Museum Vrolik, Netherlands


Located in Amsterdam, on the grounds of the University of Amsterdam, the Frolik Museum is one of the creepiest and scariest museums in the world.

Named after Willem Vrolik, a Dutch anatomist and pathologist, the museum houses various human anatomical anomalies in the form of bones, skulls, embryos and other body parts and plaster models demonstrating various aspects of embryology, pathology and anatomy. It houses numerous examples of birth defects and medical anomalies, collected over more than a century.

20. Beelitz Sanatorium, Germany


Located in the town of Beelitz, Brandenburg, in eastern Germany, the Beelitz Sanatorium was once where Nazi leader Adolf Hitler was treated.

Currently, this large medical complex, consisting of 60 buildings, is abandoned and destroyed. The dilapidated hospital with graffiti-covered walls evokes a disturbingly eerie, post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

19. Hill of Crosses, Lithuania


Located approximately 12 kilometers north of the city of Siauliai in the north, the Mountain of Crosses is unique place pilgrimage of Catholics, notable for the huge number of crosses, crucifixes, statues of the Virgin Mary and stuffed animals.

The exact origin of the tradition of placing crosses on the hill is unknown, but it is believed that there are at least 250,000 crosses on the Hill of Crosses today.

18. Suicide Forest, Japan


Officially called Aokigahara, the "Suicide Forest" grows at the foot of Mount Fuji in Japan. Historically associated with demons from Japanese mythology, the forest is so densely packed with trees that it literally blocks the wind, making it an exceptionally quiet and eerie place.

Despite numerous signs urging people to reconsider their intentions, the forest - for some reason - has become a popular place for suicides. According to statistics, about 100 suicides occur here every year.

17. Chauchilla Cemetery, Peru


Located 30 kilometers south of the city of Nazca in southwestern Peru, the Chauchilla Cemetery is an ancient cemetery containing the remains of mummified people from the pre-Hispanic period and archaeological artifacts.

Thanks to the exceptionally dry climate of the Peruvian desert, the unprotected corpses, dressed in embroidered cotton clothing, were remarkably well preserved.

16. Leap Castle, Ireland


Considered one of the most haunted castles in the world, Leap Castle has an unusually bloody history.

A brutal fratricide was committed in this 13th-century castle; in addition, many people were imprisoned here and were executed. As such, the castle is said to be haunted by many spirits of the dead, including a violent supernatural entity known as the "Elemental" ("It"), most recognizable by the accompanying smell of rotting flesh and sulfur.

15. Freeman Ranch, Texas, USA


Freeman Ranch is a little over 14 km² of land located between the cities of San Marcos and Wimberley in Central Texas.

The working ranch is dedicated to various areas of research, including forensic anthropology. Human remains are left there to rot so that decomposition processes can be studied.

14. Pripyat (Prypiat), Ukraine


Located in northern Ukraine, Pripyat is the city where the Chernobyl accident occurred in April 1986. The accident, known as the worst nuclear power plant accident in human history, killed 31 people, but long-term effects such as cancer and physical deformity continue to this day.

Estimates vary widely, but some say the tragedy affected millions of people.

13. Stanley Hotel, Colorado, USA


One of the world's most famous haunted hotels, the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, inspired Stephen King to write the cult bestseller "The Shining."

While staying at the hotel, King stayed in room 217, but the most haunting activity was said to be in room 478.

The hotel is allegedly haunted by the spirit of Flora Stanley, the owner's wife, who loved to play the piano in the late evenings. Her ghost is said to be very clearly visible.

12. Tuol Sleng, Cambodia


The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh is located on the site of a former school that was converted by the Khmer Rouge into the infamous Security Prison 21.

Between 1975 and 1979, up to 20,000 people were imprisoned, tortured and killed here.

The grim museum attracts hundreds of tourists every day and houses photographs of prisoners, skulls and instruments of torture.

11. Island of the Dolls, Mexico


Located on Lake Teshuilo near Mexico City, the Island of the Dolls is the creepiest place in all of Mexico.

Legend has it that the only inhabitant of the island, Don Julian Santana, found the body of a drowned girl in the canal. Haunted by her spirit, Santana began collecting dolls for her and continued to do so for many years until he drowned in the same waters.

