Haunted castles in Great Britain. Ghosts of old England

Found it interesting topic, just right for night time :)
According to statistics, according to the number of officially registered cases of ghost sightings, residents British Isles deservedly rank first: they encountered 147 ghosts, as confirmed by credible witnesses and police reports. In second place is Spain (99), followed by France (48) and Belgium (32). Scandinavians now have the least chance of seeing a ghost - in three countries Only 14 stories recognized as true are described, and only isolated cases - in Eastern Europe.

Residents of the United Kingdom willingly believe in the existence of ghosts, which is quite justified: on the territory of the state there are a huge number of ancient castles, the silent walls of which remember the events of the past - multi-day sieges, bloody battles, court intrigues and treacherous betrayals. Of course, the energy in such places is excellent, although not always positive, which does not at all prevent enterprising Englishmen from opening five-star hotels in haunted castles.

Of all the British people, representatives of the Scottish nation experience the greatest craving for the paranormal. In a country where a plaid skirt on a man does not arouse the morbid interest of others, there are a huge number of excursions to castles with otherworldly powers.

For example, Urquhart Castle is famous for its ghost, which is called Water Kelly.

Currently, all that remains of Urquhart Castle are romantic ruins on the shores of the world-famous Loch Ness. In ancient times it was a very important fortification on the way to the Highlands. Surrounded on three sides expanses of water it stands on top of a cliff and amazes visitors with its grandeur.
No one knows whether the Loch Ness Monster really exists, but the very opportunity to see it when visiting Urhart Castle attracts many tourists here.

And when we talk about the paranormal and Great Britain, one cannot help but mention the Loch Ness monster, which, by the way, is the most popular representative of Scotland according to the results of a sociological survey conducted among 2,000 people. The Beast beat out Robert Burns and Sean Connery, who finished second and third, respectively. So popular is Loch Ness and its mythical inhabitant that a webcam is installed on the shore: people from all over the world look at the screen every day in hope - will Nessie appear?

In the capital of Scotland - Edinburgh - every year in mid-May the Mary King's Close ghost festival is held, which is named after the underground chain of streets where festival participants are invited to walk among the gloomy ruins of houses and chilling sounds. Hidden underground about 200 years ago, the street is, of course, not the only haunted attraction: over the course of 10 days, the public will be able to learn about paranormal phenomena by participating in experiments that are carried out in places where ghosts are most concentrated. And also meet spirits, listen to stories about terrible events of the past and communicate with mediums. The bravest ones will be offered the opportunity to descend into an unknown dungeon for the whole night.

The British Abbey of Bisham, located in Buckinghamshire, is also famous for its ghost festival. There is very popular information on the Internet that the abbey, which once belonged to royal dynasties, was mentioned in the Doomsday Book, and this, by the way, is absolutely true. Such a book, indeed, exists, but “the devil is not as terrible as he is painted”: the Domesday Book, or doomsday book, is just a cadastral book - a land inventory of England, produced by William the Conqueror in 1085. And it has nothing to do with otherworldly forces and the end of the world.

The Bisham Festival is held annually in May and lasts only a few hours: from seven pm to midnight. A special feature of the event is a ghost hunt in the most mysterious corners of the abbey. Those who wish will also be able to purchase various items of an anomalous nature at a special fair. The most visited place in the abbey is a well, into which there is a secret passage, where people see strange flickering lights. The most famous ghost of the abbey is Lady Hobby, who has been mourning her son for several centuries.

In Britain, even the National Heritage Foundation is looking for ghosts (in addition to its main activities). In 2007, on the eve of Halloween, he named the ten most famous haunted castles. The rating is based on researcher Sheen Evans' book "Ghosts: Mysterious Tales of a National Heritage." On the pages of the book, the author insists on the existence of ghosts in 230 English castles and mansions, which can be visited by purchasing an entrance ticket. Here is the top list of famous castles and their equally famous disembodied inhabitants.

