The eeriest destinations on Earth

Written by Chris

Days are getting shorter and the air is getting colder, and this can only mean one thing - Halloween is creeping up on us. So, to get you into the Halloween spirit, we’ve created a terrifying treat for all the fright seekers out there! From the ghost town of Pripyat, to the island inhabited by 4,000 deadly snakes, this list will certainly leave you quaking in your boots.

1. Island of Dolls - Mexico

Just south of Mexico City, you can find a small island with a spine-chilling backstory, which never intended to become a tourist destination. It’s said that a girl was found drowned in mysterious circumstances many years ago and now the dolls are possessed by her spirit. Some witnesses have claimed that they have heard the dolls whisper to each other and even see their heads and arms move!

2. Pripyat – Ukraine

In 1986, tens of thousands were forced to evacuate after the nuclear blast at Chernobyl. Over 30 years on from the worst nuclear disaster of all time, the city of Pripyat has become a haunting wasteland. If you are brave enough, you can now experience a full day tour of Chernobyl, creeping through the abandoned nearby towns and the exclusion zones.

3. St Georges Church – Czech Republic

Located in Lukova, a village with a population of only 708, is this spooky 14^th century church, commonly known as the “Church of Ghosts”. After the roof collapsed during a funeral in 1968, the church was abandoned for 40 years. In order to bring it back to life, an artist created ghost-like statues filling the benches to make the place unique. People from all over the world now flock to visit this village to see it with their own eyes.

4. Snake Island- Brazil

This mysterious Island, about 25 miles off the coast of Brazil, contains about one deadly snake per square foot. No-one is allowed to visit the island (for obvious reasons) but people used to live there for a short period up until the late 1920’s. Legend has it that the local lighthouse keeper and his family were killed by vipers that slithered in through the windows! It is estimated that there are between 2,000 and 4,000 snaked that live on the island.

5. Paris Catacombs - France

In the 18^th century, the cemeteries of Paris were running out of space, so Parisian officials chose to move the remains to the city’s underground quarries. They house the remains of over six million dead Parisians who were transported by cart from existing graveyards. Workers began to arrange the old bones into decorations such as hearts and circles and filled the walls with the ghastly remains. If you wish to explore these Parisian tunnels, tours are available.

6. Hashima Island - Japan

Located nine miles off the coast from the city of Nagasaki sits an abandoned island that was used previously as a hub for undersea coal mining. Once one of the most densely populated areas in the world, it’s been uninhabited since the mid-1970’s. During the Second World War Korean and Chinese prisoners were made to work under harsh conditions, and it is estimated that over 1,000 workers died on the island due to malnutrition and exhaustion.

7. Hill of Crosses - Lithuania

The Hill of Crosses contain a collection of over 200,000 wooden crosses on a small hill in Northern Lithuania. The crosses are thought to have appeared after a death, with relatives having no body to bury, they erected crosses and crucifixes on the hill. Small paths mark the way through the maze of crosses which continue to grow today as local people produce the crosses.