Today, hundreds of creepy, mutilated dolls with severed limbs and severed heads “decorate” this island.

10. "Door to Hell", Turkmenistan


Also known as the "Crater of Fire" or "Crater of Fire", the "Door to the Underworld" is a natural gas field near the village of Darwaza. In 1971, at the site of the underground cavern, a failure formed, which turned into a gas crater.

Hoping that it would only burn for a few days, geologists ignited the gas to prevent the methane from spreading, but the crater has been burning continuously ever since.

9. Snake Island, Brazil


For those who suffer from ophidiophobia (a pathological fear of snakes), Snake Island is definitely the scariest place on Earth.

Located just off the coast of Sao Paulo, Brazil, this small 44.5-hectare island is home to more than 4,000 snakes, including venomous species that can "melt human flesh."

According to some reports, here you can find a snake on every square meter.

8. Sedlec Ossuary, Czech Republic

Located in the central part, the Sedlec Crypt is a small Roman Catholic chapel that lies under the Cemetery Church of All Saints.

The chapel is famous for containing the skeletons of almost 70,000 people, whose remains were artistically hung as decorations and furniture for the chapel. Thanks to its uniquely creepy interior and atmosphere, this creepy place has appeared in several horror films.

7. Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky, USA

A former treatment center for tuberculosis patients in the early 20th century, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky is considered one of the scariest and most haunted places in the United States.

63,000 people died within the walls of this sanatorium. Many deaths are associated with improper healing or immoral experiments. Shadows and ghostly screams can be seen and heard throughout the building.

6. Catacombs of the Capuchins, Italy


Located in the Sicilian city of Palermo in southern Italy, the Capuchin Catacombs are unique funerary catacombs, famous for the fact that human remains are displayed like museum pieces, dressed and mounted in normal intravital human poses.

Containing approximately 8,000 corpses and 1,252 mummies, the catacombs have become a popular tourist attraction.

5. Oradour-sur-Glane, France


Located in west-central France, Oradour-sur-Glane is a small village that was the site of a terrible massacre by the Nazis during World War II after rumors surfaced that a German officer had been captured.

As a collective punishment, the villagers were herded into the main square and hundreds of people, including women and children, were killed by horrific machine gun fire.

Today, the site serves as a museum and permanent monument to commemorate the atrocities that occurred during the German occupation of France.

4. Akodessewa Fetish Market, Togo


Located in Togo's capital, Lome, the Akodesseva Amulet Market is the world's largest amulets and voodoo market.

One of the creepiest places in Africa, the market offers everything from leopard heads and human skulls to voodoo priests who give blessings, create amulets or predict the future and cure diseases.

3. Bran Castle, Romania


One of the most terrifying castles in the world, Bran Castle is said to have once been the residence of Vlad III, the brutal Romanian ruler better known as Vlad Dracula or Vlad the Impaler.

Infamous for impaling his enemies, he inspired Bram Stoker to write his famous gothic horror novel Dracula. However, the castle has another creepy element: in one of the castle chapels there is a golden casket containing the heart of Queen Mary.

2. Kolmanskop, Namibia


Once a thriving diamond mining center, Kolmanskop is now a ghost town located in the Namib Desert in southern Namibia.

After World War I, when diamond reserves dried up, the city began to decline until it was finally abandoned in 1954. Over time, nature took its toll, and the desert took this city away from man, creating one of the most ominous places in Africa.

1. Kabayan Mummy Caves, Philippines


Discovered in Kabayan in Benguet Province, the Kabayan Mummies Caves are natural caves that house Fire Mummies.

Dating back to 2000 BC, they are among the best-preserved mummies in the world. Mummification began shortly after the death of a person whose stomach was digesting a very salty drink. Then the corpse was washed, placed in front of the fire in a sitting position and dried.

There are places in the world that have attracted people for many decades. They are accompanied by mysticism, crimes remain unsolved, disappearances of people are not explained in any way, frightening natural phenomena and creepy stories of witnesses appear constantly. Stories are passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes find out the truth about this mysterious place very hard. In the age of science, the inability to explain everything rationally can lead to madness. Especially when there is no way to get an answer at all. Even leading scientists regularly encounter mysteries so complex that they simply cannot figure them out. In a world that is well explored, it is always unusual to learn about places that hide surprises. If you love mysticism and think you can solve the mysteries of these places, get to know them. You may come to the conclusion that some things are better left unknowing.