Lock Blickling Hall, Norfolk County. It ranks first in the “ghost” ranking. Here appears the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII, who was beheaded on May 19, 1536 on suspicion of adultery and high treason. The ghost of the inconsolable queen is often seen sitting in one of the bedrooms, with her severed head resting peacefully in her lap. Sometimes the queen walks decorously through the rooms of the castle; in this case, the unfortunate woman holds her head in her hands. The castle is inhabited by two more “tenants”: the spirit of a good-natured comrade-in-arms of Henry IV - the knight John Fastolf, whom the great Shakespeare wrote into several of his plays (“The Witchwomen of Windsor”, “Henry IV”, “Henry V”) as Falstaff, and the ghost of the arrogant Sir Henry Hobart, killed in a duel in 1698. Some eyewitnesses claim that at midnight before the full moon, all three ghosts gather in the large hall in front of the old fireplace and drink traditional English tea with scones and butter.

Lock Dunster Castle, Somerset County. The “man in green” walks freely through the rooms of the castle, passes through the walls, and plays pranks in the museum shop.

Lock Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire. The castle is simply teeming with ghosts. During its construction, a team of builders died, so the whole team remained in the castle. From these spirits you should not expect noble soaring in the air and inconsolable sobbing; their jokes are rude and ignorant, and on particularly stormy nights, swearing can be heard throughout the castle and the sounds of an invisible feast can be heard.

Lock Newton House, Carmarthenshire. In the 18th century, Lady Eleanor Cavendish was strangled here by one of her admirers. Since then, her ghost has lived in the castle. When this lady appears, a person begins to have an attack of suffocation, someone’s invisible hands are squeezing his throat more and more tightly.

Lock Gibside Hall, County Tyne and Wear. The “inconsolable countess” lives in the castle; at night, her muffled sobs can be heard throughout the echoing halls. Who she was during her life, why she cries and why she became a ghost, no one knows.

Lock Lyme Park, Cheshire. At night, a belated guest may accidentally stumble upon a ghostly funeral procession with quiet funeral music. The procession moves slowly through the castle park, observing all the rules of the ceremony.

Lock Lanhydrock, Cornwall. The ghost of a middle-aged gentleman haunts the rooms. The archives of the castle contain information that during the first Civil War, the royalists hanged an unknown man on the castle gates, who, according to the description, is surprisingly similar to the ghost who settled here.

Lock HughendenManor, Buckinghamshire. The ghost of politician and writer Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beaconsfield, sometimes greets guests on the grand staircase. A snow-white snowdrop always sticks out of his buttonhole. April 19, the day of the lord's death, is celebrated in England as “snowdrop day” (during his lifetime, the snowdrop was his favorite flower).

Lock Powis Castle, County Powys. In the darkness of the corridors and passages of the palace, visitors often see the “lady in black” and feel the touch of her cold hands.

Lock Belton House, Lincolnshire. A mysterious "gentleman in black" strolls majestically outside the Queen's bedroom, whistling an old Scottish song.

CRYING - anomalous place, a village in south-east England, also known as the "village of a dozen ghosts". Even in England, famous for its ghosts, Pluckley stands out for its "high density of ghostly population." Skeptics believe that the population of the village is simply gripped by “ghost mania,” but ghosts very often appear to random visitors, so there is also a half-joking remark that the local air itself has an unfavorable effect on the organs of vision. One way or another, just listing the “attractions” of the village can cause fear and surprise. On the eastern outskirts of the village live: bringing a murdered robber to "Fright Corner" ("Alley of Fear"); a ghostly carriage drawn by four; the image of a gypsy woman who was once burned under mysterious circumstances, smoking a pipe on the bridge; "the black ghost of the miller" who appears before a thunderstorm at Pinnock's house. In the north, Pluckley was repeatedly observed: the appearance of a colonel who hanged himself in the Parkwood forest; the bringing of a schoolteacher who hanged himself off Dickie Bassez Lane; “a woman in white from the Dering family,” appearing in the library near the central estate of the estate, which burned down in 1952; a ghost in the form of a woman in a luxurious dress with a red rose in her hands (in the 12th century, Lady Dering, dressed in exactly the same way, was buried here in the Church of Saint-Nicolas in seven lead coffins of different sizes, inserted one into the other). The center and south are also allegedly haunted by: the “ghost monk” at Greystones House; "the woman from Rosecourt" who once committed suicide by drinking the juice of poisonous berries; “The ghost of a screaming man” in a clay quarry on the site where a collapsed clay wall once buried a brick factory worker. However, among the residents of Plakli themselves there is no unanimity in the debate about the origin of this or that ghost.

