Buzz
Villages are often tranquil, intimate spots steeped in history. Yet, every now and then, the past resurfaces to disturb the locals... This list features some of the most haunted villages worldwide.
10. Bramshott, England
When asked about haunted villages in the UK, most people instantly think of “Pluckley!” However, located about 90 minutes away lies the village of Bramshott in Hampshire, a place with a history stretching back to before 1086. By the 1700s, Bramshott was home to the Seven Thorns inn, infamous for a number of crimes, including murder.
During the time of these horrific crimes, paranormal occurrences began to surface, and they continue to this day. Bramshott is said to be haunted by up to 17 ghosts, including Mistress Butler, who haunts the river where she took her life in 1745, and the Flute Boy, who wanders the village lanes, sometimes climbing trees. He plays enchanting music and often appears near a ghostly white calf. Other spirits include the White Lady, the Grey Lady, and a young boy killed by highwaymen in 1772.
9. Kuldhara, India
Kuldhara, once home to the Paliwal Brahmins, was mysteriously deserted by its entire population overnight in 1825. According to legend, a diwan fell in love with the daughter of the village chieftain and threatened the Brahmins with severe taxes unless they handed her over. In response, they vanished, leaving behind a curse: anyone who tried to settle in the village would meet with death.
Kuldhara remains a ghost town, visited only by tourists and paranormal investigators. These visitors have reported strange sightings and have felt unseen forces, like a hand on their shoulder. Perhaps the most unnerving discovery is the unexplained handprints found on their vehicles after completing investigations.
8. Borgvattnet, Sweden
The village of Borgvattnet, located in Northern Sweden, is notorious for housing one of the country's most haunted locations. The Old Vicarage, built in 1876, became the center of paranormal reports in 1927 when Chaplain Nils Hedlund claimed that his clothes were pulled from the washing line by an invisible force.
In the 1930s, a priest saw an elderly woman materialize in a room, only for her to vanish when he attempted to follow her. Then, in 1945, Chaplain Erick Lindgren experienced something unsettling: an unseen entity repeatedly threw him out of his chair.
Today, the Old Vicarage operates as a restaurant and guesthouse, yet reports of ghostly activity persist.
7. Nayavutoka, Fiji
In February 2016, Tropical Cyclone Winston hit the village of Nayavutoka, located in Ra Province, Fiji. The storm's tidal waves led to widespread destruction, claiming two lives. One of the victims, a 32-year-old disabled man named Pauliasi Naiova, was found among the storm's debris and was buried the following day.
A few nights after the funeral, Osea Balesavu, who had cared for Pauliasi, was awakened by incessant barking from the village dogs. To his shock, Pauliasi appeared before him, muttering “kakana,” meaning “food.” The dogs continued barking near Pauliasi's former sleeping spot the following night. After a week of strange occurrences, a group of young men fled from their campsite, claiming they saw Pauliasi limping around, asking for kakana.
6. Beenleigh Historical Village, Australia
Beenleigh Historical Village, located in Logan, is home to 20 heritage buildings that house original artifacts from the people who lived there starting in the 1860s. After numerous reports from visitors and staff about paranormal activity, paranormal investigators captured a series of photographs. These images depict a shadowy figure in the gardens, an old man’s face in one of the windows, and a woman in a long dress in one of the hallways.
While photography experts remain skeptical about the authenticity of these photos, the CEO of the historical village affirms that strange occurrences have been reported for years. These include mysterious shadows and even a piano that plays by itself.
5. Prince Albert, South Africa
The quaint village of Prince Albert, located in the Karoo region of South Africa, has a history that dates back to 1762. Over time, numerous spirits have made their presence known here, but surprisingly, all of them appear to be friendly.
The village offers a guided ghost tour that introduces visitors to the ghost of a young bride who tragically passed away the night before her wedding. She now haunts the local museum but is said to be in good spirits despite her sorrowful end. Additionally, there’s the apparition of a young girl in nightclothes who jumps on a bed in Mearns House, once home to Dr. Mearns, a war doctor. Another ghost is of an elderly man who lingers on the porch of a local house, waving at ladies who stroll by.
4. Lawers, Scotland
Though only ruins now remain of the village of Lawers in Scotland, the land has been put up for sale. However, potential buyers are cautioned with a warning: The village is rumored to be cursed by the Lady of Lawers.
The Lady, a 17th-century soothsayer, allegedly cursed an ash tree. After her death, she was buried beside the tree. In 1895, a farmer named John Campbell cut down the cursed tree and was immediately gored by his own bull. He succumbed to his injuries, and a neighbor who tried to assist him was driven mad, eventually being committed to a mental institution. Even the horse used to haul the tree away died under mysterious circumstances.
Ghostly sightings of a woman continue at the site, with many visitors convinced that it is the Lady of Lawers herself haunting the ruins.
3. Oradour-Sur-Glane, France
On June 10, 1944, German troops invaded the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane. They separated the men from the women and children, executing most of the men by shooting them in the legs before setting them ablaze. Only five men survived the horrific massacre. A gas bomb failed to explode, prompting the soldiers to kill the women and children with machine guns and grenades. Some were also burned alive. After the massacre, the soldiers set nearly every building in the village on fire, leaving it in ruins.
A new village, built in 1958 near the destroyed one, shares the same name, but the locals refuse to approach the old ruins. They claim to see the spirits of the men, women, and children who perished, wandering the desolate site at night. The air is often thick with the unbearable smell of burning flesh and wood, believed to come from the old village.
2. Voltri, Italy
In the small Ligurian village of Voltri, there stands a foreboding house beside a winding road. This house, known as Ca’delle Anime, was once an inn run by a family plagued with mental disorders. The family would drop heavy furniture onto sleeping guests, causing them to suffer gruesome deaths from being crushed and suffocated. Afterward, they would rob the deceased of their money and possessions, before burying the bodies in a mass grave they had prepared.
It is believed that the restless spirits of these victims still haunt the house, unable to escape the place where they met their untimely deaths. The spirits are said to roam the house's rooms and halls, moving furniture and breaking dishes to announce their presence.
1. Belchite, Spain
During the Spanish Civil War in 1937, thousands of people, including women and children, perished in the village of Belchite over the course of two weeks. The water supply to the village was cut off, leading to mass starvation, while shells fired from the surrounding hills claimed many lives. Some bodies were burned in the town square, while others were sealed away in an underground olive oil press.
Today, at dusk, a child's mournful cries can be heard echoing through the empty streets of Belchite. The child, calling for his mother, is said to have perished during the war, along with her. Farmers nearby often hear other unexplained noises and voices drifting from the village at night. Despite the eerie hauntings, the site has been preserved as a movie set, with filming still occurring there.