Overton Bridge, Scotland

Fifty dogs have jumped off the bridge in the last fifty years. Animals die on sharp stones tens of meters under the bridge. The record number was five dogs in six months. All tragic incidents occurred in the same place, on the right side between the last two parapets. The Scottish SPCA recognized the problem as a mystery. All this has caused a lot of discussion on the Internet about the reasons why animals commit suicide. Locals try not to walk their dogs in the vicinity of the bridge. Many believe the bridge is haunted after a man threw his child off it. He believed that the newborn was the embodiment of the devil. After that, he tried to kill himself, but it didn’t work out, and when he was asked why he decided to do this, the man replied that the bridge forced him.

Humberstone and La Noria, Chile

In 1872, these two towns in the Chilean desert were crowded with salt mine workers. During the Great Depression, manufacturing collapsed and cities were abandoned. In the sixties of the twentieth century, no one lived here anymore. Local residents refuse to walk the streets of abandoned towns. There are rumors that the souls of the dead wander there at night. There is a legend that the inhabitants never really left their houses. You can ignore the rumors about ghosts, but there is something even more frightening - most of the graves have been excavated and skeletons are visible. People are sure that the dead walk at night because grave robbers have disturbed their rest. Even in daylight, some people hear voices and children's laughter here.

Lake Anjikuni, Canada

How can an entire village with all its inhabitants simply disappear without a trace? In 1930, hunter Joe LaBelle went to an Indian village near Lake Anjikuni. When he got there, he saw that the place was completely deserted - people had left food, weapons and clothes. All thirty residents have disappeared! Labelle reported this to the police, but the Indians were never found. The strangest part of what happened is that the dogs that lived in this village were found frozen to death, they were hungry, but there was plenty of food around. To this day there is no clear explanation for what happened. Unless, of course, you believe in aliens - some believe that they abducted the Indians.

Skeleton Lake, India

In 1942, a frightening discovery was made in India - Lake Roopkund was found in the mountains, in which more than two hundred skeletons were discovered. The bones have been dated to 850 AD. Scientists have never been able to explain their appearance. Some believe that people died during the storm, while others say it was suicide.

Bigelow Ranch, USA

The last owners of the house were Terry and Gwen Sherman. He encountered so many paranormal events that he simply ran away from the ranch. For example, ten cows simply disappeared without a trace, large shining spheres were seen above the house, doors appeared in the air, three dogs disappeared, and in the place where they were last seen, a huge spot was noticed, as if from a fire. Surprisingly, all the dead animals found near the ranch did not shed a drop of blood - the skeletons were removed from the corpses, but there was no trace on the ground.

Disney Discovery Island, USA

The island has been closed to visitors for almost twenty years. Some are sure that the reason is mysticism. The abandoned island still has electricity. Why? In addition, creepy vultures live there. The atmosphere there is truly scary!

Yonaguni Monument, Japan

In 1986, a diver discovered mysterious underwater structures near south coast Japan. Twenty-five meters underwater is the largest pyramid in the world. There is a road around it, it is absolutely clear that the entire structure is created by human hands. Scientists have studied the structure and are sure that it is five thousand years old. But why is it there? The debate continues further.

Hotel del Salto, Colombia

The hotel is located thirty kilometers from the capital, and was once very popular. Now it is closed - a whole chain of suicides has occurred there. Locals are sure that the place is cursed.

Kapustin Yar, Russia

This place is one of the most mysterious in Russia. The space program developed here and nuclear weapons were tested. It is not possible to explore this place - it is closed to outsiders.

Aokigahara Forest, Japan

At the foot of Mount Fuji is the Aokigahara forest, where an incredible number of suicides have been committed. According to legend, demons and spirits live in the forest. Anyone who comes there sad falls under the power of evil forces and kills himself. More than fifty corpses are found here every year!

Chateau Miranda, Belgium

The castle's previous owners abandoned it during the French Revolution. Then they opened a shelter there, but that too soon moved. The building stands abandoned and is accompanied by an atmosphere of mystery. Why does everyone leave him without regrets?