But ghosts can be found not only at festivals and in old castles. On the eve of Halloween, a British company producing road construction materials conducted a survey among drivers, the results of which revealed that 45% of the surveyed motorists had seen ghosts while driving. Based on the survey, a list of the most “populated” roads with ghosts was compiled.

In first place was the long M6 motorway, connecting the central and northwestern parts of England, on which you can meet Roman legionnaires moving in strict columns, the ghost of a dead woman, and a phantom truck that either rushes along the roadway or hovers over the road. In second place is the Scottish A9 road, where a Victorian horseman meets a horse-drawn carriage accompanied by footmen.

By the way, on roads with a bad reputation, there are unique signs “Beware of ghosts”, urging drivers to be careful. It is worth noting that such signs are found in England not only on motorways: they can be seen in one of the many parks in London where the ghosts of children appear, or at Thingagel Castle in Cornwall, where the ghost of a woman wanders.

Ghost hunting in the UK is an honorable and highly paid business. Both the phenomenon of the existence of ghosts and the reasons for each individual case are explored. British scientists analyzed a lot of data.

In most cases, ghosts are the villains, as well as their victims. Ghosts love spacious and darkened spaces. In this sense, castles are ideal for them: they have room to wander around to their heart’s content and rattle their chains, howl terribly or freeze high under the ceiling of the main hall.

Here is a short program for those who want to become the mocking Casper (please do not take this as a guide to action!):
1. Be born in England, into a family of aristocrats (about 80% of ghosts are of noble origin).
2. Settle in a castle (70% of cases).
3. Commit a crime (there are a lot of options here) and not repent.
4. Become a victim of a villain (there are also many options) and not forgive the offender.

There are a huge number of legends about scary ghosts in ancient castles. England is especially famous for its haunted castles. Probably, something terrible really happened within the walls of some of them. But secret passages, dungeons, secret rooms, an old, cold, dark atmosphere - this is already enough to scare visitors to death. Don't believe in ghosts? Perhaps our selection will make you doubt.

Carmarthenshire, Newton Howe Castle

In the 18th century, Lady Eleanor Cavendish was strangled here by a jealous admirer. Since then, the ghost of Eleanor has lived in the castle. When meeting this lady, a person feels an attack of suffocation, as if someone’s invisible hands are squeezing his throat more and more tightly.

Somerset, Dunster Castle

There is a ghost wandering around here, which they call the “gentleman in green.” The ghost walks around the castle, passes through the walls and fools around in the museum shop.

Norfolk, Blickling Hall Castle

Here you can find the ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn, who was beheaded in May 1536 on charges of high treason and adultery. The ghostly queen is often seen sitting in one of the rooms, with her severed head lying on her lap. Sometimes the queen walks peacefully along the corridors of the castle with the same head in her hands.

Tyne and Wear, Gibsight Hall Castle

The “inconsolable countess” lives in the castle. At night her muffled crying can be heard along the echoing corridors. No one can say who she is, why she is crying and why she became a ghost.

Cheshire, Quarry Bank Mill Castle

During the construction of the castle, an entire team of workers died, and now they are frightening visitors as a whole. They say that the castle is infested with ghosts, from which you should not expect inconsolable sobs: their jokes are ignorant and rude. On particularly wild nights, swearing and the sounds of an invisible feast can be heard throughout the castle.

Buckinghamshire, Hughenden Manor Castle

The ghost of the writer and politician Lord Benjamin Disraeli sometimes greets guests in his castle on the main staircase. He always has a snowdrop in his buttonhole.

Lincolnshire, Belton House Castle

The ghost of a mysterious “gentleman in black” lives here, who, humming an old Scottish melody, imposingly walks near the queen’s chambers.