Devil's Triangle, Pacific Ocean

People are mysteriously disappearing in this part of the ocean. Mysterious situations are associated with plane crashes and magnetic anomalies. Researchers tried to explain the nature of what was happening, but failed to cope with the task.

Lighthouse at Cape Aniva, Russia

The lighthouse was built in 1939 near Sakhalin. It is believed to be radioactive, so entering the building is prohibited. Some believe that the building is a government shelter where political criminals are interrogated. Others believe that the lighthouse is haunted.

Helltown, USA

Strange things are happening on this piece of land in Ohio. Satanists gather here, it is believed that the souls of people who burned alive in their houses still live here, and someone claims that a chemical disaster occurred here, from which some residents mutated.

San Luis Valley, USA

Aliens have been seen here many times. Disks and spheres appear in the sky, which have been repeatedly recorded on film and photographed by local residents. The mystery remains: why is everything happening in this particular valley?

Pine Gap, Australia

This is a closed piece of land that is controlled by the government and is secret. It is believed that from here researchers are trying to contact other galaxies. However, everything is classified, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to find out the truth.

Paris Mines, France

Everyone knows the catacombs in Paris, but the mines are closed to visitors. They are so secret that even the most enthusiastic researchers cannot get there. In September 2004, the police found an underground cinema in the mines, but the next day there was no trace of it!

Riddle House, USA

Many tragedies happened in this house. For example, one of the employees committed suicide. Residents heard strange voices and sounds. The house was abandoned. When the workers returned again, they noticed strange occurrences - windows opened on their own, and tools turned on for no reason.

Death Valley, USA

This valley is known for rocks that move across the ground for no apparent reason. Scientists have not been able to explain why this might happen. Each stone weighs hundreds of kilograms and moves! This is a real mystery.

Door to Hell, Turkmenistan

When Soviet scientists were looking for a source of natural gas here, a huge crater emerged from which flames burst out - the fire has not gone out for almost fifty years. No wonder tourists come here. It is simply impossible to close the crater, and how much gas there is still in it is unknown.

If you think that there is nothing worse in the world than Dracula’s castle, then you read a lot and travel a little. Island of Dolls, Cemetery of Hanging Coffins, Forest of Suicides - ELLE has selected the TOP 10 most terrible places in the world, a visit to which can not only broaden your horizons, but also deprive you of sleep.

Nazca is the name of a city and desert plateau in southern Peru. The tiny city with a population of 27 thousand people is constantly teeming with tourists. Some want to look at the mysterious drawings left on the dry desert soil, others want to visit the Chowchilla cemetery. Located in the suburbs of Nazca, this necropolis is literally open to visitors. Imagine large pits lined with sticks in which the dead sit. Amazing embalming technology preserved the bodies - at least the bones - in perfect order. Among the inhabitants of Chowchilla there are many who can boast of voluminous hairstyles - despite the fact that the last dead person was buried here 11 centuries ago.

The city on the banks of the river of the same name is located two kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Until April 27, 1986, it was a rapidly developing nuclear city, all of whose residents were somehow related to the nuclear power plant. Immediately after the terrible accident at the station, almost fifty thousand of its population was evacuated and the city turned into a monument. Or rather, to a memorial. So it stands empty for more than thirty years, becoming an eerie museum under open air. Residential buildings, a hospital, kindergartens and schools, playgrounds, a Ferris wheel - everything remains. And not a single soul.

Echo Valley in the Philippines is full of rocks. Coffins hang on them close to each other. Locals are convinced that the higher the body of the deceased is located, the faster he will be in heaven. Forcing them to bury bodies is useless. The tradition of burying the dead in the air has existed for more than two thousand years, but how and on what are the coffins attached? local residents They don’t tell - it’s a secret.

There are many islands in the suburbs of Mexico City, the most famous of course being La Isla de las Muñecas, the Island of the Dolls. In the fifties of the last century, a young man named Julian Barrera witnessed the death of a child, a girl, who drowned off this island. Barrera kept her doll for himself, and from that moment on, the spirit of the deceased began to appear to him. To appease the spirit, Julian began hanging old dolls found in trash heaps on the island. And in the end he settled on this island. In 2001, after his death (Barrera, like the same girl, drowned near the island), the business was continued by enthusiasts, his relatives. There are a lot of dolls here and together they look very creepy.