Cornwall, Langaidrock Castle

In this place, the ghost of a man wanders the halls. Preserved in the castle archives interesting information: during the First English War civil war an unknown man was hanged on the gate, who, according to the description, looked remarkably like a local ghost.

County Powys, Powys Castle

In the darkness of the castle corridors, guests often encounter a ghost nicknamed “the lady in black.” Many visitors claim to have felt the touch of her cold hands.

Cheshire, Lime Park Castle.

At night, guests may accidentally stumble upon a ghostly funeral procession with quiet mourning music. The procession floats slowly through the park, observing all the rules of the ceremony.

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There are a lot of ancient castles and haunted mansions on our land, but not all of them are openly talked about and not all of them are allowed to tourists. We have made a selection of the most famous and famous haunted castles in Europe, and many of them offer interesting mystical excursions for tourists.

Warwick Castle in England- this majestic medieval castle was built in 1068 by order of William the First Conqueror, on the site ancient fortress Anglo-Saxons in the city of Warwick on the banks of the River Avon, located in Warwickshire. According to historical information It is known that the English King Edward the Fourth was imprisoned here. Since 1978, the castle has been open to tourists, and the ancient building was included in the “Catalogue of Ancient Monuments”. Tourists who come here are sure to rush to see the mysterious “ghost tower”, where, according to the stories of watchmen and guides, the ghost of the former owner of this castle, Sir Fulk Greville, lives, who was treacherously killed by a servant in 1628. Moreover, they say that a ghost lives in his portrait, which hangs on one of the walls of the tower, and at night he appears from there to walk through his possessions. An equally mystical place in the castle is its dungeon, where there used to be a prison for criminals. To this day, tourists can see torture instruments in this gloomy room, iron bars on which once stretched crippled people, forcing them to die in agony. All this paraphernalia creates a depressing state in which some particularly impressionable tourists begin to see in the dark corridors the flickering translucent silhouettes of ghosts who ended their lives here.

Chillingham Castle in England - old castle was erected in the village of the same name, belonging to the county of Northumberland, back in the twelfth century. It occupied a very important location from a strategic point of view - on the border of two constantly warring states - England and Scotland, it is clear that it was constantly in the line of fire, and battles were often fought in its vicinity. This castle-fortress has a long, bloody history. It is worth saying that in the basements of the castle there was a dungeon, where there was a torture room, through which hundreds of unfortunate prisoners passed, it is clear that they did not manage to survive. In light of this, it is not at all surprising that Chillingham Castle is one of mystical places England with numerous otherworldly inhabitants. The guides say that the history of the castle depicts one servant of the castle, who worked there as an executioner for three years; in a week he managed to “communicate” with fifty prisoners. You can count how many deaths he had behind him. Employees who work in the castle say that at night the heartbreaking screams of tortured prisoners can be heard from the basement. In the torture chamber of the castle you can meet the ghost of John Sage, the former owner of Chillingham, who killed his mistress, Elizabeth Charlton, for which he was executed in the same castle by order of the English king Edward the First. In general, in the underground prison of the castle, prisoners traditionally had their bones in their arms and legs broken and left to die a painful death; for many centuries, no one removed their remains. Only in the last century were the decayed bodies removed, all but one of the bodies of the last victim - the skeleton of a girl, which tourists who visit Chillingham Castle can still see to this day. And here lived the ghost of the Blue Boy, who often visited the Pink Room at night. Many people who have stayed overnight in this room have been awakened by a sudden flash of light and a blue glow over their bed, then heard a loud baby crying. This mysterious phenomenon continued until the restoration of the castle’s fortress wall began, during which two skeletons were found - a child’s and a man’s; they were embedded in the wall alive, and the researchers saw traces of scratches left by their nails in the wall. After this, the apparitions of the ghost stopped. There is another otherworldly inhabitant in the castle, she lives in a portrait that hangs in the Gray Room - this is Lady Mary Berkeley, who committed suicide after the betrayal of her husband, who went to live with her sister. They say that at night this ghost separates from the portrait and begins to walk through the rooms and halls of Chillingham Castle.

Woodstock Castle in England- this building is real historical legend with the status of “the largest residential castle in the world.” The castle was built in the twelfth century. It was the famous residence of the English king Henry II Plantagenet, who for quite a long time managed to hide his mistress Rosamund Clifford from his wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, in one of the hidden towers. But it was difficult for an uninitiated person to get into this love nest, because a complex labyrinth of alleys and living green barriers was created, which led from the palace to the tower. The path was known only to Henry, Rosamund and her servants. But the queen was persistent, cunning and jealous, so she found out the secret path through the labyrinth and came to her rival while the king was away from the castle, inviting Rosamund to drink poison, threatening that she would destroy all her relatives if she refused.

Rosamund made this sacrifice and died. Since then, the kind ghost of the beautiful Rosamund has appeared in the castle; they say that she does not harm visitors. She is often seen in the mysterious labyrinth and on the stairs of the castle, where she waits for her Henry. But the ghost is aggressive towards people who come to the castle with bad intentions. They say that in the eighteenth century, the owners of the castle accumulated large debts, and then the county authorities decided to take the property as compensation. But the officials who came for antiques and works of art were greeted by streams of water and a hail of stones that fell on their heads as soon as they entered the corridor, and everything materialized out of nowhere. Until now, this mystery has remained unsolved, but it forced the authorities to flee, and the good ghost guardian of the castle, Rosamund, managed to save the castle property. When Woodstock Castle was destroyed, a ghost began to appear in the rooms of Blenheim Palace, as it was built next to the ruins.

Brissac Castle (Château de Brissac) in France is a beautiful and incredibly interesting French castle in the Loire Valley, located in the Anjou region in the city of Brissac-Quince. The seven-story castle of Brissac – popular place visiting tourists, it especially attracts guests with its mysterious story about the ghost “Ladies in Green” that lives within its walls. Local legend says that in 1462, Jacques de Breze became the owner of the Brissac castle, who entered into a marriage of convenience with Charlotte de Valois, his half-sister. French king Louis the Eleventh on his father's side. The spouses had very different interests: while the husband loved to hunt, the wife was used to having fun for days with guests. In May 1477, Jacques, returning home from hunting, went to bed, but was awakened by a servant who reported that there was a stranger in his wife’s room. He went into Charlotte's bedroom and stabbed both of them with a sword, but his anger was so strong that he could not stop and continued to strike the corpses with his weapon. As a result, he practically mutilated the bodies of his lovers. When the king learned of the death of his sister, he ordered Jacques de Breze to be imprisoned and also demanded the payment of a huge fine. In the room where the murder happened, groans are often heard and you can see the silhouette of a woman in a green dress, which is all in holes from the blows of the sword. Any tourist himself will be able to hear these night sounds and perhaps meet the ghost of an unfortunate woman, because in Brissac there are several rooms that are rented out for daily rent. These rooms are three well-appointed luxury suites, all furnished with antique furniture. The price per night in a room for two people, with breakfast and a tour of the castle, starts from three hundred and ninety euros.

Moosham Castle (Schloss Moosham) in Austria– the second name of this formidable medieval building is “Witches Castle”, its gloomy gray towers tower over the Mur River in Salzburgerland. Moosham Castle was built in 1208 for the archbishops of the Austrian city of Salzburg. It is known as the place where thousands of women, whom the Inquisition declared guilty of witchcraft, suffered martyrdom, which is why it bears such a second name. Between 1675 and 1687 there was a women's prison for witches. Here they were tortured to extract a confession of having relations with the devil, and then executed. You can still feel the heavy and gloomy mystical atmosphere here, which so attracts tourists, but repels local residents, who even in the twenty-first century shun this place, claiming that there are countless ghosts there. Moosham is the most mysterious castle in Austria; it was carefully reconstructed, however, tourists have the opportunity to visit only part of the castle premises: several living rooms, a bridge, an arsenal, a barn.