The real name of the mansion located in Transylvania is Bran, but it is known, of course, as the castle of Dracula, Count Vlad the Fourth, who received the nickname Impaler because of his love for impaling his subjects. The castle, built on the edge of an abyss, is a 100% embodiment of the Gothic style: gloomy decoration, howling sounds (caused by a chimney that begins to hum in a strong wind). The main attraction of the castle is Dracula's bedroom with a huge bed; it was here, according to legend, that the owner preferred to drink the blood of his victims. The “house” looks very well maintained, for which thanks to Francis Ford Coppola, who invested in the reconstruction of the castle when he filmed his film adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel there.

In the Czech village of Lukova, the Church of St. George (St. George) has stood since the 14th century. It was abandoned in 1968 after a fire started during a funeral service and the roof collapsed. Several years ago, sculptor Yakov Khadrava, preparing to submit his thesis, decided to turn the church into a site for his experiments. And he populated the empty building with human statues, whose heads were covered with veils. The spectacle is fascinating and scary. The teachers, by the way, were also impressed and accepted Yakov’s diploma - in such an original form.

The famous Mount Fuji is not only famous for itself: at its foot lies Aokigahara, a dense forest full of rocky caves. Aokigahara is incredibly quiet and very, very gloomy. Already in ancient times, the forest was considered the “residence” of monsters and ghosts. And it was here that residents brought and left their loved ones whom they could not feed - frail old people and children. Aokigahara's dark reputation attracts people who are inclined to take their own lives there. Over the past 60 years, the bodies of more than five hundred suicides have been found in the forest - in this sense, Aokigahara is second only to the famous Golden Gate Bridge.

It is not surprising that the “Suicide Forest” is filled to capacity with signs urging potential suicides to come to their senses. The Japanese believe that once you enter Aokigahara, you will never be able to leave it. Therefore, only rescuers looking for those who want to commit suicide and brave tourists visit it.

People were buried here for four centuries in a row, until the end of the 18th century. There was little space, a lot of bodies. As a result, more than 100,000 dead people found refuge in a small area. To ensure there was enough space for everyone, the old tombstones were covered with earth and new ones were placed immediately. Thus, 12 layers of graves were accumulated. Over time, some layers, due to the subsidence of the earth, came out into the light of day, running over later ones, and the cemetery began to look like a rush hour crowd on public transport.

Here it is, Southern American Gothic at its finest. The Manchac Swamp is located near New Orleans and is called nothing less than the swamp of ghosts. Slaves fled here from their masters, but none of them got out of here - they were all eaten by giant crocodiles. The spirits of the dead and those same crocodiles are the main ingredients in the eerie menu of Manchac, a place that attracts tourists so much. There are active excursions around the swamp, both during the day and at night.

Built in Portugal in the 16th century, the chapel is filled with the remains of monks: in total, more than five thousand people are buried there. Bones and skulls are everywhere, wherever you look. And the inscription on the roof of the building - “Better a death day than a birthday” - puts you in an optimistic mood.

Our world is beautiful and amazing; a lifetime is not enough to see all the beauties of the planet. However, some people like to tickle their nerves and see something scary with their own eyes. Many believe in the supernatural and otherworldly, so they visit these creepy and dangerous places, shrouded in secrets.

Aptly named the “Gateway to Hell,” Turkmenistan's Darvaz is home to a fiery hole in the ground that has been burning continuously for over four decades, with no sign of stopping. It all started because of a worker mistake while exploring underground natural gas fields. In the end, they decided that it would be safer to burn the gas in 1971 rather than risk the people trying to get it. Darvaz is one of the most surreal landscapes on Earth.

Many years ago, hundreds of ships moored at this busy fishing port Aral Sea, but over time, the water receded by 4 meters, after Soviet engineers changed the direction of flow of the rivers feeding this large port

Every year, a real bird strike occurs in the Jatinga Valley, India. Migratory and local birds commit mass suicide here: just after sunset, hundreds of birds fall from the sky and crash to their death on trees and walls. Birds tend to be disorientated by the fog caused by monsoons. Birds are attracted to village lights and fly towards them, sometimes crashing into trees and walls along the way.