During the restoration of the castle, craftsmen, working in the basement, found piles of mutilated animal skeletons. It became clear where the legend came from: that a real werewolf once lived in the castle dungeons. The current owner of the castle, Alexander Vilchek, who is a descendant of the count who bought the castle in ruins in 1886 for further restoration, says that the atmosphere in the castle to this day is oppressively gloomy: you can often see some shadows in the corridors and rooms, from In the basement at night, howls and screams are heard, sometimes candles or lights in some rooms light up on their own, moans or footsteps are heard. Many visitors say that they felt a light but icy touch, some of them fainted from surprise.

Dragsholm Castle (Dragsholm slot) in Denmark- one of the oldest castles in Denmark, very mysterious and mystical, and no wonder, because it has become home to hundreds of ghosts. The castle was built in the middle of the valley of the city of Herve, located on the Odsherred peninsula, in 1215 for the Bishop of Roskilde, and in the Middle Ages the castle was fortified, becoming a real defensive fortress. For a long time there was a prison for nobles or clergy. Many cells at that time were very comfortable; they had not only windows, but also toilets. The castle now belongs to the Böttger family, who carried out restoration work there, modernized many rooms, and turned Dragsholm into a hotel, with a restaurant and a museum. Meanwhile, along with the hotel guests, the walls of this castle are shared by about a hundred ghosts living there. Of course, some of them are very active, others are more modest and are shown to guests of the castle only in exceptional cases. The most frequent ghost within the walls of Dragsholm Castle is the ghost of Bishop Ronnov; he died in prison after spending a long time in captivity. Every night he walks along the corridors of the castle and sings Catholic chants, which the hotel guests can clearly hear. Another frequently seen ghost of Dragsholm Castle is the Earl of Bothwell, who was imprisoned for his political beliefs but went mad there and died. Now his ghost is often seen galloping around the castle courtyard on a horse. The ghost of Euler Brockenhuus, the “Crazy Squire,” who was kept chained in a dungeon, still makes terrible moans that pierce the silence of the night. The ghost of Selina Bowles, the “Lady in White,” lives here, who came from a rich family, but fell in love with a poor peasant, and her father, having learned about this misalliance, walled her up in the wall. For a long time, few people believed in this story, believing that it was invented to attract tourists, but during restoration, in the wall, workers found the skeleton of a young girl in a white dress. Every night, the ghost of the “Gray Lady”, a former servant who was killed, appears in all the rooms of the castle. But to this day she carries out her duties and monitors the safety of things in the castle premises. In the “Bloody” chapel of the castle lives the ghost of a priest, who in 1532 was killed with a sword, which was raised against him by his brother, a warrior. There is also a ghostly monster in Dragsholm with the body of a sheep and the face of a man, although he has no eyes, instead there are frightening holes. The putrid stench emanating from the ghost helps to recognize its approach.

Krustpils Castle (Krustpils pils) in Latvia– was built in the thirteenth century on the banks of the Daugava River and received the name “Kreuzburg”, which means “Castle of the Cross”. Why did they have such a name? There are two versions: according to the first, in 1237, Bishop of Riga Nicholas of Magdeburg, on whose order the castle was built, ordered a cross to be knocked out over the entrance to the castle, which would protect the inhabitants of the castle from evil forces; - according to another version, the cross was installed at the entrance to the castle territory so that it would block the passage of evil spirits. The construction of the castle was surrounded by mysticism from the very beginning: they say that no matter what work the masons did during the day, by the morning all the bricks would again be scattered around, and this continued until one wise old man said that this was the pampering of the devil. They called a priest to read prayers, drew crosses, but nothing helped, then someone said that evil spirits demanded a blood sacrifice. For this purpose, they chose a poor peasant, first gave him something to drink and walled him up in the foundation under the future main tower of Krustpils Castle. Since then, there have been no problems with the construction, and this tower is still considered miraculous to this day: anyone who climbs it will be able to make a wish that will surely come true. True, you need to strictly follow the procedure: climb the tower to the bell that hangs on it, kneel down, make a wish, throw a coin into the basin that stands there and ring the bell.