12. Ghost town - Oradour-sur-Glane, France

The village of Oradour turned into a ghost in 1944 - the Nazis shot and burned 642 of its residents (including children and women) in one day. First, they drove the men into barns and started shooting at their legs, immobilizing the people; the Nazis doused them with gasoline and burned them. The soldiers locked the women and children in the church. First, asphyxiating gas was released into the building, and then the church was set on fire.

To the west of the city of Cluj-Napoca there is an unusual forest - all the trees in it are twisted. An explanation for this phenomenon has not been found; other paranormal phenomena have been reported in the forest. A UFO was photographed here in 1968. I even call this place “the Bermuda Triangle of Romania”; people often disappear here.

It is called the creepiest castle in Ireland. In the 16th century, it was home to the O'Carroll family, who fought with other Irish clans. The O'Carrolls often invited their enemies to dinner at the castle under the pretext of reconciliation, and then killed them right at the table. Under the dining hall there was a dungeon (“oubliette”), into which unsuspecting guests fell through a secret door in the floor of the hall. The bottom of the dungeon was strewn with sharp stakes, on which the victims fell. According to some reports, when the castle was restored after a fire in the 20s of the last century, workers found in the “oubliette” great amount bones - it took three carts to clean out the dungeon.

Construction of these houses began in 1978, they were supposed to become an attraction for tourists. But construction stopped in 1980 when the company went bankrupt. During construction, several serious accidents and suicides occurred due to the supposedly disturbed spirit of the mythical Chinese dragon. As a result, the village was abandoned and soon became known as a ghost town.

Akodesseva is located in the capital of the Togolese Republic of Lomé - a strange and unexpectedly welcoming place, which is distinguished from ordinary markets only by its fetishistic afterlife assortment. Mountains of cattle skulls, dried heads of monkeys, buffalos and leopards, and even human bones lie in mountains here. The stalls of traditional healers and healers are popular at the market, where terminally ill people flock in lines.

Centralia was a thriving Pennsylvania mining town whose population dropped from 1,000 in 1981 to 12 in 2005 and 10 in 2010. The reason for this is the seemingly harmless burning of garbage in a landfill in 1962. 5 firefighters were hired by the city authorities to burn garbage dump. They set fire to heaps of garbage and then extinguished them. Incompletely extinguished garbage sparked an underground fire. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and it still burns to this day. Unbearably harmful fumes and toxic soil force people to leave the city.

The Island of the Dolls can be called one of the creepiest attractions in Mexico. It is located in one of the areas of Mexico City, which is called Xochimilco and is known throughout the world thanks to the ancient Aztec canals - chinampas, included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. This island is located on one of them. They say that in the middle of the last century, a little girl drowned in a canal near the island, and soon after the accident, old broken dolls thrown into the canal began to swim up to the island. The hermit Don Julian Santana, who lived on the island, decided that this was a sign and began to catch dolls and then hang them on trees in order to protect themselves from evil and calm the spirit of the dead girl.

This island is located in the East China Sea, about 15 kilometers from the city of Nagasaki. Before the island was settled at the beginning of the 19th century, due to the discovery of coal on it, it was just a fragment of rock. Thanks to the coal industry, the construction of houses for miners and their families began. The reef became an artificial island with a diameter of about one kilometer in perimeter, with a population of 5,300 people. By 1974, all residents left the island due to the drying up of minerals, and the city turned into a ghost town. Committee World Heritage UNESCO included this abandoned city on the World Heritage List

Once upon a time it was planned as an advanced city where representatives of the technical intelligentsia would live: engineers, scientists, researchers. It was built around the most modern nuclear power plant at that time. But a combination of circumstances led to the worst man-made disaster in history. There was an explosion at a nuclear power plant and the release of tons of radiation dust, contaminating the earth for many kilometers around.

On the island of Luzon, in the village of Sagada, there is one of the creepiest places in the Philippines. Here you can see unusual funeral structures made of coffins placed high above the ground on the rocks. That's why this place is called "the hanging coffins of Sagada." There is a belief among the indigenous population that the higher the body of the deceased is buried, the closer his soul will be to heaven.

A quarantine station, a common grave for victims of the plague and, most recently, by historical standards, a refuge for the insane - the tiny island of Poveglia, hidden from view in the Venetian Lagoon. They say that the island was twice the last refuge for thousands of patients during epidemics of the black plague, that its soil consists of 50% of the ashes of burnt corpses, that local fishermen avoid the island, fearing to discover in their nets a catch of human bones polished by the waves, that in In the 20s of the last century, horrifying experiments were carried out on mentally ill people here, that the head doctor of the psychiatric hospital eventually went crazy from his actions and committed suicide by jumping from the island bell tower, and a very mystical version suggests that Poveglia is densely populated spirits of tortured victims.

Throughout the forest you can find signs with the words: “Your life is a priceless gift from your parents. Please contact the police before you decide to die." Aokigahara Forest is located at the northwestern foot of Mount Fuji, sacred to every Japanese, on the island of Honshu, and is considered a place where ghosts from all over Japan gather. Aokigahara is a popular suicide spot among residents of Tokyo and the surrounding area. Every year, between 70 and 100 bodies are found in the forest.

Every day we come across things that seem strange to us, but modern world there are much stranger things. If you look around, there are many mysterious and strange places that you can find.

Strange things have always attracted people around the world, but what exactly makes strange things strange? An abandoned city where no people have lived for hundreds of years? Or is this an island where strange dolls live instead of people? Or perhaps these are abandoned amusement parks scattered across different parts of the planet?

Whatever makes such places strange, the fact is undeniable. If you have always been interested in this topic, we invite you to learn about the 15 strangest and unusual places ah, located all over the world!

15. Abandoned subway in Cincinnati

In the late 1990s, under the bustling streets of Cincinnati, there was a system of tunnels from which it was decided to build a subway. Unfortunately, due to a lack of finance and a reduction in the number of city residents, construction was suspended, and the underground premises turned into a lifeless space.

The metro consists of labyrinths of tunnels with turns that can confuse only the most poorly oriented people. This place is definitely one of the creepy abandoned and also strange places to say the least, but the decision to completely destroy it has not yet been made.

14. The Island of Dolls

When it comes to all things creepy and weird, there's little that compares to . This place, located in Mexico, is full of interesting stories. It is uninhabited except for the thousands of dolls that can be seen throughout the island.

According to legend, a girl once drowned in one of the island’s canals. After her death, they say, dolls began to wash up on the shore of the island, seemingly out of nowhere. At that time, there was one person on the island who began hanging these dolls all over the island. Since then, this place has served as a kind of monument to the deceased girl.

13. Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA


If you are a fan of the movie "Silent Hill", then you may have already heard about the existence of this interesting and creepy city. It was once a populous mining town, but since an underground fire started there, almost all the residents have left it.

There are fewer than ten people left in the city, and the coal mines continue to burn to this day. The underground fire began in the early 1960s and, according to experts, will continue for many years.

12. Sanzhi Resort


It usually takes a long time for the construction of a project to be completed, but in the case of the Sanzhi resort in Taiwan, construction work ended much earlier than planned.

The Sanzhi resort was intended to be a holiday destination for those who want to relax and escape from everyday life. This was supposed to be the perfect vacation spot to spend in quaint saucer houses by the ocean.

However, due to frequent accidents and casualties that occurred during the work, it was decided to freeze the project, and the construction of houses was stopped. Today these houses are dilapidated buildings, and local residents believe that ghosts and restless souls live there.

11. Varosha


On the coast of Cyprus there is a city called Varosha, in which not a single person lives. From a distance, this city lined with houses seems noisy and lively, but upon closer examination it turns out that there have been no people in it for a very long time.

Before the invasion of the Turkish army, Varosha was popular tourist city, however, since all its residents were evacuated, no one has returned here, and it has turned into a ghost town with abandoned buildings, empty streets and an oppressive silence.

10. Maunsell Sea Forts


In the North Sea off the coast of Great Britain, very strange structures rise above the water, looking like huge tanks walking across the sea.

These were built for defensive purposes during World War II to resist the invading Germans. Now they are a ghostly reminder of those distant times.

9. Mountain of Crosses (Kryziu Kalnas)


The place Kryziu Kalnas, which is also known as the “Mountain of Crosses”, is located in Lithuania, 12 kilometers from the city of Siauliai.

According to rough estimates in 1990, about 50,000 Lithuanian crosses were installed on this unusual hill. Since then there have been even more of them. Even Pope John Paul II installed one of them during his visit in 1993, making the Hill of Crosses a real place of pilgrimage.