Returning to the history of the castle, it must be said that over the years it has witnessed a large number of historical events: sieges by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, retreat of Emperor Napoleon, visited a hospital for military personnel German army, then for Soviet soldiers, it was a garrison, a school, a residential building, and a filming site. True, there is only one ghost living in this castle in Latvia - the “Brown Lady”. According to local legend, in ancient years one of the owners of the castle - the young Baron von Korff - fell in love with a girl cook. His feelings were so strong that he decided to marry her and, despite the persuasion of his family members, did not change his mind. Then the relatives took drastic measures: they lured the cook into the castle dungeon, where they walled her up. Since then, the ghost of a girl dressed in a brown dress is often seen in the park at the castle and in its corridors, but his favorite place is the kitchen, where every night dishes rattle and heartbreaking sighs are heard. They say that this is a good ghost that does not harm anyone. It is even considered a good omen to see a Lady in brown, because she brings happiness in love, although she has not experienced it herself. Employees of the museum located at the castle say that the ghost is not afraid of them at all and begins to move along the corridors of the castle as soon as the last museum visitor leaves. The ghost does not scare anyone; the only inconvenience from such a neighborhood is breakdowns and interruptions in the operation of modern technology: computers, mobile phones, cameras, voice recorders. Thanks to this activity of the local ghost, the castle is constantly attracting many people who want to spend the night mystical excursion.

Jelgava Palace in Latvia– the first wooden castle building was erected on a small island formed by the Driksa and Lielupe rivers in 1265 by the knights of the Livonian Order. The castle was named “Mitovsky”. It stood until 1345, when it burned out in a fire, and instead a castle made of stone was erected for the Dukes of Kurzeme - the Kettlers. When power passed into the hands of Duke Ernst Johan Biron, he ordered the old castle to be blown up and in 1738 a beautiful palace was erected here, the design of which was created by the architect Rastrelli. In 1919, the castle was burned by the retreating troops of Bermont-Avalov, and its restoration happened only in 1937, after which the Latvian Chamber of Agriculture and laboratories of the Jelgava Agricultural Academy were opened here. During the Second World War the palace was damaged to the point of ruins and modern look– a consequence of the 1961 reconstruction. Despite all the misadventures that happened to the palace building, a ghost has been living in it for many years - the “White Lady”. A very interesting detail is that this ghost invariably appears wearing a huge wide-brimmed hat. It is said that the ghost is here to guard the gold, which is stored in the basement of the building and once belonged to King Louis the Eighteenth of France, who was hiding in Latvia during the French Revolution. During restoration work, this gold was not found, but scientists stumbled upon a cellar where statues of leviathans, monsters from the bottom of the sea, were hidden. It was decided to place these works of art on the lawn near the palace, and since then a child’s ghost is often seen there - this is a little girl who sings songs to the statues and plays with them. Despite many researches, scientists could not find information about who the ghosts of the Jelgava Palace were during their lifetime.

Krumlov Castle in the Czech Republic- a beautiful building was built in the thirteenth century in the city of Cesky Krumlov. The castle crowns the top of a cliff, at the foot of which the Vltava River winds. The castle was built for representatives of the aristocratic Vitkovich family. This ancient house, with three hundred rooms, is home to two ghosts. One ghost is the daughter of the local barber Markita Pichlerova, who fell in love with the illegitimate son of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II, Don Julius Caesar of Austria, who lived in the castle and had a mental disorder. He really loved the girl, only once, in a fit of violence, he pushed her down from the castle window, from then on the ghost began to appear to him every night, until the room where this happened was walled up. But this did not help either; the ghost can still be found in the corridors and rooms of the castle. The second ghost of Krumlov Castle is the “White Lady”; during her lifetime, the girl Perchta was forcibly married to Jan of Liechtenstein, but their married life brought her only pain, disappointment and tears. But even after death, she could not leave this abode of sadness. The castle servants say that if the White Lady appears, then some important events await you, and whether they are negative or positive must be judged by what kind of gloves the ghost is wearing: if black, this is for trouble, if white, for happiness and prosperity .