It is believed that whoever places a cross on this hill will become lucky. There are many versions of the emergence of the Mountain of Crosses, and one of them is based on the legend of a Catholic monastery that once stood on this hill, which went underground for unknown reasons. When one of the local residents’ daughter fell ill with an incurable disease, he decided to erect a cross at the place of prayer. Then a miracle happened: the girl recovered. The rumor about the miraculous power of this place quickly spread throughout the country, and people began to come here, leaving crosses on the hill for good luck.

8. Kabayan Mummy Caves


There is a place in the Philippines that many people don't know about. For most people, burying the dead underground is the best way pay last tribute to memory. However, the people of the Philippines have taken burying the dead to a new level.

Instead of burying the dead underground, they mummify them and transport them to artificial cave. All of these mummies are considered to be among the best preserved in the world. Until their discovery, they remained completely isolated.

7. Oradour-sur-Glane


The destruction of cities during World War II was absolutely devastating. The Germans destroyed many homes and killed countless people, but one town still stands, a ghostly reminder of their inhumane deeds.

The French town known as Oradour-sur-Glane was one of many towns burned to the ground. All that remains of the abandoned city today are ruins. It is currently an uninhabited ghost town.

6. "Door to the Underworld" (Darvaza)


Darvaza, best known as the "Door to the Underworld" or "Gate of Hell" is a gas crater in Turkmenistan, formed as a result of the collapse of an underground cavern discovered by geologists in 1971. Big hole filled with gas, it was decided to set it on fire so that gases harmful to people would not escape. It was assumed that the fire would go out in a few days, but the natural gas escaping from the crater is still burning.

This place has turned into a fairly popular tourist attraction, visited by many researchers, photographers and extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world.

5. Jacob's Well


There are many places in Texas that have become popular tourist attractions, and the deep sinkhole, which goes almost 37 meters underground, is one of them.

While locals spend their holidays diving into the well from a height, divers from all over the world plunge into the depths of the karst spring, trying to penetrate the most secluded corners and openings of the natural well.

There are quite a few very sharp ledges along the edges of the well, but this does not at all prevent desperate adventurers from trying to explore its depths. And, unfortunately, several fatal accidents have already happened in this place.

4. Leap Castle


Ireland is one of the most mysterious and beautiful places on the planet, to say the least. Steeped in history, this country is full of amazing places no matter where you are in Ireland.

One of the most unusual places for lovers of all things mysterious is Lip Castle. Built in the late 15th century, this creepy old castle has a deep history and is known for being home to many ghosts and strange occurrences. There are rumors that a powerful evil force is roaming the halls of the castle, which is called "Elemental" ("Uncontrollable") or "It".

Another distinctive feature of this creepy place There is a rumor that the castle was built over a torture pit, and many of the most incredible and terrible murders took place there.

3. Akodessewa Fetish Market


Commonly referred to as the African voodoo supermarket, Akodessewa is known as the ideal place to go in search of unusual amulets and charms. Located in Togo, the Akodessewa market is considered the world's largest amulet market.

Residents from all over Africa come to this market to purchase strange and unusual items such as dried heads and skulls. The Voodoo religion originated in West Africa, so it is not surprising that some markets on the continent sell items for performing Voodoo rituals.

2. Catacombs of Paris


Deep beneath the streets of Paris there is a system of tunnels that many know as the "Catacombs of Paris". Access to the general public in these catacombs is closed for good reasons, but this does not prevent some daredevils from going underground to see what is buried deep under Paris.

There is a labyrinth of tunnels stretching for more than 300 kilometers with twists and turns that can lead to death quite quickly.

1. Hoia Baciu Forest


The most strange place Topping this list is the creepy and frightening forest of Hoia Baciu, located in Romania. Many people have gone missing in this forest. He is considered" Bermuda Triangle"among all the forests and is characterized by very strange features.

The appearance of UFOs and unusual electrical phenomena have been repeatedly recorded in the forest. Ghosts and strange visions have also been seen here. Those who have been in this forest say that they experience a feeling of anxiety or restlessness, dizziness and nausea, and some hear someone’s steps and voices.
The trees and bushes growing in the forest twisted and intertwined with each other, as if they had stepped out of the pages of children's fairy tales, making this place even more ominous and frightening.